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Acast .com Hey guys, welcome back to Podcast and Chill.
I'm Gwen. And I'm Gwen's favorite host, Leo.
Ah, you wish. So, Gwen, do you ever listen to English but still feel like you don't really understand it?
Sometimes. I think it's because I tend to space out mid -conversation.
Why do you ask? You remember Thomas?
Your friend from France who's been learning English?
Yeah, what about him?
So he told me something interesting the other day.
Oh, what did he say?
He said he completely freezes up whenever he meets English speakers, even though he's been binge -watching Netflix shows in English for months now.
now. Oh, man, that's so relatable!
Really? I think most language learners go through exactly this.
They think hearing more English means they'll understand it better.
Wait, doesn't it, though?
Not really. However, the good news is, I know exactly how to help him break free from this trap with only 10 minutes a day.
Hold up, just 10 minutes?
That sounds way too good to be true.
I'm serious. Science shows that just ten minutes of active listening daily can train your ears, your brain, and your confidence in English.
Thomas definitely needs to hear this.
And honestly, probably everyone listening right now could benefit from it too.
For sure. And hey, if you guys run into any new words today, don't stress about it.
We'll break everything down for you later.
All right, everyone, buckle up.
Let the party begin.
So speaking of Thomas, let me tell you what really gets to him.
What gets to him? He can hear every single word clearly, but when they're all together in a sentence, it's like his brain just shuts down.
Oh, that's actually super common. It's like his brain just can't connect the dots.
Connect the dots? Yep.
Think about it. He knows each word but they don't make sense together in his head.
So, he doesn't really get anything.
Oh, I see what you mean.
And because he can't connect those dots he gets discouraged and just gives up halfway through.
Poor thing. Like yesterday he was watching this YouTube video about cooking, and after five minutes he was like Like, forget it.
I'll just order pizza.
I get it. When you lose focus or feel overwhelmed, it's easier to quit than push through.
Plus, he keeps choosing the wrong stuff to listen to.
What do you mean? Last week, he tried listening to a finance podcast about crypto -sipto.
What's the word? You mean cryptocurrency?
The digital money? Yeah, that one.
The guy barely understands regular money, let alone digital money.
I get it. That's like trying to learn to swim by jumping into the deep end of the ocean.
Right. And when I asked him why he picked that, he said, I thought it would make me sound smart.
Ah, classic mistake.
What's the classic mistake?
Choosing content that's way above your level, or picking boring stuff that doesn't match your interests.
interests. So what's the solution?
Because Thomas is starting to think.
He's not only bad at finance, but also at languages.
Well, here's the thing.
It's not about being good or bad at languages.
Then what is it? It's because he and lots of other learners often listen passively.
Listen passively? Like when we hear a sound?
Yes. Think of it like this.
Passive listening Active listening is like having the TV on in the background while you're scrolling your phone.
You just hear the sound.
Got it. So, what should we do to stop listening passively?
Very simple. We should listen actively.
Ugh! Break that down for me, please.
What does active listening even mean?
Active listening is when you really pay attention to what you hear, you think about it and try to understand it.
like when you focus on the news, the weather report, or anything else on TV.
I see. To get better at listening, it's not just about how much time you spend, but how you use that time.
Yep. Quality over quantity.
Always. All right. So, you mentioned this 10 -minute thing earlier.
How can just 10 minutes make a difference?
Great question. Let me ask you this.
Would you rather eat a really good meal for 10 minutes or junk food for an hour?
Ugh, the good meal, obviously.
That's how listening works, too.
10 focused minutes beat one unfocused hour every time.
But doesn't more time mean more learning?
No, not always. Imagine Thomas watching Netflix for two hours.
His brain was probably not really paying attention much of the time.
True. He was probably thinking about work or what to have for dinner.
Right. If he just focused for ten minutes, his brain would really understand and remember what he heard. So it's like going to the gym?
How so? Well, you could spend two hours at the gym taking selfies, and chatting, or thirty minutes actually working out and get better results.
Perfect analogy. Your brain is like a muscle.
Like I said, quality training beats quantity every time.
Okay, I'm sold on the 10 minute thing.
But how do you actually do it?
Like what's the process?
There's a simple 3 -step process that works really well.
Only 3 steps? That sounds manageable.
Step 1 is listening to the whole thing to get the main idea.
This takes about 3 minutes.
What do you mean by whole thing?
Could be anything as long as it's 3 minutes.
A short conversation, a news segment, or part of a podcast. The key is focusing on the big picture.
So I'm not trying to catch every word?
Yes. You must ask yourself, what's the main topic?
Who's talking? But why does it help?
It helps because your brain needs to get used to how English sounds and moves first. Listen for the main idea is the way to do it.
Oh, makes sense. And that actually sounds less stressful than trying to understand everything right away.
That's the point. Okay, what's step two?
Step two is where you listen again, but this time you pause after each sentence and write down key words.
Like taking notes? Kind of, but very short notes.
If you hear she's been working really hard lately, you might just write working hard and lately.
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Because you're training your ear to pick out the important parts.
It's like highlighting in a textbook.
I see. So you're teaching your brain what to focus on.
Exactly. This step improves your detailed listening skills and helps you recognize sentence patterns.
How long does this step take?
About four minutes.
You're not writing essays, just quick keywords.
