Audio Courses

1-LANGUAGE.com

Listening is one of the best ways to learn language, exposing the learner to large amounts of fluent input while encouraging them to use what they hear in creative output. The Audio Center features 40 Units of English focusing on practical conversations and academic language as commonly found in American universities. Good luck learning English!


Audio Courses

Australia Network - Learn English

Australia Network - Australia's international television channel - is brought to you by Australia's largest and most trusted broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Offering a rich and diverse range of information and general programming,

In this site you find a variety of programs for English learners.

Study English

Study English - IELTS preparation, is a series of English language programs for intermediate to advanced learners, which develops skills and strategies for both English language study and those preparing to take the IELTS test.

Each program covers a different topic and explores different aspects of the English language. Our content draws on authentic material that you can watch, read and listen to plus study notes, tips and activities for practice and consolidation.


Nexus

Nexus is Australia Network's education program, produced by Australia Network for its viewers in the region. It is now in its sixth year of production, and is produced at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Adelaide, South Australia.

Every day the program features segments on topics such as science, history, business, Australian society, people and places.

We at Nexus aim to inform viewers about topics of relevance and interest, provide opportunities for English language learning, and hope to build a community of viewers.


English Bites

English Bites is an informative and entertaining way to improve your knowledge of the English language. Featuring a new story each weekday English Bites provides a detailed review of language, terms and usage.


Living English

Living English is a TV program and website for the English language learner at a beginner, or near beginner level.


Business of English

Business of English is a 15-part series for intermediate to advanced English language learners looks at the language used in everyday business situations such as meetings, presentations and negotiations. Every week we will post a new episode online so you can watch and listen in your own time.

Australia Network - Learn English

BRITISH COUNCIL - LearnEnglish

LearnEnglish is a portal that links to all the British Council's websites for teachers and learners of English - just one web address to remember.

listening downloads
Develop your English listening and reading skills using MP3 audio files and audio scripts. You can listen to the files online, or download them onto your PC and put them on your MP3 player, then see if you've understood by reading the scripts. You can also read the stories online as you listen, and then do language activities, or print out the audio scripts and read the stories on paper as you listen.

BBC Learning English

The site is intended to help you improve your learning of the English language. Throughout the site you will find short courses, quizzes, grammar, vocabulary, audio and video that will help you to improve your English.

In this site you find many section such as:

* News English
Provide vocabulary definitions and explanations for the language of authentic BBC news reports. There is a big archive of stories going back to 2001 and there are three new stories published every week.
* Business English
In this section you can discover English language as it is used for work and business.
* Watch & Listen
Here you can improve and practise your English with activities that involve listening and watching.
* Grammar & Vocabulary
* Communicate
* Quizzes
* The Flatmates
* Webcast
* For teachers
* Downloads

BBC Learning English

VOA News - Special English

VOICE OF AMERICA - Special English

Learn American English and Much More

The Roots of Special English

On October 19, 1959, the Voice of America broadcast the first Special English program. It was an experiment. The goal was to communicate by radio in clear and simple English with people whose native language was not English. Special English programs quickly became some of the most popular on VOA. They still are. Special English continues to communicate with people who are not fluent in English. Over the years, its role has expanded. It helps people learn American English while they learn about American life and stay informed about world news and developments in science. It provides listeners with information they cannot find elsewhere.

How to Use This Web site

The Special English Web site is an excellent tool to practice and improve your American English.

VOA Special English radio programs are broadcast every day of the year on the VOA network. Each broadcast starts with world news, followed by a short feature report and a 15 minute feature.

Throughout this site you will find radio scripts from these feature programs and the matching audio file of the text as it was delivered on the radio. We also offer both RealAudio and MP3 downloadable audio files that you can save and play over and over again.

Find a report that interests you. You can find scripts by topic or by the name of the radio program.

Read along and listen to the audio report. At the same time you will learn new information about a variety of subjects from issues in the news to American history.

Words and Their Stories
Each Sunday, Special English presents a five-minute program about words and terms used in everyday American English. My favorite place in this site.

VOA News - Special English

What Is IELTS?

IELTS is the International English Language Testing System. It measures ability to communicate in English across all four language skills – listening, reading, writing and speaking – for people who intend to study or work where English is the language of communication.

Computer-based IELTS (CB IELTS)
CB IELTS is a computer-based version of IELTS. It consists of the Listening, Reading and Writing tests. To maintain our personal approach, all IELTS Speaking tests will still be conducted face-to-face.

Academic or General Training
IELTS is available in two formats – Academic and General Training.

