It doesn't really matter if you are in the process of elevating your language skills or if you just want to maintain a level that is working for you and your needs. Listening without the help of visual cues is a time honored way of keeping your ears attuned to how English is actually spoken, which we all know is very different from how it is actually written. As a leadership and language consultant in English for native speakers of Spanish, I find myself constantly apologizing for the horrible words that have absolutely no connection whatsoever between how they LOOK and how they SOUND. No hay conexion entre lo escrito y lo hablado. Hay que aceptarlo and move on. Which brings me back to the title of this post: podcasts.
There is literally a podcast out there for your every need. Negotiations, public speaking, financial markets, family, gardening, sports... If you can think of a topic, it exists. And while listening without seeing the sentences in writing is a challenge, there are also innumerable benefits. Los beneficios son, literalmente, innumerables. You can listen while doing something else at the same time. You can listen while doing absolutely nothing, as well.
OK, me dices. Parece bien, Maria, pero prefiero ver a la persona que habla y realmente necesito ver lo que dice. What now? Here comes the good news: As society becomes more virtual by the second, many podcasts have moved over to YouTube as well. That usually comes with subtitles, so now we have a podcast situation where you can decide whether you prefer to just listen, listen and see who's talking or listen, watch the gestures and facial expressions and also read along - that last one will actually help you find out just how many horrible words there are out there. And las tres razones? Better listening skills, increased vocabulary and actual knowledge!!!
Tell me, are there any words in this post that you have no idea how to pronounce? Let me know in the comments section!!
Love,
Maria Kristina
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