Ten minutes a day of listen and repeat: English listening practice

Listening to a short English recording and repeating it sentence by sentence improves listening and pronunciation at the same time. You don't need long hours; ten minutes done regularly is enough.

1. Choose the right recording (1 minute)

Pick a recording one or two minutes long, at your level, with a written transcript. If you can follow most of it but don't know every word, it is at the right level.

2. Listen without the text (2 minutes)

First just listen and try to get the main idea. Don't try to catch every word.

3. Listen with the text (2 minutes)

Now listen while reading the text. Underline the places you couldn't hear or heard differently.

4. Repeat sentence by sentence (5 minutes)

Pause after each sentence and repeat it with the same speed and tone. Pay special attention to the parts you underlined. Finally, you can record yourself and compare with the original.

Why it works

When you repeat, you notice how words link together and the rhythm of the sentence. This also makes it easier to pick out words when you listen to real conversations.

To keep going, see Learning English with TV series and films: subtitles and repetition and A four-week English practice plan.

Frequently asked questions

Which recordings work for this method? Recordings one or two minutes long, at your level, with a transcript. If you can follow most of it without knowing every word, it is the right level.

How many days should I use the same recording? You can stay with it for a few days until you can repeat it comfortably, then move on to a new one.