Listening: Improving My Comprehension Skills

My Listening Strengths

✅ Understanding Everyday Conversations – Thanks to my experience in England and frequent exposure to English, I can easily follow everyday conversations, even with different accents.

✅ Listening to Podcasts and Audiobooks – I enjoy listening to English podcasts and audiobooks, which helps me improve comprehension and expand my vocabulary.

✅ Understanding Different Accents – After living abroad and consuming English media, I can understand British, American, and some Australian accents quite well.

My Listening Weaknesses

⚠️ Fast Speech and Uncommon Vocabulary – I sometimes struggle when listening to fast native speech, especially if speakers use a lot of slang or technical terms.

⚠️ Complex Movies and TV Shows Without Subtitles – While I understand most English films, some dialogues in complex movies or historical series are hard to follow without subtitles.

⚠️ Academic and Business English – I want to improve my ability to understand lectures, interviews, and formal discussions, which often contain advanced vocabulary and abstract concepts.

How I Work on My Listening Skills

📌 Listening to Podcasts and Audiobooks – I regularly listen to TED Talks, BBC Learning English, and The Daily Podcast to expose myself to different accents and topics.

📌 Watching Movies and Series Without Subtitles – To challenge myself, I try to watch movies and series in English without subtitles and only use them when necessary.

📌 Repeating and Shadowing – I practice shadowing, which means I repeat what I hear immediately after the speaker to improve pronunciation and fluency.

📌 Summarizing What I Hear – After listening to a podcast or watching a video, I write a short summary in English to check my understanding and recall important vocabulary.

📌 Using Dictation Exercises – I listen to short clips and try to write down exactly what I hear, which helps me train my ear for details and improve spelling.

My Favorite Listening Resources

🎧 Podcasts:

• The Daily (New York Times)- 🎧 The Daily is a news podcast by The New York Times, hosted by Michael Barbaro. Each episode is around 20–30 minutes and covers one major news story in depth. The topics range from politics, global affairs, and social issues to personal stories and cultural events.

  Why I Like It & How It Helps My English

  📰 Up-to-Date News – Keeps me informed about current world events in English.
  🗣 Clear & Professional Speech – The host and guests speak clearly and professionally, making it easier to understand.
  📖 Expands Vocabulary – Helps me learn formal and journalistic English, as well as new phrases used in news reporting.

  How I Use It to Improve My English

  📌 Listening without transcripts to test my comprehension.
  📌 Writing summaries of episodes to reinforce new vocabulary.
  📌 Pausing and replaying difficult sections to practice listening.

  
  

• BBC Learning English- 📺 BBC Learning English is a platform offering free English lessons through short videos, podcasts, and articles. It covers grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, and news-related English.

  Why I Like It & How It Helps My English

  📚 Great for Learning Grammar & Vocabulary – The lessons explain complex grammar rules and new words in a simple way.
  🗣 British English Focus – It helps me get used to British pronunciation and expressions.
  ⏳ Short & Effective Lessons – Videos are only a few minutes long, making it easy to learn even with a busy schedule.

  How I Use It to Improve My English

  📌 Watching pronunciation videos to improve my accent.
  📌 Completing interactive exercises to test my understanding.
  📌 Learning new expressions and idioms from their "English at Work" series.

  
  

• TED Talks- 🎤 TED Talks are inspirational and educational speeches by experts in different fields. The topics cover science, psychology, motivation, business, and personal growth.

  Why I Like It & How It Helps My English

  💡 Interesting & Thought-Provoking Topics – The talks are engaging and help me learn new perspectives.
  🗣 Diverse Speakers & Accents – TED speakers come from all over the world, helping me understand different English accents.
  📖 Great for Expanding Vocabulary – Each talk includes academic and advanced vocabulary, which helps me sound more professional.

  How I Use It to Improve My English

  📌 Watching with subtitles first, then without to check my understanding.
  📌 Writing down key ideas and new words from each talk.
  📌 Repeating sentences to practice pronunciation and intonation.

