New Year's Resolutions

New Year's Day is just around the corner, and here are some ideas on how to make goals or resolutions work for you during the new year:

http://esl-lab.com/seasons/newyear-video.htm

Soccer in the Snow

Have you ever tried playing soccer in the snow? Well, in this video, I tell you why I have done this before with my son.

http://esl-lab.com/worldcupsoccer/soccer-video.htm

School Schedules

My newest listening activity on on school schedules. Give it a try:

http://esl-lab.com/eslbasic/schoolschedule-1.htm

Halloween

Halloween is quickly approaching, and I want to share my video activity on the topic because the holiday is celebrated in so many different ways. Enjoy!

http://www.esl-lab.com/tradition/halloween-video.htm

Interview with Randall Davis

I was recently interviewed on the history and development of my Web sites over the past 17 years, and I speak openly on what keeps me motivated in my professional and personal life. I speak about family, struggles, and reasons for keeping my work alive. I hope you enjoy reading it:

http://esl-lab.com/randalldavis-interview.htm

Household Chores

Perhaps one of the least enjoyable things for anyone is doing chores around the house. This is particularly true for kids who want to spend time outside or play video games. In this conversation, I tell my son, Josh, what chores he has, and you can find out how he reacts. Enjoy:

http://esl-lab.com/chores/chorerd1.htm

Conversation Starters

Many times, beginning learners need a lot of practice on how to start and sustain a good conversation. For this reason, I created this listening activity. Give it a try:

http://esl-lab.com/eslbasic/conversation-starters-1.htm

Parking Ticket

In many cities of the world, traffic can be terrible, and finding a parking space can be almost impossible. In this conversation, a man tries to park illegally and get around the law. Give it a try:

http://esl-lab.com/towingservice/towingservicerd1.htm

Cyberbullying

I've just finished my newest listening activity, and it deals with one of the most challenging topics that faces people today, specifically children: bullying or being mean to other people. Such behavior can hurt feeling, cause depression, and even lead to suicide. Give it a try and feel free to share your experiences or thoughts on this topic.

http://www.esl-lab.com/cyberbullying/cyberbullyingrd1.htm

Learning to Drive

Our youngest son is learning how to drive. While that might seem a little nerve-racking, you have to learn sometime. Accidents are bound to happen, but that's just life. Here is my video on the topic:

http://esl-lab.com/driverslicense/driverslicense-video.htm

Suicide Prevention

In 2012, our son, Joshua, died by suicide (see joshuascottdavis.org), and we know that so many people around the world have known family or friends who have ended their lives. To provide help and open discussion, I created listening activity (Suicide Prevention). Feel to share your thoughts and comments on these questions:

• What are some of the reasons why people consider taking their own lives? 
• What are some warning signs of suicide?
• What are three things friends and family can do to help someone who might are thinking about suicide?

Grocery Shopping

While grocery shopping might seem like an easy task, doing it right can be a challenge, particularly when you have your eyes on the wrong thing. Listen how this man can't seem to make the best decisions and how his wife tries to help him see this:

http://esl-lab.com/supermarket/supermarketrd1.htm

New Listening Topics

So, what activities am I working on now? Well, this summer, I am creating listening conversations on some more serious topics including suicide, cyber bullying, and dating violence. I hope this will not only give students additional language practice, but equally important, get us thinking about issues that face all of us. With positive discussion, we can, as a world community, seek solutions to these problems so all can live better, healthier, and safer lives.

