Intermediate English Listening Practice
Real conversations at natural speed for teens and adults at B1–B2: listen, check every word, then test yourself.
Not sure what to listen to?
Take the free listening level test (about 20 minutes). We will show you the scenes at your level.
- 73 scenes
- CEFR B1–B2
- Free with transcripts & answers
Early Kids 4–6
0 scenesSchool Kids 7–11
0 scenesTeens 12–17
35 scenes
The world on a flat page
In a ninth-grade World Geography class at a US high school, Ms. Garland starts her lesson with a question about the big world map on the classroom wall. Everett and Tatum are in the class.
My first summer job: a vlog
Rosie, 16, has a summer job at a garden centre. She films a quick vlog on her break, and her co-worker Callum joins in at the end.
Saturdays at the animal shelter: a podcast
Erin, 16, hosts her school's podcast. This week her guest is Felix, 15, who spends his Saturdays volunteering at an animal shelter.
One year with a guitar: a podcast
Cody, 17, hosts a podcast about teenagers trying new things. His guest this week is Sadie, 16, who picked up a guitar for the first time a year ago.
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Running my first 5K: a podcast
Aaron, 17, makes a podcast for his school. This week he records outdoors, at the finish of a Saturday-morning 5K race in the park, where Heidi, 15, has just run her first one.
Gran's recipes: a podcast
Robyn and Hamish, both 16, make a podcast for their school. This week Robyn talks about a project with her gran, and plays two short recordings from Gran's kitchen.
Pebble's big week: a robotics club vlog
Marley, 13, and Hudson, 12, are in the robotics club at their middle school in the US. All week, Marley films a vlog about getting the club's robot, Pebble, ready for its first competition on Saturday. Ms. Draper is the club's coach.
The secret box in the park
It's Saturday morning. Elise, 14, has talked her friends Jonty and Yasmin into trying her new hobby in their town park: a treasure hunt with a map app on her phone.
Radio interview: the teen who built an app
A morning show on local radio in the US. Paula interviews Nora, 16, who built an app for borrowing things from neighbors. A listener, Frank, calls in.
A museum guide: the story of a shipwreck
A Year 9 trip to a small museum by the sea. Hazel, one of the guides, tells the class about a ship in a painting; Ivy and Harvey ask questions.
Explaining a science result
Science class. It's Daniel's turn at the front; Ms Okafor and Hana are listening.
A museum talk: Roman roads
A Saturday family talk at a town museum. Joanna, from the museum's learning team, stands next to a model. Elsie, 15, and her grandad are in the front row.
Adults 18+
38 scenes
Come climbing with me!
Simone goes to an indoor climbing gym in her city in the US. Today she brings her friend Cedric. It's his first time.
Economics 101: why do prices change?
It's the first week of Introduction to Economics at a university in the US. The lecture hall is full, and the students are all ages. Loretta is the professor. Whitney and Devin are two of her students.
Office hours: the habit diary
Bernadette is in her first term of a part-time psychology degree at a British university. It's the afternoon, and she knocks on the door of her tutor, Conrad, during his weekly office hours.
Tell me about yourself: a job interview
Ryan has a job interview at a leisure centre. Diane, who runs the centre, asks the questions.
The office move
Fiona, the office manager at a small company, meets Neil and Carla to talk about the office move.
Evening class: photography basics
The first evening of a photography class for beginners at a community college in the US. Patrick is the teacher; Lucy and Gary are two of the students.
At a language exchange evening
A language exchange evening upstairs in a café in the UK. Pam runs it. Gemma is there for the first time, and she sits next to Wesley.
A meeting about a new cycle lane
A public meeting in a community hall in a small town in the UK. Someone from the town council explains a plan, and local people give their views.
First day at the food bank
Saturday morning at a small food bank in an English town. Lorraine runs it. Brandon, who has just moved from the US, is there to help for the first time.
At the baggage desk
Caroline, from the US, has just landed at a British airport for a walking holiday. Her suitcase didn't come off the belt, so she goes to the baggage desk. Murray works there.
Field trip: a briefing on the rocky shore
A group of first-year marine biology students, of all ages, has arrived at a field centre on the British coast. Before they go down to the beach, Octavia, who leads the trip, gives them a briefing. Della and Lyle are two of the students.
At the library: help with a research paper
Colette is in her second year of an architecture degree at a university in the US. She has booked a twenty-minute appointment with Wendell, a research librarian, to get help with her research paper.
From understanding your teacher to understanding real people
Many intermediate learners understand their teacher but lose track when people speak naturally: they talk faster, join words together, change their minds and leave things out. These 73 scenes are built for that stage (CEFR B1 and B2). You will hear friends making plans, a phone call to sort out a problem, a debate at school, a job interview, a short talk and a discussion where people disagree politely.
Work in three steps. Listen first in Learn mode for the main idea and replay any line you want. Then type the difficult lines in Check mode: dictation shows the small words you miss, such as weak forms, endings and linked sounds. Finish with the Exam, which asks about the main idea, details and what speakers really mean.
At B1, aim to follow the main points and the key facts. At B2, listen for opinions, reasons and the attitude behind the words. When you score 80% or more in the Exam twice, try a longer scene or the next level. For work and school situations, see business English listening.
Frequently asked questions
Why can I understand my teacher but not native speakers?
Teachers speak clearly and choose easy words. In real conversations people speak faster, link words together and use short, reduced forms. Listening to natural scenes line by line, and typing what you hear, trains your ear for those sounds.
How do I move from intermediate to advanced listening?
Listen to a little every day, choose scenes that are slightly hard for you, and replay the lines you miss until you can follow them without the text. Moving from B1 to B2 means following opinions and reasons, not only facts.
Is B1 intermediate?
Yes. B1 is intermediate and B2 is upper intermediate on the CEFR scale. If you are not sure of your level, take the free English level test.
How long are the exercises?
Most scenes take 6 to 12 minutes: a few minutes of audio and several short tasks. You can stop after Learn mode and come back later.
Do you have British and American accents?
Yes. The scenes use both British and American voices, so you get used to different ways of speaking.