Oxford Word Skills Basic Audio < Trusted >

If you have lost your CD or code, check the Oxford University Press ELT (English Language Teaching) website.

If you buy a new copy of the "Basic" edition (especially the updated 2020 version), there is an access code inside the front cover. Go to oxfordlearnerspublishing.com or the specific URL printed on the cover, enter your code, and download the official MP3 files.

Problem: "I downloaded the audio, but it is the British accent, and I want American." Solution: Oxford Word Skills primarily uses Received Pronunciation (British). However, the vocabulary is international. Focus on pronunciation accuracy, not accent preference. For American specific audio, you may need a different series (like English Vocabulary in Use). oxford word skills basic audio

Problem: "The audio is too fast for me." Solution: Use the Oxford Learner's Bookshelf app. It has a "slow down" button (a turtle icon). Or use a music player (like VLC) to reduce playback speed to 90% or 80%.

Problem: "I lost my CD / My CD is broken." Solution: Do not buy a new book yet. Contact Oxford University Press customer support. Often, if you provide proof of purchase (a photo of the book's title page), they will provide a digital download link. If you have lost your CD or code,

English spelling is notoriously inconsistent (think: "though," "through," "thought"). The audio provides a native-speaker model (standard British English). When you read "vegetable" silently, you might pronounce it "ve-ge-ta-ble." The audio teaches you the correct, connected speech: "vej-tuh-bul."

The transition from passive understanding to active speaking is the most difficult hurdle in early language acquisition. The audio component serves as a scaffold for this leap. By providing clear models of sentence stress and intonation, the audio teaches the learner how to use the word, not just what it means. Issue 2: "The accent is British, but I want American

For example, in a unit on "Feelings," the text might present the word hungry. The audio reinforces this not just in isolation, but in a phrase or sentence, demonstrating the weak forms and linking that characterize natural speech. This implicitly teaches connected speech, a concept that is often too abstract for beginners to grasp through theory alone but is easily absorbed through mimicry and repetition.

Issue 1: "The audio is too fast."

Issue 2: "The accent is British, but I want American."

Issue 3: "I downloaded the files, but the numbering doesn't match my book."