{"id":49544,"date":"2022-11-02T16:50:07","date_gmt":"2022-11-02T15:50:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/?p=49544"},"modified":"2022-11-02T11:12:59","modified_gmt":"2022-11-02T10:12:59","slug":"5-of-the-best-apps-to-improve-your-english-listening-skills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/5-of-the-best-apps-to-improve-your-english-listening-skills\/","title":{"rendered":"5 of the best apps to improve your English listening skills"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">Would you like to improve your English listening skills? With all the technology that we have <em><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>at our fingertips<\/strong><\/span><\/em> nowadays, it\u2019s easier than ever to find ways to practise with English learning apps!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">Listening apps can help you learn in all sorts of ways, from practising for listening exams, to expanding vocabulary, improving your pronunciation, and preparing you for real-life conversations.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">Thanks to smartphones there are lots of opportunities for listening practice whenever and wherever you want \u2013 on public transport, out for a walk or doing <em><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>chores<\/strong><\/span><\/em> around the house. We\u2019re lucky to have so many options, but sometimes it can be <em><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>overwhelming<\/strong><\/span><\/em> knowing where to start! <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">To help you decide, we\u2019ve compiled a list of the best apps to improve listening skills. <\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #2d346f;\"><strong>1. British Council LearnEnglish Podcasts<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">British Council\u2019s free LearnEnglish podcasts cover a range of topics, from learning languages to world information. There are new podcasts every week, so you\u2019ll always find something to listen to! <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">A great thing about these podcasts is that you can download them whenever you want and access them offline. Do you prefer to have your phone in your <em><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>pocket<\/strong><\/span><\/em> while you go for a walk? No problem \u2013 you can listen with the screen turned off. <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">If the speaker is too fast, you can change the audio speed to suit your level. You can also check vocabulary or phrases you didn\u2019t catch with the interactive audio scripts. Each episode has simple exercises to test yourself on what you\u2019ve heard, and you can track your progress on the progress screen.<\/p>\n<div class=\"element_size_\"><iframe title=\"LearnEnglish Podcasts - Free English listening\" width=\"870\" height=\"489\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LjymX91Ki-c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">GREAT FOR: listening to podcasts <em><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>on the go<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">Download it on <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=hk.hkbc.epodcast&#038;hl=en&#038;gl=US\">Play Store<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/learnenglish-podcast\/id369851807\">App Store<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #2d346f;\"><strong>2. BBC Learning English<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">The free BBC Learning English app combines its famous lessons and presenters all in one place. With new lessons every day, you\u2019re guaranteed to find plenty of content in this app! What\u2019s more, it\u2019s easy to make it part of your daily life with downloadable audios and the option to listen with your screen turned off.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">It\u2019s <em><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>up to you<\/strong><\/span><\/em> to decide whether to listen with or without transcripts and subtitles, and you can test yourself with quizzes after!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">You can use the \u2018My Learning\u2019 area to save your favourite series and programmes. Just take a look at the wide variety available!<\/p>\n<div class=\"list_styles\"><ul class=''>\n<span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-ok'><\/i>English My Way<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-ok'><\/i>British Chat<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-ok'><\/i>The English We Speak<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-ok'><\/i>6 Minute English<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-ok'><\/i>English at Work<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-ok'><\/i>English in a Minute<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-ok'><\/i>The award-winning Tim&#8217;s Pronunciation Workshop<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-ok'><\/i>LingoHack<\/li>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><li><i class='icon-ok'><\/i>News Review<\/li>\n<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"element_size_\"><iframe title=\"The BBC Learning English app is live!\" width=\"870\" height=\"489\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aThHKQ7JO4U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">GREAT FOR: a wide variety of programmes<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">Download it on <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=uk.co.bbc.learningenglish&#038;hl=en&#038;gl=US\">Play Store<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/bbc-learning-english\/id1416610731\">App Store<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #2d346f;\"><strong>3. PORO: English Speaking and Listening<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">PORO\u2019s free app is suitable for all learners, from beginners to advanced. It has over 750 audios with common conversations and a variety of topics. You can learn everything from greetings, introductions and small talk to more serious business conversations.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">Choose to follow the audio with <em><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>highlighted<\/strong><\/span><\/em> sentences, and show or hide the transcript and translation modes according to your needs and preferences. You can click on individual sentences to hear them again and practise your intonation and pronunciation. <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">If you\u2019d like to listen while driving or travelling, you can select the Playlist mode. The app also has stories, games and news stories from Voice of America, a famous American news channel.<\/p>\n<div class=\"element_size_\"><iframe title=\"[APP REVIEW] LEARN ENGLISH - LISTENING AND SPEAKING\" width=\"870\" height=\"489\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tTTlb1yZjMA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">GREAT FOR: expanding everyday vocabulary <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">Download it on <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.porolingo.econversation&#038;hl=en&#038;gl=US\">Play Store<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/poro-learn-english\/id1474321557\">App Store<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #2d346f;\"><strong>4. Wannalisn<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">Wannalisn is a free app which uses short videos from popular films, series and songs. Practise your listening and pronunciation skills with real conversations and common words and idioms. <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">This app is entertaining and helps you learn via popular culture. You can listen to natural British and American accents and test yourself with fun exercises like guessing the meaning, filling in the gaps and selecting the correct words or sounds.