Este podcast es una guía para mejorar la comprensión auditiva del inglés. Se centra en dos métodos principales: la escucha pasiva, que consiste en la inmersión en el idioma a través de música, podcasts y otros medios, incluso enfocándose en palabras clave; y la escucha activa, que implica un aprendizaje más intensivo usando transcripciones, diccionarios y ordenadores para decodificar el idioma, incluyendo la recomendación de empezar sin la transcripción para mejorar la percepción auditiva. El podcast también destaca la importancia de la consistencia y la consideración de acentos y dialectos, discutiendo brevemente el uso potencial de voces generadas por IA, aunque enfatizando la importancia del contenido generado por humanos por su autenticidad. El objetivo principal es proporcionar estrategias prácticas y efectivas para mejorar la comprensión auditiva del inglés.

* Si tienes problemas para entender la conversación puedes descargar nuestro Curso de inglés en audio

By diving in again. Today we're all about leveling up those English listening skills. And to help us out, we've got this guide from Laon Deenlay. Even just skimming through it, some of these tips seem uh really clever. Ready to unlock it and see what we find.

Absolutely. And you know, I really appreciate that the guide right from the start acknowledges that listening comprehension can be a real struggle, especially for beginners.

Yeah, for sure. It's like you can read an English article, feel pretty good about yourself, and then Bam. You try watching a movie and it's like everyone's speaking in some secret code,

right?

This guy actually goes into why that happens, which I thought was super interesting.

Yeah, it does. Like one thing they point out is that unlike in Spanish, English pronunciation can be well, it can be totally different from the spelling. And then you add in the fact that um accents can vary so much. Totally.

Even just between like a Texan and a New Yorker

and suddenly it's not just about, you know, knowing the words anymore. Not at all.

It's a whole other level.

It's a whole other beast. And then on top of all that, there's the stuff that um native speakers do without even thinking about it.

Oh, yeah.

Like linking words together or all the contractions.

Sure.

And then even just like which syllable we stress can totally change what we mean, you know?

Absolutely.

It's crazy. I never realized how much I did all that until I started trying to learn another language.

Right. And you know, for Spanish speakers specifically, the guide points out that There are a few sounds in English that well they just don't exist in Spanish.

Makes sense.

So it's no wonder it can feel like you're starting from scratch,

right?

But don't worry, the guide it lays out a plan. It breaks down two main approaches to improving your listening. There's uh passive listening, which is kind of all about immersion, and then there's active listening, where you really get more hands-on with your practice.

Okay, so let's start with uh passive listening. So they describe this as like soaking in the sounds of English. Sort of like, you know, soaking up the sun at the beach. You don't have to like intensely focus or anything. You're just letting those sounds wash over you.

Yeah.

But the guide doesn't just stop at, you know, listen to music or whatever.

It recommends some really specific resources for this.

It does. And, you know, it makes sense because just throwing on any old song, it might not be that helpful. What they suggest are songs with lyrics because now you're actually connecting the sounds to words. You're reinforcing what you hear. It's kind of like having subtitles but for your ears.

Oh, I like that. It's a good way to put it. They also suggest podcasts, audiobooks, even radio, basically anything in English.

And they even say movies and documentaries can work, especially if you have transcripts to follow along with.

Yeah. And they really emphasize making use of, you know, any downtime you have.

Who's smart?

Commute, throw in some headphones,

workout, same thing.

Multitasking.

Even doing chores around the house can become a passive listening session. It's all about just making English a part of your everyday soundsscape.

I love that. But they don't stop there.

They've got this uh interesting tip about focusing on keywords

even during passive listening.

Oh, interesting.

So, it's not about understanding every single word. It's about like picking out the most important ones in a sentence. Almost like you're training your brain to play spot the difference but with like meaning.

That's so smart because it's like you're you're training your ear to uh prioritize to pick out the information that really matters. Even if you only catch like bits and pieces of everything else. Exactly.

You start developing that sense of, you know, what's crucial to understanding the overall message.

Exactly. So, it's kind of like you're passively absorbing English like a sponge.

Right.

But at some point, we got to get a little more active with it really.

Yeah.

Let's move on to uh the guides tips for active listening where you really get to roll up your sleeves and actually engage with the language.

Yeah, let's do it. It is active listening. It's like uh hitting the gym, but for your ears.

Oh, I like that.

It's that dedicated focused practice where you're actively training your brain to, you know, decode spoken English,

right?

