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IELTS Speaking Part 3

Practice listening to IELTS online for free very effectively with 14+ quality websites

Topics covered

Listening is one of the 4 important parts of the IELTS exam. So how should you learn this skill at home in the most cost-effective way? The following article by IDP will provide you with 14+ high-quality websites to practice listening to IELTS online for free very effectively.

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Practice listening to IELTS online with 14 high-quality websites

1. Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab

Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab is an online IELTS listening practice website founded by an American master - Mr. Randall. This website mainly focuses on practicing English comprehension skills at three levels: easy, medium, and difficult. The number of listening exercises corresponding to each level ranges from 50 to 60 exercises.

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Main interface of Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab website

Detailed information about the website:

  • Website link: https://www.esl-lab.com/

  • Format: Online

  • Price: Free

Outstanding features of Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab:

  • Listening practice according to each level, suitable for all students, especially those who need to learn IELTS listening online quickly.

  • Diverse listening activities such as interviews, academic listening, language games, English idioms, basic English quizzes, English culture videos, vocabulary lessons, ESL vocabulary quizzes, etc.

  • Listening exercises depending on the situation will combine the voices of adults, teenagers, and children.

  • There is a self-scoring feature after each student completes the listening exercise.

  • Create lesson content according to each topic.

Advantages of the website:

  • This free online IELTS listening practice website has a modern interface, beautiful design, and is easy to use.

  • The website continuously updates lessons, improving content quality for better user learning.

  • Each listening exercise comes with questions and answers for readers to practice, enhancing memory and listening reflexes.

  • Logical and systematic lesson content design.

  • Users can both learn and play in the language games, English quizzes, etc.

Disadvantages of the website:

  • The website is entirely in English, which may be difficult for new users.

  • In the question and answer section of the listening exercises, there are sometimes some errors.

Website usage instructions:

  • Step 1: Access the website link: https://www.esl-lab.com/

  • Step 2: Look at the website interface at the top, on the right side of the computer screen, you will see the lines Home - Listening Activities - About ESL-LAB - Help. Here, click on the Listening Activities section.

  • Step 3: Select the listening levels in the Listening Activities section from easy (Easy), medium (Intermediate) to difficult (Difficult) according to your level.

  • Step 4: Choose listening exercises by topic to practice.

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Listening exercises in the Easy section

2. Practice IELTS listening online for free with IELTS Online Test

IELTS Online Test is a product of the Inter Great education group, established in 2018 with offices in 12 countries. This website is community-oriented, providing free IELTS test papers and tips, including listening practice tests. Currently, IELTS Online Test has up to 23 million members accessing it.

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IELTS Online Test Interface

Detailed information about the website:

  • Website link: https://ieltsonlinetests.com/

  • Format: Online.

  • Price: Free.

Outstanding features:

  • Provides online IELTS Listening practice tests with answers.

  • Shares tips for achieving high scores in IELTS Listening tests.

  • Offers free online listening classes with guided practice (Live Lessons).

  • Provides detailed video explanations of listening test questions on IELTS Online Test.

  • The website features a timer during tests to help students practice concentration and get accustomed to the real test environment.

Advantages of the website:

  • Designed by former IELTS examiners and candidates who scored above 8.0.

  • Practicing IELTS Listening with IELTS Online Test is completely free, helping students save costs.

  • All free online IELTS listening practices are sourced from reputable reference books.

  • The content of the listening practices closely follows the actual test questions with detailed, easy-to-understand answer analyses.

  • The test interface is similar to the computer-based IELTS test.

Disadvantages of the website:

  • All classes on IELTS Online Test are scheduled according to the GMT +0 time zone of the UK. Candidates in Vietnam may experience time zone differences, causing inconvenience in following the content.

  • Most of the examiners and instructors are British and use British English. Students need to get accustomed to the distinctive accent instead of the usual American English accent.

Website usage instructions:

  • Step 1: Visit the website: https://www.ielts-exam.net and create a login account.