The Academic Reading and Writing Modules assess whether a candidate is ready to study or train in the medium of English at an undergraduate or postgraduate level. Admission to undergraduate and postgraduate courses is based on the results of these Modules.

The General Training Reading and Writing Modules are not designed to test the full range of formal language skills required for academic purposes, but emphasise basic survival skills in a broad social and educational context. General Training is suitable for candidates who are going to English speaking countries to complete their secondary education, to undertake work experience or training programmes not at degree level, or for immigration purposes to Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

IELTS Test Structure
All candidates must complete four Modules - Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking to obtain an IELTS Test Report Form.
Candidates are tested in Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking Modules. There is a choice between Academic and General Training in the Reading and Writing Modules.



Total Test Time
2 hours 45 minutes


The first three modules - Listening, Reading and Writing - must be completed in one day. The Speaking Module may be taken, at the discretion of the test centre, in the period seven days before or after the other Modules.

The tests are designed to cover the full range of ability from non-user to expert user.

Source

What Is TOEFL?

The TOEFL® (Test of English as a Foreign Language™) test measures the ability of nonnative speakers of English to use and understand English as it is spoken, written, and heard in college and university settings.

The TOEFL test is offered in different formats depending on a test taker's location.

The Internet-based TOEFL® Test (iBT)

The TOEFL® iBT (Internet-based Test) tests all four language skills that are important for effective communication: reading, listening, speaking and writing. The test helps students demonstrate that they have the English skills needed for success.

What Is the Benefit of An Internet-based Test?

The TOEFL iBT emphasizes integrated skills and provides better information to institutions about students' ability to communicate in an academic setting and their readiness for academic coursework. With Internet-based testing, ETS can capture speech and score responses in a standardized manner.

Online registration and online score reporting make it easier for students to register for the TOEFL iBT and receive their test scores.

Why Take the TOEFL Test?

Most people take the TOEFL test as a prerequisite for admission into colleges and universities where English is used or required. In addition, many government, licensing, and certification agencies and exchange and scholarship programs use TOEFL scores to evaluate the English proficiency of people for whom English is not their native language.

Who Should Take the TOEFL Test?

Nonnative English speakers at the 11th-grade level or above should take the TOEFL test to provide evidence of their English proficiency before beginning academic work. The test content is considered too difficult for students below 11th grade.

Many institutions report that they frequently do not require TOEFL test scores of certain kinds of international applicants. These include

• nonnative speakers who hold degrees or diplomas from postsecondary institutions in English-speaking countries (e.g., the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand)
• nonnative speakers who have successfully completed at least a two-year course of study in which English was the language of instruction
• transfer students from institutions in the United States or Canada whose academic course work was favorably evaluated in relation to its demands and duration
• nonnative speakers who have taken the TOEFL test within the past two years
• nonnative speakers who have successfully pursued academic work at schools where English was the language of instruction in an English-speaking country for a specified period, generally two years

Students should contact their prospective institutions directly concerning their specific admission requirements.

Test Content

The TOEFL® iBT (Internet-based test) emphasizes integrated skills and measures all four language skills, including speaking. The content on the test is authentic, and the language is consistent with that used in everyday, real academic settings.

The test has four sections

• Reading measures the ability to understand academic reading material.
• Listening measures the ability to understand English as it is used in colleges and universities.
• Speaking measures the ability to speak English in an academic context.
• Writing measures the ability to write in a way that is appropriate for college and university course work.

Section	Time Limit	No. of Questions
Reading	60-100 minutes	36-70
Listening	60-90 minutes	34-51
Break	10 minutes
Speaking	20 minutes	6 tasks
Writing	50 minutes	2 tasks

Test content is based on a "corpus," or database, of spoken and written language that currently contains more than 2.7 million words, collected from educational institutions throughout the United States.

The spoken language in the database was collected from

• lectures and interactive classes
• labs
• office hours
• study groups
• everyday service interactions (for example, at the bookstore or registrar's office).

The written language was collected from sources, such as textbooks and course materials.

Listening and reading texts in the test conform to the characteristics of the language in the database.

Source

What Is TOEIC?

The Test of English for International Communication™ (TOEIC®) is an English language test designed specifically to measure the everyday English skills of people working in an international environment.

Who Takes It And Why?

Nonnative English speakers take the test to demonstrate English proficiency when applying for new positions and obtaining credentials.

Where Do People Take It?

The test is given at open public sessions, and at companies and language schools around the world.

Who Accepts It?

The test is widely accepted by corporations, English-language programs, and government agencies around the world.

