Would you like to improve your spoken English but you don’t know how?
Is it difficult to find the best resources to boost your English speaking and listening?
Are speaking and listening the most difficult English skills for you?
If your answer to any of those questions is ‘yes’, then you are in the right place. Finding the right resources online can feel overwhelming sometimes. That’s why we have compiled a list of the 25 most useful websites you want to bookmark to improve your English listening and speaking skills. It also includes resources to improve your Business vocabulary and help you feel like a pro in an international workplace. So, here we go:
The 4 Online Dictionaries You Want To Use
First of all, four awesome dictionaries most of my students could probably not live without. That’s it, just four. Here are the ones you want to use when you want to know the definition of a word, how to say it in another language, a synonym, or how to pronounce it.
Very comprehensive online dictionary with English definitions, synonyms, and bilingual translations into +15 languages (Spanish, German, French, Korean, Chinese, Swedish, Arabic, and more). It also includes a discussion thread about more specific meanings.
Collocations are combinations of words that usually go together. For example, even though ‘do’ and ‘make’ have similar meanings, we don’t ‘do the bed’, but ‘make the bed’. The same way, we don’t eat ‘quick food’, but ‘fast food’. Maybe these are obvious to you, but it gets tricky sometimes. Mastering these will help you sound much more like a native speaker.
Click on the link, type your word, and find the most common combinations with that word, organized by category (that is, the nouns, prepositions, adjectives, etc. that are often combined with it).
Idioms are groups of words that happen frequently in a language, and whose meanings are not deductible from the individual words. This means, that even if you know the meaning of all the words when they are put together, the meaning can be absolutely different. For example, to be over the moon doesn’t mean that you are thousands of kilometers above the Earth, but to be extremely happy. In this dictionary, you will find the meaning of this kind of phrases.
4. Forvo
Find out how any English word is pronounced. The coolest part about this dictionary is that you can find how males and females across the world pronounce different words, thus being able to understand English speakers across the globe.
The Best Resources To Improve Your Business Listening & Speaking
Here are the best online courses, videos, audio files, and vocabulary resources to boost your speaking and listening. Check them out and feel more confident with your international team.
5. Talaera
The fastest and most effective way to improve your listening and speaking skills from home is to learn English with professional teachers and tailored training to your specific needs. Have a look at the website, book a trial, and start your personalized course online.
6. Ted Talks
Improve your listening skills with these inspirational and interesting talks. They also come with transcripts, that you can use to read as you listen, and practice the Shadowing Technique.
7. Ted Ed
Education platform where you can find lessons and videos about ‘ideas worth spreading’. The video is usually an animation with questions and conversation topics to reflect on.
8. ESL LAB
Short dialogues with transcripts and comprehension quizzes organized by level to improve your listening skills and expand your vocabulary.
9. Blinkist
With this App, you can listen to short versions of 2000+ bestselling nonfiction books, at the same time as you read. For this reason, you can recognize how words are pronounced and how to speak with the right intonation.
Animated series by BBC that focuses on English communication in the office.
Improve your pronunciation with these video series that show you how English is really spoken. The videos are usually short and dynamic, and easy to understand.
This is another video series to practice common day-to-day situations and activities.
British Council provides videos, audio files and texts related to business and work, that you can download or use online.
Create a free account to access this audio English course. You can use this resource in combination with others in this list to improve your general English.
15. Fleex
Learn English watching movies and TV shows.
16. Audible
Amazon audiobooks are an easy way to ‘read’ books. You can either just listen to the audiobooks, or listen to them as you read them.
17. Video Vocab
Short videos that teach vocabulary in specific business areas like human resources, accounting, marketing, project management, and technology.
App with lessons for conducting meetings, giving presentations, negotiating, and communicating by telephone. (Free with in-app purchases)
The Best Websites To Go Social
19. Meetup
Social website and app to meet people in your area. Join a meetup or organize your own. From language tandems, to hiking days or drinks with other entrepreneurs – find your hobby and use it to meet people and practice your English.
20. Couchsurfing
Meet travelers from all around the world visiting your city. The website started as a source to find places to sleep for free, where people offered their couch or spare room. However, you don’t need to offer your house to meet people. Show travelers around or meet for a coffee and learn about their culture and ideas.
21. TandemPartners
Find people who want to learn your language, and are willing to practice English with you in exchange. For this, you need a combination that is interesting for you -if you are Korean, find someone whose first language is English, and wants to learn Korean. Or if you are Spanish, find someone who would like to learn Spanish. This quid pro quo system where everybody helps and receives can help you boost your confidence in English.
Some Easy-To-Read, Effective Articles
If you feel your communication in English is still unsuccessful, you keep facing cultural barriers, accent and pronunciation are sometimes a problem, or you lack confidence in English, this is your article, because these 5 powerful tips will make your life much easier.
Read about these 11 useful idioms and expressions that you’ll hear (and also use) at work when there is an international team.
Learn the difference between exact and exactly -it includes examples, rules, and exercises for you to practice.
Small talk is such a common aspect of English, both at work and in any social situation, and it can sometimes be somewhat intimidating. Read this article to learn how to feel more comfortable in these situations.
Talaera is an online platform that provides one-on-one English language training, anytime, anywhere, with 100% personalized lessons, HD video quality, and qualified teachers that will help you achieve your learning goals.
Contact us on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn for more information or book a free demo now.
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