  • Step 2: Select IELTS Prep and choose the IELTS Listening service if you want to practice listening. Select Live lessons and choose listening if you want to join an online listening class.

  • Step 3: Select a listening practice or class and start practicing.

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How to use the Online Test website to practice IELTS listening online for free

The IELTS Online Test website is suitable for anyone preparing for the IELTS exam online, especially for listening skills.

3. Pre IELTS IDP

Website details:

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IELTS IDP provides quality test preparation materials

Outstanding features: Providing IELTS Listening test preparation materials at: https://ielts.idp.com/vietnam/prepare/ielts-test-preparation-material/listening

Advantages of the website:

  • The website uses both English and Vietnamese.

  • Simple interface, scientifically arranged and easy to use.

  • All IELTS Listening test preparation materials are free.

  • There is a detailed introduction to the IELTS Listening test structure.

  • Free downloadable materials.

Disadvantages of the website: Not as diverse as the categories to support students in developing listening skills as some other free online IELTS listening learning websites.
Instructions for using the website:

  • Step 1: Access the link https://ielts.idp.com/vietnam

  • Step 2: Select the category: IELTS Listening test preparation materials - Academic & General Training

  • Step 2: Select IELTS listening practice materials and start reviewing.

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Select the lesson criteria in the left column, the results will be returned in the right column

The Pre IELTS IDP website is suitable for all subjects who need to practice IELTS listening online. Because the IELTS Listening materials are closely related to real exam questions.

4. TED Talk

People with good listening skills can also practice listening to IELTS online for free on TED Talks. These are speeches on various topics collected at events organized by TED. Each lesson will have inspiring content, revolving around familiar topics in society. Each speech lasts about 20 minutes.

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TED Talk lessons help practice IELTS Listening online

Detailed information about the website:

  • Website link: https://www.ted.com/talks

  • Format: Online.

  • Price: Free.

Outstanding features:

  • Provides a variety of speeches selected by topic.

  • Equipped with the "Micro-listening" feature, meaning students can rewind each sentence in the video until they understand and grasp the meaning.

Advantages of the website:

  • Practicing IELTS English listening online in the form of Talk creates a natural and familiar feeling for students.

  • TED's listening lessons can help students master different intonations and pronunciations from speakers, thereby improving their listening skills.

  • The listening lessons in TED Talk are similar to the most difficult listening sections of the IELTS Listening test. Not only does it support free online IELTS listening practice, but TED Talk also helps students gain a rich vocabulary on scientific and academic topics and learn how to express sentences correctly in grammar.

Disadvantages: Practicing IELTS listening online for free at TED Talk has a relatively high difficulty level, so it requires students' English proficiency to be at least intermediate or higher.

Website usage instructions:

  • Step 1: Access the website: https://www.ted.com/talks

  • Step 2: Choose a TED Talk by the desired topic and listen at least 3 times and compare with the content to evaluate progress and learning effectiveness.

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TED Talk has many topics for you to choose from

TED Talk speeches are really only suitable for those who already have basic IELTS Listening skills and want to learn advanced.

5. Daily Lesson with Simon

Daily Lesson with Simon is designed with a classic interface. However, the content of the lessons inside is arranged in an easy-to-understand and clear manner. This is a website chosen by many people when they want to practice listening to IELTS online for free.

Detailed information about the website:

  • Website link: https://www.ielts-simon.com/

  • Format: Online.

  • Price: Free

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An IELTS listening practice on Daily Lesson with Simon

Outstanding features:

  • Provides free online IELTS listening practice by topic with answers.

  • Below each listening section, there are Transcripts to help students translate and check their accurate listening ability.

Advantages of the website:

  • Simple, easy-to-use website interface.

  • Students can leave comments, interact, and ask questions to the teacher under each lesson.

  • Also shares effective IELTS Listening study tips.

  • Includes both video and audio of the listening exercise.

Disadvantages of the website: The website interface can be boring for many people.

