How to Learn English with my podcast 🎧 [959]

Brief Summary

In this episode of Luke's English Podcast, Luke provides a comprehensive guide on how to effectively learn English, particularly with the aid of his podcast. He covers the four key language skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—as well as essential language systems like grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and discourse management. Luke emphasises the importance of consistent practice, diverse learning methods, and maintaining a positive attitude towards language learning.

• Consistent practice across all language skills and systems is crucial.
• Diversifying learning resources and methods keeps learning engaging and effective.
• A positive mindset and enjoyment of the learning process are essential for long-term success.

Intro

Luke introduces the episode, aiming to provide clear and simple advice on how to learn English effectively, particularly using his podcast. He acknowledges that improving English can seem daunting, so he advises starting immediately without seeking the perfect method, and to find a rhythm that works for you. Luke shares his background as an English teacher with 25 years of experience, highlighting his understanding of effective learning strategies. The episode will cover the four main language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) and the key language systems (grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and discourse management).

Listen to my podcast

Luke's primary advice is to listen to Luke's English Podcast regularly, ideally daily, to improve your English. He suggests listening to each episode from start to finish, aiming for at least one episode per week, with more frequent listening being even more beneficial. Episodes can be found on his website and through podcast apps. Luke stresses that language learning is a long-term process, and consistent listening over time will gradually improve understanding. Even if you don't understand everything initially, persistence is key. He encourages listeners to focus and engage emotionally and intellectually with the content for better results.

Listening

Luke expands on listening practice, advising listeners to diversify their sources beyond just his podcast. He suggests incorporating news reports, films, TV dialogue, audiobooks, TED Talks, and documentaries to expose themselves to different types of English. Luke addresses the use of subtitles, recommending English subtitles sometimes, but not always, to balance understanding with genuine listening skill development. He suggests creative exercises like watching content with subtitles, then without, and then listening only. Motivation is vital, so learners should focus on content they enjoy to avoid negative associations with learning English.

Reading

Luke advises doing plenty of reading and diversifying reading materials, similar to his advice for listening. He recommends books (both fiction and non-fiction), newspaper articles, blog posts, and emails. For lower-level learners, he suggests using graded readers, which are adapted for different proficiency levels. Luke highlights the importance of reading both fiction and non-fiction to become familiar with different writing styles. To practice reading with his podcast, he suggests reading transcripts before, during, or after listening to reinforce learning.

Speaking

Luke explains that listening helps improve speaking skills by providing a template for spoken English. He stresses the need for actual speaking practice to properly improve this skill. He suggests several speaking exercises, including shadowing (repeating what you hear), responding to questions in the podcast, summarising episodes, and expressing thoughts out loud in English. Luke also recommends speaking with AI chatbots for feedback and role-playing, and practicing with human speaking partners or teachers found on platforms like Italki. He advises against relying solely on apps like Duolingo, emphasising real-time communication for effective skill development.

Writing

Luke equates improving writing skills to improving speaking skills, emphasising the importance of regular practice in different text types. He suggests writing a daily diary in English to practice sentence and paragraph construction. Additionally, he recommends practicing formal and informal emails, reports, articles, and essays. Luke advises using Cambridge exam tasks or AI for writing prompts and feedback. He stresses the importance of regular, real-world practice and making English a part of daily life.

Grammar

Luke acknowledges the importance of grammar but stresses that it is not the most crucial aspect of language learning; communication and connection are more important. He advises noticing grammar in context while listening and reading. Luke references specific episodes of his podcast that focus on grammar and suggests using the study guide in Raymond Murphy's "English Grammar in Use" to identify weak areas. He encourages learners to keep a notebook of grammatical structures, practice producing their own sentences, and seek feedback from teachers.

Vocabulary

Luke summarises key points from his previous episode, "How to Really Learn Vocabulary and Not Just Stare at Word Lists." He emphasises reading and listening a lot, noticing new words in context, and recording words effectively with definitions, collocations, examples, and pronunciation notes. Common mistakes include relying on translations, writing isolated word lists, and not including grammar or pronunciation details. Luke recommends spaced repetition, active recall, mnemonics, and both controlled and free practice. He suggests using online dictionaries, flashcard apps, AI tools, and resources like Yuglish.com and the Oxford 3000/5000 word lists.

Pronunciation

Luke stresses the importance of exposure to spoken English and copying what you hear through listen-and-repeat exercises and shadowing. He suggests studying English phonemes, learning the phonetic script, and practicing transcription. Luke provides a list of useful tools, including interactive IPA charts, phonetic script typewriters, and pronunciation studios. He also highlights that his premium subscription includes episodes designed to improve all aspects of English pronunciation.

Discourse Management

Luke defines discourse management as organising ideas clearly and logically in longer stretches of language. Key features include range and development of ideas, organisation, cohesion, coherence, and appropriacy. He advises extending answers, using linking devices, organising talk into chunks (introduction, body, conclusion), and practicing storytelling. Luke suggests recording oneself, learning discourse markers for interactions, and listening to good models like podcasts and TED Talks. He recommends episode 879 with Matt Abrahams for communication techniques.