Auditory Training Resources and Sites

Here are resources for practicing listening skills. The one I have been using most is Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Labs. If I am missing anything, add it to the comments or contact me. You can also search for more read aloud stories, read along stories, and listening practice.

Podcasting’s popularity has led to a boom in free audio files for downloading and syndicating. However, these are usually home-produced and may not be the best quality and speakers may talk too fast. If a specific subject or hobby interests you, then it can be a way to practicing listening to something you love and recognizing terms. Robin Good’s Latest News has a long list of places for finding and submitting podcasts.

Aesop Fables
http://www.aesopfables.com/

Assistive Media
http://assistivemedia.org/

Audio Books for Free
http://www.audiobooksforfree.com/screen_main.asp

Basic English Class Listening Practice Page
http://basicenglishclass.tripod.com/

The English Listening Lounge
http://www.englishlistening.com/

English Pronouncing Dictionary with sound
http://www.howjsay.com/

Exploratorium’s Listen: Making Sense of Sound
http://www.exploratorium.edu/listen/index.php

Grimm Fairy Tales
http://www.grimmfairytales.com

Learn Out Loud
http://www.learnoutloud.com/Free-Audio-Video#directory

LibriVox
http://www.librivox.org/

LoudLit.org
http://loudlit.org/

Medline Plus: Interactive Health Tutorials
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorial.html

Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Labs
http://www.esl-lab.com/

Read Along Adventures
http://members.shaw.ca/readalongs/R_Home.htm

Read along stories
http://www.beenleigss.qld.edu.au/requested_sites/audiostories/

Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic
http://www.rfbd.org/Texas_Unit.htm

RIF Reading Planet: Read aloud stories
http://www.rif.org/readingplanet/content/read_aloud_stories.mspx

Speech Accent Archive
http://accent.gmu.edu/

Speak and Spell
I had a Speak and Spell, although I don’t know that it was meant for me to practice listening skills, but it was useful for that.

Story Nory
http://www.storynory.com/

Story Plus
http://www.storyplus.com/FreeStoriesList…

Tellitagain Children’s Stories
http://www.tellitagan.com

Web Sites for Independent Listening Practice
http://www.auditoryverbaltraining.com/websites.htm

White House speeches on the radio
http://www.whitehouse.gov/radio/

Updated: December 6, 2007