Listening and learning activities for English learners and teachers

level 1 podcasts for beginners and elementary learners of English

Level 1


There are more vocabulary activities related to these podcasts on the 'extras' page.

97 The tipping point. Unfortunately, it's not just snow and ice on the slopes of Mount Everest (13 Jun 13)

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Transcript (pdf 49KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 74KB)
Vocabulary tasks (pdf 115KB)

96 British icons: the cuppa. Sit down, put your feet up and have a nice cup of tea! (2 May 13)

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Transcript (pdf 53KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 66KB)
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Is this the best way to make a perfect cup of tea?
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95 A room with a difference. Now Richard finds three more unusual places to stay the night (4 Apr 13)

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Transcript (pdf 53KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 233KB)
Vocabulary tasks (pdf 70KB)
If our six unusual places don't interest you, what about here:
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94 What a place to stay! Jackie has found some very unusual places to stay the night (7 Mar 13)

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Transcript (pdf 57KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 135KB)
Vocabulary tasks (pdf 64KB)

93 Animal odd couples. Some animals simply don't understand that they are not meant to be friends! (31 Jan 13)

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Transcript (pdf 50KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 109KB)
Vocabulary tasks (pdf 86KB)
Two animals make an odd couple, so what about these three!
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92 Winter blues. Neither Jackie nor Richard are looking forward to the long winter season ahead (13 Dec 12)

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Transcript (pdf 53KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 131KB)
Vocabulary tasks (pdf 111KB)
Sissel, from Norway, sings In the Bleak Midwinter:
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91 What a wonderful world. David Attenborough sees amazing things on planet Earth. (8 Nov 11)

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Transcript (pdf 41KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 176KB)
Vocabulary tasks (pdf 123KB)
This podcast goes with this BBC video:


90 Fearless Felix. The amazing story of the man who fell to Earth (18 Oct 12)

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Transcript (pdf 74KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 180KB)
Vocabulary tasks (pdf 143KB)
Surely one of the most incredible things to do:
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Bonus for members! How his suit helped him to survive:
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Transcript (pdf 45KB)

89 Let's go to Rio! Jackie and Richard are already looking forward to future sporting events in Brazil (13 Sep 12)

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Transcript (pdf 52KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 89KB)
Vocabulary tasks (pdf 71KB)
The Girl from Ipanema performed by Astrud Gilberto and Stan Getz, 1964:
Song lyrics (pdf 47KB)
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88 Beside the seaside. There are some big changes to the traditional British summer holiday beside the sea (2 Aug 12)

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Transcript (pdf 57KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 291KB)
Vocabulary tasks (pdf 106KB)
Bournemouth Pier Beach is popular in the summer:
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87 FIngers and thumbs. Helen has a problem when she tries to make things... (5 Jul 12)

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Vocabulary tasks (pdf 115KB)

86 Ice cream mmm. Jackie makes some ice cream, the taste of summer (6 Jun 11)

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Worksheet & Answers (pdf 63KB)
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This podcast goes with this pie video:


85 Follow the flame. The Olympic torch relay starts its long journey this month (3 May 12)

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Transcript (pdf 53KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 119KB)
Vocabulary tasks (pdf 86KB)
See some of the sites the Olympic torch passes in the UK:
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84 Please, sir. A day in the life of a... teacher. Mat talks about his life at school (12 Apr 12)

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Transcript (pdf 57KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 102KB)
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Ross shows his students what a dinosuar sounds like:
Watch & listen (54sec)

83 Lost and found. The amazing underground world of London's Lost Property Office (1 Mar 12)

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Transcript (pdf 53KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 188KB)
Vocabulary tasks (pdf 111KB)
A short horror film about stealing a lost item from London Underground:
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82 I am sailing. Is Laura's round-the-world solo trip at 16 fantastic, or not? (26 Jan 12)

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Transcript (pdf 64KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 91KB)
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Watch Laura end her journey with Euronews:
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81 In a lather. The pie team have found themselves a new hobby - soap making (15 Dec 11)

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Transcript (pdf 57KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 98KB)
Vocabulary tasks (pdf 86KB)
This podcast goes with this pie video:


80 Why Occupy? Amanda from Occupy Wall Street gives her reasons for being part of the protest (17 Nov 11)

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This video is from guardian.co.uk:


79 Mine's a Mars bar. The pie team look back on their favourite chocolate bars (27 Oct 11)

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Worksheet & Answers (pdf 131KB)
Vocabulary tasks (pdf 78KB)
A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play (1980's advert):
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78 Double act. Meet Ana Luisa, a language teacher with two hats! (22 Sep 11)

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Worksheet & Answers (pdf 74KB)
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77 Return to the blue house. What a lot of changes since the pie team bought their house! (28 Jul 11)

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Transcript (pdf 57KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 82KB)
Vocabulary tasks (pdf 131KB)
This podcast goes with this pie video:


Compare the house now to when we bought it in 2009!

76 Penela: our local town. The pie team talk about what to see in their town up the road (21 Jul 11)

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Transcript (pdf 57KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 134KB)
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Fancy a visit to Penela castle? This is from TVCoimbra:


75 My ideal study place. How do you like to study? In a library, at a desk, at home with friends? (26 May 11)

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Transcript (pdf 57KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 78KB)
Vocabulary tasks (pdf 119KB)
Lesson plan (pdf 61KB) extra for teachers!
Students from the Indiana University of Pennyslvania talk about their favourite study places.
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74 Spring is in the air. The pie team talk about the prettiest season of the year (28 Apr 11)

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Transcript (pdf 53KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 82KB)
Vocabulary tasks (pdf 147KB)
This is from the BBC Springwatch site. Which bird sings 'teacher teacher'?!

73 The royal family. Surely one of the most popular British icons! (21 Apr 11)

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Transcript (pdf 61KB)
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The wedding of Charles and Diana, 1981.
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72 Amazing Amazon. Some incredible facts from the world's biggest rainforest (17 Feb 11)

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Transcript (pdf 53KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 70KB)
Vocabulary tasks (pdf 70KB)
Webquest (pdf 70KB)

71 Household chores. What a bore! But some are more fun than others... (20 Jan 11)

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Transcript (pdf 57KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 135KB)
Vocabulary tasks (pdf 111KB)
This podcast goes with this pie video:


70 On the first day of Christmas. What presents did Richard buy for his family this year? (2 Dec 10)

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Transcript (pdf 57KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 156KB)
Vocabulary tasks (pdf 152KB)

69 The 5 senses. You taste with your tongue? You hear with your ears? Think again! (4 Nov 10)

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Worksheet & Answers (pdf 225KB)
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How to grow bigger in three easy steps!
Watch (1m 13sec)

68 Chicken run. The pie team have bought some chickens! (30 Sep 10)

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Transcript (pdf 53KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 66KB)
Vocabulary tasks (pdf 156KB)
This podcast goes with this pie video:


67 Quiz show!! Want to win loads of money and become famous? Love competitions? Go on a TV show! (2 Sep 10)

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Transcript (pdf 57KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 174KB)
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Here's an episode of Countdown, try the games yourself!
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66 Country life. The pie team compare living in the country to the city (12 Aug 10)

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Transcript (pdf 57KB)
Worksheet & Answers (pdf 61KB)
Vocabulary tasks (pdf 78KB)
Country Girl song for the country life podcast:
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Song worksheet (pdf 61KB)


There are more level 1 podcasts: Podcasts 1-65