English news in levels
English news in levels: the same story at four levels, then talk about it
Quick answer
SpeakBase Times is a free English news site for learners at speakbase.io/en/news. Every story is written at four levels: Level 1 Absolute Beginner, Level 2 High Beginner, Level 3 Intermediate and Level 4 Advanced. Each level has its own text, a vocabulary list, read-aloud audio and exercises (multiple choice, true or false, fill in the blank and matching, plus sentence ordering at levels 3 and 4). Ten new stories are published every day. Levels 1 and 2 are free; levels 3 and 4 are part of Premium. After reading, one tap opens a spoken conversation about the story with Kate, SpeakBase's AI speaking tutor, who corrects your English as you talk.
Reading real news is one of the best ways to build English vocabulary, but a normal newspaper article is too hard for most learners and a textbook is too dull. Graded news solves that: the same event, rewritten for your level, so you understand it and still meet a few new words. SpeakBase Times adds the step most news sites leave out, which is using those words out loud.
The four levels
- Level 1, Absolute Beginner: very short sentences and the most common words. For someone who is just starting to read English.
- Level 2, High Beginner: short paragraphs with everyday vocabulary.
- Level 3, Intermediate: the full story with more detail and the vocabulary of the topic.
- Level 4, Advanced: close to real newspaper English, with longer, more complex sentences.
- Not sure where to start? Take the free 3-minute spoken level test, or read Level 2 and move up when it feels easy.
What every level includes
- The article text, rewritten for that level rather than simply shortened.
- A vocabulary list with the key words of the story and their meaning.
- Exercises: multiple choice and true or false questions on the story, fill in the blank and matching on the vocabulary, and sentence ordering at levels 3 and 4.
- Read-aloud audio, so you can listen while you read.
What is new every day
Five stories go up every morning and five every afternoon, Israel time, so there are ten new articles a day and more than 1,600 in the archive. At least two of every five are science, nature, space, health, archaeology or engineering stories rather than politics, because curious stories are easier to keep reading every day.
SpeakBase Times and News in Levels
News in Levels (newsinlevels.com) is a well-known free site that rewrites daily news at three levels, defined by how many words you know (1 to 1,000, 1,000 to 2,000 and 2,000 to 3,000), with audio, exercises and mobile apps. SpeakBase Times works in the same spirit with two differences. It has four levels, from absolute beginner up to near-native advanced English. And it connects reading to speaking: after the article you can talk about the story with Kate, who asks you questions, gives you the words you are missing and corrects your mistakes in real time, with explanations in your own language. Reading gives you the vocabulary; saying it out loud is what makes it yours.
How to use it well
- Read one story a day at a level where you understand most of it without a dictionary.
- Do the vocabulary and exercises for that level, then listen to the audio once without reading.
- Read the same story one level up. Seeing the same event in harder English is the fastest way to grow.
- Tap "talk about it" and tell Kate what happened in your own words. Five minutes a day is enough.
Frequently asked questions
What is "news in levels"?
It is real news rewritten at several difficulty levels for people learning a language, so a beginner and an advanced learner can read about the same event. SpeakBase Times does this in English at four levels, with vocabulary, exercises and audio for each level.
Is SpeakBase Times free?
Yes, levels 1 and 2 of every article are free, with their vocabulary, exercises and audio. Levels 3 and 4 are part of SpeakBase Premium ($11.99 a month, 39 NIS in Israel), with a 60-second free preview. Guests can read for a few minutes before signing in with a free account.
How is it different from News in Levels?
News in Levels uses three levels based on vocabulary size. SpeakBase Times has four levels, from absolute beginner to advanced, and lets you talk about each story out loud with Kate, an AI speaking tutor who corrects you in real time.
Which level should I start with?
Start where you understand most of the text without a dictionary. Most learners start at Level 2. The free 3-minute spoken level test on SpeakBase gives you a CEFR level if you want a more precise answer.
How many new articles are there?
Ten a day: five in the morning and five in the afternoon, Israel time. The archive has more than 1,600 stories.
Can I practise speaking with the news?
Yes. Every article has a button that opens SpeakBase Talk with the story as the topic. Kate asks about it, suggests what to say when you are stuck and corrects your English as you speak. The first 5-minute lesson is free.
