How can you use online resources to learn English?
Since the pandemic, online learning has boomed! but how can you use the tools available to you online to further your language learning skills?
3 ways you use YouTube and Spotify to improve your English skills
Learning English has never been more accessible. With thousands of free resources available online, you can improve their vocabulary, pronunciation, listening, reading, and speaking skills from almost anywhere. It’s almost overwhelming and hard to know what to do or where to start. So, whether you are studying independently or alongside a teacher, how can you make the most of online resources?
1. Make the most of YouTube
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YouTube is one of the best free platforms for English learners because it combines visual and audio learning. If you have a free account, the only thing you need is a pair of headphones and an internet connection, and you can listen anywhere!
Lovely English Stories is a great place to start (of course, we would say that!). Why? Because listening to stories helps improve your understanding and they can help you to understand new vocabulary in context.Â
Here’s how to make the most of learning English with YouTube:
- Turn on subtitles to connect spoken and written English.
- Slow down playback speed if speakers talk too quickly.
- Pause and replay difficult sections.
- Learn from teachers and native speakers from around the world.
Even if you just listen to one story per day, over time, you can significantly improve listening skills.
2. Use shadowing to improve your pronunciation
One of the most effective pronunciation techniques you can try, particularly if you are learning alone, is shadowing.
What is shadowing?
Shadowing means listening to a speaker and repeating what they say almost immediately, trying to copy their:
- Pronunciation
- Stress
- Intonation
- Rhythm
- Pace
Instead of just repeating words, you should try, as much as you can, to imitate sentences exactly as they are spoken… even if it might feel a little weird at first!
Here’s how to practise shadowing using YouTube or Spotify:
- Choose a short video or podcast. Preferably a shadowing story from Lovely English Stories, of course 😉
- Listen carefully to one sentence.
- Pause or replay, if you need to.
- Repeat the sentence aloud, copying the speaker as closely as possible.
- Record yourself and compare your pronunciation.
If you keep doing this, you’ll find that shadowing can help you to improve your fluency, confidence, and natural speech patterns… helping you to sound more British… or American… or whichever accent you prefer.Â
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3. Try to build a daily routine
So, how can you improve your English? Well, unfortunately, it won’t happen overnight because the success is built by consistency rather than studying for hours at a time.Â
An example daily routine for language learning
- Watch a short YouTube lesson or story.
- Listen to an English podcast on Spotify (preferably Lovely English Stories :), but you could pick a podcast, radio show, or anything you fancy)
- Complete 10 to 15 minutes of shadowing practise, as described above.
- Try to learn five new words – write them down in a book or planner so you can test yourself later.
- Write a few sentences about what you have listened to in English.
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So, what are you waiting for?Â
Find a show or story that you’re interested in and give it a go!Â
Small steps really can make big progress!
