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 Introduction
Virtual University
CNN San Francisco Learning Resources
BBC World Service: Learning English: Watch and Listen
See also the Listening practice exercises page
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Compiled on July 22, 2003, by SCOOL Co-ordinator: Geoff Taylor
 Introduction
If you can't see people talking, it is usually much more difficult to understand what they are saying. So video is a great way to improve your listening skills.
Here are three excellent websites with FREE video exercises, that give good listening practice for English language learners.
What you need:
- Connection speed: These exercises should all work fine using a normal dial-up 56K modem. If you have a broadband connection, they load much faster.
- Listening: To listen to audio texts, you will almost certainly need Real Player (there is a version that is free to download and use). You may also need Apple's QuickTime (free to download and use).
- Exercises: To do interactive exercises, you may need to have Javascript enabled in your Web browser. (You should be OK if you have a reasonably up-to-date Web browser, for example Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4 or later, Netscape Navigator version 4 or later.)
Virtual University
<http://home.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/~teaman/vu/index-e.html>
by Brian Teaman
Recommended levels: Upper intermediate and advanced
This website has 16 video clips, about 7-8 minutes long and of good quality. The speakers are of various nationalities, but generally speak very good English. They are interviewed talking to the camera, in the style often called "talking heads" (just people's heads in view).
There are plenty of listening tools and guides to help you before, while and after you watch. These include:
- Introduction - a text introduction to the speaker and the topic
- Key Words and phrases - listen to key words being pronounced
- Pre-questions - to think about before listening
- Transcript - read the words as you listen
- Exercises - a variety of interactive self-answering exercises, including:
- Vocabulary - matching, ordering words and phrases, and text completion
Here are the topics discussed:
- Crime
- Family
- Hometown
- Japan
- Language
- Learning English
- Living in Japan
- Music
- Photography
- Relationships
- Travel
- University Life
And here are the countries the speakers come from:
- Australia
- England
- France/Switzerland
- Japan
- Norway
- Romania/Germany
- USA
What you need:
- To watch the video, you need Real Player
- To hear the key words, you need Apple's QuickTime
- To do the exercises you need Javascript enabled in your browser
Recommended levels: Intermediate to advanced
This is a rich source of authentic listening materials, of news stories from CNN, San Francisco office, USA. It includes one very recent news story, 'Current Story', and almost 100 earlier news stories, from 1997 to 2003, found in 'Story Archives'. The reports are in American English.
Each news story normally includes the original video report, also audio-only reports, and three kinds of text report:
- Story (the complete text)
- Abridged story (simplified story, suitable for lower level English language learners)
- Outline (the story in short note form)
The stories are organised into topics:
- Adventure
- Business & Economy
- Crime
- Culture & Society
- Disasters
- Education
- Environment
- Health
- Politics
- Religion
- Science & Technology
- Other
You can watch the video clip (with or without the text), or listen to the audio clip, and then do comprehension and vocabulary exercises. The vocabulary sections include a vocabulary search box, which uses "Wordsmyth", an online dictionary. The website is well-organised and easy to use. It works OK even over a 56K modem.
What you need:
- To watch the video and/or listen to the reports, you need Real Player
- To do the exercises you need Javascript enabled in your browser
Recommended levels: Intermediate to advanced
The BBC World Service Learning English has lots of good things for English language learners. The Watch and Listen video section in particular is a fantastic resource for listening exercises and cultural information.
Just look at the choice of subjects available on video:
- Top of the Pops: Video clips and vocabulary from the UK pop music charts
- The Singer and the song: Meet famous singer-songwriters and learn their lyrics
- Beyond the postcard: Audio and video exercises from around Britain
- Music directory: Guide to genres of modern music and musical events
- Retro English: Pop music and news from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s
- Video Nation: Video diaries by people living in Britain, with interactive exercises.
What you need:
- To watch the video clips, you need Real Player
- To do the exercises, you need Javascript enabled in your Web browser
Here are some highlights that I would recommend:
Video Nation
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/
youmeus/videonation/video_nation_index.shtml>
Video diaries recorded by people living in Britain, with interactive exercises.
These short video clips, about 1-2 minutes each, from one-year video 'diaries' by people living in Britain.
You can:
- watch the videos
- test your comprehension with interactive exercises
- check what you have heard by looking at the tapescript
- learn about aspects of life in the UK
- practise your grammar and vocabulary
Beyond the postcard: Oxford
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/
youmeus/beyondthepostcard/oxford.shtml>
A listening and reading lesson about lesser-known aspects of Oxford!
BBC World Service: Learning English:
News English: Words in the News
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/
newsenglish/index.shtml>
If you are interested in the news, then this is a great resource. You can:
- choose from the latest news, or older stories
- listen to short, authentic news reports of international news
- read the text
- study the key vocabulary definitions given
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