<\/p>\n<div class=\"element_size_\"><iframe title=\"Become an expert listener to finally understand Real English!\" width=\"870\" height=\"489\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/trllKfgoKfY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">GREAT FOR: <em><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>edutainment<\/strong><\/span><\/em> (education + entertainment)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">Download it on <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.wannalism.wannalismApp&#038;hl=en&#038;gl=US\">Play Store<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/az\/app\/wannalisn\/id1494724577\">App Store<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #2d346f;\"><strong>5. Miracle FunBox: English Listening and Speaking<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">This app from Miracle FunBox is ideal for improving both your listening and speaking skills. There are thousands of conversations and stories with audios and transcripts. As well as improving your listening skills, they are designed to help you with pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\"><em><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Speaking of<\/strong><\/span><\/em> vocabulary, the app is focused on common words for English exams like IELTS and TOEFL. Hundreds of English listening tests will improve your listening and help you accumulate necessary vocabulary.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">There\u2019s space for some fun too, with games for sentence building, vocabulary and word chains. The lessons are available offline and you can bookmark your favourites. <\/p>\n<div class=\"element_size_\"><iframe title=\"English Listening and Speaking mobile app\" width=\"870\" height=\"489\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9WA4PeS0cRw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">GREAT FOR: practising exam listening <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">Download it on <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.funbox.englishlisteningpractice&#038;hl=en\">Play Store<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #2d346f;\"><strong>English learning apps<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">We hope our list of listening apps was helpful! Would you like to find more apps to improve your English? Check out the lists we\u2019ve prepared for <a href=\"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/8-of-the-best-apps-for-learning-english\/\">learning English<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/5-of-the-best-apps-for-improving-your-english-speaking-skills\/\">improving speaking skills<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/7-of-the-best-apps-for-learning-english-grammar\/\">learning grammar<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/7-of-the-best-apps-for-learning-english-vocabulary\/\">learning vocabulary<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/5-ways-to-improve-your-listening-skills-at-home\/\">improving your listening skills at home<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">If you\u2019re looking to <a href=\"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/english-courses\/\">learn English in Barcelona<\/a>, get in touch with us to find out more about our courses!<\/p>\n<div class=\"devider element_size_>\"><div style=\"margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px; \" class=\"divider3\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<h2><strong>Glossary for Language Learners<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><em><strong>at our fingertips (exp):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> convenient and easy to find.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><em><strong>chores (n):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> a job or piece of work that is boring or unpleasant, but needs to be done regularly.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><em><strong>overwhelming (adj):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> too much to handle.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><em><strong>pocket (n):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> an area inside or outside your clothing to keep things in.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><em><strong>on the go (exp):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> busy and active.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><em><strong>up to you (exp):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> your decision\/responsibility.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><em><strong>highlighted (adj):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> drawing attention to something to make it more noticeable.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><em><strong>edutainment (n):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> entertaining and educational at the same time.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><em><strong>speaking of (exp):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> related to the subject being discussed.<\/p>\n<div class=\"devider element_size_>\"><div style=\"margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px; \" class=\"divider1\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\"><strong>Key<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">adj = adjective<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">exp = expression<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 15px;\">n = noun<\/p>\n<div class=\"devider element_size_>\"><div style=\"margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px; \" class=\"divider1\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #055f65;\"><strong><div class=\"messagebox alert alert-info\" style=\"align:left; background:#ffffff; color:#2D346F; border:1px solid #ffffff\"><h4>Improve your English with Oxford House Barcelona<\/h4><i class=\"icon-info-sign\"><\/i>Interested in taking an English course at Oxford House Barcelona? Check the <a href=\"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/english-courses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">English Courses<\/a> we can offer you or <a href=\"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/contact\/\">contact us<\/a> for more information.<\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Would you like to improve your English listening skills? With all the technology that we have at our fingertips nowadays, it\u2019s easier than ever to find ways to practise with English learning apps! Listening apps can help you learn in all sorts of ways, from practising for listening exams, to expanding vocabulary, improving your pronunciation, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":49545,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[]},"categories":[268],"tags":[10638,6938,137],"yst_prominent_words":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49544"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49544"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49550,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49544\/revisions\/49550"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49544"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=49544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}