Francisco J. Vare
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English Listening Practice: 53 Best Audio Resources for Every Skill Level
Practicing your English listening skills is easy when you have the right tools for the job.
Whether you are looking for an on-the-go app, the perfect podcast for your interests or a way to practice your listening and reading skills at the same time, I have some great recommendations for you.
Tune in to any of the English listening practice resources below. You will get access to thousands of audio hours and improve your listening skills!
Contents
- Apps
- Online Platforms and Websites
- Podcasts
-
- 18. 6-Minute English
- 19. The English We Speak
- 20. Podcastsinenglish.com
- 21. Luke’s English Podcast
- 22. Happy English Podcast
- 23. Rough Translation
- 24. Adept English Podcast (Learn English Through Listening)
- 25. Down to Business English
- 26. Stuff You Should Know
- 27. Better@English
- 28. Zapp! English
- 29. Passenger List
- 30. You Are Not So Smart
- 31. 99% Invisible
- 32. Scientific American Podcasts
- Radio Stations
- Tasty Streaming Platforms and Video Resources
- YouTube Channels
- Listening + Reading Resources
- Audiobooks
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Apps
1. English Listening Step by Step
Price: Free (with in-app purchases)
Available on: Android
Level: All levels
This is a complete app that includes over 1,000 audio clips, each of them with a transcript and a listening comprehension quiz.
The audios are divided into different levels, and you can choose the variety of English you want to learn.
2. Listen English Daily Practice
Price: Free
Available on: Android
Level: All levels
Divided into five categories (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, British and American English), this app is fantastic if you want a daily dose of English listening.
It includes listening comprehension exercises, vocabulary lists and subtitles, among other cool features.
3. English Listening and Speaking
Price: Free (with in-app purchases)
Available on: Android
Level: All levels
English Listening and Speaking is an app where you can find hundreds of audios divided by level and topic.
What makes this app unique is that you can practice your listening skills both online and offline.
It also includes transcripts, exercises, games and pronunciation practice.
4. Advanced English Listening
Price: Free
Available on: Android
Level: All levels
Advanced English Listening includes hundreds of lessons with downloadable audio, transcripts, Google translations, listening comprehension tests and more.
You can also download the transcript and exercises of each lesson as a PDF document.
5. LingoClip
Price: Free (with in-app purchases)
Available on: Website | iOS | Android
Level: All levels
If you love music and want to use your favorite songs for listening practice, LingoClip (formerly LyricsTraining) is all you need.
By using fill-in-the-blank exercises, LingoClip can transform every song into an English listening lesson.
Just search for the song you want to practice with, choose a level of difficulty and hit “Play.”
Online Platforms and Websites
6. ELLLO
Price: Free
Level: All levels
The English Listening Lesson Library Online (ELLLO) is a wonderful place where everything revolves around practicing your English listening comprehension.
There are over 3,000 audio clips divided into seven big categories. Among this huge collection, you will find audio lessons with native speakers, short audios with foreign learners speaking English, audio-based grammar lessons and idiom lessons.
The site has level codes so you can easily find the videos for your level.
My favorite category is “Mixer.” Mixer lessons have six different foreign speakers giving answers to the same questions.
7. esl-lounge.com
Price: Free
Level: All levels
esl-lounge.com includes hundreds of listening comprehension exercises divided into five categories: Beginner, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, Advanced and Business English.
Once you choose your category, you will see a list of audio lessons. They each come with a brief description, the grammar used and the type of English used in the audio.
For each lesson, you can choose to listen while reading the transcript or listen and take a quiz.
8. Listen A Minute
Price: Free
Level: Upper-beginner to intermediate
Listen A Minute is a simple website that includes hundreds of short listening clips.
Each audio is followed by a lot of activities to help you master the topic.
All the recordings are in British English.
9. Learnenglishfunway.com
Price: Free
Level: Upper-beginner to intermediate
Sometimes, all you need is a lot of short stories read by native speakers in “slow-but-not-very-slow” English—which is what the listening section of Learnenglishfunway.com has to offer.
You will not find much besides the audio and the transcript here, but if you want to learn more English, you can visit the other sections on the site.
10. Breaking News English
Price: Free
Level: All levels
Breaking News English has over 3,000 English lessons carefully designed to help you learn English with fun and interesting news.
Choose a level on the piece of news you want to read or go directly to the list of news from your level.
After that, click on any of the options in the “Listen” section and start learning!
11. TalkEnglish
Price: Free
Level: All levels
TalkEnglish offers three levels (Basic, Intermediate and Advanced) with 34 audio lessons each.
Each lesson is divided into three easy steps: listen to the dialogue, answer the quiz questions and read the dialogue (if you want the extra practice).
You can also download all the audio for a one-time payment.
