English is the most commonly spoken language globally, and it is essential to have a firm grip on it, especially in workplaces where English is the main communication medium.
However, mastering the English language is about more than just speaking and writing; listening plays a crucial role in understanding the language effectively.
It is imperative to improve your English listening skills, as it not only aids in better communication but also helps comprehend audio-visual content, such as movies, videos, and audio recordings easily.
In this article, we will provide you with some practical tips and techniques that can help you improve your English listening skills and strengthen your language proficiency.
Platforms That Can Help in Improving Listening Skills in English
Listening to tools that contain resources like audio and transcript can come in handy in improvising your listening skills. Many tools provide you with both of these resources and can assist in improving your listening skills.
1. YouTube:
Many Youtube videos have both audio and transcript, but it is vital that you first try to listen to the audio and then use the transcript. YouTube videos are the most accessible source that can help you provide the best English and improve your listening skills in a brief period.
2. Podcasts:
Podcasts are another great and preferred tool because you can listen to your favorite things through these podcasts. Different podcasters are available to talk about various niches. It interests people to listen to these podcasts. For example, you can easily listen to podcasts on Spotify or Youtube though Spotify is the most preferred tool.
3. Audiobooks:
Another best way to improve your listening skills is by listening to audiobooks. Audiobooks are best for you if you dislike reading a book. Additionally, audiobooks help you understand English and improve your listening and speaking skills.
4. English movies and songs:
English movies and songs are the funniest and most entertaining way to improve your listening skills. Using this tool, you can quickly become fluent in English and learn to grab words easily. Watching movies with the help of subtitles is also an excellent way to improve your listening skills. It will help you understand the meaning of any word easier.
Methods to Improve Listening Skills in English
After understanding the tools, let’s know the additional methods to help you improve your listening Skills in English. These methods will contribute to your listening skills as well as speaking skills.
1. Try to focus more on Audio Listening:
The very first step in this method is to listen to audio alone. Wait to read the subtitles at the beginner stage, and the main motive of this method is to focus only on your auricular skills alone.
By focusing only on audio, you will understand how much you can understand without transcription. Although it will be difficult initially, try to focus on listening and understand the gist of what is being said in that audio.
Try to pick out some keywords and terms that will give you an idea that will make you understand what is being said. Try to note them down and focus on learning from the context.
2. Start Listening While Reading:
After listening to the audio carefully, try to read the subtitles along with listening. As you become good at listening and understanding it, reading out the text in your audio file will assist you in comprehending better both listening and reading.
Once you become confident about listening, reading subtitles fluently without mistakes automatically becomes easier. Try to practice listening to audio more while reading, as this method will quickly improve your listening skills.
3. Try to Practice Regularly:
Just as your body needs a regular workout to stay active the same way, listening to audio files regularly becomes significant. Regular listening will make your mind sharp and make your grasping power strong.
Listening to a bit of English regularly will make progress fast. Additionally, try to focus on every articulation with the help of an online dictionary where native speakers pronounce words.
4. Try to Learn from Different Resources:
Suppose you only listen to a particular podcast or particular speaker. In that case, you will get used to speaking in that manner, but listening to different speakers about different things will also help you increase your knowledge and help you understand various accents.
5. Focus on How Words are Pronounced:
Once you start practicing listening to the audio, the first thing you should focus on is how words are pronounced or spoken.
Spoken English is far different from how you expect it to be or how you pronounce them. Try to understand each element of spoken English, like Contractions, Intonation, Sentences, Etc.
It often happens that while listening, you only focus on listening and not on pronouncing. In this case, it becomes difficult for you to grasp basic English. Therefore, focusing on pronunciation is a must.
6. Listening to Ted Talks is beneficial:
Listening to Ted Talks is one of the most critical working techniques that work 100 percent in improving your listening and grasping skills. Ted Talks are the funniest to listen to and the most underrated tool for improving Your listening skills.
Once you start enjoying the Ted Talks, it will naturally familiarize you with English listening and speaking. Furthermore, Ted Talks improve your listening skills and your daily conversation as it is becoming essential for developing your personality.
7. Try to Experiment with Different Accents:
It is normal not to understand the English accent of English movies as different movies have different accents. Sometimes it becomes difficult for the viewer to understand, but keeping your mind open while watching these movies can help sharpen your listening skills.
Many apps benefit you in understanding the type of English used in the movie by providing you with a native speaker that speaks the kind of English you usually listen to.
8. Try to Listen to Yourself:
If you like to speak, you can easily talk in English with yourself or practice any movie dialogue or scene to improve your listening skills.
This is one of the oldest techniques applicable to people who talk with themselves. If you continuously watch a particular show, you start speaking like one of its characters. This can be beneficial as it can improve your speaking accent and listening skills.
Initially, you will need to understand how this trick is helping you, but if you are a singer or a movie freak, you will automatically start grasping the listening skills fluently just by speaking English.
9. Keep Your Mind Open:
Try to listen without passing any judgment because you lose your listening concentration once you start passing judgment.
Directly jumping to a conclusion will only affect your listening skills. Therefore, whenever you listen to a person speaking in front of you, and the speaker says something that you don’t like, don’t try to react immediately. Instead, try to understand the person’s feelings while he is speaking. Be a good listener.
10. Try to Listen Actively:
It often happens that you are listening to particular podcasts, but your mind is somewhere else. This way, you think you are making enough effort but still need to improve your listening skills.
Before you commence the listening practice, do at least 5 min of meditation to help you actively listen to anything you want to without lacking concentration. Active listening will help you to understand the speaker better and also to respond appropriately.
11. Take Notes:
Taking notes while someone is speaking can aid in increasing your listening skills as it keeps you attentive, organized, and focused. It doesn’t matter if you are listening to a podcast or attending an online course; taking notes can be a great way to improve your listening skills. Additionally, you may refer to your notes later to refresh your memory about the topic.
Taking notes helps in improving your listening skills as it allows you to raise questions, think more deeply, and remember the crucial points. Moreover, when you take down significant points, the speaker will also know that he/she is being understood and then will start to talk in a better way. It’s like a win-win situation for both parties.
12. Have Fun with English:
Having fun in the process is essential to start learning a language. Whenever you are listening, don’t feel overwhelmed by the amount of information that you have to understand or learn. Instead, take it as an advantage and try to enjoy the whole process.
Entertaining activities will not only keep your enthusiasm for learning high but also will help you understand the language better. You can try playing online games, listening to music, or even reading comic books that are available in English. There are many fun activities through which you can improve your English listening skills without feeling pressured by them.
Final Verdict: Improve Listening Skills
So far, we have understood the methods and tools that can assist you in improving your English. However, these are just the methods the final results will generate only if you keep practicing regularly.
Listen to as many podcasts as possible and watch English movies, songs, Ted talks, and audiobooks. These are some of the best tools mentioned above to improve your listening skills. And try to practice the methods mentioned above to improve your listening skills in English.
We hope this article helped you understand how to improve your listening skills in English. Did we miss any method? Let us know in the comments section below!