• IELTS

Improve IELTS Listening Skills

  • views1475 Reads
  • read time3 min Read
  • By:CANAM Group
  • Updated On:Jun 09,2023 03:45 PM IST

Are you anxious about the IELTS test you are about to appear for? Do the accents and language currently appear foreign to you? You can always learn a language's skills by practicing, reading, and listening, so don't be afraid. Any English proficiency test, whether it be the IELTS or the TOEFL, includes a hearing section that assesses the test taker's capacity to comprehend words spoken in various dialects and accents. For non-native speakers with a diverse vocabulary, clear pronunciation, and fluent speech can be difficult.

Improve IELTS Listening Skills

Are you anxious about the IELTS test you are about to appear for? Do the accents and language currently appear foreign to you? You can always learn a language's skills by practicing, reading, and listening, so don't be afraid. Any English proficiency test, whether it be the IELTS or the TOEFL, includes a hearing section that assesses the test taker's capacity to comprehend words spoken in various dialects and accents. For non-native speakers with a diverse vocabulary, clear pronunciation, and fluent speech can be difficult.

Acing the IELTS test doesn’t come from reading books for IELTS preparation only, the best way is to engage in activities that provide you with options to listen to and understand native speakers. This blog will explore some of the best movies, video sources, podcasts, news channels etcetera, for IELTS listening that have a variety of pronunciations, a large number of words, and almost all accents!

How can movies, Video sources, Podcasts, and news channels help?

A tested technique for improving English is to watch movies or listen to a podcast in the language one is trying to improve. Visual media in different forms covers everything. People learn a lot by listening and watching. They can assist in familiarizing with a variety of vocabulary, phrases, sentence structures, etcetera. 

One can learn the proper pronunciation of words while viewing a movie in addition to improving listening skills. People can also pick up some idioms, proverbs, phrases, and metaphors, along with the appropriate context. Subtitles are yet another crucial aspect of watching movies. The precise spelling of words is made clear, thanks to these subtitles, which also help in becoming better readers.

If you are looking for a list of effective and interesting movies, a list is below:

1.The Holiday

2.Shawshank Redemption

3.The King’s Speech

4.Harry Potter Series

5.Toy Story

6.The Lion King

7.Beauty and The Beast

8.Frozen

9.Sleepless in Seattle

10.Pulp Fiction

11.Titanic 

Movies like The Lion King and The Lion King are great resources for getting ready for the IELTS listening section in a variety of ways. The easiest method to prepare for this section of the movie is to turn off the subtitles, pay close attention, and then re-enable them to confirm that what you comprehended was correct. This aids in the improvement of listening skills and familiarizes a learner with an amazing array of vocabulary, all organized in simple phrases intended for a younger audience.

What better way to get your IELTS preparation off to a strong start than by viewing Disney movies like Frozen? Many characters in Disney films have accents that are different from one another. By listening to these characters, viewers can practice their listening skills without subtitles and learn new enunciation patterns. It is simpler for non-native speakers to pick up the language when seeing animated films that are primarily aimed at children.

The animated classic Beauty and the Beast is the next film on our list of IELTS listening study resources. This is a film about good triumphing over evil with amazingly colorful characters. This movie is slow-paced, and full of new ideas and expressions, giving viewers time to assimilate the words and comprehend how they are used in conversation. They have the time to incorporate it into their lexicon because of this. This timeless classic is helpful for anyone preparing to take the IELTS General/Academic! The Remake version is also available, which is not animated and has Emma Watson as the leading character.

The breathtaking Pride and Prejudice is another timeless film that has made it onto the list of movies for IELTS listening. A film based on Jane Austen's universe teaches contemporary viewers about English idioms from a previous era and demonstrates how contemporary British English is influenced by it. Strong enunciations and impeccable grammar eliminate any danger of viewers misinterpreting sentences by giving them a clear understanding of how the English language should be used.

The King’s Speech as the movie's title suggests that it is about a king who overcomes his speech impediment and gives a ceremonial speech without stammering. This movie takes up a convenient spot in this blog post about IELTS listening movies by illustrating the difficulties faced by speakers and language learners. This movie is useful not only for IELTS hearing but also for preparing English for competitive exams because it is relatable and also allows the students to improve their pronunciation and sentence structure.

The two unique English accents—the British and the American—are expertly merged in this lighthearted film, The Holiday, which also features superb performances and a compelling plot. The accents and breaks are made evident to the audience, which helps the listener recognize the distinctiveness of the dialects, phrases, and conversational styles of the two places and clearly understand the dialogue between the two locations.

