Listening
Here is a running list of websites with audio material that you can use for listening activities.
Public Domain audio books.
http://www.loyalbooks.com/?fbclid=IwAR2mefmszUPHhvKRHPODS5JvGbLGc1S55U4akHQLyi3XwHIkLzLAK-rjHWg
Websites with collections of audio files
New: **Boogles World ESL has short listening audios w/ questions. at the beginning, intermediate and advanced levels. https://bogglesworldesl.com/listening_beginner.html
ESL Lab: Randall’s page has listening MP3 activities based on levels. Links can be sent to students. It has quizes and transcipts. Randall’s Cyber Listening Lab.
2. ESL Lounge: listening activities for varying levels, beginners, intermediate and advanced. http://www.esl-lounge.com/student/listening.php
ESL Lounge also has songs: http://www.esl-lounge.com/songsab.php
3. Adele’s ESL Corner: This page included grammar, listening and comprehension worksheets. http://www.adelescorner.org/index.html
4. 5 Minute English: this website includes recordings on various topics. Includes vocabulary, transcripts, and questions. http://www.5minuteenglish.com/listening.htm
5. Many Things: this website includes everything from listening, grammar and writing skills. http://www.manythings.org/elllo/
6. ESL Fast: this website includes more than 1000 podcasts on a range of different topics for ESL learners. https://www.eslfast.com (see #7 for how to use podcasts)
7. Tips for using podcasts: http://blog.esllibrary.com/2018/04/13/listening-tasks-learners/
8. ESL Stories for Children: this website includes some easy stories that children can listen to following along on the transcript. https://www.rong-chang.com/easykids/
9. American Songs: this website includes audio to many songs.
10. ESL Short Stories for Children: https://www.rong-chang.com/qa2/ includes 300+ stories that children can listen to and practice dictation exercises.
11. Behind the News: This website includes short 6 minute videos since 2005. These videos include the transcripts, teacher activities to go along with the videos and vocabulary. The stories are current events in the year which makes for a great morning class activity each day or each week! http://www.abc.net.au/btn/teachers.htm
12. Matching sentences to pictures http://static.digischool.nl/oefenen/hennyjellema/engels/stst-mavo.1/chapt-1/lijst.htm
13. TPR exercises by Henny Jellema Matching sentences to TPR(total physical response) First teach introduce vocabulary to students. Then have them match.
http://static.digischool.nl/oefenen/hennyjellema/engels/tpr/voorbladtpr.htm
14. Immigrant stories by Minnesota Digital Library is a collection of videos with immigrants/refugees telling their stories. On the first page you can sort by origin. You can also look at the specific ones recommended for schools. http://immigrants.mndigital.org
http://immigrants.mndigital.org/exhibits/show/immigrantstories-exhibit/classroom
15. Busy Teacher has songs, lyrics, and exercises https://busyteacher.org/classroom_activities-listening/songs_and_lyrics/
16. ESLListening.org is a site with songs, poems, podcasts, etc. designed to help you with your listening and comprehension skills through video and audio tools.
17. EnglishListening.com allows you to focus on certain passages and learn a number of different topics. Passages use different accents and genders to give you a wide range of dialects.
18.The BBC offers language learning tools on their site. This link connects to their listening resources (podcasts, learning programs, etc.) scripts and audio files available.
19. ESLPod.com creates several types of videos and audio lessons to help English learners quickly by creating content that is easy to understand and integrate into everyday life.
20. ESL-Bits.net is a powerful resource for English learners to read and listen to a variety of passages at different speeds.
21.The California Distance Learning Project is a site designed to help language learners in all aspects of their learning. Read and listen to articles about money, work, travel, family, and much more.
22 Elllo.org is an easy to use site with streaming audio and transcripts of the conversation. Very useful! Short semi-scripted conversations on various topics. Intended for language learners of all levels.
23. Lit2Go Lit2Go is a free online collection of stories and poems in Mp3 (audiobook) format. An abstract, citation, playing time, and word count are given for each of the passages. Many of the passages also have a related reading strategy identified. Each reading passage can also be downloaded as a PDF and printed for use as a read-along or as supplemental reading material for your classroom. mp4 http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/
24. Heywire (Excellent source of teen voices w/ transcripts.) Each year, every ABC regional station selects a winning Heywire Competition entry to represent their part of Australia. The young winners work with ABC staff to produce their story to be featured on ABC Radio and abc.net.au. Heywire stories are renowned for their honesty and for giving us a window on the lives of young people in regional Australia.https://www.abc.net.au/heywire/winners/
25. https://listenaminute.com/?fbclid=IwAR29ybYV_XM7QHEM7zwDSzPTtzhzf39MmHYr7QO1VP5hrlaNlZnVXyW5me8
26. listenwise.com
27. News in Slow English https://www.newsinslowenglish.com/?switch_lang=-1
28. ESL video. https://www.eslvideo.com/quizzes_beginning.php
29. Fun place to practice listening is https://lyricstraining.com/ Students listen to music clips and try to determine the words.
