How to practice English listening
Working on listening skills is an integral part of mastering a new language. When you understand speech in English, you unlock the path to other crucial skills like expressing yourself in that language. If you have limited exposure to English, find native English speakers speak too fast, or can’t find listening material in a preferred English accent, you may need alternative learning resources. This article has got you covered.
Tips on improving English listening skills
Here’s how you can improve your listening skills without an English teacher.
Explore audiobooks
Audiobooks are trending like never before. Platforms like Speechify Audiobooks have thousands of audiobooks available in any topic or genre. This type of content allows you to engage with English culture and reach English fluency faster. As you explore different audiobooks, make sure they are adapted to your level. Ideally, start with shorter audiobooks suitable for kids. For intermediate-level learners, try listening to books you already read or are familiar with in your native language.
Listen to English podcasts
Podcasts are fun, easy to digest, and available for free. Research popular podcasts for English learners (like English Learning for Curious Minds) and focus on listening without subtitles. Practice using the key English vocabulary, transcripts, or subtitles to boost comprehension after listening to a podcast for the first time. Then listen to the podcast again like you did the first time.
Create a SMART goal
Follow the step-by-step instructions below to create a SMART goal to help you boost your English listening skills:
- Make it specific — Determine what you’re trying to achieve.
- Make it measurable — Measure your progress with numbers, stats, or another type of data.
- Make it attainable — Use tools that challenge you but still match your English level.
- Make it relevant — The goal should be relevant to you and your aspirations.
- Make it time-bound — Define when and for how long you’ll be working on your goal.
Here are a few examples of what your SMART English listening skill goals could look like:
- I want to increase my oral comprehension in English by the end of June. To do so, I’ll listen to a podcast every day during breakfast, use Speechify to listen to relevant content on the way to class and watch three episodes of an English show per week.
- To help improve my listening skills in English, I’ll listen to BBC radio shows every evening for two weeks. I’ll listen to one show before and after the two-week timeline to compare how much my listening skills improved.
Try new video games
Thousands of adults worldwide are proud to say they learned English thanks to video games. The good news is that you’re never too old to play modern-day games. Platforms like Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, Windows PC, and even your smartphone are great places to start. Choose games with plenty of dialogue and interaction for the best exposure to the spoken word. You’ll be working on your active listening skills, learning new words, and even acquiring English grammar unconsciously while having an exciting time.
Explore radio
Radio stations like BBC Radio (U.K.), NPR (U.S.), and ABC (Australia) are great places to dive deep into English culture and listen to trending topics, news, and stories from English-speaking countries. You can integrate this listening activity while eating breakfast or doing chores around the house. As a beginner and intermediate learner, explore BBC Six Minute English or similar programs to tailor English learning to your current level.
Overhear English conversations
Make the most out of your time outside or in shops and restaurants to listen to how other people engage in conversations. This method is most efficient when you live in an English-speaking country. You learn ways to start a conversation, talk to a waiter, acquire new vocabulary, and much more.
Listen at faster speeds
Listen to your favorite YouTube video lessons and channels, TV shows, or podcasts at a faster speed for more efficient language learning. Most podcast apps and YouTube videos let you increase the speed of your listening content. As your English level improves, your listening ability will improve to the point where you can understand the speech at a much faster rate.
Attend language exchange events
Go beyond passive listening when mastering a language. Joining language exchange events or conversation groups is a great opportunity to meet new English learners and work on your listening skills at the same time. Online English language platforms like Meetup let you connect with English speakers in various accents and have casual conversations with them.
Listen consistently
An important tip when practicing your English listening is to be exposed to the language every day. Much like going to the gym once per month is highly unlikely to bring results, the same applies to your listening skills. Dedicate 15-20 minutes daily to listening to content in English rather than doing so for one hour per week.
Listen instead of reading text
Reading text in English in your head or aloud is great for working on your reading skills. However, focusing on reading does little to polish your listening or speaking skills. Fortunately, you can use text to speech technology to have a computer read any printed or digital text aloud. Text to speech (TTS) apps like Speechify make it easy to learn English words and understand oral speech for those struggling with their English skills. You can control the playback speed, choose the voices you like, and read any web page, email, or PDF file aloud. What better way to personalize your learning experience than TTS?
Speechify – a valuable tool for English listening practice
Speechify is text to speech software that can read any English text aloud. It’s the perfect tool to help with listening comprehension. You can choose from various English accents (American English, British English, Canadian English, or Australian English), male or female voices, and different speech rates for a fully customized user experience. Speechify is easy to use. Simply copy the text or upload a text document into the API and press the convert button. The app will generate an audio file you can listen to right away or download on your device. Speechify offers you a great listening exercise where you also get to learn new words, whether you’re on a beginner or advanced level. Best of all, you can try Speechify for free.
FAQ
Can I become a better listener?
Being exposed to audio content will make you a better listener. Listening to content you find pleasant or interesting will make the learning experience all the more efficient.
Why do I have a hard time listening?
If you have a hard time listening to speech in English as a language learner, you’re probably still in the beginner stage. Increase exposure to spoken English by watching movies, listening to podcasts, or using Speechify.
