How to Improve TOEFL Listening Skills with Podcasts and Audio Resources

Article Level: B2

Explanation: This article explains how to improve TOEFL listening skills using podcasts and audio resources. It covers choosing the right materials, building a daily routine, using transcripts, and combining listening with speaking for better comprehension and fluency.

Commonly Used Words from the Article

1. Routine /ruːˈtiːn/ (noun): A regular way of doing something.

   Creating a daily routine helps you stay consistent.

2. Comprehension /ˌkɒmprɪˈhɛnʃən/ (noun): The ability to understand.

   Listening regularly improves your comprehension.

3. Accent /ˈæksənt/ (noun): A way of pronouncing words that shows where someone is from.

   The TOEFL test includes different English accents.

4. Transcript /ˈtrænskrɪpt/ (noun): A written version of spoken words.

   Reading the transcript helps you follow the audio.

5. Confident /ˈkɒnfɪdənt/ (adjective): Feeling sure about your abilities.

   Daily practice makes you more confident in the exam.

Read more: How to Improve TOEFL Listening Skills with Podcasts and Audio Resources

How to Improve TOEFL Listening Skills with Podcasts and Audio Resources

Improving your TOEFL listening skills can be challenging, but with the right approach, it can also be enjoyable and effective. One of the best methods is using podcasts and audio resources. These tools offer real-life listening practice, which helps students become more confident and better prepared for the TOEFL exam.

Why Use Podcasts and Audio Resources?
Podcasts and audio resources provide a variety of accents, topics, and speaking speeds. This variety reflects the real conditions of the TOEFL test, where you will hear American, British, and other English accents. Listening to podcasts daily helps train your ear to understand different ways English is spoken. This also improves your vocabulary and comprehension skills.

Choose the Right Podcasts
To improve your listening skills, choose podcasts designed for English learners or general interest shows with clear speech. For beginners, start with slow or intermediate-level podcasts like “BBC Learning English” or “Voice of America – Learning English.” These provide transcripts, which are helpful for following along and understanding new words.

Create a Listening Routine
Consistency is key. Set aside 15 to 30 minutes each day to listen actively. This means not just hearing the audio but also taking notes, repeating sentences, and summarising what you hear. Over time, this routine will strengthen your listening comprehension and help you recognise common sentence patterns and academic vocabulary used in the TOEFL exam.

Use Transcripts and Subtitles
Many podcasts offer transcripts. Reading along while listening can help you connect pronunciation with spelling and meaning. After your first listen, review the transcript to check what you missed. Then, listen again without reading to see how much you understand the second time.

Practice with TOEFL-style Resources
Apart from podcasts, use TOEFL-specific audio materials available online or through preparation books. These often include academic lectures and classroom conversations, which are part of the TOEFL listening section. Practising with these will make you more familiar with the test format and improve your score.

Combine Listening with Speaking
To make your learning more effective, repeat what you hear or try to summarise audio clips in your own words. Speaking aloud improves pronunciation, memory, and overall fluency. It also helps reinforce what you’ve learned through listening.

Final Thoughts
Improving your TOEFL listening skills takes time and effort, but using podcasts and audio resources makes the process more interesting. By choosing suitable content, maintaining a routine, and practising actively, you’ll build confidence and perform better on the test.

Grammar Notes

This article uses several present simple tense verbs for facts and routines (e.g., “Listening to podcasts helps…”), modal verbs (e.g., “can help”, “should”), and infinitive phrases to express purpose (e.g., “to improve your skills”).

Grammar Lesson:
Using Modal Verbs for Advice and Possibility
Modal verbs like can, should, and will express advice, ability, or possibility.

• Can shows possibility: “Podcasts can help improve your listening.”

• Should gives advice: “You should listen every day.”

• Will shows certainty: “This routine will improve your skills.”

   

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Five Questions Based on the Article

• Why is it helpful to listen to different English accents for TOEFL preparation?

• What kind of podcasts are best for English learners at the B2 level?

• How can using transcripts improve listening skills?

• What is the benefit of creating a daily listening routine?

• Why should you combine listening practice with speaking?

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