Upgrade your English Listening and Learning Skills

8 months ago

Focus your listening activity on understanding real-world English.

After listening to a source of real conversations, these steps will help you notice and understand specific features of English, like idioms, adverbs, fixed expressions, collocations, and phrasal verbs.

Steps for SMART Listening Activities:
1. Identify Source Material
· Choose a podcast, movie scene, or YouTube video that features real-world English. See this list: https://www.verbling.com/articles/post/the-6-best-english-learning-podcasts-559ed5e6448aa5ca55a11572

2. Initial Listening
· Listen to the chosen source once, without any aids such as dictionaries, to get the overall idea.

3. Active Listening
· Step 1: Put away distractions.
· Step 2: Focus on the audio.
· Step 3: Ask questions in your mind like "What is the main point?" or "What is new to me?"

4. Use Subtitles (If Needed)
· Turn on English subtitles and listen again.
· Pause and replay difficult sections.

5. Take Notes
· Step 1: Write down unfamiliar words or phrases.
· Step 2: Note specific idioms, adverbs, fixed expressions, collocations, and phrasal verbs.
· Step 3: Write down the context in which they appear.

6. Look Up Vocabulary
· Use a dictionary to look up the meanings and examples of new vocabulary.
· Make flashcards for new words and expressions. See https://apps.ankiweb.net  and https://www.cram.com

7. Repetition
· Step 1: Listen to the source multiple times.
· Step 2: Try to listen once without subtitles.
· Step 3: Compare your understanding during each listen.

8. Practice Pronunciation
· Repeat tricky sentences or expressions aloud.
· Record yourself for self-evaluation.
Apps: https://www.fluentu.com/blog/english/english-pronunciation-app/

9. Connect to Real Life
· Think about how you can use these new terms or expressions in your everyday life or discussions.

10. Review Notes
· Go over your notes and flashcards.
· Use spaced repetition to review, strengthen, and reinforce what you learned.

11. Test Understanding
· Try to summarize the source content in your own words.
· Discuss it with a study partner or tutor to test or validate your understanding.

12. Set New Goals
· Based on what you learned, set new SMART goals for future listening exercises.

If you follow these steps, you will not only become more aware of specific language features but also improve your overall listening comprehension skills for exams or general conversations.