Listening Skills for the 21st Century is a textbook intended to help Japanese students master basic listening skills in English. Based on the principles of phonics, the text introduces long and short vowel sounds, using the technique of "minimal pairs." In addition, consonant sounds the persistently bother Japanese students are presented. Exercises for both vowels and consonants include choosing which sound is heard, choosing between pairs of words heard in a sentence, writing the word that is heard in a sentence, and choosing between four possible words in a sentence.

The text introduces short conversations and short passages for global listening comprehension.

Beyond basic listening exercises, Listening Skills for the 21st Century includes all the basics of media listening.