If you are like most ESL learners you want to hear more English spoken by native English speakers. The question is where can you go to do this? No need to wonder any longer, I have put together a list of great websites for you to listen to English online from anywhere you are in the world. Of course you could travel to an English speaking country to hear English too, but listening online will be a lot cheaper.
Check out these websites below and let me know what you think. Which is your new favorite website for listening to English online?
NPR – This is the website for National Public Radio (NPR) in the United States. NPR streams (or plays) their radio programs free online around the world. At first this website might seem overwhelming, but once you get used to it you will have access to endless programs in English to listen to whenever you want. To find something to listen to now, click on ‘Programs’ at the top of the home webpage. You will see a dropdown menu with many different types of radio programs including news shows, funny programs (humor), storytelling, and even some music – pick one! This is a website with English content produced for native English speakers, so it is likely best for intermediate or advanced ESL students. You can also search for podcast (or short audio programs) from NPR by topic by going to http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.php.
Scientific American – This is the website for Scientific American magazine, a publication with popular scientific information and news. This website has many podcasts about topics related to various areas of science. Again this is a website with listening for intermediate to advance students, as the intended audience for these podcasts are native English speakers.
TED Talks – This is the website for the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference/organization. The TED website is home to presentations on many different topics, from the environment to neuroscience, with both famous and unknown presenters. Not all the presenters in these videos are native English speakers, although many to most are. Because these are videos they will likely be a little easier for ESL learners to understand compared to podcasts or radio recordings. Most of these videos are 10-15 minutes long. Depending on the topic, these videos offer a great listening comprehension activity for intermediate and beginning English learners, as well as advanced learners.
ESL Pod – This is another website full of listening activities for beginning and intermediate ESL learners. These listening comprehension exercises are produced in the United States and therefore the speakers have American accents. This website offers free podcasts along with “Learning Guides” that are for sale. I have not bought any of the learning guides, so I can’t say anything about them, but if you are just looking for an opportunity to hear more English, you can listen to the podcasts for free.
