You know that podcasts can improve listening skills in English, but where do you find podcasts you like that are for learners? With so many podcasts available, it can be difficult to know where to start. In this blog post, I’ll share English learning podcasts to make your decision easier and tips for how to benefit from them more. With this list, you can start listening to more podcasts and improve your listening skills so you’ll be ready to understand more English during your next conversation.
Listen to what you Enjoy: Why It’s Important
Let’s start by looking at why finding podcasts you like is crucial. Listening should be enjoyable and meaningful, or else you might lose interest. It’s important to feel happy while listening, knowing that you’re also making progress in English. If you find a podcast that achieves both, you’ll stay motivated and keep getting better at English.🥳
While many podcasts for learners are designed for specific English skill levels, there are ways to enjoy different ones even before you reach that level. Here are my top 2 tips:
– Change the speed: Start by slowing down the podcast. As you get more comfortable, you can speed it up.👏
– Download a transcript: If available, download a transcript to read along while you listen. It’s like having subtitles! 🙌
Don’t limit yourself to just learner podcasts. Try listening to topics you love from any fluent speaker out there. How do you find a podcast to try? It’s simple! Search for a topic you love followed by the word ‘podcast’ in your favorite search engine. Do you love pandas? Search for ‘Panda animal Podcast’. Want to be more organized? Look for an ‘Organization Podcast’. It’s that easy!
Recommended Podcasts for All English Learning Levels
I have created 3 playlists for you on Spotify so you can choose the level you like and start listening today.
🎧 Basic Level: This playlist is for beginners. It has people speaking slowly and clearly. It is easier for you to understand. Click here to go to the Basic Level playlist.
🎧 Intermediate Level: This playlist is for those who want to grow their English skills as they move toward advanced English. The speakers talk at a moderate pace, helping you practice understanding different topics and preparing you for future advanced English conversations. Click here to go to the Intermediate Level playlist.
🎧 Advanced Level: This playlist is for learners who want to challenge themselves. The speakers talk at their natural speed, exposing you to complex discussions and advanced vocabulary. These are recommendations from my personal list of podcasts. Please note that some of these podcasts may contain mature content. Click here to access the Advanced Level playlist.
💡Choose one podcast to start listening to for 2 to 5 minutes. If you like it, continue listening. If it feels too difficult or uninteresting, try a different one.
And remember, if you find yourself struggling with any aspect of the podcasts or you want to focus more on speaking, consider getting additional English support. As my past student Yolanda shared, “If your biggest fear is to pass your speaking or listening tests, these classes are a good choice as Vickie is a good and straightforward communicator who makes these two oral skills seem easy to acquire.”
Be sure to discuss the podcasts you’ve listened to in class with your teacher to practice what you’ve learned and receive personalized guidance specific to your language learning needs.
Techniques for Effective Podcast Listening
A lot of podcast listening happens on the go – for example, while you’re driving or working out and you can still make the most of your listening time with these simple techniques:
👂 Involved Listening:
– When you’re sitting down, take notes to remember new words, expressions, and ideas.
– When you’re busy working out, try talking out loud (or silently in your mind) about what you hear. Pause the podcast to repeat things you want to remember.
🗣 Involved Speaking:
– Speak along with the podcast and try to predict what the speaker will say next. Pay attention to see if your guess matches the actual words the speaker says. This helps you get better at guessing and understanding how the English language works.
– Copy the speaker’s speaking style to improve your fluency. Pause the podcast and repeat after the speaker. Try to mimic their exact pronunciation and rhythm.
Read more about involved learning here.
🧠 Listen for Context:
– Focus on understanding the main idea, not every word.
– Try summarizing what you hear in your own words to check your understanding. Use this summarization task taken from my digital product Listen Read Speak:
Start by choosing 2 to 4 words from what you’re listening to.
I suggest choosing words that could be helpful when you want to explain to someone what you’ve been listening to.
Once you’ve chosen your words, use them to summarize what you’ve heard as best you can.
– Pay attention to speaker’s tone and emotions, such as whether they sound informal or formal, happy or annoyed. This can help you understand the context of the podcast better.
Final thoughts to keep improving your listening
Have fun using these steps to improve listening skills in English with podcasts! Remember, good listening skills are important for speaking English well and enjoying conversations more. By listening to podcasts and trying different ways of listening, you’ll understand more, learn new English words, and become a better speaker in the language too. Put on your headphones, start the podcast, and enjoy listening!
Tell me about your favorite podcasts or how you’re learning with podcasts in the comments below. Let’s help each other learn and grow their English skills together! 🎉