• Corporations use TOEIC test to document progress in English training programs, recruit and promote employees, and put standard measurements in place across locations.
• English Programs use it to place students at the right learning levels, and show student progress and program effectiveness.
• Government agencies use it to document progress in English language courses, and to recruit, promote and hire employees.

Testing Format

The TOEIC test is a paper-and-pencil, multiple-choice assessment that uses audiocassettes, pictures, and written materials to evaluate English-language skills.

Test Content

The TOEIC test is a paper-and-pencil, multiple-choice assessment. There are two separately timed sections of 100 questions each.

Section I: Listening

Examinees listen to a variety of questions and short conversations recorded in English, then answer questions based on what they heard.

• Part 1: Photographs (20 items)
• Part 2: Question - Response (30 items)
• Part 3: Short Conversations (30 items)
• Part 4: Short Talks (20 items)

Section II: Reading

Examinees read a variety of materials and respond at their own pace to questions based on the content.

• Part 5: Incomplete Sentences (40 items)
• Part 6: Error Recognition (20 items)
• Part 7: Reading Comprehension (40 items)

Test Length

The test lasts approximately 2 ½ hours. Examinees have:

• 45 minutes for Section I
• 75 minutes for Section II, and
• the remaining time to respond to biographical questions and a brief questionnaire about education and work history.

Source

How To Learn English

Tips for Beginners

1. You are like a new baby
   Babies learn their language slowly.
   First they learn to listen.
   Then they learn to talk.
   Finally, they can read and write.
   
   
2. Listen to English every day
   Listen to English radio.
   Watch English TV.
   Go to English movies.
   Use online lessons.
   
   
3. Make an English/ESL friend
   Make up conversations.
   Practice dialogues.
   Use beginner textbooks.
   
   
4. Read English stories
   Start with children's storybooks.
   Try ESL readers.
   Read advertisements, signs and labels.
   
   
5. Write down new words
   Start a vocabulary (new word) notebook.
   Write words in alphabetical order (A...B...C...).
   Make example sentences.
   Always use an English-English dictionary first.
   
   
6. Keep an English diary
   Start with one sentence.
   How do you feel?
   How is the weather?
   What did you do today?
   Write another sentence tomorrow.
   
   
7. Visit an English speaking country
   Learn English more quickly.
   Stay with an English family.
   Hear native speakers talk.
   Have a fun experience.

Study a Balance of the 4 Key Skills

(Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing)

Most students want to communicate better in English. If this is one of your goals, it is important to study a balance of the four major skills. Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing are the main (macro) skills you need to communicate in any language. Being very good at only one of these skills will not help you to communicate. For example you need to be able to read well before you can write well. You also need to be able to listen before you can speak. It helps to think of these communicative skills in two groups.

• INput «««
  • Listening (in through your ears)
  • Reading (in through your eyes)
  
  
• OUTput »»»
  • Speaking (out through your mouth)
  • Writing (out through your hand)

It's simple. Think of it this way. First you have input. Next you have output. First you listen to someone ask you a question. Second you speak and give them your answer. First you read a letter from someone. After that you write back to them. These are examples of communicating.

Input and output don't necessarily go in a specific order. Sometimes you speak first and then you listen. Sometimes you write about something you hear. During communication, the person you are communicating with uses one of the opposite skills. Therefore, in order to understand each other, everyone must be skillful in all four areas.

Some students want to know which skill is the most important. Since all of the skills rely on each other, they are all important. However, to communicate we do use some skills more often than others. For example, about 40% of the time that we spend communicating we are simply listening. We speak for about 35% of the time. Approximately 16% of communication comes from reading, and about 9% from writing. These statistics are for an average communicator in English. Depending on someone's job or situation, these numbers may vary.

Each of these main skills have micro skills within them. For example, pronunciation is a type of speaking skill that must be practiced in order to improve communication. Spelling is a skill that makes understanding the written word easier. Grammar and vocabulary are other micro skills. Micro doesn't mean they are unimportant. Macro skills such as listening are very general, while micro skills are more specific.

For the best results, create an agenda that combines all four areas of study. Allow one type of studying to lead into another. For example, read a story and then talk about it with a friend. Watch a movie and then write about it. This is what teachers in an English class would have you do, right? .

