Listening and practising dialogues.

 

Practising listening for beginners.

LISTENING AND READING FROM :BBC LEARNING ENGLISH.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/081222_download.shtml

Words in the News: Canadian seals: Report (1.2 MB)mp3Words in the News: Canadian seals: Words (1.3 MB)mp3Words in the News: Canadian seals: Text (36 K)pdfFace up to Phrasals: Episode 3: Audio (465 K)mp3Face up to Phrasals: Episode 3: Script (38 K)pdf6 Minute English: Going gliding: Audio (4.8 MB)mp36 Minute English: Going gliding: Script (38 K)pdfWords in the News: Acropolis Museum row: Report (1.0 MB)mp3Words in the News: Acropolis Museum row: Words (1.1 MB)mp3Words in the News: Acropolis Museum row: Text (36 K)pdfQuiznet: At work: Download the quiz (32 K)pdfNews about Britain: Sunbeds: Audio (1.9 MB)mp3News about Britain: Sunbeds: Activities (53 K)pdfKeep your English up to date: Subprime: Audio (2.2 MB)mp3Keep your English up to date: Subprime: Text (34 K)pdfThe Flatmates: Episode 201: Audio (849 K)mp3The Flatmates: Episode 201: Language: Time expressions (66 K)pdfThe Flatmates: Episode 201: Quiz: Time expressions (68 K)pdfTalk about English: Academic Listening Part 8: Audio (8.9 MB)mp3Talk about English: Academic Listening Part 8: Script (48 K)pdfWords in the News: Iran opposition rally: Report (622 K)mp3Words in the News: Iran opposition rally: Words (1.0 MB)mp3Words in the News: Iran opposition rally: Text (35 K)pdfRecipes: Gnocchi: Text (18 K)pdf

FREE ENGLISH TEST.

www.english4today.com/assessment/english4today_leveltest.cfm

It covers grammar, vocabulary, reading, and listening.
YOU NEED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOUR ENGLISH LEVEL IS!
WHY?
Good English is no longer just for the academics ... we all need it if we are going to get ahead in an increasingly competitive and information driven culture. The way you speak, read and write English - the way you communicate can mean the difference between success and failure.

PRACTISE LISTENING: Podcast &Listening Downloads

AT:http://www.britishcouncil.org/professionals-podcast-english-listening-downloads-homepage.htm

Visit our new English Podcast homepage for access to all our podcasts and our new feed. Click here.

Lebanon (2.7 Mb) (script) (19Kb)Four Lebanese people talk about their country.
Alcohol abuse (3.3Mb) (script) (20Kb)Listen to an MP talk about the problem of binge drinking.
Social mobility (2.86Mb) (script) (21Kb)A report on social mobility in India.
Report writing (2.5Mb) (script) (87Kb)Listen to an IELTS examiner give some tips on writing reports.
Allergies (3.4Mb) (script) (92 Kb)Why may allergies be on the increase?
The gas industry (2.21Mb) (script) (19.2Kb)Listen to a business news report on the gas industry.
The rise of the amateur (2.52Mb) (script) (19Kb)A young entrepreneur talks about his experiences.
Crime (4.94Mb) (script) (95Kb)A Crime Prevention Officer talks to a burglary victim.
The oil industry (2.42Mb) (script) (97Kb)Listen to a radio news report about the future demand for energy.
Fair trade (2.13Mb) (script) (98Kb)Listen to a market researcher asking shoppers about Fair Trade products.
Logistics (4.1Mb) (script) (89Kb)Five people talk about their work in a logistics company
Studying in the UK (3.37Mb) (script) (87.4Kb)Listen to three university students talking about studying in the UK.
Nuclear energy - a green energy? (3Mb) (script) (96Kb)Listen to people commenting on Lovelock's opinion that nuclear energy is green energy.
The music business (3.57Mb) (script) (104Kb)A discussion about recent changes in the music industry.
The Airbus (2.73Mb) (script) (85Kb)Listen to part of a lecture on the Airbus.
The Future of English (4.11Mb) (script) (90Kb)Listen to a controversial Linguistics expert talking about the future of the English language.

For other listening downloads please go to the Listening downloads archive page.

TEST YOUR ENGLISH LEVEL,PLEASE.(FOR INTERMEDIATE STUDENTS)

CLICK ON THIS LINK:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-test-test-your-level.htm

Test your vocabulary - Try this test to know how good you are at English vocabulary. This test will give you a general idea about your language skills. Enjoy it!

Test your grammar - Try this test to know how good you are at English grammar. This test will give you a general idea about your language skills. Enjoy it!

Test your listening - Try this test to know how good you are at listening in English. This test will give you a general idea about your language skills. Enjoy it!