And the guide has some really specific advice on like how to set yourself up for success with this.

It does. Yeah. They're big fans of using a computer for active listening because it lets you have multiple things open at once.

Makes sense.

So, like you've got the audio you're listening to and then a transcript of it and then even like an online dictionary. Oh wow.

So it's like having this whole language learning command center right there at your fingertips.

That's a great way to put it. And they really emphasize having all of those tools available at the same time.

Yeah.

Because it makes the learning process so much more efficient. You know, you hear a word you don't know, boom, look it up right then and there.

Exactly.

You're not breaking your focus to like scramble for a dictionary.

Right. Right. Okay. So this is where things get really interesting. The guide actually recommends that you listen to the audio without the transcript first.

I know, right? It sounds kind of counterintuitive.

It does.

Like, why would you make it harder on yourself?

Yeah.

But they have a really good reason for this.

Okay. I'm curious.

So, it's all about forcing yourself to rely just on your ears.

Okay.

And your ability to like figure out the meaning from the context.

Oh, interesting.

So, it's like a mental workout basically for your listening comprehension.

Yeah. Yeah. I get it.

Instead of relying on ing on, you know, visual cues from the transcript, you're training your brain to pick up on all those little subtle nuances,

like in pronunciation, intonation, and just the overall flow of, you know, how people speak.

That makes sense.

So, I guess you could kind of think of it like training wheels, but in reverse.

Oh, yeah.

You're taking them off off to force yourself to really use those listening muscles.

I like it.

But there's a caveat here, right? They warn against using those um automatically generated transcripts.

Oh, yeah.

The ones you sometimes find online. like on YouTube for example.

Yeah. Yeah.

And they're really specific about this.

Those autogenerated transcripts, they're just they're notorious for having errors. Yeah.

They might misinterpret words or like miss subtle pronunciations. Sometimes even whole chunks of dialogue can just be missing.

Yeah.

It's like trying to follow a recipe that's missing half the ingredients.

Right. Exactly. It's not reliable.

No. You're not getting a true representation of, you know, how people actually speak. Right.

So the takeaway there is sticking with human generated audio and transcripts. It's key.

Yeah.

Not just for the accuracy, but because it exposes you to like natural pronunciation.

Absolutely. It's not just about understanding the individual words. It's about how those words are like strung together. Yeah.

The rhythm, the intonation, the pauses, you know, all of those things actually contribute to your overall comprehension.

They do. Okay. So, you're all fired up to start active listening. You've got your setup dialed in. You're ready to go. But then you hit this like classic dilemma,

right?

British English or American English.

Yeah.

Which accent do you focus on?

That is such a common question. It is.

And the guide, it offers some really practical advice here. They recommend starting with, you know, a standard accent, either British or American. And then once you feel pretty comfortable with one of those, then you can start branching out, you know, exploring the regional variations and stuff.

Yeah. It's like building a house.

You got to have that solid foundation. before you start adding all the, you know, fancy architectural flourishes.

I love that analogy. You need that like core understanding of the language. It's structure, pronunciation.

Yes.

Before you can start adding in all those little regional nuances,

right? Speaking of adding things in,

I'm curious about the guides emphasis on, you know, human generated content. And I get it, but what about all the like AI generated voices these days? Do you think those could ever be helpful for language learning, or is that just

like not there yet? Such an interesting question and it's definitely one that's generating a lot of like buzz in the language learning world right now.

Yeah,

AI voices are getting incredibly sophisticated.

They are.

So, it's not hard to imagine a future where, you know, AI could be used to create like customtailored listening exercises, maybe even simulate conversations with, you know, different accents and speaking speeds.

Whoa, that would be amazing. Imagine like having a conversation partner that's AI and it can like adjust to your level and you know point out your weak spots and stuff about personalized learning

right but there are also you know some potential downsides for example AI voices at least for now they can sometimes sound well they can sound a little bit robotic yeah a little unnatural and that lack of naturalness you know it could potentially um hinder a learner in terms of developing their own authentic pronunciation and intonation

that's true there's like a certain musicality to human speech that AI hasn't quite captured yet

yeah It's like the difference between like listening to a live orchestra and, you know, a synthesized version of it.

Yeah.

Both can be technically proficient,

but that live performance has this soul.

Yeah.

This depth of expression that's really hard to replicate.

Exactly. And you know, that human element, it's just so crucial for language learning.

