OET Listening | Recommended Materials and Practice Resources

When preparing for OET Listening, simply repeating full mock tests is not enough. It is essential to expose yourself to a variety of speakers, contexts, and topics to build flexible listening skills.

In this section, we introduce practical and reliable learning resources — including audio, video, and drama — and explain how to use them effectively.

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Recommended Podcasts

Podcasts are especially useful because they train you to understand English using only your ears, without visual support. This makes them an excellent tool for strengthening listening skills. Key benefits include:

• Building stamina for long-form listening
• Making use of spare time, such as commuting or household tasks
• Developing the ability to understand meaning from sound alone

One limitation of podcasts is that many do not provide transcripts, which can make detailed study more challenging. That said, they are still extremely valuable for exposure and fluency.

Recommended medical podcasts include:

• Bedside Rounds
• The BMJ Podcast
• Run the List
• Emergency Medicine Cases
• The Intern At Work: Internal Medicine
• Medgeeks Clinical Review Podcast
• Surgery 101
• Emergency Medicine Minute
• ABC Listen – Health Report

If the audio feels challenging at first, begin with a playback speed of around 0.8×, and increase it gradually as your confidence improves. This approach allows your ear to adapt without unnecessary frustration.

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Recommended YouTube Channels

YouTube can be especially helpful for beginner to intermediate listeners, as it combines audio with visual context. Facial expressions, clinical environments, and on-screen actions make conversations easier to follow and reduce cognitive load during listening.

Many videos also include subtitles, which can help you confirm spelling, phrasing, and sentence structure after listening. This makes YouTube a supportive environment for clarifying what you hear, rather than guessing.

Another advantage is that much of the content reflects real clinical or healthcare-related settings, which aligns well with the type of language used in OET. While YouTube is less convenient for listening on the move, it offers flexibility through speed controls and subtitle options.

For exposure to Australian English, which is commonly used in OET, the following channels are particularly useful.

• GPs: Behind Closed Doors
• Bondi Vet
• ABC News
• 9 News
• Sky News

If the pace feels fast, start at 0.75× speed, then gradually return to normal speed as your listening adjusts. This allows you to stay engaged without feeling overwhelmed.

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Recommended International TV Dramas

International TV dramas are best used as supplementary listening materials, not as your primary study method. Their main value lies in helping you become more comfortable with English in a relaxed, engaging way.

Dramas expose you to natural conversational patterns, emotional expressions, and everyday clinical language used in context. This can improve your intuitive understanding of how English sounds and flows, especially in emotionally charged situations.

They are particularly useful when you feel tired or mentally overloaded. Instead of forcing intensive study, dramas allow you to maintain listening exposure without burnout, which is essential for long-term consistency.

Medical-related dramas and documentaries include:

• Chicago Med
• Code Black
• The Resident
• ER
• Body of proof
• 9-1-1

Because it is easy to focus only on the story, it helps to occasionally remind yourself that the purpose is still listening practice. You do not need to look up every unfamiliar word, but checking repeated expressions or phrases can significantly increase the learning value over time.

Used thoughtfully, these resources help you build natural listening confidence, which forms a strong foundation for success in OET Listening and for real-world communication in healthcare settings.

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