At B1 level, understanding spoken English is hard. You know words and grammar, but when people speak naturally, everything sounds too fast. This ‘listening gap’ stops many B1 learners from having real conversations in English.
MicroEnglish’s intermediate listening exercises help you bridge the listening gap by training you to hear natural English word by word—with multiple accents, real speech patterns, and practical everyday vocabulary. Each exercise contains 3-6 dictations focused on one vocabulary topic.
Try one now to see how it works:
Answer Feedback Guide
Answer Feedback Guide
All B1 Listening Exercises
Why B1 Listening Is Difficult
Natural Speech Is Fast
In textbooks, people speak slowly and clearly. In real life, native speakers talk quickly. Words join together and sounds change. “Did you” becomes “didja.” “Going to” becomes “gonna.” You need practice with real, natural speech to understand these patterns.
You Know the Words But Can’t Hear Them
You can read “look forward to” and understand it. But when someone says it quickly in a sentence, you might not recognise it. This is normal at B1 level. Your reading is better than your listening. You need to train your ears to catch words you already know.
Different Accents Sound Different
British English sounds different from American English. Irish and Scottish accents are different again. At B1 level, you need to hear different ways people speak English. This helps you feel confident in any situation.
Listening Takes Concentration
Reading gives you time to think. Listening happens in real time—you can’t stop and check a dictionary. This makes listening more tiring than reading. Regular practice builds your concentration and makes listening easier.
How Dictation Practice Helps You
You Hear Every Word
Dictation makes you listen carefully to every word. You can’t guess or skip words. This focused practice trains your brain to hear English more clearly. Over time, you’ll catch words you used to miss.
Instant Feedback Shows Your Mistakes
MicroEnglish uses colours to show you exactly what you got right and wrong. You’ll see which words you missed or misheard. This helps you understand your weak points and improve faster.
Real Pronunciation and Natural Speed
Our exercises use real native speakers at natural speed. You’ll hear how English really sounds, not slow textbook English. This prepares you for real conversations, films, and podcasts.
Multiple Accents Build Confidence
Each exercise features different native speakers with different accents. Regular practice with British, American, Irish, and other accents helps you understand English wherever you go.
Practice at Your Own Speed
You can replay the audio as many times as you need. There’s no pressure. Take your time, focus on understanding, and build your skills step by step.
B1 Listening Skills You’ll Learn
Common Phrasal Verbs
Learn everyday phrasal verbs like “get together,” “turn up,” “run out of,” “look forward to,” and “pick up.” These are the basic expressions native speakers use every day.
Everyday Expressions
Build familiarity with common phrases like “take it easy,” “from scratch,” “make up,” and “catch up.” You’ll learn to recognise them when people speak naturally.
Connected Speech
Train your ear to hear how words change in fast speech. Sounds join together, disappear, or become quieter. Understanding these patterns is key to following real conversations.
Different Ways of Speaking
Practise with various British, American, and other English accents. This flexibility helps you understand different people and feel more confident.
Building Concentration
Improve your ability to focus on spoken English. With regular practice, listening becomes less tiring and more natural.
How to Practice B1 Listening
Start Easy
Begin with exercises that feel comfortable. You should understand most words on the first listen. Don’t start with the hardest exercises—build your confidence first.
Listen Many Times
It’s OK to replay the audio several times. This isn’t cheating—it’s good practice. Each time you listen, you’ll hear more clearly.
Study Your Mistakes
When you make a mistake, think about why. Did you miss a weak sound? Did words join together? Understanding your mistakes helps you improve.
Practice Every Day
Short daily practice is better than long practice once a week. Try 15-20 minutes every day. Regular practice makes listening easier and more natural.
Don’t Give Up
Listening is hard at B1 level. Some days will feel difficult. That’s normal. Keep practising and you will improve. Every exercise makes you a little bit better.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many exercises should I do each day?
Two or three exercises done carefully is better than many exercises done quickly. Focus on quality, not quantity. Listen carefully and think about your mistakes. Since most exercises contains 3-6 dictations, two exercises usually gives you 6-12 dictations of practice.
Why is dictation better than other listening practice?
Dictation makes you listen to every single word. You can’t guess or skip parts. This focused attention develops stronger listening skills than other methods.
I find listening very difficult. Is this normal?
Yes, very normal at B1 level. Most learners find listening harder than reading or grammar. That’s why you need specific listening practice. With regular practice, it gets easier.
How long until I improve?
Most learners notice improvement after 2-3 weeks of regular practice. You’ll start to catch words you missed before and feel more confident with spoken English.
Can I use this to prepare for exams?
Yes. B1 exams like PET (Cambridge Preliminary) test your ability to understand natural spoken English. These exercises give you the practice you need.
What if an exercise is too hard?
Try a different one. Not all B1 exercises suit all B1 learners. Choose exercises with topics or vocabulary you know. As you improve, you can try harder content.
Do I need special equipment?
No. MicroEnglish works on any computer, tablet, or phone. You just need internet and headphones or speakers.
Why Listening Practice Works
Learning through listening is natural. This is how you learned your first language—by hearing it again and again. When you hear English vocabulary in real sentences, at natural speed, you learn both the meaning and how it sounds. You’re not learning words separately and then learning to hear them—you’re doing both together.
Regular listening practice trains your brain to process English automatically. At first, you need to concentrate hard. With practice, understanding becomes faster and easier. This is how you build real fluency.
Ready to improve your B1 listening? Start practising now!