To get the best opportunities in today’s times, it’s essential that you have strong English language skills. English is the standard language of communication for various industries across the world. Needless to say, having excellent communication skills can get you anywhere you want to be in life. Being able to speak English language with confidence and correctness are among the key traits that people look for to build an impression of you in their minds.
Like any other skill, learners can acquire English language skills through consistent practice. However, more often than not, it’s difficult for learners who don’t speak English primarily to strengthen their English grammar and conversational skills while having nobody around who converse in English. Thankfully, the learner can easily break down such barriers through intelligent internet usage.
As human beings, we learn by observation. Learning English or any other language requires us to access resources with our senses. In other words, the more we read, write, speak and hear English, the more likely we are to acquire correct language skills. Podcasts and songs are, therefore, an excellent method of perfecting your English skills as it constantly requires you to use your auditory sense and consciously process the information you’re acquiring.
Furthermore, it’s scientifically proven that listening to an English conversation can significantly improve a person’s ability to construct sentences, decipher the meaning behind words and learn the correct pronunciation.
There are millions of podcasts on the internet that act as a lifeboat for learners whose first language isn’t English. The learners can choose a podcast on any topic of their interest- it could range from audiobooks, science articles, short fictional stories, current affairs, debates, and interviews. However, the learner should be selective enough to pick the podcasts where the speaker speaks English correctly. The main reason why this method works is that the learner stays motivated throughout the podcast to seek the information they want. Not only do they learn the meaning of new words, but they also learn the correct pronunciation of the words. Moreover, owing to the variations in the English language across the globe, a learner learns about different cultures through podcasts by a native narrator.
Songs are an alternative to podcasts for those who can’t stay focused for long. Again, like with podcasts, the listener must stay selective while deciding which songs to listen to. Ideally, choosing an artist known for their excellent language skills will help you strengthen your language skills. There’s no doubt that songs can be addictive, and that’s precisely what makes them a better alternative to podcasts. It’s easier to remember the lyrics of songs synced with background music than a podcast where speakers are just talking to each other for an unimaginably long time. Consequently, learners are more likely to use the new words they’ve learned from songs in a conversation than the words they’ve learned through a podcast.
Nonetheless, podcasts and songs are fantastic resources for learners to strengthen their language skills. But, in the end, it’s up to the learner which method works best for them.