Website usage instructions:

  • Step 1: Access the website link: https://www.ielts-simon.com/

  • Step 2: In the This Blog section, select IELTS Listening.

  • Step 3: Choose a listening exercise by the appropriate topic and start practicing.

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Website usage instructions

The Daily Lesson with Simon website is suitable for anyone who needs to learn IELTS Listening online, especially those with intermediate listening skills.

6. BBC Learning English​

BBC Learning English is also a free online IELTS Listening practice website that you should not miss. Here, there are a series of lessons with different levels, from easy, medium to difficult with many topics such as: culture, language, events,... serving the process of your IELTS listening test preparation.

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The free online IELTS listening practice website BBC Learning English also has a mobile app version

Detailed information about the website:

  • Website link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish

  • Format: Online.

  • Price: Free.

Outstanding features:

  • Listening levels are classified according to the student's proficiency.

  • Possesses many attractive categories, providing more information about various fields in society.

  • Students can improve their English listening and comprehension skills through many lessons and real-life situations.

Advantages of the website:

  • Beautiful interface, including both English and Vietnamese versions.

  • Listening exercises are arranged according to each student's level.

  • The content of the listening exercises is often highly applicable to real life.

  • A huge number of listening exercises help students choose to study according to their favorite topics.

  • Every day, BBC Learning English will proactively update new listening exercises in the form of news for students.

Disadvantages of the website: The voices in the free online IELTS listening practice website BBC Learning English are mainly generated by computers or pre-recorded. This may limit the listening reflex in real-life contexts for many students.

Guide to free online IELTS listening practice with BBC Learning English:

  • Step 1: Access the website link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish

  • Step 2: Choose the English or Vietnamese version.

  • Step 3: Select the Features category and choose the appropriate topic to practice listening.

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BBC Learning English website interface

BBC Learning English is a free online IELTS listening practice website suitable for everyone because the lessons here are divided into many different levels.

7. CNN Student News

CNN Student News is a non-profit daily broadcast specifically for middle and high school students. The program lasts 10 minutes but is packed with useful knowledge, especially listening skills.

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Phẫu Audio helps practice listening to English on CNN Student News

Detailed information about the website:

  • Website link: https://edition.cnn.com/studentnews/

  • Format: Online.

  • Price: Free.

Outstanding features: Provides daily news about life and society for middle and high school students in the form of journalism. Through this, it helps students improve and enhance their listening and reading skills.

Advantages of the website: It is a unique form of free online IELTS listening practice, closely related to daily life. CNN Student News is suitable for middle and high school students who need to practice listening to English IELTS online.

Disadvantages of the website: It is broadcast daily on CNN Headline News from 4:00-4:10 AM EST, so not everyone can follow it.

Website usage instructions:

  • Method 1: Learn to listen to English CNN Student News on the CNN Headline News channel.

  • Method 2: Visit https://edition.cnn.com/studentnews/. Select the Audio section and listen to the news and topics you love.

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How to access CNN for listening practice

8. Listen a minute

Listen a minute is also a reputable and quality online IELTS listening practice website that you should refer to. The listening exercises here are very diverse, divided into groups of letters A – B – C for students to easily search, choose and practice.

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Listen a minute online IELTS listening practice website interface

Detailed information about the website:

  • Website link: http://www.listenaminute.com

  • Form: Online.

  • Price: Free.

Outstanding features:

  • There are up to 479 listening exercises on various topics, each lasting about 60 seconds, with a translation section right below.

  • Provides exercises for students to practice and remember best.

Advantages of the website:

  • Simple interface, easy to learn.

  • The listening exercises are scientifically arranged.

  • There are very diverse listening topics with different levels of difficulty.

  • There is a Gap Filling exercise below, so students do not need to copy the entire listening exercise, saving a lot of time.

Disadvantages of the website:Listen a minute's listening exercises are not divided by level. Therefore, students with limited English vocabulary may encounter advanced words during listening.

