Watching videos with subtitles is a powerful way to improve English skills. Hereβs why it works and how to make the most of it.
Improves Listening Skills β Learners hear natural pronunciation, intonation, and speech patterns.
Enhances Vocabulary β Seeing words in context helps learners understand and remember new vocabulary.
Strengthens Reading Skills β Reading along with spoken words reinforces word recognition and sentence structure.
Supports Pronunciation β Watching native speakers helps learners match words with correct pronunciation.
Boosts Comprehension β Seeing text and hearing audio together aids understanding, especially for difficult accents or fast speech.
Increases Engagement β Visual storytelling makes learning more enjoyable and interactive.
Watch with Native Language Subtitles First β Helps learners understand the context before switching to English subtitles.
Use English Subtitles β Encourages direct language learning by matching spoken and written words.
Pause and Repeat β Helps learners focus on pronunciation and difficult phrases.
Take Notes on New Words β Writing down unfamiliar words and looking them up improves retention.
Shadowing Technique β Repeat sentences immediately after hearing them to practice pronunciation and fluency.
Gradually Remove Subtitles β Start with full subtitles, then transition to only English audio for better listening skills.
π§ SmashBoomBest- Smash Boom Best is a debate show for kids and families from the makers of the award-winning podcast, Brains On! Every episode takes two cool things, smashes them together and lets you decide which is best. Our debaters use facts and passion to make their case -- teaching listeners how to defend their own opinions along the way.
π§But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids- Kids have all kinds of curious questionsβitβs one of the things we love most about them! This educational podcast for kids from Vermont Public Radio tackles such topics as Why Do People Have Nightmares?, Do Animals Get Married?, and Why Do Lions Roar?
π§Brain's On! But Why is a show led by you, kids! You ask the questions and we find the answers. Itβs a big interesting world out there. On But Why, we tackle topics large and small. From why flamingos stand on one leg to how circuits work to whether itβs ever okay to lie. No question is off limits, and we let your curiosity guide us!
π§Mars Patel- The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel is a scripted podcast for middle grade kids, performed by middle grade kids. It is a fun, high-quality, serial mystery that can be described as Goonies meets Spy Kids meets Stranger Things for 8-12 year olds. It was voted as one of the top 50 podcasts of 2016 by The Guardian, and was recently honored as a Peabody award winner.
π Activity: Listen to a podcast and try to summarize what you understood in one or two sentences.
π€ Lyricstraining.com β Listen to songs while filling in missing words.
π€ ESL Songs for Beginners β YouTube β Slow-paced songs with lyrics.
π€ The Singing Walrus β Fun, catchy songs for younger learners.
π Activity: Pick a song, sing along, and write down any words you recognize!