When it comes to learning the English Language, the series goes like this: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. It gives a simple yet powerful message that one has to Listen to English in order to be fluent in it.
How does a regular human being start to talk?
First, he listens to what others are saying, and later, he starts talking in that language. That’s why, if a non-native English speaker focuses on listening more, he or she will be fluent in English at a super speed.
Compared to reading, listening is much harder. Here, you have to know both vocabulary and pronunciation to be able to listen correctly. Unfortunately, having good vocab and pronunciation ideas is not enough. So, what is the solution?
The solution is simple, you need to practice effectively. In this comprehensive article, I’ll share some practice ideas with you. At the end of the day, you can master your listening skill only and only if you take the proper steps.
7 Best Ways to Practice Listening Skills in English
In this section, all the methods are the sole result of my previous experience and extensive research. Let’s get to the list, shall we?
Regular Practice is the Key
Maintaining regularity in listening skills is a must. Over the years, I’ve seen people fail because they were not regular.
Regular means every day, not every week or month. Some people will tell you to count hours in a week and practice accordingly. But I always recommend people to count hours in a week. Rather than spending 14 hrs in a week, spend 2 hrs daily.
See, in week count, you will complete your 14 hrs Kota in the first three days and sit idle for the last four days of that week. It’s one of the most ineffective ways of practicing a language skill.
Listen, Listen, and Listen
Don’t leave out any opportunity to listen. For instance, if you add a new word to your vocabulary, you should find the pronunciation of it. This way, you will not only enhance your vocab but also be able to understand how native speakers spell it.
Listen to podcasts, music, and audiobooks all you can. All of the activities will give you entertainment and help you practice listening skills at the same time.
If you’re an old-school lover like me, you can also tune into English radio channels and hear the news.
Read Aloud
Since reading is way easier among all four skills, you have to make the most out of it. Reading aloud English words and phrases can help you practice listening skills.
Pick an essay, a research paper, or a part of your favorite book, read loudly so that you can hear your reading. This way the brain will catch what you’re reading, and it will create a visual memory for you to memorize.
Take Advantage of those Great Movies
How many movies has Hollywood produced till now? Do you have any idea?
Well, the number is more than 44000! It’s huge, isn’t it? Your job will be to go to IMDB and pick the top hundred English movies and watch them.
You’ll be able to experience the greatest twist in Fight Club, utmost philosophy in Prison Break, extreme horror in The Conjuring, mind-boggling CGIs in Avatar, and so on.
At the end of the watching streak, you’ll be prepared for any beginner listening test.
Try to Experiment a Bit
If you’re too comfortable watching English movies, you need to experiment with different accents now. This means it’s time for you to watch movies and series in British, Scottish, and Irish accents.
Britting might sound a bit dizzy at the beginning to you. But as time progresses, it will come clean.
Time For You To Turn Off Subtitles
If you’re too comfortable watching movies and series, it’s time for you to watch these without subtitles. When you watch something with subs, you’re kind of reading the dialogues rather than listening to it.
For this reason, turning off subs can solely interest you in listening to dialogues. At first, it will feel a bit odd. But you will cope with it after some days.
Online Platforms
Online platforms are another effective place to practice these skills efficiently. For example, Amazing talkers have 1000+ native teachers. As a result, you can get ideas from one of the best people in the industry. There are too many places to purchase courses, but it’s one of the best online English learning platforms for me.
Bottom Line
Learning a language is fun if you take it in such a way. If you put brute force in these, you will fail. For this reason, you need to take everything slow and precise.
In the above, I’ve discussed all the fun ways that you can try to practice your listening skill in English. You can take both personal and professional care. If you can invest, taking professional help is the right way to go.