The key to becoming proficient at English is by incorporating a variety of methods and tools into study habits. While books are the traditional way to study, and a very important one, ESL students cannot hope to become good listeners and speakers without listening!
ESL Podcasts are a great, free way to practice listening to native speakers. Because these podcasts are aimed at ESL students, it's easy to find one at the appropriate level. Many podcasts even come with transcripts (for a small price) so students can read along if the listening is difficult.
Here are a few free ESL podcasts for students that want to start improving their listening skills today!
Study ESL With English as a Second Language Podcast
This audio podcast is free and available on iTunes. ESL Podcast is updated regularly, and episodes can run from 15 to 30 minutes.
ESL Podcast also offers Learning Guides for every episode for $1.99 each, or $10 per month. The Guides feature complete transcripts along with definitions and sample sentences, questions, cultural notes, tips, and more.
Interactive Learning: ESL Help! Desk
These podcasts feature stories written by ESL students. A free membership with ESL Help! Desk, which can be obtained on their website, gives students access to more lessons. For $5 per month, students can join the Inner Circle, which is broken into three levels (beginner, intermediate, and advanced.)
Here, students can get the help they need on an interactive forum, as well as additional help with writing essays. The mp3 versions of the essays are recorded by native speakers.
Practice Listening With podcastsinenglish
Podcastsinenglish are created by a team with experience in EFL and ESL through the British Council in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The podcasts are free, and a membership will also provide students with worksheets, tips, tasks, transcripts, and more.
Membership with podcastsinenglish is €18 for 3 months, or €30 for 6 months.
Learn How to Speak English in Real Situations With goFluent
The idea behind the goFluent podcasts is to provide conversational tools students are more likely to find useful in the real world. The episodes are short, typically around five minutes in length, and give tips on speaking English in situations like workplace safety, market research, and booking flights.
Have Fun Learning English Vocabulary With ReadPeace
ReadPeace, hosted by Adam Santana, is a series of more informal podcasts focused on improving and increasing the vocabulary of ESL students. While the humor is a bit goofy, the featured words are important and useful. These podcasts are entertaining and a fun way for students to add a few more words to their repetoire.
Improve English Skills With Free ESL Podcasts
There are many more podcasts out there aside from those mentioned above. Even if the podcasts are a few years old, they are still helpful. All podcasts mentioned can be downloaded free on iTunes, so start practicing now!
For more tips for ESL students, check out these Free Resources for Learning English.
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