How to improve your listening skills in English

Many people think listening is just about understanding words. In fact it’s a skill you can train! Here are a few tips to understand spoken English faster and more easily.

1. Listen to something in English every day

Even 10 minutes counts. Pick something you enjoy: podcasts, series, YouTube, songs or short reels and TikToks. For example, Friends, The Office or BBC Learning English.

2. Use subtitles the right way

1. First, listen without subtitles.
2. Then with English subtitles, to connect words with sounds.
3. Only at the very end, if it’s really hard, watch with Ukrainian subtitles.

3. Repeat and copy the pronunciation (shadowing)

Play a short clip and repeat each phrase after the speaker at the same pace. It improves both understanding and pronunciation.

4. Learn phrases, not single words

We don’t hear separate words, we hear whole expressions. Instead of “How are you?” you’ll hear something like “Howarya?”.

5. Listen to different accents

English isn’t only British or American. Try podcasts with Australian or Indian accents so your brain gets used to the variety.

Consistency matters most

Even 15 minutes a day will show results within a few weeks.