Improve Your English Listening Skill With Podcasts!
Summary
TLDRIn this educational video, Maddie from POC English offers strategies to enhance English listening skills through podcasts. She categorizes learners into below or above intermediate levels and recommends specific resources like 'Lesson a Minute' for beginners and 'BBC 6 Minute English' or 'VOA Learning English' for advanced learners. Maddie outlines a four-step process: initial listening for gist, detailed transcription, script comparison, and vocabulary learning, emphasizing the importance of persistence for effective listening improvement.
Takeaways
- đ The video discusses a common issue where people can speak English but struggle with understanding spoken English.
- đ§ The speaker, Maddie, recommends using English podcasts as an effective method to improve listening skills.
- đ Podcasts are available at different levels and with various accents, so it's important to choose based on one's proficiency and preferred accent.
- đ For beginners or those below the intermediate level, the focus should be on general understanding rather than specific accents.
- đ Maddie suggests 'lessonaminute.com' for those below the intermediate level, offering one-minute podcasts on various topics.
- đ For intermediate and advanced learners, the accent becomes more important, and learners can use techniques like imitation or speech shadowing to improve pronunciation.
- đŹđ§ For those interested in a British accent, 'BBC 6 Minute English' podcasts are recommended.
- đșđž For American accent enthusiasts, 'VOA Learning English' is the go-to resource.
- đ The first step to using podcasts for listening practice is to listen without worrying about understanding every detail, focusing on getting the gist.
- đ The second step involves listening and writing down what is heard after each sentence, going back to replay parts that are not understood.
- đ The third step is to follow along with the original script while listening to the podcast to ensure full understanding.
- đ The final step is to compare the written script with the original to identify mistakes and areas of difficulty, which also helps in learning new vocabulary.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video?
-The main topic of the video is teaching viewers how to improve their English listening skills through podcasts.
Why is listening skill important for effective communication?
-Listening skill is crucial for effective communication because it allows one to understand and respond to others accurately, facilitating better interaction.
What are the two key questions one should ask themselves before choosing an English podcast?
-The two key questions are: What is my English level (below intermediate or above intermediate), and what is my favorite accent (American or British)?
What website is recommended for English learners below the intermediate level?
-For English learners below the intermediate level, the website lessonaminute.com is recommended.
How are the topics categorized on lessonaminute.com?
-The topics on lessonaminute.com are categorized alphabetically, making it easy to find specific topics of interest.
What is the recommended podcast for those interested in improving their British accent?
-For those interested in the British accent, BBC 6 Minute English podcasts are recommended.
What does VOA stand for and what accent is it associated with?
-VOA stands for Voice of America, and it is associated with the American accent.
What are the three steps to improve listening skills through podcasts as mentioned in the video?
-The three steps are: 1) Listen without worrying about understanding everything, 2) Listen and write down what is heard, and 3) Listen while following the original script.
What technique can be used to improve pronunciation along with listening skills?
-The speech shadowing technique can be used to improve pronunciation along with listening skills.
How can one receive a summary of every video lesson posted on YouTube by the speaker?
-To receive a summary of every video lesson, one can subscribe by providing their email address on the speaker's website, pocenglish.com.
What does the phrase 'kill two birds with one stone' mean in the context of the video?
-In the context of the video, 'kill two birds with one stone' means achieving two goals (improving listening skills and learning new vocabulary) by doing one activity (listening to podcasts).
Outlines
đ§ Improving Listening Skills with English Podcasts
This paragraph introduces the video's focus on enhancing English listening skills through podcasts. The speaker, Maddie from POC English, addresses a common issue where learners can speak but struggle with comprehension. She suggests that listening to English podcasts is an effective method to improve this skill. Podcasts cater to various levels and accents, so learners should consider their proficiency level and preferred accent. For those below the intermediate level, Maddie recommends 'Lesson a Minute' for its one-minute podcasts on diverse topics, which come with written scripts. For advanced learners interested in British or American accents, she recommends BBC's 6 Minute English and VOA Learning English, respectively. These resources include audio files and scripts to aid in learning.