12. British Council’s LearnEnglish
Price: Free
Level: A1-C1 of the CEFR
You can now tell your friends you are learning English with the British Council for free.
Just choose your level, pick a topic you like and start the lesson. If you do not know your level, you can take their free online test.
Each lesson includes a preparation task, a short dialogue and listening tasks.
13. Speechling
Price: Free
Level: All levels
If you think dictations are boring, wait until you try Speechling.
In the Settings box right under Dictation Practice, choose the variety of English you want to practice, the gender of the speaker and the category/level/topic you want.
The best part is you get immediate feedback after each short dictation.
14. DailyStep English
Price: Free trial available; starts at £6.00 (approx. $7) per month
Level: All levels
With DailyStep English, you can improve your listening comprehension skills gradually as you level up.
The audio lessons for beginners include just a couple of sentences, while the audio clips for advanced learners can be up to two minutes long.
Each lesson includes two audio versions, one in British English and one in American English.
You get five free lessons, one for each level. If you like the learning method, you will have to buy a lesson plan.
15. Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab
Price: Free
Level: All levels
This superb website is a listening lab for everyone whose main learning focus is listening to English.
All the activities included on the site are audio-based. You can choose among different levels of difficulty, as well as categories such as culture, vocabulary and academic English.
16. IDEA (International Dialects of English Archive)
Price: Free
Level: Advanced
The International Dialects of English Archive (IDEA) is not created for learners of English. Instead, it is an encyclopedia of English dialects and accents from all around the world.
I recommend this site for advanced learners looking for a real challenge. The site includes hundreds of native and foreign English speakers who speak different dialects and accents of English.
17. English Grammar
Price: Free
Level: Advanced
If you are an advanced English learner looking for listening exercises designed specifically for your level, the English Grammar site will be your new favorite place.
Choose the type of listening exercise you want to do and pick a topic from the list.
Podcasts
18. 6-Minute English
Price: Free
Available on: Website | Spotify | Apple Podcasts
Level: Intermediate
If you want to practice listening to the British accent while you learn about hundreds of interesting topics like food, stress, new technologies, mermaids, space or fashion, this app is for you.
All you need to do is go to the website (or wherever your get your podcasts) and set aside six minutes of your time.
19. The English We Speak
Price: Free
Available on: Website | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts
Level: Intermediate
BBC’s The English We Speak is a section inside the BBC’s Learn English website.
The section tries to make English interesting for teenagers and young people through audio clips of under three minutes.
This site is perfect for you if you want to learn real British slang.
20. Podcastsinenglish.com
Price: Free
Available on: Website
Level: All levels
Podcastsinenglish.com is a collection of hundreds of downloadable podcasts created for learners of ESL (English as a Second Language) and EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students.
Each episode is a natural conversation between two native speakers about a random topic. The conversation usually lasts about three minutes.
21. Luke’s English Podcast
Price: Free
Available on: Website | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts
Level: Intermediate to advanced
Luke, the podcast host, is an English teacher and a stand-up comedian from London.
He uses his background to teach you English in a professional way while allowing you to have lots of fun.
Currently, there are over 800 episodes, with each lasting between 45 and 60 minutes.
22. Happy English Podcast
Price: Free
Available on: Website | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts
Level: All levels
Practice your American English listening comprehension while you learn about phrasal verbs, tricky vocabulary words, idioms and grammar.
Presented by Michael DiGiacomo, this podcast has nearly 700 episodes that range from 4 to 10 minutes.
23. Rough Translation
Price: Free
Available on: Website | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts
Level: Advanced
Rough Translation is a podcast for the brave, both psychologically and linguistically speaking.
In other words, this is a podcast for advanced learners who want to practice their English skills while listening to people from all backgrounds talking about social issues and hardships.
24. Adept English Podcast (Learn English Through Listening)
Price: Free
Available on: Website | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts
Level: All levels
With nearly 700 episodes, the Adept English Podcast is focused on teaching people English through listening.
Although many episodes cover everyday topics such as gardens, travel, spring and marathons, some discuss more challenging subjects like mRNA, space, autism and psychology.
The podcast also includes many episodes on English grammar, idioms, phrasal verbs and pronunciation.
While this podcast is great for all levels, complete beginners might find some episodes hard to follow unless they check the transcripts.
25. Down to Business English
Price: Free (with paid members-only episodes starting at $7 a month)
Available on: Website | Spotify
Level: Upper-intermediate to advanced
This interesting podcast will teach you business English with the help of business news from around the world.
The hosts analyze the news and teach you related vocabulary, expressions, grammar and cultural differences in the world of business.
26. Stuff You Should Know
Price: Free
Available on: Website | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts
Level: Upper-intermediate to advanced
A podcast for curious minds, Stuff You Should Know will tell you everything you have always wanted to know but never thought to ask about random things—from alligators, the Statue of Liberty and free speech to sarcasm, hurricanes and ketchup.