  
  

📺 YouTube Channels:

• Yoga & Learning English

  I often listen to various yoga instructors on YouTube and practice guided yoga sessions in English. This method not only helps me improve my yoga skills but also strengthens my English vocabulary, especially related to body parts, movements, and breathing techniques.

  Why Practicing Yoga in English Helps Me Learn

  🧘 Memorizing Body Parts & Movements – Hearing instructions like "extend your arms," "engage your core," or "relax your shoulders" makes it easier to remember anatomy-related words.
  🎧 Listening & Understanding Instructions – Since yoga requires focus and slow movement, I have time to process the words and match them with actions.
  📖 Learning New Yoga Terms – I am getting familiar with specific terms like downward dog, warrior pose, sun salutation, and more.

  My Favorite Yoga Channels in English

  📺 Yoga with Adriene – One of the most popular yoga instructors, perfect for clear and beginner-friendly instructions.
  📺 Boho Beautiful – Combines yoga, pilates, and meditation with a focus on relaxation and self-care.
  📺 SarahBethYoga – Short and structured yoga sessions that help me learn sequences and terminology.

  How I Use Yoga Videos to Improve My English

  📌 Practicing without watching the screen to focus purely on listening.
  📌 Repeating instructions out loud to improve pronunciation.
  📌 Writing down new yoga-related vocabulary and using it in daily life.

  
  

🎬 TV Shows & Movies:

• Friends is one of my favorite TV shows because it's funny, relatable, and full of natural conversations. It follows six best friends—Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe—as they navigate life, relationships, and careers in New York City.

  Why I Love It & How It Helps My English

  🗣 Real-Life Conversations – The dialogues are natural and easy to follow, making it great for learning casual English and everyday phrases.
  😂 Humor & Wordplay – The show is full of sarcasm, puns, and jokes, which help me understand English humor and cultural references.
  🎭 Different Speaking Styles – Each character has a unique way of talking, helping me recognize various tones, accents, and expressions.

  How I Use It to Improve My English

  📌 Watching without subtitles to test my listening skills.
  📌 Noting down useful expressions and idioms.
  

  📌 Repeating funny phrases and dialogues to improve pronunciation.



• Sex and the City- is one of my favorite shows because it combines romance, comedy, and real-life conversations. It follows four women—Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha—navigating relationships, careers, and friendships in New York City.Why I Love It & How It Helps My English

  🗣 Natural Conversations – Great for learning everyday English, slang, and idioms.
  🗽 Cultural Insight – Shows American lifestyle, fashion, and dating culture.
  🎭 Different Speaking Styles – Each character has a unique way of speaking, helping me understand various tones and expressions.
  📖 Fun & Educational – Watching it in English improves my listening and vocabulary effortlessly.

  How I Use It to Learn English

  📌 Watching without subtitles to test my comprehension.
  📌 Noting useful phrases and trying to use them.
  📌 Practicing pronunciation by repeating lines.

  
  

• Two and a Half Men is one of my favorite sitcoms because of its humor, relatable characters, and natural dialogues. The show follows Charlie Harper, a carefree bachelor living in Malibu, whose life turns upside down when his divorced brother Alan and Alan's young son Jake move in with him.

  Why I Love It & How It Helps My English

  😂 Easy-to-Understand Humor – The jokes are simple and full of wordplay and sarcasm, which helps me recognize different styles of humor in English.
  🗣 Casual, Everyday Conversations – The dialogues are fast and natural, teaching me real-life phrases, idioms, and slang.
  🎭 Different Speaking Styles – Charlie is smooth and sarcastic, Alan is awkward and formal, and Jake speaks like a typical kid—this variety helps me train my listening skills.

  How I Use It to Improve My English

  📌 Watching without subtitles to test my comprehension.
  📌 Learning slang and informal phrases used in daily conversations.
  

  📌 Repeating funny lines to practice pronunciation and tone.

  Sherlock (for complex dialogue and accents)

Final Thoughts

Listening is one of my strongest skills, but I want to challenge myself more with faster speech, complex dialogues, and academic listening. By consistently practicing with real-life content, I hope to achieve a deeper understanding of spoken English in any situation.