Listening practice with audio made for your level and topics
Podcasts are too fast and textbook recordings are boring. This prompt has your todo.is agent write a dialogue or a short talk on a topic you care about, turn it into an MP3 at the speed you need, and send questions first and the transcript last, so you really listen before you read. It works for English and many other languages.
The prompt
- Make me a listening practice in [LANGUAGE] at [LEVEL]. Topic: [TOPIC]. Write a [TYPE AND LENGTH] with natural spoken language (fillers, contractions, interruptions), using [NUMBER OF VOICES] different voices. Create an MP3 at [SPEED] speed. Send me the audio first with 6 questions: 2 for gist, 3 for details (numbers, names, times), and 1 about the speakers’ attitude. Wait for my answers. Then mark them, send the full transcript with the answers highlighted, and list 8 useful words or phrases from the audio with meanings. If I get fewer than 4 right, make a slower version of the same audio.
What to change
- [LANGUAGE]: E.g. "English", "Spanish", "Japanese".
- [LEVEL]: E.g. "B1", "IELTS band 6", "beginner".
- [TOPIC]: Something you would really hear, e.g. "booking a hotel by phone", "a work meeting about a delay", "a podcast-style chat about running".
- [TYPE AND LENGTH]: E.g. "3-minute dialogue", "2-minute voicemail", "4-minute radio-style interview".
- [NUMBER OF VOICES]: E.g. "2" or "3". Different voices make it easier to follow who is speaking.
- [SPEED]: "slow", "normal" or "slightly fast". Start slower and move up.
Example result
- Listening: changing a hotel booking
- English · B1 · 3 minutes · 2 voices · normal speed
- Before you listen: questions
- • 1. Why is the guest calling? (gist)
- • 2. Does the call end well for the guest? (gist)
- • 3. What was the original arrival date?
- • 4. How many nights does the guest want now?
- • 5. What is the guest's booking reference?
- • 6. How does the receptionist feel about the change? (attitude)
- Your answers, marked
- • 1. To change the dates ✓
- • 2. Yes ✓
- • 3. 14 May ✗ The original date was the 4th of May; she said "fourth", not "fourteenth". Listen for the stress: FOURteen vs fourTEEN.
- • 4. Three nights ✓
- • 5. KT 4471 ✓
- • 6. Helpful, a bit apologetic about the price difference ✓
- Score: 5/6.
- Transcript (part)
- Receptionist: Good morning, Harbour View Hotel, Sam speaking.
- Guest: Hi, um, I've got a booking for the fourth of May, and I need to push it back a week, if that's possible?
- Receptionist: Let me have a look. Can I take the booking reference?
- Guest: Yeah, it's K-T-4-4-7-1.
- Receptionist: Lovely. So the eleventh… ah, we've only got the sea-view rooms left for those dates, I'm afraid. I'm really sorry, they're a bit more.
- Guest: That's fine. And actually, could we make it three nights instead of two?
- Useful phrases
- • push it back: move it to a later date
- • Let me have a look: I'll check
- • I'm afraid: polite way to give bad news
- • Can I take…?: Can you give me…?
- • That's fine: I accept
- • Lovely: British, means "great, thanks"
- • actually: introduces a change or correction
- • for those dates: on the days you want
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in the language, level, topic, length, voices and speed.
- Send it to your todo.is agent on WhatsApp or Telegram to get the MP3 right in the chat, or paste it into the web app.
- Listen once without reading, answer the questions, then listen again if you need to.
- Read the transcript after you answer, then ask for "the same topic, a bit faster" or a new topic.
Tips for a better result
- Answer before you see the transcript. Reading first turns listening practice into reading practice.
- Ask for natural features on purpose: numbers that sound alike (13/30), names spelled out, people interrupting each other.
- Listen a third time while reading the transcript and pause at every part you missed. That is where the learning happens.
- Make it recurring: "every Monday and Thursday at 7:30, send a new listening on work topics" keeps the habit without planning.
listening practice with audio: FAQ
- Are the voices real people? No. The audio is made with text to speech, which sounds clear and natural but is cleaner than real recordings. Mix it with real podcasts or videos once you are comfortable.
- Can I practise for IELTS or TOEFL listening? Yes. Ask for exam-style tasks, such as a form to complete or a lecture with notes, at your target level. Use official practice tests too for the exact format.
- Can I use my own audio? Yes. Attach a podcast clip or video (up to 50 MB) and your agent transcribes it and writes questions, so you practise with content you chose.
- Which languages are supported? Many, including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese and Korean.
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