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Do you need some interactive listening videos for your ESL students? I’ve collected these videos from numerous sources online and I though I’d share them in this post. They are really useful if you are scrambling about trying to find some activities to help your ESL kids with their listening skills. Listening activities are especially scarce as listening comes in the form of oral activities in class and in a way helps them practice their skills.
So here are some awesome websites which I currently/have used in the past. I hope they are useful for you!
- 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!
- Adele’s ESL Corner: This page included grammar, listening and comprehension worksheets which children can complete these activities online and check their answers, this is great for use on iPads or in computer rooms.
- ESL Lab: this website is genius. It has listening MP3 activities based on levels, so you can choose your own level ans send these links to individual students depending on their levels. A range of topics are also covered! 🙂
- ESL Lounge: a perfect venue for a range of listening activities for varying levels, beginners, intermediate and advanced.
- 5 Minute English: this website includes 5 minute podcasts on everything English! From phrasal verbs to idioms. They are clearly sectioned and perfect for new ESL students.
- Many Things: this website includes everything from listening to grammar and writing skills. The listening section includes some basic and natural sounding podcasts.
- ESL Fast: this website includes more than 1000 podcasts on a range of different topics for ESL learners.
- ESL Stories for Children: this website includes some easy stories that children can listen to while reading.
- American Songs: this website includes audio to many songs.
- ESL Short Stories for Children: includes 300+ stories that children can listen to and practice dictation exercises.
There is always the old fashioned reading and dictation practice which you could do in the classroom or one-on-one with your child! I love finding new books for kids! I was very excited to see the Peanut Books Collection for only $2.95 for the bundle (this is the Kindle edition) but an AWESOME steal! Check it out below.
I hope you found these links useful!
For more ESL activities visit ESL World.
Thanks for compiling this wonderful list of listening websites!
Thank you so much for visiting! 🙂
I am very interested in trying out Behind the News. I started using Newsela this last year as we began implementing Ipads in our classrooms. Newsela has the feature that allows you to change the reading level of the article so my ELLs can understand relevant news more easily. Newsela also offers quizzes to check for reading comprehension. It sounds like Behind the News would be in that same category. Great resource! Thanks!
Do you have any suggestions on getting students to practice speaking so that when it is time for them to take their assessment, they don’t feel weird or awkward? Many students have mentioned that they get embarrassed when they have to talk into a microphone during testing and I would like for them not to feel this way. Suggestions welcomed.
Hi Merci, thank you for your comment. I know exactly how you feel about that. I struggle with exactly the same thing. In our testing, in Australia we use recording devices but no microphones as that could exasperate the problem for ESL learners. I also try to replicate the testing scenario (written and orally) to give the students plenty of practice before the test. I do this for any ESL level!