30. Coolenglish.net has free and paid material. Really fun activities that are great for secondary! One of my favorite sites.
31 British Council Learn English Teen Listening.
Book with audio:
MY FAVORITE GO TO is Readworks***https://www.readworks.org/ (Use books with human readers.) I love this site bec/ I can search by level, topic or skill. It has premade questions. It is always free.
Bookflix
Epic5
Reading a-z5
ESL Bits http://esl-bits.net/ has audio books for books that are in commonly found in curriculum1
https://www.storylineonline.net picture books read aloud and captioned really entertaining project by actors
STORYLINEONLINE.NETRaz kids A-Z learning book
ELT Listening Material compiled by @nathanghall
Most of these sources would be for high intermediate or advanced.
Here is a regularly updated collection of authentic and adapted listening material that could be used in an English language classroom or my students for extensive listening. Click on the title of the website to go to that page, or click on the ‘More Information’ link to get a summary of information on length, accents, transcripts, and more. If you find any links that do not work, please let me know. Also, if you have anything to add to this list, please share it with my using the contact page on this website or send me a message on Twitter (@nathanghall) and I will make sure to give you credit.
Adapted for those who speak English as an additional language
Conversational
The Listening Project: A BBC weekly podcast from the daily radio program of the same name. Conversations with everyday people about their lives.
StoryCorps: A radio program from NPR. Everyday people sharing momentous events from their lives.
New Dubliners: Interviews with immigrants to Ireland.
BBC – Great Lives: Discussions on important people from history.
Griffith University – Promotional Videos: Stories from international university students about living in Australia.
BBC World Service – The Conversation: Discussions on various topics with women from around the world.
Stories
Storytime Treasure Chest: Stories for children to young adults from various New Zealand authors.
📷 American English – Adapted Stories: A set of American short stories in public domain that have been adapted for language learners.
Lit2Go: Public domain stories listed by topic or reading level.
📷 BBC Learning English Drama: Radio dramas for English language learners.
UNICEF Children’s Radio Program – The Voices of Three Children: A short radio drama on children living in three parts of the world.
Storynory: Short stories for children. Most are original.
Storyline: Story books come alive in video form while being read out loud.
A Story Before Bed: Children’s picture book stories with videos.
BBC Radio – 500 Words: 500 word stories written by children with audio.
Wip – Canadian Web Series: A series of scripted programs for the web.
Documentaries
Very Short Documentaries: Video documentaries that are the result of a Vimeo competition. Up to 150 seconds in length.
Our First Voices: (Canada only) A series of short documentaries from First Nation people on topics related to their lives in Canada.
Why Poverty International Short Documentaries: (Canada only) International short documentaries related to “Why Poverty?”
PBS – POV Interactive Shorts: Short documentaries with additional information on various subjects.
Times Documentaries: Short documentaries on various topics.
National Museum of Australia – Personal Stories: Personal stories from some indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.
Educational
Howdini: Short how-to instructional videos on various topics.
📷 BC Newcomers’ Guide Videos: Videos for newcomers to British Columbia, Canada on various topics related to living in BC.
Service Canada: Videos on employment topics related to living in Canada.
The Guardian – Made Simple: Short educational videos on how things work.
Practical Action Techjustice in Action: Three fun, short informational videos on the work of Practical Action in developing countries. Designed for youth.
Government of Canada Science Videos: A series of science videos from the Government of Canada.
Amateur Traveler: A travel podcast on various places to visit around the world.
Employment and Social Development Canada – Essential Skills: Videos related to essentials skills needed in the workplace.
📷 Citizenship and Immigration Canada – Video Centre: Videos related to immigrating to Canada.
📷 Citizenship and Immigration Canada – Discover Canada: A recording of the Discover Canada guide for those applying for citizenship in Canada.
📷 California Distance Learning Project – Adult Learning Activities: Short audio recordings on various topics related to living in California.
📷 Marshall Adult Education – Reading Skills: Information on many subjects for language learners of various levels.
ALIS Alberta – Video Player: Employment related videos such as job specific information.
CNIB – Audio and Video Clips: Information for those living with sight problems.
DriveKind RideKind: Information on driving safely.
AAA Driver Education and Training Videos: Short driver education related videos.
Manitoba Public Insurance – 60 Second Driver: Short videos on the rules of the road.
Watch Know Learn: Short videos on various topics.
Pool Safely: Videos on safety related to swimming pools.
Aboriginal Firefighters of Canada – Fire Prevention & Education: Fire safety videos.
Cell Biology and Cancer – News Alerts Videos: Short dramatized videos on the history of cancer research.
Smithonian Channel:Videos: Short videos on topics of current interest. [More Information]
Inc. Magazine – Live: Business related videos.
