An innovative instructional web site, bringing online English lessons to learners around the globe is now being made available free of charge, to all teachers and students world wide. English Listening (http://www.EnglishListening.com) combines traditional teaching techniques, with the power of the Internet, to help students improve their English through listening comprehension. Schools are free to integrate the site into their curriculum, at no charge, or students may sign up as individuals. This resource is now provide free, as a service to the ESL/EFL community.
English Listening is designed for learners of all levels and provides access to authentic recordings of natural English speakers, talking about a wide variety of interesting topics. Study aids and comprehension tests supplement the audio clips to form well-rounded language lessons.
"The unique aspect of this site," according to Gary Buck, the site owner, "is that learners are exposed to the English language as it is used in day to day conversation. This is realistic, informal English, not the English that appears in typical text books. English Listening teaches English as it's really spoken, for authentic communication.
Updated regularly, English Listening provides a growing collection of more than 600 listening passages to learners of all levels. The passages vary in length from under one minute to about six or seven minutes long. All passage are rated for difficulty in the Common European Framework of Reference, levels A2 to C1. Audio passages are currently available with speakers using American, British and International English.
"In addition to the passages and comprehension questions, English Listening offers other instructional tools," adds Buck, "Each passage is rated for difficulty, and we provide a summary of each passage, along with a complete transcription, so that listeners know exactly what the speakers say, as well as extensive study guidelines that gives plenty of helpful guidance for individual students, as well as detailed instructions for teachers."
Buck's extensive educational background enhances the instructional aspects of the site. In addition to his B.A. and M.A. in Oriental Studies from Oxford University, Dr Buck holds an M.Ed. in Teaching English as a Second Language from Temple University and a Ph.D. in Testing Second Language Listening Comprehension from Lancaster University. He has considerable experience training ESL and EFL teachers, and has taught TESOL university graduate courses at the masters-degree level, and has published numerous academic articles on both the teaching and testing of listening comprehension. Dr Buck has also written the standard textbook on testing second language listening comprehension.
The English Listening site has been in operation since 2000, and has been a paid site during that time. From the present time, Dr Buck is now making this valuable resource available, world wide, free of charge as a community service.
For more information, visit English Listening http://www.EnglishListening.com.