When my high-level students tell me they want to improve their listening skills, I always tell them to listen to PODCASTS! Podcasts are a fantastic way for your learners to improve their understanding of spoken English. They can listen to them WHEN YOU WANT and WHERE YOU WANT They don’t have any visual clues so they HAVE TO FOCUS ON WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING NOT WHAT THEY ARE DOING YOUR LEARNERS SHOULD FIND A PODCAST THAT INTERESTS THEM If they are not interested in the topic of a podcast, they will find it more difficult to listen to so  MAY THINK THEIR LISTENING SKILLS ARE GETTING WORSE but they are probably JUST BORED! Listen to podcasts about subjects which are INTERESTING, RELEVANT and USEFUL for them.If they want to be successful in the business world, listen to business podcasts. If they love football,they can  listen to football podcasts. (You can download  as a pdf document here) PODCASTS ARE GREAT FOR STUDENTS PREPARING FOR LISTENING EXAMS Exposure to authentic English isessential for students who want to take advanced qualifications, such as the CAE, CPE or IELTS, and these podcasts will help you prepare for the listening parts of these tests. Pause and repeat to check your understanding. PODCASTS ARE GREAT FOR STUDENTS PREPARING FOR SPEAKING EXAMS Good podcast presenters are skilled speakers so listen to their pronunciation as a good model . Your learners can note down some of the phrases and expressions the presenters use to express ideas, give opinions and agree and disagree with other speakers.   via  The BBC has a fantastic collection of podcasts. Some of them are produced for an international audience so you can hear interviews with non-native speakers of English. These are usually found on the BBC World Service channel. Other podcasts are produced for a UK audience. These are ideal for those of you living in the UK or who want to live in the UK. Listening to British English speakers will make understanding English which is spoken in the UKeasier. These are produced by BBC Radio 4 or Radio 5. Here is a list of podcasts which may be useful for higher-level English learners. BBC World Service. 6 minute English.Learn new phrases about a variety of topics. (6 minutes)  The English We Speak. Short podcasts about real English phrases or items of slang. (3 minutes)   The Why Factor. Learn the extraordinary truth about everyday actions. (18 minutes)   Click. All about the latest digital technology. (30 minutes)   Forum. Great for practising short presentations and EAP students. Global thinkers present new political, cultural and scientific ideas. (7-8 minutes).   Global News. Best stories from around the world. (30 minutes)   Discovery. Analysis of latest ideas and discoveries in science (25 minutes)   Health Check. Good for medical professionals. (25 minutes)  BBC RADIO 4 Analysis. This podcast examines policies and ideas. ( 30 minutes)  Desert Island Discs. Interviews with famous and successful people about their lives andfavourite music. (35 minutes)  A Point of View. Short reflections on topical issues (9 minutes)  Front Row Daily. Interviews with writers, artists, musicians, actors and directors. (30 minutes)  Profile. Biographies of people making the news. (14minutes)  The Listening Project. Interviews with real people in the UK. Great for listening to different British accents and learning about British culture (14 minutes)  The Moral Maze. Live debates about controversial topics. Great for developing your arguing skills so perfect for aspiring lawyers and politicians. (30 minutes)  Great Lives. Biographies of famous people. (27 minutes)  Word of Mouth. All about the English language. (28 minutes)  RADIO 5 LIVE Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo’s Film Review. Entertaining film show with interviews with famous actors and directors. (90 minutes)  5 Live Football Daily. For football fans. (15-60minutes)  PODCASTS FOR BUSINESS ENGLISH LEARNERS BBC World Service. English at Work. Office-based about life in anoffice. Suitable for Intermediate learners. (7 minutes)  More or Less: Behind the Stats (10 minutes)  Business Daily. Great for Business English learners. Learn about global finance and the corporate world. (18 minutes)  RADIO 4 The Bottom Line with Evan Davies. Business Discussion programme. There is a UK edition and an International edition. Challenging for high-level Business English students.  Tim Harford. Pop-up Economics. Entertaining Economics show. (14 minutes)  BBC RADIO 5 Wake up to Money. Business and Financial news. (24 minutes)  So, if you want to really improve your English, listen to a podcast in the gym, when you go for a run, while you’re doing housework, on the bus, train or in your car. (Download  as a pdf here) Are there any other podcasts which you recommend to English learners? Share this: Like this: Like Loading...