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Introduction:

Are you one of those who can read and write English but don’t understand when someone speaks in English? If your answer is ‘yes’, don’t worry, you’re not alone! ‘How to improve listening skills‘ remains a common problem for many non-native speakers. Listening is often ignored when it comes to honing English language skills. Furthermore, one can become proficient in English language if one focuses on improving one’s listening skills from the very beginning.

In this blog post, we will discuss how to improve listening skills in English step by step using simple but proven methods with the help of daily-life examples. Ready? Let’s embark on this exciting journey together!

Why Listening is Important in Learning English?

It is worthwhile to understand why English listening practice is important.

• One can understand what people are speaking in movies, interviews, or daily life.
• It equips one with tools to respond faster when in conversations.
• One can learn correct pronunciation and natural expressions.
• It improves one’s spoken English skills and confidence.

Imagine you’re at a job interview and the interviewer asks, “Tell me about yourself.” If you didn’t catch the sentence correctly, you would stay mum, not knowing how to respond. That’s why listening skills are vital in real-life communication.

Tips to Improve English Listening Skills:

Now, let us explore easy and effective ways to improve listening in English.

1. Start with English Content You Already Enjoy

It is the best to choose what you already love! If you like movies, then watch movies of your favorite genre with subtitles. Be careful while choosing the movies. Choose the ones you already know the story of. This will help you connect words with proper context and comprehension will be better. I used to watch Sci-fi movies a lot as I loved the stories and enjoyed watching them, till the end.

You can start with any movie which has simple English dialogues. It will keep you interested in the movie. Also, you don’t need to watch full movie, in one go. Take breaks in between or watch one movie over many days, as per your suitability and interest.

 2. Use English Listening Apps & Tools

There are many apps which are useful for English listening practice. Initially, you may start with the free ones and later go for paid apps. My recommendation is that you spend at least 10 minutes every day listening to these apps. In the beginning, it may be confusing ; but gradually, you’ll start understanding and enjoying the listening process.

For this, I would recommend choosing the content which is easy. It is because you must enjoy and understand what you listen to. Without comprehension, listening activity would not bring any result.

3. Listen Daily – Start Small but Stay Consistent

You may change the duration of each activity as per your convenience and time availability. Actually, engaging in a variety of listening activities exposes you to a variety of sentence structures and vocabulary.

Consistency is the key. Whenever you start the practice, make sure to stay persistent. This will not only boost your confidence but also your understanding of this language will enhance, in a short time.

You can try these:

• Listen to All India Radio (AIR) English News for 5 minutes.
• Use Spotify to find simple English podcasts
• Listen to interviews of Indian celebrities in English (e.g. Virat Kohli, Priyanka Chopra).

4. Use Subtitles Smartly

Subtitles are your companion in the initial phase of you learning journey! The biggest mistake new learners of English make, is that they avoid subtitles, thinking that watching subtitles will not help them learn faster. Actually, subtitles help in understanding the content. Also, if you happen to listen some words wrong, you can correct yourself by referring to subtitles.

• Watch a video with English subtitles first.
• Then watch the same video again without subtitles.
• Repeat difficult parts. Pause and replay.

For example: Watch your favorite TV Show episode with a celebrity speaking in English. Turn on English subtitles, note some new words, and watch it again.

Once your understanding of English gets better, then you can watch your desired content even without subtitles.

5. Practice Listening with Indian English Accents

English in India is spoken in different accents. Practice listening to:

• English news on NDTV, Times Now, or India Today
• Interviews from TEDx Talks India (search “TEDx Talks India English” on YouTube)
• Indian YouTubers or influencers who speak fluent English

 This practice will help you relate well and learn faster because you are habitual to watching or reading such content. While listening, compare your speech with that of theirs and improve your speech where you find it wrong.

6. Repeat and Shadow the Sentences

Shadowing is one of the most effective practices to improve listening skills. For absolute beginners, shadowing is the first step to get them going.

• Listen to a short sentence.
• Pause the video.
• Repeat it aloud. Focus on copying the same tone and pronunciation.

Example:
You hear – “I didn’t get your point.”
You say – “I didn’t get your point.” (Try to sound exactly the same stressing on ‘didn’t’!)

This is called shadowing and it is beneficial for English conversation practice as well as for listening practice. When you repeat, don’t just focus on pronunciation but also copy the pitch, rhythm and intonation.

7. Watch English Kids’ Shows or Beginner Content

Many learners feel that they have grown up and feel shame in referring to kids’ content when it comes to improving English skills. Actually, it is very effective because this type of content is slow, clear; and, in simple English. It helps in boosting your confidence as you make fewer mistakes. A variety of content is available, for absolute beginners, both online as well as offline.

Tip: You can watch these with your children, if you’re a parent.

8. Write What You Hear – Dictation Practice

‘Writing what you listen to’ is a good way to test your listening ability.

• Choose any 1-minute video clip.
• Listen and write down what you hear summarizing it.
• Then compare it with subtitles or script to check if you listened correctly.

This will help your brain focus on sounds, spelling, and meaning all at once. Also, this practice with boost your vocabulary and grammar knowledge will strengthen, in a short time.

9. Join Online Speaking Clubs or Practice Partners

Find English-speaking groups on:

• Facebook groups 
•  Telegram channels or WhatsApp groups for learners
• English Meetups on Zoom or other such platforms

These groups often share audios or recordings to listen and respond. Try listening to different accents and content. By staying active in such groups, you can speed up your learning journey.

If you wish to improve faster, combine listening with speaking.

10. Use Real-Life Situations to Listen to English

Try to add English listening to your daily routine:

• While cooking – Play an English podcast.
• While commuting – Listen to YouTube videos using your earphones.
• At night – Watch an English movie or web series of your choice.

Daily exposure to listening will help you gain fluency, in no time! By adding such activities to your routine, you will not have to spare extra time, for practicing listening.

 Common Mistakes to Avoid:

It is worthwhile to discuss what NOT to do while improving your listening skills:

•  Don’t try to understand every word when you are listening. Focus on the overall meaning of the content.
•  Don’t skip listening when you don’t understand. After a short break, try listening to it again or use subtitles.
•  Don’t give up too soon. It takes time and patience to develop listening skills. Also, mistakes are inevitable so don’t be discouraged by them.

 Real-Life Example:

Let me tell you about Ravi, a college student from Jaipur. He was good at reading English but couldn’t understand when his professor gave lectures in English.

He started watching English Vinglish (the movie), followed by Kapil Sharma Show episodes in English with subtitles. He used an English app daily. He also joined an online English group and practiced with others.

Within 3 months, his listening improved so much that he started understanding 80% of his professor’s English and even asked questions confidently!

Final Tips to Remember

• Use English subtitles for better understanding of the content.
• Practice listening every day – minimum for 10 minutes.
• Choose Indian content in English language to relate with the content.
• Repeat and speak what you hear – to train your ears.
• Be consistent and don’t try to be perfect, in the beginning.

Conclusion:

Improving your English listening skills is a journey. You need to do it daily, enjoy the process, and keep trying new ways to get it right!

So, the next time you feel like switching to your native language or feel the urge to translate, challenge yourself – give 10 minutes to English listening practice.

Your ears will slowly get trained, and soon you’ll enjoy listening and using English.

Share your thought:

With patience and persistence, it is absolutely possible to be a good listener. Small efforts make a big difference when it comes to honing listening skills in English. Comment below to share your concerns or queries, if any.