How to improve listening skills using movies
I am often asked by students for advice on how to improve listening skills. One of my favourite methods to improve listening when practicing a new language is to combine it with something I enjoy, for example, watching an episode of my favourite TV show or movie. Below is the five step method that I follow for an hours lesson, try it yourself – I promise it will help!
- Choose an episode of your favourite TV show, the shorter the length the better, just watching a short part will work fine (15 minutes is perfect).
- Watch it dubbed in your own language.
- Watch it again dubbed in your own language but with English subtitles.
- Watch it in English and also keep the English subtitles on.
- Watch it in English with no subtitles.
You can of course remove steps if you don’t feel like watching the same thing four times, but I have found this really works as you can really understand what is happening and get a great understanding for the language used.
Happy studies!
Vocabulary help:
combine – to do two activities at the same time.
method – a way of doing something.
dubbed – to change the sounds and speech on a film or television programme, to a different language.
subtitles – words shown at the bottom of a film or television program to explain what is being said.
