I’m not sure how long they’ve had it, but the Al Jazeera news site has a very impressive tool for providing audio support for text – perfect for English Language Learners.

It’s called “Read To Me,” and can be found at the top left of many, if not all, of its news stories.

What makes it even more impressive is that each word is highlighted when its spoken, which makes it even more valuable.

Yes, I know there are some concerns about Al Jazeera’s objectivity. However, I’ve never seen any issues with the articles I’ve used and shared. Teaching students how to be a savvy news consumer, of course, is another skill we have to teach (see The Best Tools & Lessons For Teaching Information Literacy – Help Me Find More).

I’m adding it to The Best News/Current Events Websites For English Language Learners.