Listening+websites

=Here are some useful websites for listening practice.=

Behind the News Lots of news stories with simple language - this program is aimed at school children in Australia. You can choose a story from the home page or search the archive (e.g. "taser", or "lyrebird"). Watch the program, take notes, listen again.... Then you can view the tapescript to check how accurate your notes are. The comments from viewers (on the right hand side) give some excellent examples of opinion language.

[|www.britishcouncil.org/professionals-podcast-english-listening-downloads-archive.htm] This URL will take you to the archive of sound files….choose one.These talks are mini-lectures given in standard international academic English.First, listen to the talk and make notes about the main points it makes.Listen again and write down as many details as you can.Click on the (script) icon.At the top of this page there will be a listening task. Try to do it.Then you can read the whole text and check your notes and answers to the task.The correct answers are at the foot of that page.

[|www.agendaweb.org]

The listening exercises are on the right hand side of the page. Choose the level you want to practise. You will see a list of stories – they are all short conversations. Choose one. First, click “text completion” to listen and complete the gaps. Click “show score” to see the correct answers. Then, you can click “listen and read” to see the script and build vocabulary

[|www.breakingnewsenglish.com]

- home page - go down to the sixth dark blue divider: **See Lessons Based on These Themes ** - choose from business -- lifestyle -- environment -- famous people and gossip -- health -- technology -- issues -- world news - where there is a choice, take the harder lesson - in each lesson, there are many exercises but, for listening practice, these are the ones you should work on: ==**BEFORE READING / LISTENING **== True/False - this will focus your mind on the topicsynonym match - this will give you control of the vocab ==WHILE READING / LISTENING == gap fill choose from the jumbled answers ==LISTENING - listen and fill the gaps == listening fill the spaces fill in missing strings of language - check your answers at the foot of the page This is an excellent site to improve both your general knowledge and listening skills.

=**BBC LEARNING ENGLISH - WORDS IN THE NEWS**= On this website, you can listen (or read) short news reports. Each audio report comes with a summary, a written text and a vocabulary list with pronunciation help. First, **read the summary** to give yourself an idea about the topic. Next, **listen to the audio report** a couple of times BEFORE you read the main text and try to make notes of the main points. Then, **check your notes** by listening again and reading at the same time. Finally, **make a note of any useful vocabulary**.
 * BBC Link**