# Special English Listening — Listen, Watch & Speak Better

> Learn English listening and speaking with news, stories, and audio-visual lessons. (iPhone/iPad app by An Tran.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/special-english-listening/id1097696999 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [An Tran](https://appshunter.io/developer/1097696998)
- Category: Education, News
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 6,631 App Store ratings · 73 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.0 · 166 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2016-04-01
- Data updated: 2026-08-26
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/special-english-listening/id1097696999/reviews.md

## What is Special English Listening?

Master English Listening and Speaking — Effortlessly and Effectively

Boost your English skills through engaging content like news, stories, and reports that make learning both fun and practical. Whether you’re commuting, relaxing, or on the go, our app helps you improve your listening and speaking fluency with ease.

Key Features:
• Listen to captivating audio lessons and read along for better understanding.
• Watch educational videos to enhance both comprehension and pronunciation.
• Download lessons for offline learning — study anywhere, anytime.
• Enjoy background playback for hands-free learning anytime, anywhere.
• Find lessons that match your interests with our smart search.
• Get personalized lesson recommendations tailored to your level and goals.
• Instantly look up unfamiliar words while you learn.
• Reinforce vocabulary using our smart SRS (Spaced Repetition System), which adapts review timing based on how well you remember each word.

Start learning smarter, not harder — and make English a natural part of your everyday life.

Terms of Use: [Apple's Standard EULA](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/)

## Key features

- Audio lessons with synchronized reading
- Educational videos for comprehension
- Offline lesson downloads
- Background playback
- Smart search and recommendations
- Spaced Repetition System (SRS) for vocabulary

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Plus Yearly | $19.99 | per year |

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of Special English Listening?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 👍 Excellent for practicing English listening
- 🚀 Great for learning and improving English
- 💡 Powerful app for learning American English
- 👍 Useful for improving reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills
- 👍 Awesome app for English learners
- 👍 Helpful for learning English

**Cons**

- 🐛 Issues with playing audio/stories
- 🔍 Placement of ads is problematic
- 🔇 Lack of option to turn off background music
- 🔍 Compatibility issues with older devices

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Audio/stories not downloading or playing
- App crashes on certain devices

**Most requested features**

- Add more American stories and content
- Implement dark mode option
- Improve Bluetooth/AirPods connectivity
- Provide an ad-free version

## Recent user reviews (10 of 73)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/special-english-listening/id1097696999/reviews.md

### 5/5 — The best English program

*2026-06-03, version 3.9*

This is excellent program  for Learning English the best thing about it it does not just read to you explained what The meaning to the stores there is over 1000 stores to pick from subject that you would like to know.  The design is perfect. That is the only educational app that I loved using. It’s not just a story. It tells you every single thing and break it down in such a way that. Is not complicated to understand.

### 5/5 — Historia

*2026-05-13, version 3.8.3*

Me gustaría que tuviera una sesión de historia de Estados Unidos.

### 5/5 — Excellent app to improve your listening

*2026-02-24, version 3.8.2*

Me gustó la app porque me ayuda a mejorar mi audición al inglés y también te ayuda absorber nuevos vocabulario

### 5/5 — Exelente

*2025-10-07, version 3.7*

I use all the time , to practice listening, English language,

### 1/5 — Problem on listening

*2025-07-25, version 3.2.1*

When I open any page in archive it’s not playing and I didn’t find any where for report my problem

### 5/5 — Kob

*2025-02-06, version 3.0.2*

I love it a lot

### 5/5 — It was the best

*2024-09-23, version 3.0.2*

Why it dosen’t work? 
Please solve the problem 
We love that app 🥲

### 5/5 — Good app to improve on English

*2024-02-21, version 3.0.2*

It is a very different way to keep learning English, and so far I am enjoying this app, it is nice.

### 2/5 — App is great, but

*2023-09-25, version 3.0.1*

I love this app and I think it’s a great value but the placement of the advertisement does not work on my iPhone 11 Pro. The X is placed at the very edge of the top right corner, and I can only see half of the X to close out the ad. This is really annoying. If this is fixed, I can change my rating.

### 5/5 — Thanks

*2023-04-15, version 3.0.1*

Great program and thank you.

## Frequently asked questions about Special English Listening

### What does VOA Special English Listening do?

This app helps users improve their English listening and speaking skills by providing access to engaging content like news, stories, and reports. It offers audio and video lessons designed to make learning practical and effective, even while on the go.

### What are the key features of this English learning app?

Key features include listening to audio lessons while reading along, watching educational videos, downloading lessons for offline study, background playback for hands-free learning, smart search and personalized recommendations, and a Spaced Repetition System (SRS) for vocabulary reinforcement.

### Is VOA Special English Listening free to use?

The app is free to download and use, but it does offer in-app purchases. This means some content or advanced features might require a purchase to access.

### Can I use this app to learn English offline?

Yes, you can download lessons for offline learning. This allows you to study and practice your English listening and speaking skills anywhere, anytime, without needing an internet connection.

### Who is this app best suited for?

This app is ideal for anyone who wants to enhance their English listening comprehension and speaking fluency. It's particularly useful for commuters, travelers, or individuals who prefer learning through practical, real-world content like news and stories.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 3.9 — 2026-05-25

* UI, UX improvements

### 3.8.3 — 2026-05-08

* UI, UX improvements

### 3.8.2 — 2025-11-11

* Add AI Assistant

### 3.8.1 — 2025-11-10

* UI, UX improvements

### 3.8 — 2025-11-07

* Add download feature

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## More apps by An Tran

- [ESL English Listening Test](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esl-english-listening-test/id1124843826)
- [Accent Training - American](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/accent-training-american/id1222483090)
- [IELTS English Listening Test](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ielts-english-listening-test/id1232198325)
- [English Fairy Tale Listening](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/english-fairy-tale-listening/id1317575846)
- [DMV Practice Test Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dmv-practice-test-pro/id1415530432)

All apps by An Tran: https://appshunter.io/developer/1097696998

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-26.*