27. Better@English
Price: Free
Available on: Website | Spotify | Google Podcasts
Level: Intermediate to upper-intermediate
Better@English is a podcast created specifically for ESL and EFL students.
Even though the aim is to improve your listening comprehension, you will actually improve your other English skills as well if you use all the free features of each episode.
This podcast is mainly for intermediates, but there are materials for beginners and advanced learners on the site, too.
28. Zapp! English
Price: Free (premium course available for €111 before discounts or approximately $120)
Available on: Website | Google Podcasts
Level: Intermediate to advanced
This is a very good place to practice English listening comprehension while you build up your vocabulary. The hosts do an excellent job of including useful words and phrases related to the topic of each episode.
The audios can be downloaded for free, but you have to subscribe if you want the transcriptions.
29. Passenger List
Price: Free
Available on: Website | Spotify | Google Podcasts
Level: Advanced
Flight 702 is missing. It disappeared somewhere between London and New York.
I have no more info except for a few audio files and a website where you can help solve the mystery.
30. You Are Not So Smart
Price: Free
Available on: Website | Spotify | Google Podcasts
Level: Advanced
You Are Not So Smart is a podcast that is hard to put into any specific category.
Learn about reason, decision-making, vaccines, judgment, intelligence, narcissism (excessive love of the self) and a whole lot of other super interesting topics.
31. 99% Invisible
Price: Free
Available on: Website | Spotify | Google Podcasts
Level: Advanced
A podcast about design and architecture is not what you normally listen to when you try to practice your listening skills, but that is why I am including 99% Invisible on this list.
If you are an advanced English learner and want to push your limits, give this challenging podcast a try.
32. Scientific American Podcasts
Price: Free
Available on: Website
Level: Upper-intermediate to advanced
The Scientific American journal has tons of podcast episodes on every scientific topic you could imagine.
Most episodes last between 10 to 20 minutes, but there are some that are only a couple of minutes long. There are transcripts available if you want to follow along more easily.
I recommend that you subscribe to the “60-Second Science” series.
Radio Stations
33. KQED Radio
Price: Free
Level: Upper-intermediate to advanced
Based in San Francisco, KQED Radio was created to “inform, inspire and involve,” which is actually their motto.
It is a public radio station that focuses mainly on local news, although they also cover national and international news.
KQED Radio’s podcasts are high-quality and very well-produced. I especially recommend MindShift.
34. WAMU (American University Radio)
Price: Free
Level: Upper-intermediate to advanced
WAMU is based in Washington and focuses mainly on politics and education news.
You can listen to their live radio 24/7. You can check out the complete list of all their shows or give any of their fantastic podcasts a try.
35. BBC Sounds
Price: Free
Level: Intermediate to advanced
True to its name, BBC Sounds is a fantastic collection of sounds of every kind, mainly in British English.
From music, news and sports to science, relaxation and documentaries, everything is covered in their hundreds of programs.
36. WNYC (New York Public Radio)
Price: Free
Level: Intermediate to advanced
Also a public radio station, WNYC specializes in news, technology, culture, media, events and music.
Have a look at their long list of shows to check out the schedule, or just click on any of their live streams to see what’s on this English language radio station.
Tasty Streaming Platforms and Video Resources
37. Netflix
Price: Starts at $6.99/month
Available on: Website | iOS | Android
Level: All levels
Who has not heard of Netflix? No matter what type of show you prefer, there is a good chance you can find it on this streaming platform.
The great thing about Netflix is you can change the audio and subtitle settings. That means you have the option to change the language as it is spoken on the show and the language it is being translated in the captions.
Beginners can watch their favorite show in English with subtitles in their native language, while advanced learners can watch the show entirely in English without subtitles.
38. FluentU
Price: Free trial available (starts at $19.99 per month)
Available on: Website | iOS | Android
Level: All levels
FluentU is a language learning platform that makes use of authentic video content (content that native speakers actually watch) with interactive subtitles. That means that, whenever you do not understand a word you hear or see onscreen, you can click on the subtitles to get information like a word’s definition, example sentences, other videos where that word appears and more.
Once you are done watching any of the videos (which can be movies, clips, newsreels and the like), you can test yourself with quizzes or add the new words to personalized flaschcards. Pretty cool, huh?
39. Hulu
Price: 30-day free trial (starts at $7.99/month)
Level: All levels
Hulu is another streaming platform that lets you watch some of the most popular movies and TV shows today.
The only downside is that Hulu is only available in the United States and Japan. If you are able to access it somehow, though, it can be a great supplement to the likes of Netflix.
40. Amazon Prime Video
Price: $14.99 per month
Available on: Website | iOS | Android
Level: All levels
Like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video hosts a ton of TV series, movies and more. They even have exclusive content, meaning there are some videos that you can only watch on the platform and nowhere else.
