Listening is one of the most difficult parts of English for those who are just starting to become familiar with the language. Both the rhythm and the intonation are different from that of Spanish and, as if that were not enough, the English of a British person is very different from that of an Irish person or an Australian. In order to improve, the most productive thing to do is to listen to a lot of English and one way to do this is to take advantage of the benefits offered by the new technologies to learn English or, in other words, listen to lots of podcasts in English.
If you have not yet tried this innovative way to improve your listening skills, in Fun Talk we have come to explain how podcasts help your listening and which ones you should listen to if you want to improve.
Why listen to podcasts to learn English?
English podcasts are one of the most
one of the most versatile tools for learning English. First of all, it has many benefits: it improves your listening comprehension, because it exposes you to listening to native speakers from all over the world, it helps you improve your active listening, it teaches you more vocabulary and colloquial expressions with which you can impress both in everyday life and in an official exam and, most importantly,you can listen to them whenever and wherever you want, whether in the subway or at the gym.
Which English learning podcast is best?
The answer to this question is very simple: it depends on your needs. What do you want?
If you are looking to supplement your
your English preparation classes for official exams, you may need to more academic podcasts. On the other hand, if your goal is to improve your comprehension so that you can advance faster in your conversation classes, you can listen to a
conversation classes, you can listen to a most entertaining podcast.
Basic English Podcast
If you have a basic level and are looking for a first way to familiarize yourself with the language, the podcast Learn English 101 may be your solution.
It is a classroom channel where you can find sections for different levels.
If you prefer to listen to non-academic content, we also recommend listening to ted talks on the channel Ted Talks Daily. They usually have a very clear structure and the speakers are people who make a living from their talks, so you will be able to understand much more than you think.
Academic English language learning podcasts
For most official exam certifications (Cambridge, IELTS, TOEFL…), there are podcasts that have been created specifically to help students pass this part of the exam. In addition to examples, they tell tricks and ways to tackle the test, so they will be useful to you in many ways.
These are the main ones:
- Cambridge Assessment Podcast
- IELTS Speaking for Success
Entertaining English learning podcasts
There are many native English teachers who have dedicated years to correcting official exams and now have podcasts in which they teach tricks to learn English, but they do it in a very dynamic and entertaining way.
This is the case of English Teacher John. Another option is to choose a podcast in which two native speakers talk about a topic that interests you, here the options are endless!
Just do some research and find the one that best suits you.
We highly recommend English Friendsis the podcast of a couple that deals with everyday topics and, as she is Spanish and English, the contrast is quite easy to assimilate.
How to find the best podcasts to learn English?
As we have told you, the best podcasts for learning English vary depending on each person’s goals and tastes.
Some students need to listen to more academic information while others improve their level by listening to Anything goes with Emma Chamberlain. Whatever your case may be, at Fun Talk we will be here to help you!Contact us if you want to start if you want to start improving your English!