Listening is one of the trickiest skills to master when learning a new language, but improving your ability to understand spoken English is key to becoming fluent. Many intermediate learners, especially those who speak a different language, find that they struggle with listening comprehension. You might understand written English well, but spoken English can feel much more challenging.
Don’t worry — you can improve your listening skills with the right strategies and consistent practice.
In this article, I’ll share some useful tips and exercises to help you strengthen your English listening abilities. These are tips that have helped my students, so I'm sure they will help you too.
With these practical strategies will help you become more confident in your English, making it easier to have English conversations.
1. Listen to a Variety of English Content
One of the best ways to improve your listening skills is to expose yourself to different types of English content. Instead of focusing only on one type of material, such as movies or songs, try to expand your listening experience to include podcasts, interviews, news broadcasts, and even speeches. This variety helps you get used to different accents, speeds, and contexts.
For example, choose a podcast like BBC Learning English or various TED Talks and listen for 10–15 minutes daily. Start with topics you’re interested in, so you stay engaged (because no one enjoys listening to content they are not interested in). Over time, challenge yourself with content that uses more complex language or focuses on a wider range of topics.
2. Test Yourself: Focus on Key Points
As you listen, test your understanding by focusing on the main points and key ideas. It’s important not to worry about understanding every single word — focus instead on what the speaker is trying to convey. After you’ve listened, try answering questions about the content to see how much you understood.
Exercise: After listening to a podcast or watching a video, ask yourself questions like:
What was the most interesting part?
What are three key points the speaker mentioned?
What was the speaker’s opinion about a certain topic?
You can also write a summary of what you heard. Two to three sentences is just fine. This helps you focus on the overall message instead of getting stuck on specific words or phrases.
3. Use Transcripts for Guided Listening
For more structured practice, download transcripts before listening to a video or podcast whenever it's available. Reading the transcript first helps you get familiar with the language and understand the context before listening. This is particularly helpful when the speaker uses unfamiliar words or speaks quickly.
Exercise: Choose an episode from ESLPod, which provides transcripts of the dialogues. Read the transcript, highlight unfamiliar words, then listen to the podcast while following along. Afterward, try listening without the transcript to test your comprehension. Be sure to look up the meaning of the new words and make sentences with them to expand your vocabulary.
4. Limit Your Use of Subtitles
My students always groan when I tell them this, but it's important. Subtitles are great when you are at the beginner or elementary level. Once you become intermediate, upper intermediate, or advanced, they become a crutch. A useful tool that once aided your learning becomes an anchor that holds you back from reaching your full English potential.
Initially, it's fine to use subtitles in your native language, but as you gain confidence, try using English subtitles or removing them entirely. This forces your brain to rely on what you hear, not what you read.
Tip: If you’re watching a video, start by using English subtitles to reinforce what you hear, then challenge yourself by re-watching without subtitles.
5. Break Down Speech into Chunks
Native speakers often speak quickly, which can make it hard for learners to follow along. Instead of trying to understand everything at once, break the speech into smaller segments. Pause videos and podcasts after a sentence or two to repeat what you heard or to summarize the key point in your mind.
Exercise: Watch a YouTube video in English and pause after every 30 seconds. Try repeating the sentences or summarizing the speaker's point before continuing. You can also use the slow playback feature to reduce the video speed while getting used to natural speech patterns.
6. Practice with Real-Life Conversations
While listening to podcasts and videos is great, nothing beats real-life practice. Talk to native speakers or other English learners as much as possible. Even if you make mistakes or don’t understand everything, interacting with others is one of the fastest ways to improve your listening skills.
Apps like HelloTalk and Tandem connect you with native speakers who can help you practice listening and speaking. I haven't used these myself but the reviews imply they are a great place to look for speaking partners. Just be sure to do your own research and be careful of what you share with strangers online.
Exercise: Schedule a language exchange or conversation session. Record part of the conversation (with permission) and listen to it afterward. Write down any words or phrases you didn’t understand, then look them up or speak with an English tutor or English Coach to get clarification.
7. Train Your Ear to Recognize New Sounds
English has some sounds that don’t exist in other languages. This can make it hard to distinguish certain words. For example, the difference between "ship" and "sheep" can be subtle, but learning to hear these distinctions is crucial.
Exercise: Use pronunciation training resources like Forvo to hear native speakers pronounce difficult words. Try shadowing — repeat what the speaker says immediately after hearing it and focus on imitating their pronunciation.
8. Make Listening Part of Your Daily Routine
Consistency is key when learning a new language learning. Incorporate English listening into your daily routine by setting aside time for it every day, whether during your commute, while cooking, or before going to bed. If you make a habit of listening to English every day, your English will improve in no time!
Tip: Make a listening schedule and stick to it. Start with 10–15 minutes a day and gradually increase the time as you become more comfortable.
Additional Resources:
- Podcasts: The English We Speak (BBC Learning English)
- Videos: VOA Learning English
-Youtube: TutorMeEnglish
- Apps: LingQ – Helps with listening by providing transcripts alongside audio.
Conclusion
Improving your English listening skills takes time and consistent effort, but with the right approach, you will see progress. Focus on listening to a variety of content, challenge yourself to understand the main ideas, and practice with real conversations whenever possible.
By following these tips and using the exercises above, you'll soon become a more confident and capable listener.
Remember, patience is important — language learning is a journey, and every step forward counts!