Quick answer: Breaking News English is the most comprehensive free ESL materials site we know: real news stories condensed and graded across seven levels (0–6), each with listening at adjustable speeds in British or American English, plus a huge bank of ready-made exercises. The adverts are the only real drawback. For a complete news-based lesson with zero preparation, it is very hard to beat.
Why review Breaking News English?
Looking for English material for your English class can be soooo time consuming. If only there were a site which had plenty of ready-to-use materials which practiced listening, speaking, reading and writing, and was graded for different levels. It would need to be free, too.
Well, the good news is that such a comprehensive materials site does exist. It’s called Breaking News English and it goes without saying that I’m a huge fan. Here’s why.
Why is Breaking News English so good?
At its simplest, Breaking News English condenses real news articles into shorter summary articles. As a teacher, you first choose a story that is likely to interest your class. Then, you choose the story level that will suit your class from 0 (beginner) to 6 (advanced).
Clicking through to the story at your chosen level, you then have two options: you can read it and/or opt to listen. The listening feature is especially good as you can choose a British or American English speaker and also choose the speed of the listening, something I have rarely seen on other materials sites.
Underneath the reading are plentiful exercises to test understanding and to highlight useful words and phrases. There are always tasks that encourage students to work in pairs or groups and discuss issues around the theme. It is likely you won’t get through everything in a one hour class, which is actually a good problem to have.
There are several other extension options alongside each article which may include dictations, an extra grammar focus and spelling checks. So you could use these as fillers if some of your more advanced learners finish quicker than others.
What are the drawbacks?
A drawback for me is that the site contains a fair amount of adverts. However, since the site is free (donations are accepted) it is easy to look past these since there is some really good content and the benefit is that a lot of the work is done for you. This is particularly helpful for a new teacher.
Two smaller caveats: because every lesson follows the same reliable format, a class fed a diet of nothing but Breaking News English can find it repetitive after a few weeks – rotate it with other materials and activity types. And since the stories are real news, do a quick suitability check before class; a story that is fine for adults may not suit teens, and some topics land differently in different countries.
How best can teachers use Breaking News English?
This site is so good that I don’t try and re-create the wheel. I may use my own warm-up questions but then we launch straight in to a listening or reading, picking the best activities afterwards from the huge range of options.
If I decide I would rather spend lesson time on the listening/reading and discussion, then I can set some of the follow-up activities for homework. The answers are at the bottom of the page which is ideal.
A few extra tips from years of using it:
- Open with your own warmer tied to the story theme – these 5 TEFL warmers adapt to any topic in minutes.
- Milk the discussion questions – each story ships with plenty; our tips for TEFL discussion classes show how to keep the conversation flowing beyond them.
- Set the leftovers as homework – the unused exercises make perfect follow-up tasks, and there are more ideas in our great homework ideas for ESL students.
- Use the speed control diagnostically – play a level once at slow speed, then again at normal, and let students feel their own progress.
- Revisit stories a level up – returning to a familiar story at the next level a month later is a painless way to show a class how far they have come.
How does it compare with other free ESL materials sites?
| Site | Strongest at | Levels | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breaking News English | Complete news lessons: reading, listening, exercises, discussion | 7 graded levels (0–6) | Heavy advertising |
| BBC Learning English | Short video/audio and pronunciation, ad-free | Courses by CEFR-style level | Fewer ready-made classroom exercises |
| American English (state.gov) | Downloadable activity books and teacher development | Mixed | Less news-driven; more preparation needed |
So is it the best free material site for English teaching? For a complete, no-preparation news lesson, yes – nothing else combines graded reading, adjustable-speed listening and ready exercises in one place. For listening self-study I'd send students to the BBC, and for printable activity books to American English. See our full round-up of the best free TESOL and TEFL websites for the wider toolkit.
There are other fantastic ESL materials sites out there, but this is certainly the most comprehensive I’ve seen and the one I come back to time and again. Why not see for yourself? Have a look at Breaking News English today.
Frequently asked questions
Is Breaking News English really free?
Yes – every story, level, audio recording and exercise is free to use, supported by advertising and optional donations. There is no registration wall, and answers are printed at the bottom of each lesson page, which makes it genuinely usable for busy teachers without a materials budget.
Can I use Breaking News English with beginners?
Yes. Choose level 0 or 1 of a story, pre-teach a handful of key words, and play the audio at the slowest speed first. The same story exists at higher levels, so mixed-ability classes can work on the identical topic with texts matched to each group.
Does Breaking News English work for online lessons?
Very well. Send the story link before the lesson so the student reads or listens as preparation, then spend the video call on the discussion questions and follow-up exercises. The built-in audio saves you from playing recordings through your own microphone.
What is the best way to build a lesson around one of its stories?
Warm up with two or three of your own questions on the theme, run the listening or reading at the right level, pick the strongest two or three exercises, and finish with the discussion tasks in pairs. Set the remaining exercises as homework – the answers on the page let students self-check.
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