Practice and Become a Better Listener

Illustration: Pixabay, author: whoalice-moore

By Olga Tambovtseva,
Ph.D., Associate Professor at HSE University
Tatiana Vorotnikova, M.Ed., Manager at AWC.

According to Graham (2006), listening is an area in which most EFL learners feel the least successful compared to other language skills. Even scholars, who do research and write articles in English, may find it challenging to follow conference presentations or interact with other speakers because they lack listening skills. Yet, listening is vital for communication. Speakers listen almost half of the time (40–50%) in conversation both in everyday and academic contexts (Graham, 2017).

Only by listening can we become better listeners

Academic and general listening share many common features (Goh, 2008). To improve them, you need to apply certain strategies (see our blog on effective listening) and listen, listen, and listen.

In this blog, we have collected some helpful resources that you can use to develop your listening skills in everyday and academic contexts.

Self-study lessons

If you don’t feel confident in your listening, and you don’t know where to start, check out the following self-study lessons by The British Council listening. The lessons are short, suitable for all levels. They cover a variety of situations, as well as offer exercises and online comprehension checks.

Podcasts

If you like listening on the go, have a look at the following podcasts. They are 5 to 20 minutes long, suitable for intermediate to advanced levels. They offer engaging and thought-provoking content on a variety of topics.

English

Academic Writing Podcasts has been created by the AWC with a focus on academic vocabulary.
The English We Speak is a topic-focused podcast, in which native speakers explain the meaning of different English expressions and words.
BBC six-minute English covers a variety of topics and has explanations of key vocabulary and transcripts.
Linguamania is a podcast, in which researchers from Oxford University share fascinating perspectives on languages.

News

BBC one-minute world news offers a short summary of current events; it is repeated during the day and has captions to facilitate understanding.

Science

Everyday Einstein is a podcast about how everyday events can be explained by science.
Futuremakers covers such topics as climate change, AI, going green, etc.
Big Questions — with Oxford Sparks is the podcast in which you’ll find answers to a variety of questions about things, events, and issues happening in the world.

Psychology

Savvy Psychologist offers helpful tips on how to lead a happier life.

Maths

The Secrets of Mathematics a podcast produced by Oxford Mathematicians, addresses many relevant topics in the field.

Business

Future of Business aims to tackle emerging global business problems.
Business Daily provides daily updates about the current state of business in the world.

Ted talks

If you want to get inspired and listen to incredible speakers, try Ted talks. The talks are short (5 -25 minute long) and cover pertinent and striking topics. Our top picks are the following playlists:

Lectures

If you want to immerse yourself in a more academic content or revise your knowledge of the field, see these lectures from world renowned universities. Grouped by department, the lectures introduce new findings in many fields.

Enjoy listening! Share your favorite resources with us.

References

Graham, S. (2006). Listening Comprehension: The students’ perspective. System, 34, 165–182. doi: 10.1016/j.system.2005.11.001

Goh, C. (2008). Metacognitive Instruction for second language listening development: Theory, practice and research implications. RELC Journal, 39, 188–213. doi: 10.1177/0033688208092184

Date

20 February

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Academic Writing Centre