Research has shown that podcasts teach vocabulary effectively. In one study , researchers looked at whether Iranian university students would learn vocabulary more effectively from podcasts compared to more traditional exercises. The researchers found that students learned more words from podcasts than from traditional vocabulary teaching exercises.
Learning vocabulary in lists is boring, ineffective, and outdated. Podcasts provide that context. This is also why we offer key vocabulary with our podcasts. Grammar is the system of rules that govern how words are put together to form sentences. Grammar is important because it helps us understand each other. It helps everyone use the same structures so that we know what to expect. Listening can improve our grammar. Listening to native English speakers gives learners the opportunity to acquire the language rather than learn it.
Repeated exposure to native English gives a learner many examples of correct ways to structure a sentence. Then, when speaking, the learner can draw on these examples to create their own speech. If grammar is like the traffic lights in language that helps conversation run smoothly, then listening is like taking a driving lesson. We can pick up the rules by observing them. Native speakers often use less formal, non-standard language when we are speaking.
Learners can be exposed to a wider variety of grammar and types of English when they listen to native speakers compared to just reading English texts. This is supported by research as well. Students who engage in 'extensive listening' tend to see improved understanding of grammar rules. Remember, a major part of both improving and using your listening skills is knowing what to listen for! To communicate more confidently in English, I want you to listen for the questions people ask in conversation.
Pay attention to how the phrasing of the questions you hear is different from what you were taught in your typical grammar class. So often we focus on the answers, but better questions are often key to communicating more effectively in English.
First, I encourage you to listen to podcasts. The reason podcasts are so wonderful for improving your listening skills is a lot of people creating the podcasts right now are not officially trained radio personalities. Pay special attention to podcasts that include interviews, because these are an excellent way to notice how people naturally speak so you can start emulating that kind of conversation.
While people may prepare before the interview, the language is still more natural than it would be in a rehearsed question and answer session in a documentary. Most interviews are spontaneous so they give you a chance to hear how people interact using natural language.
The same thing goes for listening to talk shows , like Ellen as well as late night shows like Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and Stephen Colbert. While reality tv is not my favorite form of entertainment, but listening to reality TV is great for hearing people having real-life interactions. This is a really intelligent question. The goal of improving your speaking through listening is to actually spend the time doing it every day.
In my video on how to reflect on your progress and make plans to improve your English , I talk about creating habits and routines that support your goals. With regards to how much time you should be listening to English per day, I would say at least 15 minutes.
Thirty minutes is better. You can get up 15 minutes later or go to bed 15 minutes later, spend time on listening during your lunch break or on your commute. This will help you immerse yourself in English. For focused, targeted listening as we discussed throughout this workshop, you want to commit to daily practice.
Tell me what you listen to in order to get high quality input that helps you improve your speaking! What do you suggest? It may be less stressful to ask questions to engage the other person or people.
Thanks for the kind words, Jade! I completely agree. Friend's Email Address. Your Name. Your Email Address. Send Email. We use cookies to make our website easier to use and to make the content you see more relevant to your needs. Cookies allow us to record important information about how you arrive at, use, and move through this website.
Do you need to translate every single word? I had many failed experiments when I first started learning Spanish and it took me a long time to figure out the best methods to practice my listening skills. In fact, it was only when I moved to Argentina that I finally realised what I needed to do to improve my listening and I discovered it somewhat by accident!
It was a bit of a baptism of fire! On the bus, in the supermarket, no matter where I went I found myself smiling, nodding and desperately trying to work out what people were saying to me. However, over the coming weeks and months my listening skills began to significantly improve and this taught me a very valuable lesson: To improve your listening skills, you have to truly listen. You have to listen with focus and attentiveness. Active listening, not passive listening, is what will give you results.
What is passive listening? Passive listening is when you listen to something without giving it your full attention. Think about it. For example, lots of people like to have the radio on in their kitchen while cooking or in the morning while having breakfast.
Maybe you do this too. But how much of what you hear do you actually remember? The idea of passive learning is appealing because it promises results without much work. In comparison with reading, there are a few things that make listening harder to master. To understand speech and recordings in English, it is not enough to have a large vocabulary and good grammar.
You need to know correct English pronunciation, but, unfortunately, that is not enough either. Each speaker brings their unique peculiarities to speaking English: their accent, how clearly they speak, how fast they speak.
If you have never heard a native speaker talk before, understanding them can be really hard even if your general level of English proficiency is quite high. The language itself does not make it any easier. English has lots of words that differ a lot in spelling and in pronunciation. If you have seen such words in a text but never heard them, recognizing them in speech is next to impossible. However, it does not mean that you are doomed to struggle with listening forever - not at all.
If you take the right steps and have a little patience , you can improve your listening greatly. Here are some tips that can help you take your listening skills to a new level. Just as your muscles need regular exercise to stay fit, your ears need regular listening practice to stay sharp. If you listen to even a little bit of English every day your progress will be fast.
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