English Radio
Listening guide for India
Which radio app should you use to practise English listening in India?
For Indian news in English, start with Akashvani’s own English bulletins. For world news at broadcast speed, try BBC World Service. For slow speech with a transcript, use a learner resource such as Spotlight English. English Radio is the live option if you want to switch between broadcasters such as the BBC and NPR on one phone.
Indian news, learner audio or international radio?
- Familiar Indian stories
- Use the official Akashvani News website and select an English bulletin. Start with a headline you already know from news in another language.
- Slow speech and a transcript
- Open Spotlight English or the British Council separately for learner audio. Choose a recording you can replay.
- Live reporting from different countries
- In English Radio, search for BBC World Service for international news or NPR 24 Hours for US public radio and interviews. The live stream can start in the middle of a programme.
Try one Indian story and one international story
- Spend one minute picking a story you already recognise from an English Akashvani bulletin.
- Listen for two minutes. Note one name or place and the main event.
- Spend the last two minutes on a BBC World Service bulletin in English Radio. Look for the same kinds of details, even if the story is different.
If a live stream is hard to follow, return to the external learner resource and replay the same passage. When looking for a particular UK or US show, compare the broadcaster’s schedule with Indian Standard Time. Live radio needs an internet connection and availability can vary.
Does live radio help with IELTS listening?
Use it to practise following unfamiliar voices, listening for details and staying with a speaker at normal speed. Use official IELTS samples to practise the exam’s question types and timing. For an exact episode, transcript or replay, look for the broadcaster’s own programme page.