When we study English, we are always looking for new ways to learn that can facilitate our study. Achieving fluency sometimes seems impossible, but we persist in our quest for perfect pronunciation, excellent learning, adequate vocabulary, and so on.
A resource that is very valid as an aid in this search is the radio! That's right! Radio is an excellent learning tool since we don't need to stop our activities to listen to it; on the contrary, while we work, do housework, among other tasks, we can be tuned in to any radio station.
► Why radio can be a great tool for learning English?
In addition to flexibility, when listening to the radio in English, we have access to a range of words and expressions typical of that language. Think about it: where, here in Brazil, will you find people speaking natural English, true, real English, spoken English as we speak Portuguese with our friends and family? Unless you have an International Conference or something like the World Cup or the Olympics, it's very rare to have access to more “natural” conversations, so to speak, in English.
Listening to the radio in English contributes to the acquisition of proficiency in this language, it also helps those who are already fluent not to lose it and in the learning of those who are at the beginning of their studies, even if they do not understand everything it is. said.
► Radio versus Films and Series
Unlike movies and series, where the texts are all "square", edited and contextualized, on the radio everything flows real and spontaneous. Of course, watching movies and series is always a help for those learning the language, but even so, your script is limited to the contexts constructed by the plots. The important thing here is to understand the difference between dealing with an English, say, "canned" and an English free of any editing, found in itself by people who use it naturally all days.
Do not stop now... There's more after the advertising ;)
► Radios in mobile apps
In the past, we didn't have access to this type of content or, to have it, it was much more complicated. Nowadays, this is not a problem, as we can have access to all the radio stations in the world through apps on our cell phone. With the facilities of technology, we have to learn to use these resources for our benefit.
Through these mobile apps, we have the option to choose the country, state, city and even the neighborhood where we want to listen to the radio. If you want to know the English spoken in New Zealand, for example, you can choose to listen to that country's radio. The applications have options for radios both in capitals and large cities and in the most remote interiors, such as Stratford-upon-avon, which is a city in England. See some application suggestions:
XiiaLive
Jango Radio
Tunnel Radio
Before you think that listening to the radio doesn't help your studies, give this tool a try! Listen at least once before abandoning the idea. Imagine people calling on the radio, giving their opinions, participating and asking for songs just like we do here in Brazil! It is a unique opportunity for those who have not yet traveled abroad to learn a little bit about the culture, accents, tastes and quirks of those who speak the English language.
By Janaína Mourão
Graduated in Letters - English
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
MOURãO, Janaína Pereira. "Listening to the radio to learn English"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/ingles/ouvir-radio-para-aprender-ingles.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.