If you download the app, you can watch the videos offline on your device, so you do not have to worry if your internet connection is weak or nonexistent.
41. Disney+
Price: Starts at $7.99 per month
Available on: Website | iOS | Android
Level: All levels
Disney is known for movies that have captivating stories, catchy songs and unforgettable characters.
Whether you are someone who grew up on their 2D animated features or the more recent 3D films, you will find them all on this platform. You will also find live-action shows that Disney helped produce like the Marvel superhero movies.
42. TED Talks
Price: Free
Available on: Website | Android
Level: Upper-beginner to advanced
TED Talks contains thousands of videos of up to 20-minute talks given by professionals and normal people like you and me.
They talk about their experience on a given topic, share their thoughts and try to deliver messages that inspire and make you think.
Out of all the talks I’ve watched in my life, Tim Urban’s “Inside the mind of a master procrastinator” is my favorite.
If you are looking for educational content, you can also go to the TED-Ed section of the website.
43. English Club TV
Price: Free (paid version starts at $1.99 per month)
Available on: Website | iOS | Android
Levels: All levels
English Club TV is an educational channel that focuses on teaching English through TV programs.
There are thousands of videos you can watch if you buy a subscription. You can also check out these three livestreams that cover topics for kids and adults of all levels.
YouTube Channels
44. EnglishClass101
Price: Free
Level: All levels
EnglishClass101 is one of the best YouTube channels to learn English on the platform.
Their English comprehension practice videos are divided into levels from absolute beginner to advanced, complete with lots of listening exercises.
45. Learn English American
Price: Free
Level: Beginner to upper-intermediate
Learn English American is a YouTube channel that focuses on teaching listening and speaking skills to American English learners.
The videos are divided according to whether they focus on everyday topics, easy conversations and dialogues.
The great thing about this is that you can read what is being said on the screen, so the videos are easy to follow.
46. English7Levels
Price: Free
Level: All levels
English7Levels allows you to practice English listening through stories, conversations and even a fun mini-series.
The videos specifically devoted to listening comprehension increase in difficulty as you level up.
The first level, or “Level 0,” is missing from their YouTube channel, but you can access it on their website.
47. Oxford Online English
Price: Free (has members-only content)
Level: All levels
Imagine attending a real British language school from the comfort of your home.
You can do that with Oxford Online English, a YouTube channel created by real teachers where you will find hundreds of videos that are great for grammar-oriented listening sessions.
48. EnglishAnyone
Price: Free
Level: Intermediate to advanced
EnglishAnyone is a YouTube channel anyone can use to improve all their English language skills.
There’s a list of videos for advanced students to improve their listening comprehension. Feel free to check out the speaking videos as well since the “Master English Conversation” playlist is also wonderful for an entertaining listening session.
Listening + Reading Resources
49. Voice of America
Price: Free
Level: All levels
Voice of America has been devoted to teaching English to students around the world since 1959.
They gather national and international news and transform them into lessons you can watch or listen to and read at the same time.
The lessons are divided into beginning, intermediate and advanced levels.
50. ESL Fast
Price: Free
Level: Beginner
Practicing your listening skills with ESL Fast is super easy. Pick any of the 25 offered topics and then choose from over 1,500 conversations.
The audios are short and simple, so every learner with a basic knowledge of English will be able to enjoy them.
Audiobooks
51. LibriVox
Price: Free (iOS app costs $2.99)
Available on: Website | iOS | Android
Level: Upper-intermediate to advanced
LibriVox makes books in the public domain available in the form of free audiobooks.
The audiobook catalog is huge, but you can explore it by searching for an author, book title, genre or subject.
The free audiobooks also come with transcripts.
52. Lit2Go
Price: Free
Level: Intermediate to advanced
Lit2Go is a collection of poems and stories you can listen to and read for free.
It is similar to LibriVox where you can download all the content free of charge. However, you may need written permission in some cases.
The whole site is amazing, but I especially love the “Mathematics” collection.
53. Audiobooks
Price: Free (with in-app purchases)
Available on: iOS
Level: Upper-intermediate to advanced
If you enjoy listening to full audiobooks, you will love this app.
The selection of books is fantastic, as there are thousands of them! But that is not the only thing Audiobooks has to offer.
The app also allows you to download your favorite audiobooks so you can listen to them offline. If you have no time to listen to a full story, you can always visit the Podcasts section.
There you go! A single post with dozens of English listening resources—most of them for free.
Listening comprehension is often overlooked by teachers and language learners, which makes understanding English more difficult in the long run.
Avoid this by practicing your listening skills for at least five minutes every day. You will thank yourself very soon!
Stay curious, my friends, and as always, happy listening!