It really is

because we learn language through, you know, interacting with other people, through picking up on those subtle cues and tone and expression and those nuances. They can be lost. trust in AI generated speech at least for now.

Yeah, that makes sense. So maybe it's not really an either or situation.

Maybe human generated and AI generated audio, they can kind of coexist

and you know complement each other in the learning process.

Absolutely. I think going forward we're going to see more and more innovative ways to like combine the strengths of both of those approaches. So human generated content it can provide that you know authentic model of how language is actually used. But then the AI can offer that like personalized practice and um really adapt to individual learners needs. It's an exciting time to be learning languages.

It is. But no matter how fancy the technology gets, I think a key takeaway here is something that Guide emphasizes over and over. Consistency.

Yeah,

it's about showing up every day, even if it's just for a few minutes, and immersing yourself in the sounds of English.

Consistency is key in, you know, any learning endeavor. It is, but it's especially true for language learning.

Yeah. It's like um building a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets, right? And just like with exercise, even small but consistent efforts can lead to really significant results over time.

That's encouraging. So, it's not about like cramming or trying to become fluent overnight. It's about making listening practice just a part of your daily routine like brushing your teeth or checking your email.

Yeah.

Exactly. And the best part is you can fit it in like practically anywhere.

Oh, totally.

You know, listen listening to podcasts on your commute, audio books while you're making dinner.

Yeah. Yeah.

Even just having English radio on in the background while you're working or something.

It's all about just making English a natural part of your life. And you know what I've noticed?

What's that?

The more you listen, the more you start to pick up on those patterns.

Oh, yeah.

Those like little nuances that make the language come alive.

It's like a puzzle, you know, where it all starts coming together,

right?

At first, it might feel overwhelming. But you just keep listening and those pieces start falling into place. You start to see the bigger picture.

Yeah. And then suddenly you're understanding more than you thought you could. You catch a joke or you can follow a conversation and then you might even start thinking in English.

That's the goal. This guide really emphasizes that it's not about being perfect. It's about enjoying the journey. Yeah.

You know, all those little aha moments along the way. I think it's so important for staying motivated.

Oh, it totally is. And the journey is so rewarding, you know. Oh yeah.

As your listening skills get better, you're basically opening up this whole new world of possibilities. Like now you can connect with people from different cultures. You can access like so much more information and entertainment. Heck, it could even like

boost your career prospects.

So true. Speaking of connecting with people, we've talked a lot about accents, but what about dialects?

Oh, yeah.

You know, those regional variations in like vocabulary and grammar that can sometimes trip up even speakers.

Oh, absolutely. Dialects can throw you for a loop.

Even for those of us who, you know, grew up speaking English, it's like you suddenly realize there are all these secret levels to a language you thought you already knew.

Yeah, totally. So, how do you even approach that? Should you try to like master every single dialect out there, or is it better to just focus on the ones you're most likely to come across?

That's a really good question. And honestly, I think it really comes down to like what your goals are, you know?

Yeah. If you have a specific reason for learning a particular dialect, like maybe you're living in a certain region,

right,

or you work in a field where a certain dialect is common,

then yeah, it totally makes sense to focus your efforts there. But if you're just starting out, honestly, I'd say

build a solid foundation in standard English first.

That makes sense. Get that base down and then you can start branching out and exploring.

Exactly. It's like uh expanding your language palette.

Oh, I like that.

You're adding all these new flavors and textures. to your understanding of English.

Okay. So, to wrap up our deep dive into this awesome guide from Le Manion de Len, I'd say our two big takeaways for everyone listening are

passive listening for immersion

and active listening for, you know, that more focused training. It's like this dynamic duo working together to supercharge your comprehension.

Yeah, I like that. And remember, you can totally tailor these approaches to your own learning style and like what you enjoy.

For sure.

Some days you might be feeling you know, passive, just want to soak it all in with music or movies. Y of your days, you might be ready to sit down and like really get into an active listening session.

Exactly. It's about finding what works best for you. And no matter what, you know, remember that consistency is key. Just a little bit every day can make a huge difference over time.

Couldn't agree more. And don't be afraid to make mistakes along the way.

Oh yeah, for

because mistakes, they're totally natural. It's how we learn.

That's how we grow.

Exactly.

Well said.

So whether you're just starting out on your English learning journey or you're a seasoned pro looking to level up, keep listening, keep practicing, and most importantly, have fun with it.

Have fun. Yeah,

you got this.