Listening Contexts

            

                          

Listening: Increase your English listening time! Here are some links to different listening contexts and I hope to update them from time to time, so, be sure to check back here in the future. Let me know if you found any of these videos and links helpful.

I think it's a good idea to try new listening experiences. Have you listened to TEdTalks? They are great for watching and listening to interesting presentations in English. There is a huge amount of variety in presenters and topics!

One more idea, if you listen to one kind of music, try listening to some genre of music you don't normally listen to. Maybe you're a Heavy Metal fan, try Opera! Or maybe you are a J-Pop fan, try Free Jazz! ....You never know, you might get something out of it. 

The following are a few tips for listening and one brief tip for playing around with language you like (See #3, "Riffing" below).

A few thoughts and suggestions:

1. Listen to the whole video segment to get a general impression first.

2. On the second listen, stop and start when you hear something you like or don't understand.

3. Write down words or phrases you like. *Riff with them (see below for a definition and an example of riffing). This is a technique for developing fluency with phrases.

4. Listen to the same segment several times and take notes on the main points or details. Or, listen to many different videos and take notes without stopping, then a day or two later come back and listen slowly and see what you heard and missed.

5. Write a short review about what you heard or what you 

like. Start a listening journal!

6. What are the main ideas, arguments, or topics being presented? Why is the speaker communicating? Do they want to tell us some new information? Does the speaker(s) want to demonstrate something? Inform us about an experience or important topic? 

7. Do you notice any emotions being displayed? How are these emotions reflected in the language, intonation (voices rising and falling?), word or sentence stress? Are certain words louder than others? 

 

        Presentations

~TED TALKS on Youtube

A wide variety of topics with speakers from all over the world! 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ted+talk

         Interviews

~BBC Six Minute English. 

These podcasts include a written version (transcript underneath the recording). Lot's of interesting topics.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english

         Sports Cast

With Shohei Ohtani

Before the 2021 Home run Derby, interview with Japanese subtitles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUbMufgyZ_o

Baseball superstar, "Shohei Ohtani being really fast!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv_rFoHG7zA

            

         

Monologue

Shakespeare, “to be or not to be” from Hamlet

(With text)

Actor: Kennth Branagh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjuZq-8PUw0

English Speeches Youtube Channel

Actors, artists, musicians, entrepreneurs and more...

Short and long videos ALL with English subtitles.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLyr-hfWVCKHcZjV5fg3jbw

Talk Show Interview with BTS!

Interviews and Talkshows in English with Korean pop group BTS!

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=English+interview+with+BTS

      A Makeover Show

A Young women gets a Fashion Makeover

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7etb0NEWgE

         Cooking Shows

The ultimate Steak Sandwich! A short Cooking Show with Chef Gordon Ramzey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwu2y9x5OlM

             

               News

NHK WORLD

English language news stories from around the world on NHK World-Japan

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/

BBC NEWS WORLD
News from around the globe on British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

https://www.bbc.com/news/world

Weather report From England

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI90YwkLW1Y

 Documentary Excerpts

BBC EARTH 

All 3-5minutes in length, Good for a short listen

https://www.youtube.com/user/BBCEarth

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Here is a simple idea for playing around with a phrase you like. The word riff comes from jazz and blues music. It means to play or say something over and over. A riff is slightly developed while it is being played or spoken.

*"Riff"

1. Music: A short rhythmic phrase, especially one that is repeated in improvisation.

Here is an example of riffing on the greeting phrase "How are you?"

How are you?

How are you doing?

How are you doing today?

How are doing after that long drive/flight/lesson/lecture?

How is your friend doing?

How is your family doing?

(changing here to a more casual register!)

How're ya doin? 

How's it goin? 

...............................................................................................

**Pronunciation Note 1: When we have a word ending in a consonant followed by a word starting with a vowel, such as:

1. How is it going?     

     C  V

 ......we connect the "w" sound right into next word.

2. Howsit going? ("Howsit" is spoken with equal stress throughout the word)

The "s" sounds like a "z" when spoken fast in conversational language.

3. Howzit going?

..................................................................

**Pronunciation Note 2: When we have a word ending in two consonants followed by a word starting with a vowel, such as:

1.How's it going?     

       CC  V

......This time we place an accent on the last consonant ("s").

2. HowSit going? 

3. HowZit going?  

The "S" sounds like a "Z" in conversational English. 

The online Cambridge Dictionary is a great place to listen to pronunciation ( both UK and USA versions).

There are also plenty of examples in context listed below the search space.

Check it out! 

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/