English Listening Practice
Free audio scenes from real life for kids, teens and adults. Listen line by line, type what you hear, then test yourself.
- 353 scenes
- CEFR Pre-A1–C2
- Free with transcripts & answers
Early Kids 4–6
35 scenes
My toys
Grandpa comes to play with Zoe.
At the beach
Ben and his dad go to the beach.
At the fruit stall
Millie and her dad go to the market.
Things that go
Leo and Dad look out of the window.
Let's paint!
Mia and Mum paint at the kitchen table.
The dressing-up box
Tilda and Zain open a big box in Tilda's bedroom.
Hello, farm animals!
Noah and his Uncle Jay visit a farm.
More water, please
Snack time at Mia's house.
School Kids 7–11
86 scenes
The crocodile pencil case
Hallie starts first grade soon. Her Aunt Jo has a present for her.
Good morning, Mr Penn!
It's the morning register in Mr Penn's Year 2 class. Edie and Sid are on the carpet.
Bag check day
It's bag check day in Mr Shaw's class. Kitty and Ronnie put their school bags on the scales.
Match day in PE
It's PE with Miss Lang. First, a kit check. Then a football match. Lyla tells us about the match.
A visitor in the music room
Ms. Harlow plays music. Today she visits the music room at Piper and Joey's school.
Bug hunt in the woods
Lacey and her little brother Tucker are at nature club. Today Jen, the club leader, takes them on a bug hunt in the woods.
Ready to ride
It's bike day at school. Ms. Lowry helps Skye and Jaden get ready to ride.
Sink or float?
After school, Clemmie and Bertie do a water test with Pippa. Does it sink (go down) or float (stay on top)?
Teens 12–17
105 scenes
New in class
It's Holly's first morning at a new school.
A new backpack
Lauren has a new backpack. She shows it to her friend Cole before class.
At the sports centre
Finn and Amy visit a new sports centre in their town.
Locker day
It's locker day at school. Eva and Oscar get their new lockers.
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Lunch with friends
It's lunch time at school. Tara, Lucas and Andy sit together in the cafeteria.
Pet photos
After school in the park, Leon, Anna and Kian show each other photos on their phones.
My first shift
Saturday morning. Kayla, 16, starts her first job at a bowling alley.
College open day
Saturday. Ruby, 16, and her aunt Cass visit a sixth-form college on its open day.
Adults 18+
127 scenes
Ready for the warehouse?
Rory works at a big warehouse in the UK. Every morning, Paula, the team leader, meets the team at the door.
Nice to meet you
A man goes to a running club in a park in the UK. It is his first time there.
Here's my number
Lisa and her son are new at a school in the US. At the school gate, she meets another parent.
Look what I bought!
Brenda shows her best friend Janet the clothes she bought. They are at Brenda's home in the UK.
Family photos
Brad and Gina work in the same office in the US. At lunch, Brad shows Gina some photos on his phone.
At the street market
Stacey does her shopping at a street market in her town in the UK. Terry has a fruit and vegetable stall.
On my way!
Monica is at a restaurant in the US. She is waiting for three friends. They send her voice messages.
A morning in housekeeping
Shelby starts work at a hotel in the US. She cleans the rooms. Stella is her supervisor.
Free English listening practice for every level
7ESL Listening is a free library of short, illustrated audio scenes from real life: ordering at a café, a phone call to the dentist, a school trip, a job interview, a university lecture. Each scene takes 4 to 16 minutes and plays one line at a time, so you can replay any sentence, slow it down, and read the transcript only when you need it.
Every scene can be practised three ways. Learn mode is for listening and reading together. Check mode is dictation: you hear a line, type what you hear and see the words you missed. Exam mode plays each question once and shows your answers and the transcript at the end. Young children aged 4–6 answer picture questions instead, with no reading needed.
Choose who is learning (kids, teens or adults) and a CEFR level from Pre-A1 to C2. Not sure of your level? Take the free English level test. Almost every scene is free; a few longer adult scenes are part of 7ESL Pro. Want more? Try our English listening tests or reading practice.
Short on time? Today's session builds an 8-, 12- or 20-minute plan: a review, one new scene at your level and a speaking task. When you finish a scene, say it out loud in English speaking practice.
How it works
- Choose a scene by who is learning, level, purpose or length.
- Listen line by line in Learn mode: replay, slow down, show the words when you need them.
- Check yourself type what you hear in Check mode, then answer the questions in the Exam.
Frequently asked questions
How can I practise English listening online for free?
Pick a scene below and press Play. Every scene is a short, illustrated conversation from real life, played one line at a time with a transcript you can show or hide. Almost all scenes are free, and you do not need an account to start.
How can I improve my English listening skills quickly?
Listen a little every day, at a level where you understand most of what you hear. Play a scene in Learn mode, then type the lines in Check mode (dictation) and finish with the Exam. Today's session builds an 8-, 12- or 20-minute plan with reviews on a 1, 3, 7 and 14-day rhythm.
Which level should I start with?
Choose who is learning (kids, teens or adults), then a CEFR level from Pre-A1 to C2. If you understand less than about three lines out of four, go one level down. Not sure? Take the free English level test first.
Do the exercises have transcripts and answers?
Yes. Learn mode shows the full transcript line by line, Check mode shows the words you missed, and the Exam shows every correct answer at the end with the transcript.
What is the difference between Learn, Check and Exam mode?
Learn: listen and read together, replay any line and slow it down. Check: dictation, you hear a line and type what you hear. Exam: each question plays once and you see your score and the answers at the end. Children aged 4–6 answer picture questions instead.
Can teachers assign listening lessons to a class?
Yes. Teachers with a 7ESL class can assign any scene as homework, choose Check or Exam mode, and see each student's result in the class report.
Is there speaking practice for the same scenes?
Yes. Open Speaking practice to repeat, shadow and role-play the same scene out loud and compare your voice with the model. Preparing for Cambridge, IELTS or TOEFL? See the exam practice tests.