đ Steps to Effectively Utilize Podcasts for Listening Practice
The second paragraph outlines a three-step method to improve listening skills using podcasts. The initial step involves listening to podcasts without the pressure of understanding every detail, focusing instead on getting the general idea. The second step requires active engagement, where learners pause after each sentence to write down what they hear, revisiting parts they didn't understand by replaying them. If certain parts remain unclear, they should be left blank and the exercise continued. The third step is to follow along with the original script while listening to the podcast, ensuring full comprehension. The final step is a comparison of the learner's transcript with the original to identify areas of misunderstanding or gaps in comprehension. This method not only enhances listening skills but also helps in vocabulary acquisition. The speaker also mentions a subscription service on her website, pocenglish.com, for those interested in receiving summaries of her YouTube lessons.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄListening skill
đĄPodcasts
đĄAccent
đĄLevel
đĄImitation technique
đĄSpeech shadowing
đĄVOA
đĄBBC
đĄScript
đĄTranscription
đĄGist
Highlights
The video discusses a common problem where individuals can speak English but struggle with understanding it.
The presenter, Maddie, introduces the concept of using English podcasts to improve listening skills.
Podcasts are available for different English levels and accents, which can be chosen based on personal preference and language proficiency.
For beginners or those below the intermediate level, focusing on general understanding is recommended over specific accents.
Lessonaminute.com is suggested for those below the intermediate level, offering one-minute podcasts on various topics.
The website allows users to download audio files and scripts in PDF format for easy access and practice.
For those above the intermediate level, accent becomes more important for improving pronunciation and listening skills.
BBC's 6 Minute English is recommended for those interested in the British accent, with a variety of topics available.
VOA Learning English is the go-to for American accent enthusiasts, with podcasts for different proficiency levels.
The presenter explains the process of using podcasts effectively, which includes three main steps.
The first step involves listening to podcasts without the pressure of understanding every detail, focusing on getting the gist.
The second step requires active listening and writing down what is heard after each sentence, even if it requires multiple listens.
The third step involves following the original script while listening to the podcast to ensure full comprehension.
The final step is comparing the written script to the original to identify areas of misunderstanding or gaps.
This method not only improves listening skills but also helps in learning new vocabulary.
The presenter uses the idiom 'kill two birds with one stone' to illustrate the dual benefits of this exercise.
A summary of the lesson is offered on the presenter's website, pocenglish.com, for those who subscribe with their email.
Transcripts
in one of my videos i talked about a very common problem i can understand but i cannot speak but Â
while i was reading the comments i came across this one i can speak but i cannot understand so Â
in this video i'm going to teach you the best way Â
to improve your listening skill through english podcasts
hello my name is maddie from poc english lessening is a very crucial skill especially if you want to Â
be able to communicate effectively one of the best ways to improve your listening skill is by Â
listening to english podcasts but what podcasts and how to listen to them english podcasts are Â
available for different levels and with different accents so two questions you need to ask yourself Â
is what is my level and what is my favorite accent do i want to learn the american accent or Â
the british accent based on your answers to these two questions you can choose the right podcast so Â
first of all what is your level well you should consider two different levels Â
below intermediate level or above the intermediate level which one are you if you belong to the Â
first group whose level of english is below the intermediate level you should not worry about Â
the accent so forget about the accent first of all you should focus on improving your general Â
understanding and listening skill for you i recommend this website lessonaminute.com on this Â
website you can find one minute english podcasts about almost any topic you think of and the topics Â
are categorized alphabetically for instance let's go to one of the topics paper there you can see Â
the one minute audio file and the written script you can also download the audio file if you like Â
plus you can download the script in a pdf file format this website is amazing for those who Â
are below the intermediate level especially for the beginners but how should you listen Â
to the podcasts on this website stick to the end of this video i'm going to teach you alright time Â
for the second group those whose level of english is above the intermediate level for you accent Â