Website usage instructions:

  • Step 1:Access the web link: http://www.listenaminute.com

  • Step 2:Choose the topic you want to practice listening to and do the exercises below.

The Listen a minute website is suitable for those who do not have much time or do not like to practice listening to English with long readings.

9. Practice listening to IELTS online for free with Breaking News English

Breaking News English is a website for practicing English listening skills with both British and American accents in the same news article. Through various types of exercises, this website helps learners practice listening skills for the IELTS exam from easy to difficult levels.

Detailed information about the website:

  • Website link: https://breakingnewsenglish.com/

  • Format: Online.

  • Price: Free.

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Interface of the Breaking News English website

Outstanding features:

  • Provides listening exercises at different levels for learners.

  • Learners can self-assess their listening skills and convert them to IELTS scores after each listening session.

  • Helps learners stay updated with the latest and most accurate news in the fields of life and society.

Advantages of the website:

  • MP3 files and BNE are regularly updated with a variety of topics.

  • The listening exercises are all aligned with the European standard framework.

  • Has a function to adjust the listening speed.

Disadvantages of the website:Not everyone is suitable for this free online IELTS listening practice website.

Website usage instructions:

  • Step 1:Access the website via the link: https://breakingnewsenglish.com/

  • Step 2:Choose a listening topic and practice listening from easy to difficult levels.

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Users choose listening exercises by topic

Breaking News English is only suitable for learners who already have a foundation in listening to audio. Beginners who are just getting acquainted with IELTS often find it boring because Breaking's topics are mainly academic, which does not interest beginners.

10. IELTS Material

The IELTS Material website can fully meet the needs of listening skills practice to conquer the Listening section in IELTS. If you maintain the habit of listening daily on the Website, your English listening skills will surely improve significantly.

Detailed information about the website:

  • Website link: https://ieltsmaterial.com/listening

  • Format: Online.

  • Price: Free.

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IELTS Material website interface

Outstanding features: Provides a collection of listening tests gathered from the most famous IELTS practice books.

Advantages of the website:

  • The content of the listening practice exercises on the website is designed in clear sections, making it easy to observe and search.

  • Learners can view and download a huge amount of materials, containing excellent sample essays for both IELTS Speaking and Writing sections.

Disadvantages of the website: The free online IELTS listening practice website IELTS Material only stops at providing materials, and there are no detailed instructions to help candidates self-study effectively at home.

Website usage instructions:

  • Step 1: Access the website link: https://ieltsmaterial.com/listening

  • Step 2: In the IELTS Modules section, select the IELTS listening part, read the instructions carefully, and perform the listening practice exercises.

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Website usage instructions

The IELTS Material website is suitable for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or higher.

11. Optimal Living Daily

Optimal Living Daily is a free online IELTS listening practice website based on Spotify - a music and audio application. Therefore, learners will be more interested throughout the learning process.

Detailed information about the website:

  • Website link: https://oldpodcast.com/

  • Format: Online.

  • Price: Free.

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Optimal Living Daily Website

Outstanding features:

  • Provides online IELTS listening practice exercises with a variety of topics.

  • The listening exercises feature contributions from famous bloggers.

Advantages of the website:

  • Each podcast episode is short, 5-10 minutes, allowing learners to listen while completing daily activities.

  • The listening exercises on the website are always guaranteed in terms of quality and content.

  • It is a reputable English listening practice site, surpassing 100 million downloads in August 2020.

  • Recommended by Oprah Daily as one of the best motivational Podcasts.

Disadvantages of the website: The interface is relatively difficult to use.

Website usage instructions:

  • Step 1: Access the website link: https://oldpodcast.com/

  • Step 2: Select Shows, choose the appropriate program, and start practicing listening.

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A listening exercise in the Optimal Living Daily section

Optimal Living Daily is suitable for learners who already have IELTS listening skills from intermediate to advanced levels.

