Listening Tips

Does this situation seem familiar to you? Your English is progressing well, the grammar is now familiar, the reading comprehension is no problem, you are communicating quite fluently, but: Listening is STILL a problem!

First of all, remember that you are not alone. Listening comprehension is probably the most difficult task  for almost all learners of English as a foreign language. So, now you know you are not alone....! OK. The most important thing is to listen, and that means as often as possible. The next step is to find listening resources. This is where the Internet really comes in handy as a tool for English students.

First you need to:

Download The RealPlayer from Real.com
The RealPlayer allows you to listen to RealAudio and use the Internet like a radio station. Many sites now also provide listening using the  Windows Media Player - or even have their own players on the site. Once you have the RealPlayer you can begin to listen to English as it is used in everyday life. The possibilities are almost unlimited.
You can:
Listen to All Things Considered news stories on NPR
Listen to the BBC.

English as a Second Language Podcast Center for Educational Development, Los Angeles Slow speed, with transcripts, vocabulary and cultural explanations.
Randall's Cyber Listening Lab These self-grading JavaScript listening quizzes will help you check your listening comprehension in English. Wonderful resource from Randall Davis.
Audio English - English Learning, listening and pronunciation course
TOEFL Podcast Center for Educational Development, Los Angeles Listen to native speakers talk and discuss topics similar to those that will appear on the TOEFL or IELTS exams
Shortstoryradio.com - Listen to short stories in English
CNN's podcasting service  - News and information files that may be downloaded to your computer and/or transferred to your portable MP3 player
National Public Radio - Where you can read and listen a lot of interesting article daily on diverse topics. - Great!!!
ABC news - Daily news, including Video Podcast
Elllo.org - English listening language lab online - including audio & text.
History.com - The history channel - including video. You can listen to some of the most famous and important speeches in history.
Mercurytheatre.info - The finest radio drama of the 1930’s was The Mercury Theatre on the Air - Now you can listen these drama on the Internet - advanced level.
The Bob and Rob Show Podcast Weekly English lessons from an American and an Englishman.
ESL PodCards With accompanying worksheet and transcript.Clive Hawkins
Englishcaster A list of podcasts for learning English.
Beginners Dictations An illustrated series of exercises for real beginners.
Real English Video Dictations Based on interviews with ordinary people.
Fairy Story Dictations
Telephone Dictation
Hotel Reservations - "Dictation" A grammar dictation: tenses & time words.
Movie sounds & clips Michel Barbot
Soundguide Rodolphe Maurel Dictations of dozens of authentic British & American sentences - many of them taken from films. (You don't need to understand the French instructions to do the dictations.)
English Dictations
On Nicola Dökel's Kico4U site. (You don't need to understand the German instructions to do the dictations.)
Online dictations . org Traditional dictations - many from classical texts.
Learn English - Dictations Please Lynne Hand. Traditional dictations on various subjects. Elementary & Intermediate. You need a fast connection to do these.
In-House Listening Quizzes 11 sentences.
On-Line Lessons - Spelling 100 spelling dictations
Dictation Quiz Video clip with 7 questions by Masatoshi Sugiura
Graded online English language dictations Traditional "dictation test" format. Mainly classic literary texts.
Learn a Song Podcast Learn to sing folk songs, campfire songs and group-singing songs that native English speakers sing.
ESL Podcasts Choose a podcast from the menu at the top of the page
Voice of America news podcasts News from Voice of America
Breaking News English Ready-to-use EFL / ESL Lesson Plans & Podcast.
Listening English from Webcast of BBC
CNN.com features the latest in Free Video News, including breaking news, world news, politics, weather, business, health, law, sports
Theamericaproject.org - At this site, you'll find some very interesting radio stories about American people.
Themoonlitroad.com - Do you like scary stories? Here are four traditional ghost stories and folktales from the American South