The Importance Of Repeated Listening

Hello, everybody!
I’m Georgiana, your English teacher and founder of SpeakEnglishPodcast.com. My mission is to help you speak English fluently.

In this episode, I’ll be talking about how many times we need to repeat an audio in English.
After that, you’ll practice your conversation skills with a new mini-story.

Okay, let’s get started!

As you may know, I always recommend listening to improve your English speaking.
Many studies suggest a strong correlation between your language level and the number of hours you've spent listening.
In other words: The more you listen, the better you get.
The more hours you spend listening, the quicker you’ll improve.

Here’s an interesting question you might ask:
“How many times do I need to listen to each audio?”
Do I need to listen just once? Or more than that?

Most students listen to something once or twice, then move on to something new.
They think variety is better.

Well, variety is useful — but what you really want is consolidation.
And the most effective way to achieve that is through repetition.

Let’s say you’re just starting with English. You’re a beginner.
This is when you need lots of repetition.
Why? Because you need to internalize common patterns.

That’s why I recommend repeating short audios many times.
For example, if you have a 5-minute audio adapted to your level, you can repeat it 20, 30, or even more times.

Yes! You heard that right — twenty, thirty, or more times!

Of course, I don’t mean in one day.
You could listen to the same audio three times per day for a week.
That’s just 15 minutes a day. By the end of the week, you’ll have repeated it 21 times.

You can also read and listen at the same time, if needed.

It might sound crazy, but I assure you: It works.
You’ll learn a lot, and you’ll start to consolidate vocabulary, phrases, and pronunciation.
And that means it will be easier for you to use them in conversation.

If you make this a part of your daily routine and dedicate just one hour per day to listening and repetition,
you’ll soon notice a huge improvement.

You’ll become familiar with many structures and start to understand without needing to translate in your head.

Repetition is the key to consolidation.

If your level is intermediate or higher, you don’t need to repeat as much.
Instead, try this:

• Listen to the same speaker.
  Focus on one voice or course and stick with it for a while.
  That way, you naturally repeat useful phrases and vocabulary.
  
  

• Listen to the same topic.
  Even if the content is different, you’re still hearing similar vocabulary and expressions.
  
  

These rules aren’t strict.
What matters most is that you listen for many hours — and if you can repeat, even better!

Mini-Story 📖 (Practice Your Speaking)

Now, let’s practice using the Question & Answer Technique.
It’s the perfect way to practice speaking English automatically.

Here’s how it works:

1. I’ll give you some information (just a sentence or two).
   
   

2. Then I’ll ask simple questions.
   
   

3. After each question, you’ll hear a short pause. Use this time to answer out loud.
   
   

4. Then I’ll give you the correct answer.
   
   

Let’s begin!

Peter, the penguin, wanted to become a broker at Wall Street.

Did Peter want to become a broker?
Yes, he did. He wanted to become a broker at Wall Street.

Did Peter want to become a police officer?
No. He didn’t want to become a police officer. He wanted to become a broker.
(A broker is someone who works at Wall Street, for example.)

Who wanted to become a broker?
Peter. Peter, the penguin, wanted to become a broker.

Was Peter a penguin?
Yes, he was. He was a penguin who wanted to work as a broker.

Where did Peter want to work?
At Wall Street. He wanted to work as a broker at Wall Street.

What did Peter want?
He wanted to become a broker at Wall Street.

His problem was that he couldn’t speak English.

What language didn’t he speak?
English. He couldn’t speak English.

Did Peter have a problem?
Yes. He couldn’t speak English.

What was his problem?
He couldn’t speak English.

Did he start to watch TV?
No. He didn’t start to watch TV. He started to listen to English audios.

Did he listen for ten hours a day?
No. He listened for twelve hours a day.

Who listened for twelve hours a day?
Peter. Peter, the penguin.

How many hours?
Twelve. Twelve hours a day.

In only three months, Peter’s English level was impressive.

Was his level impressive in four months?
No. It was impressive in three months.

How was his level after twelve weeks?
Impressive. Twelve weeks equals three months.

How many months?
Three months. In only three months, he made big progress.

He went to Wall Street to apply for a job.

Did he go to Hawaii?
No. He went to Wall Street in New York.

Did he go to the United Nations?
No. He went to Wall Street to apply for a job.

What kind of job?
A job as a broker.

He couldn’t get the job, but now he happily works as a waiter in a fine restaurant.

Did Peter get the job?
No, he didn’t. Unfortunately, he didn’t get the job.

Does Peter have another job?
Yes. He now works in a fine restaurant.

Does he work in a restaurant or on Wall Street?
In a fine restaurant. He works there as a waiter.

Is he happy now?
Yes, he is. It wasn’t his first option, but now he’s happy.

Perfect! That’s the end of this mini-story.
As you can see, through questions and answers, you’re practicing and improving your speaking — just like in a real conversation.

If you want hours of audio with mini-stories and point-of-view lessons, I recommend my Fluency Course.
You can find it at FluencyCourse.com

Well, that’s it for today!
Please help me spread the word about the podcast:
Tell your friends, and leave a comment on iTunes if you have a moment.
It would make me very happy!

I’ll be back next week.
Take care! Bye-bye!