Source

Two-Part (Phrasal) Verbs (Idioms)- 2

Separable 2

make over - remake
move over - move to the side
pass out - distribute
pass up - not take advantage of (as an opportunity)
pass on - transmit
pay back - repay
pay off - discharge a debt completely; give someone his final pay
pick up - come to meet an escort; lift with hands or fingers; learn casually;
initiate an association publicly
play down - minimize
play up - emphasize
point out - indicate
pull down - pull in a downward direction; raze
push across - cause to be understood or accepted
put off - postpone
put on - dress in; deceive or fool
put up - preserve (food); receive as an overnight guest
quiet down - be quiet
ring up - the telephone
rinse off - rinse the surface of
rinse out - rinse the inside of
rule out - eliminate
run down - trace; disparage; hit with a vehicle
run off - cause to depart; reproduce mechanically
save up - accumulate
see through - complete; in spite of difficulties
see off - accompany someone to the beginning of a trip
send back - send to a place where formerly located
send over - send to where someone is
set up - arrange
show off - exhibit ostentatiously
shut off - cause to cease functioning
slow up - cause to move more slowly
spell out - enumerate; state in detail
stand up - fail to keep an appointment with
sweep out - sweep the inside of
take back - return; retract a statement
take down - remove from a high position; write from dictation
take in - understood; fool; deceive; make smaller (in sewing)
take over - take; assume command of
tear down - destroy
tear up - tear into small pieces
tell off - scold; reprimand
think over - consider
think through - consider from beginning to end
think up - create; invent
throw away - discard
throw over - reject
tie up - tie securely or tight
tire out - cause to be exhausted
touch up - repair
try on - put on a garment to verify the fit
try out - test
turn down - refuse; lower the volume
turn out - produce; force into exile, extinguish (a light)
wash off - wash the surface of
wash out - wash the inside of
wear out - use until no longer usable; tire greatly
wind up - finish, tighten the spring of a watch or machine
wipe off - wipe the surface of
wipe out - wipe the inside of; decimate
work out - solve
write down - record
write out - write down every detail; spell out
write up - compose; prepare (a document)

Two-Part (Phrasal) Verbs (Idioms)

Separable 1

add up - add
back up - cause to move backwards; support; blow up; cause to explode; destroy by explosives
break down - analyze; list the parts of separately
break into - go into a house or room forcibly; suddenly; begin; bring about - cause to happen
bring off - accomplish
bring on - cause
bring out - publish; emphasize
bring over - bring
bring to - revive
bring up - raise; care for from childhood
brush out - brush the inside of
burn down - destroy by burning
burn up - consume by fire
buy out - by the other person's share of a business
buy up - buy the whole supply of
call off - cancel; order away
call up - telephone; summon for military service
calm down - become calm
carry on - continue
carry out - fulfill; complete; accomplish; perform
carry over - carry; continue at another time or place
cheer up - cause to become cheerful
chew up - chew thoroughly
chop up - chop into small pieces
clean off - clean the surface of
clean out - clean the inside of
clean up - clarify; tidy
clear out - clear the surface of
clear up - clear the inside of
close down - close permanently
close up - close temporarily
count in - include
count out - exclude
count up - calculate; count; add to a total
cross out - eliminate
cut off - interrupt; sever; amputate
cut out - eliminate; delete
cut down - reduce in quantity
draw up - write; compose (a document)
dress up - put clothes on; adorn
dust out - dust the inside of
eat up - eat completely
figure out - interpret; understand
figure up - compute
fill in - complete (a printed form)
fill out - complete (a printed form)
fill up - fill completely (a container)
find out - discover
fix up - repair; arrange in a suitable manner
get across - cause to be understood
give back - return
give out - distribute; announce
give up - surrender something
hand down - deliver; pronounce formally; leave as an inheritance
hand over - yield control of
hang up - suspend
have on - be dressed in
have over - entertain someone informally at one's home
hold off - delay; restrain
hold up - delay; rob; threaten with a weapon
keep up - continue; keep the same pace
leave out - omit
let down - disappoint
let out - release from confinement; make larger (in sewing)
light up - light; illuminate thoroughly
live down - live in such a way as to cause something to be forgotten

Learning English by watching movies

If you are a fan of movies, you can learn English easily. You'll get lots of correct English sentences into your head. Then you can imitate them.

You can learn English from movies by doing these steps:

1-Grab a pen and a notebook.

2-Turn on the English subtitle.

3-Pay attention to interesting things (new words, phrases, and grammar structures).

4-Write them down in your notebook.

5-When finish watching. Look them up in the dictionary.

6-Memorize them and start using them.

Have fun!!

Note:

-There is a great alternative to subtitles. ESLnotes.com is a website which has "guides" to popular movies. A guide is a list of over 100 difficult sentences from a movie with explanations.

-May be you don't need the subtitle after period of time. You'll just enjoy watching.

For more information