Free English listening exercises with downloadable audio and matching printable worksheets from 123 Listening. Each topic has multiple audio files at different difficulty levels, and multiple worksheet formats - giving you full control over the challenge level for your students.
How to use these listening exercises
1. Choose your audio
Each topic has 4-5 audio files. The first is always a simple vocabulary version - just the words, clearly spoken. Later versions use natural conversation style with questions, descriptions, and grammar structures, making them progressively more challenging.
2. Choose your worksheet
Each topic also has 8 ready-to-print worksheets. Choosing from 2 pictures is the simplest task. Choosing from 3 pictures adds more challenge. Matching and writing exercises push students further. The worksheet you choose is independent of the audio - mix freely.
3. Match to your class
Simple audio + simple worksheet = beginner task. Complex audio + writing worksheet = intermediate challenge. Or give the same audio to the whole class but different worksheets to different students. The combination is yours to decide.
Listening exercises by topic
Click any topic to see the audio files, worksheet downloads, and vocabulary list.
Make your own listening worksheets
Need different images or want to use your own audio script? The listening worksheet makers let you build custom worksheets using thousands of images across dozens of topics. Great for matching your own lesson plans, or for LOTE classes in Spanish, French, German, and other languages.
Frequently asked questions
The exercises are designed for beginner to intermediate ESL and EFL students, roughly A1 to B1 on the CEFR scale. Young learners and adults at lower levels work well with the simple vocabulary audio and picture-choice worksheets. The conversation-style audio files with writing worksheets are better suited to elementary and pre-intermediate students. The mix-and-match system lets you adjust difficulty without needing separate materials for each level.
Yes. The worksheet makers on this site use images, not text, so the worksheets work for any language. LOTE teachers use them regularly for Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and other language classes. You simply read your own script aloud or play your own audio - the image-based worksheet format stays the same regardless of the language being taught.
For the ready-to-print worksheets, yes - they are PDF files designed to be printed and distributed to students. Print one copy and photocopy as many as you need, or print directly from the browser print preview. The worksheet makers also produce print-ready PDFs. You are licensed to use photocopies and printouts for your students at no cost.
Absolutely. The worksheets and the audio are completely independent. You can use any of the ready-to-print worksheets with your own script, or use the worksheet makers to build a custom worksheet around your own listening activity. Many teachers read their own scripts aloud, use audio from a textbook, or play clips from MES English's online flashcards which include audio for each vocabulary item.
Click the play button icon next to any audio file to open it in your browser and listen. To download, right-click the link and choose "Save link as" to save the MP3 file to your computer. You can then play it through speakers in class, burn it to a CD, or use it with any audio player or classroom system.
Yes, all audio files and worksheets on 123 Listening are free to download and use with your students. No registration or account is required. The site is supported by advertising. The only restriction is that you may not redistribute, sell, or repackage the materials. Classroom use - including photocopies for students - is fully permitted.