And step three? Step three is shadowing.
Ah, shadowing. We listen and repeat what we hear, right?
Yes. Don't forget to try to copy the exact pronunciation and rhythm.
Like being someone's echo?
I like the way you put it.
If you hear, I totally get that, you repeat it exactly the same way.
Does it matter if I sound weird?
Not at all. You're training your mouth and your ear to work together.
How long for this step?
About 3 minutes. So that's 3 plus 4 plus 3, which is 10 minutes total.
Won't this get boring after a while?
That's where creativity comes in.
There are tons of ways to mix it up.
Like what? You could summarize what you heard out loud.
That trains your speaking skills too.
Oh, so I'm killing two birds with one stone?
Yeah. Or you could find a picture and describe it while listening to related audio.
That sounds complicated!
It's actually fun! Like if you're listening to a weather report, you could look at a weather map and describe what you see.
Oh that's clever! What else?
You could write down a sentence or two and then compare them to what the subtitles say.
So I can see where I went wrong?
Right. It's like having a built -in teacher.
Any other creative ideas?
Try listening to different accents.
British, Australian, American, Indian.
Why should we do that?
Because English is spoken everywhere, and people have different accents.
Not just British or American ones.
Doing this helps you get used to how real people talk.
I see. In real life, not everyone sounds like a textbook recording.
Right. So, the more variety, the better your brain gets at understanding.
This all sounds great, but will I actually see results?
It's science time. When you practice consistently, your brain forms new neural pathways.
Neural what ways? Neural pathways.
Think of them like highways in your brain for language processing.
Okay, so more practice means better highways?
Yep. After about two weeks of daily practice, you'll notice you can catch phrases faster.
Just two weeks? Your brain is amazing at pattern recognition.
The more you expose it to English patterns, the better it gets.
What other changes might people notice?
They stop getting confused when people speak quickly.
They can guess what someone will say next in a conversation.
Like developing a sixth sense for English.
Ha, I'm not so sure about that sixth sense, but I'm sure their brain will start filling in gaps automatically.
Hmm. So, 10 minutes a day sounds doable, but what if I have to skip a day?
One day won't hurt, but consistency is key.
Little and often beats long and rarely.
I can't wait to tell Thomas about all of this.
Yeah, but first, let's check out some new words from our chat today.
Right. Hey everyone, let's stretch a bit and get some water.
Then we'll learn some good new words.
Guys, it's time to go over some key vocabulary from our talk today.
First, connect the dots.
It means to understand how different ideas or pieces of information are related.
For example, once I connected the dots, I realized he had been planning the surprise all along.
Second, give up. It means to stop trying or quit something.
For example, the puzzle was really hard, but I didn't give up.
Third, push through.
It means to keep going and not quit, even when something is tough.
For example, I was tired, but I pushed through and finished the project.
Fourth, break something down.
It means to explain something step by step to make it easier to understand.
For example, can you break that down for me?
I didn't get the last part.
Fifth, pay attention.
It means to focus or listen carefully.
For example, make sure to pay attention during the instructions.
Sixth, get used to something.
It means to become comfortable or familiar with something over time.
For example, at first the early mornings were hard, but I got used to them.
Seventh, pick out. it means to choose or select something for example she picked out a new outfit for the party and finally kill two birds with one stone it means to do one thing that solves two problems or achieves two goals for example if I study on the train I can kill two birds with one stone commute and review for my test so So let me get this straight.
We don't need to spend hours studying or hire an expensive tutor?
Nope. You just need 10 minutes a day, the right method, and consistency.
Listen, take notes, repeat, right?
Correct. Listen, write things down, then say them again.
If you get tired of that, switch it up and try something different.
Like summarizing what you heard or describing a picture with audio.
Rinse and repeat. You'll get good in no time.
Sounds like a recipe for success.
It really is. So, here's your challenge, listeners.
Uh -oh, we're giving homework now?
The fun kind. Pick one short video or audio clip today.
Right. It could be a news segment or part of a YouTube video.
Whatever interests you.
Then follow the the three steps we talked about.
Listen for the main idea, note keywords, then shadow the pronunciation.
Do this for two weeks and you'll notice the difference.
Thanks for spending time with us today.
We have a question for you guys.
Would you choose our podcast for your daily practice?
If yes, tell us why in the comment section below.
Oh, and one more thing.
Are we talking too fast for you?
Or are we being too dramatic for you to chill?
Let us know if we should chill even more.
Take care. See you next time on Podcast and Chill.
Ready for a healthy, stress -free back -to -school season?
Thrive Market's got your back with easy, With easy, high -protein meals, brain -boosting lunchbox staples, and low -sugar snack packs.
Everything to simplify your busy mornings.
Their groceries are high -quality and no junk.
Over 1 ,000 sketchy ingredients restricted and all trusted by parents so you can shop worry -free.
Plus, their big back -to -school sale makes it the perfect time to stock up.
Go to thrivemarket .com slash podcast for 30 % off your first order and a free $60 gift. ACAST powers the world's best podcasts.
Here's a show that we recommend.
Hey, it's Christy. And I'm Kelly.
You might remember us as the OG Partners in Crime from Dance Moms. Well, this is Back to the Bar, the podcast where we drag out every insane, chaotic, and iconic moment from the show.
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