Titanic is an essential film for every movie list and a crucial selection for the IELTS listening list. The film's story and outstanding presentation have won over hearts since its debut, but its distinctive characters' speaking manners and conversational patterns have become its most remarkable aspect. Different conversational tenses, speaking patterns, and word enunciations are introduced to the listeners. The numerous ways the English language is employed, as well as the tone and clarity that are based on conversational patterns, are made vividly clear to the audience. As a result, it is quite beneficial for everyone taking the IELTS test, and who can resist this timeless piece?

The Remains of the Day, which is based on Ishiguro's book of the same name, aids in improving one's conversational English. As a result, it directly affects a non-native speaker's listening skills because they are more adept at following and understanding a conversation in the listening section. The movie greatly expands the listener's vocabulary, which is beneficial for both speaking and listening.

Both adults and children enjoy this timeless animated film, Toy Story, which has captured audiences' attention for years. Anyone looking to watch something interesting and enjoyable while working on their English should watch it. One can grasp many rhythms and tones that can be found in the English language while one is chatting in it by paying attention to the various animated characters in the movie. The audience becomes accustomed to an ongoing English discussion and one's listening skills are improved.

One of the must-watch movies for IELTS listening is the Harry Potter series, a tale that shook and still astounds the world. This film is a shining illustration of how to master the British accent, which can be frequently baffling. The movie familiarizes viewers with countless phrases and words typical to British English, helping them to know and acquire novel phrases and understand their usage. Characters speak in powerful, clear British English. It is a series of movies that can do wonders for anyone's capacity to listen and is quite positively wonderful.

Other sources

  • Online news channels are the best because newscasts have a decent balance of reports and interviews. I advise using BBC News as your primary news source for all IELTS exam sections. However, to get used to understanding various accents, listen to the news from a variety of English-speaking nations for the Listening test (UK, Ireland, US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa).
  • Podcasts are also an excellent resource. They can last for as little as 2 minutes or go on for an hour or more. They also cover a vast range of topics so you’ll easily find something interesting to listen to in the time you have available. The best platform to search for podcasts is Stitcher.
  • TED Talks are equally useful. These are online lectures, often very short, and are perfect for practicing listening to monologues. Again, the range of topics is huge. You can access them through YouTube.

It's crucial to keep a few things in mind while watching movies to achieve your goals. It's critical to consider if you're viewing a movie to practice your English or for Sunday night entertainment. If the former is your response, be sure to watch it prepared with the same objective and with a notebook and pen at hand.

Also read : IELTS Exam type

Subtitles

Subtitles can help you improve your reading skills, but they can also cause you to become dependent on them rather than making an effort to understand what is being said. Try to watch the first time with the subtitles in your original language or English and the second time with them off. This will aid in your practice as well as assist you in understanding what the character is saying.

Consider following the subtitles while the character is speaking. Alternately, you can go back and recite the sentence with the actor.

Make notes

Keep a notebook and a pen close at hand while viewing a movie, and jot down any words, phrases, or proverbs that are uttered. You may also come across some sentences or words that are challenging to understand. Instead of looking on Google, look up words with complicated definitions in a dictionary. Your ability to retain improves with more effort.

Also read : IELTS Exam dates

FAQ

No, it is not sufficient. One should also listen to native speakers by watching English movies, video sources, podcasts, news channels etcetera as such content include various kind of pronunciations, vocabulary and accents.
Watching films in the language one is seeking to learn is a tried and true method for improving English. There are many distinct types of visual media. Through listening and watching, people can learn a lot. They can help with gaining familiarity with various words, phrases, sentence structures, etc.
First of all, turn off the subtitles, concentrate, and then turn them back on to make sure you understood what was being said. Through the use of basic words geared for a younger audience, this helps learners build their vocabulary and enhance their listening skills.
First of all, one should be prepared with the same goal in mind. Apart from this, there should be a notebook and a pen nearby to make important notes.
One can watch online news channels like BBC. Podcasts are a valuable resource as well and TED Talks are also beneficial.

Get great articles direct to your inbox

The latest news, articles, and resources, sent straight to your inbox every month.

World class education waiting for you.

Events, webinar, college / university visits and more.

Popular university and colleges for Studying abroad.

Popular English Language Proficiency Exams

IELTS Online

- Live Classes

Curated content to keep you updated on the latest education trends, news and more.

A little effort to provide an authentic and reliable content for keen readers!!