Listen to New Zealand news, spoken slowly and clearly, using easy vocabulary. The speaker is a native speaker of English.
This website is for anyone who …
- speaks English as a second language
- finds listening difficult
- can’t understand TV and radio news
- wants to know what is happening in New Zealand
- wants to feel part of New Zealand society
- wants to practise and develop their listening skills

People
ESL News New Zealand was started by Pat Syme in 2008. Pat was an ESOL teacher at secondary and tertiary level.

After 10 years, Pat handed over to Melissa Cassidy. Melissa, who is a teacher and materials writer, managed ESL News for five years, from 2018 to 2023.

In November 2023, Anna Dowling took over the website. Anna has been an ESOL teacher for over 30 years. She enjoys learning languages, listening to music, and gardening.

Natasha Groves started writing questions and language tasks for the stories in November 2024. Natasha has been an ESOL teacher for over 25 years, and she enjoys hiking the many beautiful walking tracks around the country.
Awards