Test your reading - Try this test to know how good you are at reading in English. This test will give you a general idea about your language skills. Enjoy it!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
TEACHER'S NOTE:
YOU SHOULD TAKE THIS TEST SO THAT YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR LEVEL IS AND ,ACCORDING TO RESULTS,REVISE,STUDY THOSE ASPECTS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN LEARNT PROPERLY. YOU MUST BE AWARE OF YOUR OWN STRENGHTS AND WEAKNESSES FOR YOUR OWN BENEFIT. GOOD LUCK IN THIS ONLINE TEST. PLEASE,WRITE DOWN YOUR SCORE FOR THE DIFFERENT SKILLS.

TIPS FOR LEARNING LANGUAGES.

FROM: http://www.teach.bravehost.com/
Learning to communicate in another language may be challenging, but it is also a very rewarding and enriching experience. It is the best passport to discovering another culture. Here are a few tips we’ve put together to help you make the most of the experience.

Find out what kind of learner you are
Ask yourself, do I learn something better when I see it written down? Do I only need to hear something a few times before I know it? Do I like to learn grammar rules by heart? Are there other strategies that work well for me? If you recognize your strengths, you can use them to work more effectively.When learning a language, it is important to use a variety of strategies (using the book, listening to the recording, rehearsing dialogues, learning vocabulary, writing things down, listing verb forms, etc.) to practise the different skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Work out what your preferred learning style is and use it to your advantage.
Work at your own pace
Make the most of the time you have available to study. As a general rule, don’t try and do too much at once. You will often find you can learn more effectively if you study for half an hour or so at regular intervals, rather than try to do a whole unit in one sitting.With the best will in the world, there will be times when you don’t feel like studying. Try not to skip your session, though, and organize your work according to your mood. If you’re tired, choose less demanding tasks such as repeating activities; if you lack concentration, read a foreign magazine article about a subject which really interests you.
Why not learn with someone else?
It helps if you can learn with someone else. If you can persuade a friend or family member to study with you, it will give you extra impetus to keep working. Agree times to meet and set goals for the week, and test each other regularly.
Language learning is also about intuition
Guesswork is an important strategy in learning a new language and you will probably be pleasantly surprised at how often you’re right.When listening to recorded material, you aren’t expected to understand everything first time round. If you play the same piece several times, you will most probably understand something new each time. Learn to make maximum use of all the clues you can pick up. For example, what do the speakers sound like? Happy? Angry? Calm? etc.Also, in most European languages a lot of words have a common origin, which will help you build your knowledge more quickly. After a while you should also be able to identify common patterns between English and the language you’re learning, for example French equivalents of English words ending in –ly often end in –ment.
Speak, speak, speak!
Practise speaking as often as you can – even speaking to yourself is good practice.Try recording yourself whenever you can – especially when doing the pronunciation practice activities. When you listen to it afterwards, don’t worry if you sound hesitant or have made mistakes. It is important to evaluate your performance. Compare your pronunciation with the master version, see how you can do better and have another go. If you do this several times, you will find that each version is better than the last.Read aloud whenever possible: it will help you memorize vocabulary and structures. Going through the same dialogue several times is a good idea too.If possible, try and find someone who speaks the language you want to learn!
Build up your vocabulary
A wide vocabulary is the key to successful language learning but don’t try to learn too much at once. It’s best to study frequently, for short periods of time. Take a maximum of six or seven items of vocabulary and learn them. Put them into sentences to fix them in your mind, then come back to them later. Much of the vocabulary in the course is presented by topic. Learning vocabulary in this way is usually very effective.
Get the right tools
You may find you want a bilingual dictionary to help translate new words and expressions as you expand your vocabulary. When choosing a dictionary, make sure you pick one that gives you plenty of information on usage through illustrative examples, rather than one which only gives translations for each word with no guidance as to which ones to use in which contexts.Alternatively, you may find a vocabulary builder useful. These are usually arranged thematically and allow you to learn lists of words and expressions associated with a particular topic.
Get used to hearing everyday language at normal speed
Apart from listening to the course recordings, you could watch films with subtitles, listen to a foreign radio station (for example if you're learning English then your best choice is the BBC), or watch foreign language TV stations if you have satellite or cable TV. Even if you don’t understand much of what is being said, it is a good way of getting used to sounds and intonations. Choose programmes according to your own interests, you’ll learn much more effectively about subjects you’re keen on.International news is a good thing to listen to, particularly if you have already heard the news in English that day. Pictures will give you clues. You’ll find that you are picking up a lot of vocabulary by making use of the subtitles especially for expressions that occur regularly.
But most of all, have fun!

VOCABULARY LEARNING FOR ENGLISH STUDENTS.

from:http://www.englishgateway.com/

Words are the first priority in learning a second language. Make a grammar mistake – people may still understand you, choose a wrong word – the chances of misunderstandings are very high.

