Hi everyone, welcome. Today I want to share some practical tips on how you can work on your listening and speaking skills by yourself. If you are studying alone, or if you live in a place without access to native speakers, don’t worry—you can still practice effectively using free online tools.
Part 1: Listening Practice
Use YouTube and TED Talks
Two of the best resources for listening practice are YouTube and TED.com. Both platforms provide a wide variety of speeches and lectures, and many come with helpful features like transcripts and captions.
Adjust Playback Speed
On YouTube (and also TED), you can change the playback speed.
- Open Settings (the gear symbol).
- Go to Playback Speed and select 0.75x.
This slows down fast speakers just enough to make their words clearer. If the speaker is extremely fast, try 0.5x first, then move back to 0.75x once you feel more confident.
Practice with Transcripts
If transcripts are available, print them out. Follow these steps:
- Listen at 0.75x speed while reading the transcript.
- Play again at normal speed and follow along.
- Listen once more without reading—just focus on the sound, intonation, and rhythm.
You’ll notice where the speaker raises or lowers their voice, and how words often blend together in natural speech.
Listening Drill: Fill in the Blanks
For stronger practice, take your printed transcript and block out random words using correction tape (whiteout). Then, play the video at normal speed and try to fill in the missing words as you listen.
This is especially useful if you are preparing for IELTS, since the listening test requires filling in missing information.
Learn from Sitcoms and Shows
Short clips from shows like Friends or Seinfeld are excellent practice material. The actors speak at natural speed, use everyday vocabulary, idioms, and expressions, and provide plenty of opportunities to build your listening and vocabulary at the same time.
Part 2: Speaking Practice
Use Google Docs Voice Typing
To work on speaking, you can use Google’s Voice Typing tool. Here’s how:
- Open Google Chrome and sign in with your Google account.
- Go to Google Docs and open a blank document.
- From the menu, choose Tools → Voice Typing.
- Click the microphone icon and start speaking.
Google will type out what you say. Your goal is to speak clearly enough that the software recognizes your words accurately.
- If you mispronounce a word, it may type something completely different (for example, “retreat” could come out as “red meat”).
- The better your clarity, the more accurate the transcription.
This is a simple way to check your pronunciation and improve it.
Combine Listening and Speaking
Take a transcript from a TED Talk, a YouTube video, or an EngVid lesson. First, listen carefully, then practice reading the transcript aloud while recording yourself. Compare your delivery with the original speaker.
Next, try speaking the text into Google Docs with voice typing. Check how many words are typed correctly—it’s a good measure of how clearly you’re speaking.
Additional Tips
- Use captions (CC) on YouTube when transcripts aren’t available.
- Explore mobile apps with voice-to-text functions for extra practice.
- The more you practice with these tools, the better they become at recognizing your speech—and the better your English skills will grow.
Of course, if you have access to native speakers, that’s the best option. But if not, these free tools provide a strong alternative for independent practice.
Final Thought
Improving your listening and speaking doesn’t require a classroom. With consistent use of playback tools, transcripts, and voice-to-text applications, you can make steady progress on your own. Keep practicing, stay patient, and your skills will improve over time.
