The BBC’s language learning service is an excellent multi-modal website with both general and specialised language foci. The 6 minute English section is a stand-out section for me.
The clue is in the title. The recordings are based on current events in the UK and around the world. The themes are varied and rich, with several years of archived footage. The recording is normally a dialogue between the presenters, and contains authentic sound-bites from real news interviews. Prior to listening there is a multiple-choice general knowledge question about the topic, which is then answered at the end. This provides an engaging lead-in and gets the students thinking. Listening comprehension is supported by a list of 8-ish items of lexis or chunks. The items all have hidden and retrievable definitions underneath. These can be used as a lead-in or as a consolidation exercise. The audio script also has brief descriptions and definitions within it, which adds variety to the input. This is further supported with a language focus roundup at the end. All recordings have a full PDF transcript that can be downloaded or printed. This allows for differentiation and alternative methods of input and consolidation exercises. It is free to use and can be accessed (internet access and licenses permitting) by students outside of class, and could be part of their extramural activities or homework.
I cannot recommend this web page enough and the BBC for that matter. This resource definitely ticks a lot of the principles that I set out at the start of the blog. It has ‘real’ world functional language and can be perceived as relevant and useful. It has wide and varying amount of content that would appeal and engage. There are examples of authentic language use as well as the more manufactured dialogue which gives a good balance.
