Course Content All Lessons
A1
Beginner
39 lessons
Common Greetings Present Simple Tense Listening Skills: Tips and Strategies Telephone and Video Call English Articles: A, An and The Numbers, Dates and Time Asking Simple Questions The Verb To Be Classroom and School Vocabulary Personal Pronouns: I, You, He, She Plurals: Regular and Irregular Nouns Possessives: My, Your, His, Her Family Members and Relationships Food and Drink Basics Days, Months and Seasons Reading: A Short Email to a Friend Colours, Shapes and Sizes Reading: Short Personal Profiles Reading: Signs and Notices Reading: Product Labels Using Capital Letters and Full Stops Reading: A Simple Menu Reading: A Basic Timetable Writing Your First Email in English Writing About Yourself Writing a Simple Message Writing a Shopping List Writing Numbers and Dates Correctly Listening: Numbers and Prices Listening: Greetings and Introductions Listening: Simple Instructions Listening: Spelling Names and Words Greeting People and Saying Goodbye Listening: Days and Times Listening: Short Conversations at a Shop Asking for Directions Introducing Yourself in English Ordering Food and Drinks Talking About Your Daily Routine
A2
Elementary
37 lessons
Past Simple Tense Reading: A Day in London Writing Paragraphs Food and Drink Vocabulary The Present Continuous Tense Describing People: Appearance and Personality At the Airport Reading: A Famous City Writing Simple Sentences Comparatives and Superlatives Simple Past Tense: Regular Verbs Simple Past Tense: Irregular Verbs Can and Can't: Ability and Permission How Much and How Many Work and Jobs Vocabulary Transport and Travel Vocabulary Sports and Hobbies Health and Body Parts Shopping and Money Vocabulary Reading: A Short News Story Reading: A Holiday Postcard Reading: A Job Advertisement Reading: A Simple Recipe Reading: A Hotel Review Writing About Your Weekend Writing a Postcard Writing a Short Biography Using Connectors: And, But, Because Writing a To-Do List and Notes Listening: At the Airport Listening: A Phone Conversation Listening: Weather Forecasts Listening: Announcements Listening: Describing a Picture At the Airport: Conversations Describing Where You Live Listening: A Short Interview
B1
Intermediate
33 lessons
Reading: The Future of Work Understanding Accents and Dialects Countable and Uncountable Nouns The Present Perfect Tense Phrasal Verbs: Top 30 Health and Medicine Vocabulary Listening Strategies for Podcasts Job Interview English Writing a Formal Letter First and Second Conditional Modal Verbs: Should, Must, Might Environment and Nature Vocabulary Passive Voice in Present and Past Gerunds and Infinitives Reading: Understanding Charts and Graphs Business and Work Vocabulary Technology and the Internet Feelings and Emotions Vocabulary Reading: A Newspaper Article Reading: A Book Review Reading: An Informal Blog Post Reading: A Travel Guide Extract Reading: A Science Article Writing a Complaint Email Listening: A Job Interview Writing a Book or Film Review Writing an Informal Email to a Friend Paragraph Writing: Structure and Cohesion Describing Graphs and Charts in Writing Listening: A Radio Programme Expressing Opinions and Agreeing Giving a Short Presentation Listening: A Lecture Extract
B2
Upper Intermediate
32 lessons
Business Email Writing Reading: The Art of Listening Passive Voice Discourse Markers and Linking Words Academic Writing: Paragraphs and Essays Debate and Discussion Language Reading: Understanding Opinion Pieces Relative Clauses: Defining and Non-defining Third Conditional and Mixed Conditionals Academic Vocabulary: Word Families Inversion for Emphasis Cleft Sentences for Emphasis Reading: Academic Journal Extracts Environment and Climate Change Vocabulary Idioms and Fixed Expressions Politics and Society Vocabulary Collocations: Common Verb-Noun Pairs Prefixes and Suffixes for Word Building Reading: A Research Summary Reading: A Financial News Article Reading: Identifying Bias in Media Reading: Literary Prose Extracts Summarising and Paraphrasing Writing an Argumentative Essay Writing a Report Writing a Cover Letter Listening: News Broadcasts Expressing Complex Opinions Writing a Formal Proposal Listening: Debates and Panel Discussions Listening: Interviews with Experts Listening: TED-style Talks
C1
Advanced
22 lessons
Nominalisation in Academic English Advanced English Idioms Hedging Language in Formal Writing Advanced Collocations and Word Partnerships Reported Speech Critical Listening: Analysing Arguments Persuasive Speaking and Rhetoric Reading: Literary and Cultural Texts Advanced Passive Structures Subjunctive Mood in Formal English Advanced Conditionals and Wishes Concession and Contrast Structures Formal and Informal Register False Friends and Confusing Words Idioms in Professional Contexts Reading: Philosophical Arguments Nuance: Near Synonyms and Subtle Differences Reading: Scientific Research Papers Reading: Historical Texts Reading: Legal and Official Documents Reading: Satire and Irony Writing a Dissertation Abstract
Lessons Listening
🎧

Listening: A Lecture Extract

Listening Intermediate ~2 min

Follow academic lectures and understand main ideas, key details, and speaker's purpose in formal presentations.

📖 Lesson

What You Will Learn

Listening to lectures isn't like casual conversation. Speakers organize ideas differently, use specific language patterns, and move quickly. This lesson teaches you to catch the main points without understanding every single word.

Explanation (with real-life context)

Imagine you're taking a university course, watching an online TED talk, or attending a work training session. The speaker introduces a topic, develops it with examples, and reaches a conclusion. Your job? Identify the thesis (main argument), supporting points, and conclusion.

