Take your academic English to the next level
A carefully selected sequence of 10 listening activities for intermediate to advanced learners. Work through them in order to build the vocabulary and critical thinking skills needed to succeed in college and academic environments.
How to use this path: Click “Open Lesson” to start each activity — it will open in a new tab. When you finish, close that tab and come back here to continue with the next lesson.
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1📖 Grammar: Intermediate
Present Perfect Tense (have / has + past participle)
The present perfect connects past experiences to the present moment, and it comes up throughout academic conversations in English. This lesson covers the structure so you can follow and use it naturally in the listening activities ahead.
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2🎧 Intermediate
College Students
Listen to a man and woman meeting for the first time and talking about their college majors, plans to study overseas, and future career paths — natural conversation at an intermediate level.
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3🎧 Intermediate
College Majors
Listen to two students discuss choosing a college major — weighing personal interests against job prospects, paying for school, and planning for the future. Rich in idioms and real decision-making language.
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4📖 Grammar: Intermediate
Modals of Advice (should, ought to, had better, must)
Modals of advice are essential for academic conversations. This lesson covers should, ought to, had better, and must so you can follow and give recommendations about college preparation, study habits, and academic decisions.
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5▶️ Culture Video
College Preparation
A culture video about preparing for college in the US — helpful context for understanding the American higher education system.
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6🎧 Intermediate
English Language Center
Listen to a telephone conversation about enrolling in an overseas English language center — courses offered, application deadlines, tuition costs, and what to send in your application.
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7▶️ Interview
The Ideal Teacher
Emily shares the three qualities she believes make an ideal teacher — listening, reliability, and fairness — in this natural video interview with Randall.
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8▶️ Interview
Secrets of College Success
Aubrey shares practical tips for succeeding in college — showing up to class, turning in assignments, and avoiding early morning scheduling mistakes — in this candid interview with Randall.
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9📖 Grammar: Intermediate
Future Real Conditional (If + present, will + base verb)
The future real conditional describes real, possible situations and their likely results. This lesson teaches you the structure so you can follow the consequence-and-warning language that runs through the next listening activity.
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10🎧 Difficult
A University Degree
A challenging conversation between a father and daughter about the costs, pressures, and choices involved in getting a university degree — tuition, majors, and living away from home.
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