Improve your listening skills

Great ideas on how to improve your English listening skills

Languages never stay the same. Think about the place where you are from and the way people speak. Now think about a town or city a hundred kilometers in any direction. They probably speak in a different way to you. For any language learner it is important to learn and get used to the differences in: accent, speed, fluency, pronunciation, emotion and so on.

The best way you can achieve this in English is by exposing yourself to a variety of English accents through listening.

Listen to English as part of your everyday life whenever you can, when you are getting ready in the morning, cooking, cleaning, organizing your house or when you’re exercising.

You will be amazed how your English will improve because without realising you will learn new vocabulary and grammar.

Here’s what can help you!

• Listen to an English radio station.
• Watch your favourite TV series or movie in English with subtitles in your own language at first. When you feel more confident watch it only in English with English subtitles.
• Get an Audiobook of one of your favourite books that you have already read and listen to it when you can. http://www.audible.com/
• When there is a language exchange event in your area try and talk to as many native English speakers as you can.
• Listen to podcasts this is a great site it has lots and lots of  great topics to listen to: https://player.fm/en/featured/education or google a topic that you are really interested in, e.g. type science podcast etc.

To improve your grammar

Here is a link to a great site of animated videos of conversations that focus on different grammatical structures, such as reported speech, articles and modals. Each video comes with activities and transcripts.

http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/grammar-vocabulary/grammar-videos

For intermediate to advanced learners

This is a collection of short audio recordings, suitable for intermediate to advanced students, about issues connected with business and academic issues, from biotechnology, eBay and developing creativity.  They are usually monologues

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/professionals-podcasts

One of the best places to find high quality listening material

Is through the British Council websites and podcasts. They offer a fantastic selection of audio and video materials, most of which contain lesson plans and tasks that you can do. http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/listen-and-watch

Enjoy!!!!