Lecture speakers use signal words that act like roadmaps:
- "To begin with..." = First main point coming
- "However..." = Contrasting information
- "In conclusion..." = Final summary
- "Let me elaborate..." = More detail on this idea

They also speak at natural speed with pauses for note-taking — not slowly and clearly like a language lesson. You'll hear filler words ("um," "you know"), accent variations, and technical vocabulary specific to the subject.

Examples (natural sentences from daily life)

Professor speaking: "Okay, so today we're looking at climate change. Now, there are three major factors here. First, carbon emissions. Second, deforestation. And third, industrial agriculture. But here's the thing — most people focus only on emissions."

What you should catch: Main topic = climate change; Three factors = emissions, deforestation, agriculture; Key point = people ignore agriculture and deforestation.

Common Mistakes

❌ Trying to understand every word. You don't need 100% comprehension. Native speakers in lectures don't catch everything either.

❌ Panicking when you miss something. One missed sentence doesn't mean the whole lecture is lost. Keep listening for the next main point.

❌ Not using signal words. These are your GPS. When you hear "Next point," wake up — something important is coming.

Quick Tips

✓ Predict before listening. Read the title or topic first. What do you already know?

✓ Focus on signal words, not individual words.

✓ Take brief notes using symbols and abbreviations, not full sentences.

✓ Listen multiple times. First pass = main ideas. Second pass = details and examples.

Follow Along reads paragraph by paragraph with highlighting. Hover underlined words for quick definitions.

🃏 Key Vocabulary — tap to flip

13 words
signposting language
/ˈsaɪnpəʊstɪŋ ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/
Intermediate
Tap to see definition →
Definition
Words and phrases speakers use to guide listeners through their ideas, like 'first,' 'however,' and 'in conclusion.'
"The professor used clear signposting language, saying 'First, second, and finally,' which made the lecture easy to follow."
Tap to flip back
thesis
/ˈθiːsɪs/
Intermediate
Tap to see definition →
Definition
The main idea or central argument that a speaker is trying to prove or explain.
"The lecturer stated her thesis in the first minute: 'Social media changes how we think about friendship.'"
Tap to flip back
emphasis
/ˈemfəsɪs/
Intermediate
Tap to see definition →
Definition
Special importance or attention given to something through tone, volume, or repetition.
"She placed strong emphasis on the word 'never,' repeating it twice to show how important it was."
Tap to flip back
anchor
/ˈæŋkə/
Intermediate
Tap to see definition →
Definition
A strong central point that holds your understanding together and helps organize new information.
"His opening statement became the anchor for the entire 45-minute presentation about climate change."
Tap to flip back
key point
/kiː pɔɪnt/
Intermediate
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Definition
The most important idea or message that a speaker wants you to remember.
"The professor emphasized that climate change is the key point of today's lecture."
Tap to flip back
to illustrate
/ˈɪl.ə.streɪt/
Intermediate
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Definition
To explain or show something using examples or visual aids to make it clearer.
"To illustrate this concept, the lecturer showed us a real case study from last year."
Tap to flip back
to summarize
/ˈsʌm.ə.raɪz/
Intermediate
Tap to see definition →
Definition
To give a brief statement of the main ideas without repeating all the details.
"At the end of the lecture, the professor summarized the three main arguments."
Tap to flip back
supporting example
/səˈpɔːr.tɪŋ ɪɡˈzæm.pəl/
Intermediate
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Definition
A specific case or story used to prove or explain a main idea in more detail.
"The lecturer gave a supporting example of a successful startup to explain the business model."
Tap to flip back
to transition
/trænˈzɪʃ.ən/
Intermediate
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Definition
To move smoothly from one topic or idea to another in a conversation or text.
"The speaker transitioned from discussing history to talking about current events."
Tap to flip back
rhetoric question
/rɪˈtɒr.ɪ.kəl ˈkwɛs.tʃən/
Intermediate
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Definition
A question asked to make a point, not to get an actual answer from the listener.
"When the teacher asked 'Do you think education matters?', it was a rhetorical question meant to make us think."
Tap to flip back
extract (information)
/ɪkˈstrækt/
Intermediate
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Definition
To pull out or identify specific information from a larger source
"I need to extract the main points from this 50-minute lecture for my notes."
Tap to flip back
crucial
/ˈkruː.ʃəl/
Intermediate
Tap to see definition →
Definition
Extremely important or essential
"The professor said this exam result is crucial for your final grade, so pay attention."
Tap to flip back
retention
/rɪˈten.ʃən/
Intermediate
Tap to see definition →
Definition
The ability to remember and keep information in your memory
"Writing notes by hand improves retention better than typing on a laptop."
Tap to flip back

✏️ Fill in the Blank

Type the missing word to complete each sentence.

The professor used clear ___, saying 'First, second, and finally,' which made the lecture easy to follow.
The lecturer stated her ___ in the first minute: 'Social media changes how we think about friendship.'
She placed strong ___ on the word 'never,' repeating it twice to show how important it was.
His opening statement became the ___ for the entire 45-minute presentation about climate change.
The professor emphasized that climate change is the ___ of today's lecture.

✅ Check Your Understanding

Quick Check
3 questions · no login needed

1. What is the primary purpose of signal words in a lecture, according to the lesson?

2. Based on the lesson, what should you do if you miss a sentence or idea while listening to a lecture?

3. Which signal phrase indicates that a final summary is about to be presented?

🧠 Practice Quizzes

Test Your Knowledge: Listening: A Lecture Extract
5 questions · 10 min
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