Listening and reading at the same time: a great way to improve your English

You probably know that reading is one of the fundamental ways to improve in your second language. And (at least if you’re a fan of Plain English), you also know that listening is key, too. But listening and reading at the same time can bring even greater benefits together, especially as you look to improve your full range of skills in English.

Benefits of listening and reading at the same time

In this article, we’ll take a look at four benefits to English learning of listening and reading at the same time. They are:

• You can associate sounds with written words
• You deepen the learning pathways
• You involve multiple senses at once
• It helps you stay on track

Associate sounds with written words

Every word (in fact, every part of a word) has a sound and a spelling.

When reading…

When reading, we pay attention to the way a word looks. We notice its spelling. If it’s a hard word, we can take a little longer to identify it and process its meaning. If it’s a word we know, we can process it quickly.

It’s also common to “say” the words out loud in our heads. But a problem comes when we recognize the way a word is written, but we don’t know how it sounds. We can’t say it silently to ourselves, and we can’t use it out loud in a future conversation.

When listening…

When listening, on the other hand, we clearly know how words sound. But as we’re listening, we don’t know how words are spelled. And if we don’t hear the speaker clearly, it can be hard to know whether we simply don’t know the word or if we mis-heard it.

When listening, too, we don’t have the option of taking a little while longer with each word, since we (usually) don’t control the speed with which a person speaks.

When doing both…

But listening and reading together is a powerful strategy. It combines the strengths of each method. When you hear a word spoken out loud, you can immediately associate the sounds you hear with the way it’s written on the page. That way, when you encounter the word again in a book, you’ll be more likely to know how it sounds, so you can “say it” in your head.

Likewise, when writing, you might think of a word based on what you’ve heard. And if you know how it’s spelled, you’re prepared to write it out.

Plain English is a podcast with slower-speed audio and free, word-for-word transcripts to help English learners. Learn more here.

Deepen the learning pathways

Learning any new skill involves carving new pathways in your brain.

The first time you do something new, it feels slow and uncomfortable. The second time, it might feel only a little better. But if you’ve done something a hundred times, you probably feel like an expert. By that hundredth time, you’ve already carved a deep learning pathway for yourself in your brain.

Every time we hear something—and every time we read something—in our new language, we deepen the learning pathways in our brains. It’s not a big change every time, but the accumulation of reading, listening, speaking, and writing over long periods is what makes us comfortable and fluent in a new language.

That’s why it’s important to be consistent and to get a lot of exposure to a new language.

You won’t find us arguing for a quick-fix to language learning. But listening and reading at the same time can help you deepen those learning pathways faster than if you were practicing just one of those skills at a time.

Involve multiple senses at once

Humans perceive the world using multiple senses. We have evolved to process information quickly from multiple senses at once. That’s why multi-sensory learning can be so effective.

Multi-sensory learning is just what it sounds like: a learning style that uses multiple senses at once. In most cases, this means some combination of sight, sound, touch, and movement.

Of course, not everything can be taught in a multi-sensory way. But languages are tailor-made for a combination of sight and sound. Listening and reading at the same time stimulates two of your senses at once, and can help you make faster progress.

Stay on track with your reading

Finally, who among us hasn’t allowed our mind to wander while reading a book? A thought pops into your head, you look up…and ten minutes later, you’ve had a daydream and haven’t even turned one page. That can be even more true in a second language, when reading is more of a strain than it is in your first language.

Getting lost while reading a book isn’t bad in and of itself. But sometimes we would benefit from the discipline of someone keeping us on track. Listening to the text we’re reading can help us stay on track, especially if it’s at a pace we can follow (more on that later).  

Where to get the material

You might be convinced that listening and reading at the same time offer benefits over and above what each individual activity can offer by itself. But where can you get material?

Here are three suggestions:

• Podcasts: Many English-language podcasts come with free transcripts. Plain English, for example, is a twice-weekly English-learning podcast about current events and trending topics. The transcripts are free and available on PlainEnglish.com. Other podcasts, especially from NPR in the United States, also have transcripts.
• Audiobooks: If you like reading books, you might consider combining the written book with the audiobook. If you buy e-books from Amazon, look for the feature called “Whispersync” to make sure your Kindle book comes with an audio version.
• Automated narration: Many newspapers and magazines now offer narration of the articles on their websites. This is an excellent way to make the content more accessible. Just be aware, however, that this is often computer narration. While the pronunciation is basically accurate, it’s not the same as listening to a human.

Other tips for listening and reading at the same time

Finally, here are a few tips to keep in mind if you follow this strategy:

• Listen at the right speed: Listening does you no good if it’s too fast for you to understand. Some audiobook narrators speak slowly, while others go much more quickly. The same goes for podcasts. Pick an audio source that goes at a speed that you can understand. (Plain English is available at two speeds, for example, so you can pick the speed that’s right for you.)
• Don’t overdo it: Remember the benefits of listening and reading at the same time, especially about creating deeper learning pathways? Well that comes at a cost. This is a more intense way of learning, so you’ll get tired more quickly. Don’t try to do too much. Listen to just ten or fifteen minutes at first. Then, you can gradually increase the amount you do per day as you get more comfortable.

Consider Plain English for the best of both worlds

Plain English offers English lessons based on current events and trending topics. Each lesson has both an audio version and a transcript. The best news? They’re both free.

Plain English offers several advantages to English learners who want to upgrade their English skills. First, each and every one of our 650+ lessons includes a free transcript. That way, you can listen and read at the same time for hundreds of hours of interesting content.

Second, the audio goes at a slower speed, perfect for intermediate English learners. What’s more, the slower speed isn’t a mechanical or automated change to normal speech. The narration is just like a patient friend speaking a little more slowly so you can understand.

Finally, while the main topics on Plain English are about what’s going on in the world, each lesson includes a helpful discussion of a common English expression or phrasal verb. These discussions take a story-based approach, so you hear the full context of the words you’re learning.

It’s easy to get started

It’s easy to start with Plain English. Just tell us a little about yourself in the form below and we’ll help you start listening to our free audio lessons and reading the transcripts: