English is notorious for being one of the hardest languages to learn. With all the words that sound the same but mean different things, the strange word order that native speakers seem to know intuitively, and then the slang… It can often feel like an uphill battle you are never going to win.
However, if you stick to it and start training your ear to listen to native English speakers, you will set yourself up for success. Even if you do not understand everything, practising your English skills by simply listening and not writing things down is an excellent way to build your vocabulary and speaking skills.
Watch English Movies and TV Shows
The Western English speaking world produces some of the best TV shows and movies in the world, which means as you watch them you will not only be entertained but you’ll be practising your English at the same time. If you are not feeling too confident in your English listening skills just yet, put on the subtitles so you can read and listen at the same time.
Listen To The Radio
There are tons of English radio stations that you can tune into from around the world. If you spend a lot of time on your computer, listening to the radio can be an easy and efficient way to help you get used to hearing English spoken at a normal speed. Talk radio is most useful because it forces you to concentrate and listen to the spoken word. EnglishHarmony has a list of the top seven radio stations for English learners across a variety of topics. Choose the one that interests you the most and start listening now!
YouTube Videos
Don’t have a lot of time but still want to listen to English? Log onto YouTube and find a native English speaker channel that interests you. Choose from fitness channels to make up tutorials or even gaming. Subscribe to the ones you like and start improving your own accent while learning which phrases are commonly used and picking up new vocab.
Whichever listening medium you choose, it is easy to find free English speaking content with just a few clicks of your mouse and a quick Google search.
About the Author
Lauren Melnick is a South African travel blogger and EFL teacher currently living in Ubon, Thailand. When she isnât making lesson plans and watching nursery rhymes on YouTube, you can find her eating up a storm, taking selfies with dinosaurs, and planning her next adventure.
Follow her travels on Wanderlust Movement, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
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