Listening activities at esl-lab.com

I've updated my lists of listening activities on my site, so you can find specific types including conversations with children's voices, serious and complicated topics, and those that simply just make me laugh. Take a look:

http://esl-lab.com/lists.htm

Movie Stars

If you like movie stars, you might like my newest listening activity on introductions. My wife does an excellent job in the part. Enjoy:

http://esl-lab.com/actingschool/actingschoolrd1.htm

ESL Vocabulary Lessons

Students and teachers are often looking for short activities to practice pronunciation and build useful vocabulary. For this reason, I created my 20-minute Vocabulary Lessons. Actually, you can do them much quicker depending upon your needs and interest. Give them a try:

http://esl-lab.com/vocab/index.htm

Baseball

Perhaps one of the most popular sports is baseball, but what can be difficult is understanding a radio announcer as he or she describes the action. For this reason, I created this listening activity with plenty of background noise. Give it a try and test your listening skills:

http://esl-lab.com/base/baserd1.htm

Texting and Driving

A surprise to some, celebrating birthdays isn't a tradition for many families and cultures around the world. However, it is something special for many others, including in our family. Usually, we take our kids out to their favorite restaurant, then celebrate with cake, ice cream, and some gifts. In this conversation, my son and I talk about his birthday. Give it a try:

http://esl-lab.com/birthday/birthdayrd1.htm

English Pronunciation

From time to time, English students ask me how they can learn how to improve their pronunciation and understanding of natural speech. For this reason, I created a number activities on this Web site. Give it a try:

http://www.trainyouraccent.com/

Meeting People

Meeting new people can be difficult if you don't know what to say to start and keep a conversation going. Today, please share how you say, "How are you today?" in your language. I want to see how many phrases from different languages we can post here. Thanks. Then, try this listening activity on meeting people on my site:

http://esl-lab.com/invite/inviterd1.htm

Radio Stations

Radio announcements can be hard to pick up, and in this recording, I play the role of a disc jockey at a radio station. Give it a try:

http://esl-lab.com/music/musicrd1.htm

Trail Running

My newest listening activity is fun, painful, and challenging at the same time. Give it a try. Share an experience that helped you learn about yourself and the difficulties of life:

http://esl-lab.com/trailrunning/trailrunningrd1.htm

Meeting New People

Do you have problems meeting new people, especially when you are using a new language (English) and in a new place? Well, try watch my video on this topic. Feel free to share your experiences? What are some appropriate questions/topics to ask and questions you should avoid? Give it a try:

http://esl-lab.com/invite/smalltalk-video.htm

Audio Vocabulary Activities

Some visitors to my sites are not aware of my audio vocabulary lists with practice questions. Give them a try:

http://esl-lab.com/vocab/index.htm

Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab - First Recordings

Some people ask how long my website has been online, and they are surprised by the answer: 16 years! I still Iove the work, and here is one my earliest recordings with my daughter back in the 1990s. Enjoy!

http://www.esl-lab.com/enviro1/enviro1.htm

Visiting a Zoo

Some of my English students say little children speak a different language, and they don't sound anything like the people in their textbooks. I agree. For that reason, I've added recordings of my children over the year to expose students to this NATURAL speech. In this conversation, my son (at the time, 4 years old) and I were talking about our visit to the zoo. Give it a try:

http://esl-lab.com/zoo/zoord1.htm

Snow Skiing

Snow skiing can be a fun activity unless you run into a guy like the one in my newest listening conversation. I feel sorry for the woman, but the man is in worse trouble. Give it a try:

http://esl-lab.com/snowskiing/snowskiingrd1.htm

Wedding Plans

Here is my newest listening activity on wedding plans. This man certainly has some unique ideas on how to plan a wedding and a honeymoon. Give it a try and leave your thoughts or impressions on this topic:

http://esl-lab.com/weddingplans/weddingplansrd1.htm

Private Language Tutors

In many situations, students often look for extra help in the language studies, for example, from a private tutor, but you have to be careful who you choose. In this conversation, a private tutor finds himself in a very difficult situation with a woman for an unusual reason. Give the conversation a try:

http://esl-lab.com/privatetutor/privatetutor-rd1.htm

New Year's Resolutions

So, how are your new year's resolutions or goals coming? Many people want to exercise more, but without good planning, people can't keep things going. Here are my tips in this video:

http://esl-lab.com/health/health-video.htm

New Year's Resolutions

At the beginning of the new year, people often set goals or new year's resolutions. In this video, I talk about the simple secrets of being successful. Watch and share your ideas on this topic:

http://esl-lab.com/seasons/newyear-video.htm