The tips listed below have proved useful in learning and retaining vocabulary better:

1. Be a good listener. Expose yourself to the places where you can hear the native speakers of English:

If you live in a country where English isn’t dominant – listen to the English TV and radio channels ( BBC IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), podcasts and audio exercises on the Internet, you may even go to the most popular landmarks/attractions in your city that are often visited by English speaking tourists.

If you live in a country where English is spoken as an official language, there are more options. Sign-up for classes of your interest (fitness clubs, soccer teams, dance lessons), get involved in your child’s school (attend parent-council meetings or go to field trips) or volunteer in your community where you can be side-by-side with English speaking people.

The best thing for learning English though is making friends with the native speakers of English or people who have a good command of English. As you enjoy the friendship, there’ll be a multitude of situations in which you can hear and use English!

Absorb what you hear and try to imitate what you’ve heard. Take notes – you’re sure to encounter new information. Look up the new words and expressions when you get a chance. Try to remember the situations in which the new vocabulary appeared – it will help you to retain it better. Your visual memory will help to associate the words with the situations you came across with in the past.

2. Pay attention to the words surrounding one another. Some words go together well while others don’t. Good matches are called collocations and they often determine to what extent your speech sounds natural. (make a mistake/an effort but do homework/laundry)

3. Recognize groups of words that jointly create one meaning. These are phrasal verbs (verbs and particles), consisting of two or more words, that make sense only if considered together (call off=cancel, figure out=solve).

Remember, that the particle doesn’t always come immediately after the verb – it may appear a number of words apart from the verb, making it challenging to process the speech right away.

4. Idioms, expressions in which words cannot be understood literally, are a tough nut to crack (are difficult to deal with).

Some can be understood from the context, but some cannot – and therefore learners who truly want to communicate the way the native speakers of English do – should devote time to learning those ‘tricky phrases’.

After all, they are the ‘juice’ of the language – they’re descriptive (on the dot: exactly), humorous (when the pigs fly: never), cultural (average Joe: ordinary person) and colorful (pitch dark: very dark).

Create plenty of English learning opportunities (in addition to the English classes that you may be taking), and see yourself advance quickly in identifying, understanding and actually using the phrases in conversation yourself, naturally.

BEGINNING ENGLISH COURSE - UNIT 8: Review What You Have Learned, Ordering Food in a Restaurant.

Beginner Review 

Review the beginner grammar by answering the questions then check your answers by clicking on the "Check" button. If you make a mistake you will be told and can click on the button to take you to the proper beginner review page!

Ordering Food in a Restaurant

I'd like a ham sandwich How to order food in a restaurant, including food vocabulary.

FROM: https://www.thoughtco.com/using-would-you-like-to-order-4056546  

BEGINNING ENGLISH COURSE - Unit 7 - Future with Will, The Weather, Listening Comprehension Practice

The Future with Will
*The Future with WillLearn the structure and use of the future with 'will'.

Talking about the Weather
*What will the weather be like?Using the future with will to predict the weather.
*It was rainy and cold.Learn weather vocabulary forms.

Listening Comprehension Practice

*Making a Dinner ReservationListen to a man making a dinner reservation and choose from the multiple choice answers the best answer to the questions.

*Listening: Making PlansListen to John, Sue and Mary deciding what to do this evening. Choose the correct answer from the multiple choice questions.

FROM: http://esl.about.com/library/courses/blcourses_beginner_unit7.

Beginning English Course - UNIT 5 - Past Forms, 'A' 'An' and 'The'

What did you do last weekend?Learn the basics of the simple past including regular and irregular
Where were you yesterday?The simple past form of the verb "to be
"A, An, The"A, An, The - definite and indefinite articles in English - Beginning Guide to indefinite articles.
Listening Comprehension
Ordering Food in a RestaurantWhat do the man and woman order at the restaurant? Do this listening comprehension to find out!

from: http://esl.about.com/c/ec/2.htm

BEGINNING ENGLISH COURSE- UNIT 4: Present Progressive, Adjectives, Prepositions

Present Progressive

What are you doing?

Learn the basic rules for using the present continuous (progressive) form - especially for beginners.

Adjectives, Prepositions

Adjectives

Guide to using adjectives (Example: a tall building) and learning quiz to help you learn the most important adjectives.

Janet was born on the 12th of January in Boston at 6.15 p.m.

Prepositions of time and place - at, in, on and to.

Listening Comprehension

Listening: Filling in a Form

Listen to a woman giving information about herself and write down the necessary information.

Listening: A Survey

Listen to a man asking a woman questions for a survey and take note of her answers.

FROM: http://esl.about.com/c/ec/2.htm