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Learn English

Listening and Speaking

Do you want to listen to native speakers and improve your listening skills?

Learning Tip:
Try Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab where you can find a good selection of listening exercises for easy to advanced levels.

Additional listening sites are listed below, in alphabetical order by name.

http://www.esl-lab.com/American Rhetoric, with speeches and voice recordings from authors, leaders, comedians and hundreds of notable figures (MP3 format) (may open slowly).

  • BBC World English, Learning English, with interactive tasks to help you learn English.
  • English Listening Room, where you can listen to folk songs from the U.S. and fill in the blanks for the missing lyrics.
  • ESL Cyber Listening Lab, with a large selection of listening exercises for easy to advanced levels, from Randall Davis. Divided into sections by level (easy, difficult, etc.).
  • Listen to the Blues, Forum Online, where you can listen to blues music from the U.S. Lyrics (transcripts) also available.
  • Listening Skill Practice, with a directory of resources for listening quizzes, interviews, and specific English learning listening resources. Divided into sections by level (easy, difficult, etc.).
  • Lyrics A-Z, where you can look up the words to your favorite artists and songs (no more guessing!).
  • National Public Radio, with news, music, talk shows, podcasts and other listening resources.
  • Real English Lessons, with video-based exercises for intermediate and higher level learners.
  • Repeat After Us, with free online audio recordings of poems, fables, essays, tongue twisters, historical speeches, memorable quotes, nursery rhymes, and children's stories from around the world.
  • Shaggy Dog Stories, with funny stories. The actors speak clearly and slowly, so you can understand the recordings quite easily. The recordings are the property of the English Teaching Forum magazine, a publication of the United States Department of State.
  • Sounds of English, with tips and practice guides for American English. Also see American English Pronunciation Practice for practice with minimal pairs, and Pronunciation Web Resources for a directory of other sound sites.
  • USA Learns, with free online English lessons in an integrated format with many listening opportunities, from the U.S. Department of Education and the California Department of Education.
  • Voice of America, with sound files on a wide range of programs, resources, and news. In particular, see the Special English section with links to scripts, resources for young learners, games, talking dictionaries, and more.