BBC World – The Why Factor: Radio program on the history behind certain objects. [More Information]
Oxford DNB: Short biographies of famous British individuals.
ABC RN – Ockham’s Razor: Science radio program from Australia.
Rick Steves’ Audio Tours: Audio walking tours of international cities.
Common Craft: Instructional videos on a variety of skills, mostly computer related.
CDC Radio Public Service Announcements: Short PSAs with transcripts on various health related issues.
TV411: Adult literacy videos and lessons on various topics.
Harvard Business Review – Videos: Short informational videos on business related topics.
USA Today – Human Kind: Inspirational stories about regular people.
Khan Academy: Thousands of lessons with videos and lessons.
Ideas Lab Predictor Podcast: Short academic discussions.
Scientific American 60-Second Science: Short science related news.
US Forest Service – Discover the Forest: Short PSAs on the forest.
LifeProClips: Very short how-to tips on various topics.
GCFLearnFree: Lots of short educational videos on various topics, mostly computer related skills.
Ready PSAs: Short PSAs on preparing for emergencies.
The Open University – 60 Second Animations: A series of educational videos on various topics, all limited to 1 minute.
Cape Cuisine: Waiter Training Videos: Short instructional videos on serving in a restaurant.
📷 Settlement.org – Welcome to Ontario: Short instructional videos from those moving to Ontario, Canada from other countries.
Smartish – Consider the Source: Short informational videos on where everyday products come from.
Academic
3MT Showcase: Winners of the Three-minute Thesis competition.
University of Wisconsin – Five Minute Lectures: Series of short lectures from the University of Wisconsin.
TU in Two: Two-Minute Lectures from Towson University: Series of short lectures from the Towson University.
Two-Minute Lecture Series from Vassar College: Series of short lectures from the Vassar College.
📷 BBC Learning English – Academic English: Short lessons on how to understand academic language.
Collins Academic Skills Series – Lectures: Five lectures with transcripts.
University of Birmingham Audio and Video Podcasts: Various topics with transcripts.
La Trobe University Podcasts: Short academic discussions on various topics.
Palgrave Study Skills: Short audio recordings on advice for college or university students.
News
NPR Hourly News Summary: Hourly NPR news summarized in five minutes.
NY Times Minute: Short videos on current news topics.
BBC In Short: Short BBC news clips.
PRI – Living on Earth: PRI’s environmental news magazine.
PRI: Public Radio International news from around the world.
📷 VCC – ESL News and CBC News: Canadian and international news adapted for language learners.
📷 VOA Learning English: American and international news written for language learners.
UN Web TV – News and Features: News updates from UN projects from around the world.
ABC – Behind the News: Short news videos from Australia.
CNN – Student News: Weekly news from CNN written for students.
📷 Breaking News English: News related English language lessons at various levels.
New Yorker: Videos: Short videos on current news topics.
Radio Sweden in English: English news from Sweden and around the world. [More Information]
NHK Radio News in English: News magazine program from Japan.
BBC One-minute World News: One minute news report from the BBC.
CBC Radio – The 180: Current topics are evaluated from different sides.
Reuters Video: Short news videos from around the world, many with transcripts.
Lectures
RSA Shorts: Short animated lectures on various topics.
Ignite: Five-minute lectures on various topics.
Big Think: Lectures at various lengths on different topics.
Ted Talks: Lectures at various lengths on different topics.
Interviews
NPR Interviews: Interviews with people from around the world on topics of interest.
📷 Macmillan – The Business podcast: Short edited interviews for business English learners.
London School of Business and Finance – Great Minds Series: A series of interviews with prominent people in business.
Oxford University Press Podcast – Clinical Communication Skills: A series of short interviews with patients and medical personnel.
Editorial
The Guardian – Global development podcast: Podcast from The Guardian on topics related to development projects from around the world.
VOA Editorials: Editorials on current news.
WSJ Video: Opinion: Editorials on current news.
ABC Australia – Media Watch: Short news editorials on current news subjects. [More Information]
Various
📷 Many Things – Listen and Read Along: Various adapted material for language learners at different levels.
📷 British Council – LearnEnglish Professional Podcasts: Various adapted material for language learners at different levels on business related topics.
📷 Dreamreader: Various adapted material for language learners at different levels.
Subtitled Trailers: Short movie trailers with embedded English subtitles.
BBC Radio 4 – Just a Minute: A radio gameshow where contestants need to talk for 1 minute on a topic.
87 Seconds: A showcase of short professionally created business related sales videos. [More Information]
Using songs in the English language classroom
Teaching English Jukebox
https://www.coolenglish.net/music-free//
https://busyteacher.org/classroom_activities-listening/songs_and_lyrics/
https://onthesamepageelt.wordpress.com/2017/05/22/14-song-based-lesson-plans-and-activities/
https://www.2starsandawish.com/songs-home