is actually important because by listening to podcasts not only you improve your lessening skill Â
and general understanding but you can also improve your accent and pronunciation using the imitation Â
technique or the speech shadowing technique i'm going to link a video up here so you can click Â
on it in this video i talked about improving your pronunciation using the speech shadowing technique Â
so if you are above the intermediate level and you are interested in the british accent i recommend Â
bbc 6 minute english podcasts this is the official website where you can find the six-minute Â
english podcast of bbc you can also see the level intermediate i'm going to put the link to this Â
website down in the descriptions of this video how does it work well you have a wide choice of topics Â
so you can read the topics and see which one you like click on the one you like and then Â
you can see the audio and the pdf files there so basically you can play the podcast from inside Â
the website or you can download the audio of the podcast together with the pdf file of the script Â
what about the american accent lovers like me well the best option for you is voa Â
this is voa learning english and voa stands for voice of america and we are talking about the Â
american accent right on this website you can find podcasts for different levels beginning Â
intermediate or advanced levels we're talking about the intermediate level Â
we click on it and then you can see there are four options here available health and Â
lifestyle science and technology art and culture as it is you click on your favorite area and then Â
you can see a lot of podcasts available you can also click on load more and then there they are Â
let's click on one and see what happens well we have the audio file we can play we can also Â
download the audio file here and the text and the script of the audio file is right below it
so let's sum up the first part of this lesson if you are below the intermediate level go to Â
lessonaminute.com that's where you should start from if you are above the intermediate level Â
and you like the british accent bbc's six-minute english is for you and if you are into the Â
american accent then voa is the best option okay now that we know what podcast you can use Â
time for second question how can we lessen two podcasts in order to improve our listening Â
if you want to improve your listening through podcasts you have to follow these three steps Â
step one is to lessen don't worry about anything you don't have to understand 100 of what they are Â
saying you don't have to take notes just listen the important thing is that your ears are getting Â
used to the sounds you're hearing and that you can get the gist of the story what is going on Â
who are the main speakers what is the topic of the podcast that's enough and the good part about the Â
first step is that you can do it anywhere you can listen to podcasts while you were sitting down or Â
maybe while you were doing the dishes you can also listen to podcasts while you are walking on the Â
street or maybe you are waiting for the bus or you know you can listen to it anywhere you want and Â
as many times as you need step 2 lesson and write down now listen guys this step might take a lot of Â
time but trust me there is no shortcut in learning you need to spend time so do it and don't be lazy Â
what you need to do here is to listen to the podcast pause after each sentence and Â
write down what you heard so basically you're going to write down the script of the podcast Â
maybe sometimes you don't understand what they are saying pause go back lesson again again if Â
you need you can go back and listen again do this as many times as you need in order to understand Â
what the podcast the speaker is saying so that you can write it down what if i don't understand what Â
they are saying well in that case if you couldn't understand what they are saying after a few times Â
of playing it and listening to it then just leave it blank and continue with the rest of the podcast Â
alright by the end of this step you will write down the script of the podcast what is step three Â
lesson and follow the original script whether you listen to voa or bbc podcasts the script is Â
available in a pdf file format so what you need to do is to download that file play the podcast Â
and while you are listening to the podcast follow the script this time you will understand what they Â
are saying a hundred percent now and step four the final step is to compare your script to the Â
original script to see which parts you have made a mistake which parts you couldn't get Â
and which parts you left blank this exercise takes a lot of time guys but trust me you will see Â
immediate results plus not only it improves your listening you can also learn some new vocabulary Â
so basically you're killing two birds with one stone and to kill two birds with one stone means Â
to achieve two things by doing one thing i hope you've enjoyed this lesson if you want Â
to receive the summary of every video lesson i post on youtube in one pdf file each time i post Â
what you need to do is to go to my website pocenglish.com the link is down in the Â
descriptions click on the link go to my website type in your email address and click subscribe see
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