>>> You may be interested in: [REVEALED] 5 extremely effective steps to learn IELTS online for beginners

12. American English Pronunciation Podcast

American English Pronunciation Podcast is one of the free online IELTS listening practice websites that helps students improve their listening skills very effectively. The readings here are mainly in American English with difficult pronunciations, often used to trick candidates in IELTS Listening.

Detailed information about the website:

  • Website link: https://pronuncian.com

  • Format: Online.

  • Price: Free.

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American English Pronunciation Podcast Website

Outstanding features:

  • Provides American English listening exercises to improve students' listening skills.

  • Helps learners distinguish difficult pronunciations.

Advantages of the website:

  • The listening exercises are very diverse, divided by levels from easy to difficult.

  • Beautiful, easy-to-use interface.

  • Transcripts after each listening exercise.

Disadvantages of the website: The arrangement of listening topics is not really scientific.

Website usage instructions:

  • Step 1: Access the website link: https://pronuncian.com

  • Step 2: Select the podcasts category then scroll down to view and listen to the listening exercises by topic, pronunciation.

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You select the appropriate learning content on the website's toolbar

The American English Pronunciation Podcast website is suitable for those who want to practice IELTS listening online for free, focusing on pronunciation.

13. IELTS Exam

IELTS Exam is a website that equips learners with knowledge, provides additional exercises, and mock tests during the preparation process. Additionally, you can also practice IELTS listening online.

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IELTS Exam Interface

Detailed information about the website:

  • Website link: https://www.ielts-exam.net/

  • Format: Online.

  • Price: Free.

Outstanding features:

  • Provides IELTS mock tests that closely resemble the actual exam.

  • Helps learners practice the four skills: Listening, speaking, reading, and writing for the IELTS exam.

Advantages of the website:

  • It is a huge resource for learners with practice exercises and proficiency tests for each skill, vocabulary, and grammar.

  • The website shares interesting tips and guides to help learners achieve high scores in the IELTS exam.

  • Designed with an easy-to-view, easy-to-use website interface.

Disadvantages of the website: The IELTS test-taking guide is still quite short, not really in-depth and useful for learners.

Website usage guide: You access the website and choose the appropriate learning content on the toolbars.

The IELTS Exam website is suitable for anyone who needs to practice IELTS listening online for free.

14. Mini IELTS

Mini IELTS is also one of the free online IELTS listening practice websites highly rated by many candidates.

Detailed information about the website:

  • Website link: http://mini-ielts.com/

  • Format: Online.

  • Price: Free.

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Mini IELTS Website

Outstanding features:

  • Provides a variety of reading and listening exercises on different topics. Each test is very short, only about 10 questions.

  • Shares reputable and diverse English learning resources such as Recent Actual Tests, Cambridge IELTS, TED.

Advantages of the website:

  • Short tests, categorized in detail according to each student level.

  • Tests are regularly updated every quarter and have a difficulty level equivalent to the real exam.

  • No login required to use all the features available on the website.

  • Beautiful, easy-to-use interface.

Website usage instructions:

  • Step 1: Access the website link: http://mini-ielts.com/

  • Step 2: Select the listening section and choose a listening practice exercise by topic.

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Website's listening practice interface

Mini IELTS is suitable for those who are new to learning reading and listening online for the IELTS exam.

Notes for effective online IELTS listening practice

In addition to choosing reputable and quality learning websites, during the free online IELTS listening practice, you should also note the following:

  • Practice listening from difficult to easy levels.

  • Practice listening combined with dictation to memorize vocabulary and improve writing skills.

  • Allocate daily online IELTS listening practice time appropriately and focus while listening.

  • Learn new words and grammar throughout the online IELTS listening practice process.

  • Practice listening with IELTS test formats to evaluate learning effectiveness.

  • Participate in IELTS mock tests at IDP to get familiar with the IELTS test format.

>>> See more:

Above are the 14 most reputable and quality free online IELTS listening practice websites that you can refer to. IDP wishes you effective practice time and the best IELTS test results.

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