1. Listen to English radio with a small task in mind

Radio can bring English into ordinary moments. In its tips for practising listening and speaking, the British Council suggests listening while travelling or doing everyday tasks. For your session, choose a topic you can follow, at least a little. Give yourself one simple task: work out what the passage is about and catch one detail. Let an unfamiliar word go if you can still follow the message.

For example, try a short weather report. Did you hear anything about rain, wind or sunshine? Write down your answer before checking it against the text, if one is available. You could then sum it up in an English sentence of your choice, such as “It will rain tomorrow.” That sentence is invented for this exercise: only repeat what your passage actually says. If you lose track, choose a shorter passage or a more familiar topic.

2. Review a few expressions at spaced intervals

Don’t leave new expressions untouched in a notes app. In Remembering vocabulary, the British Council recommends reviewing vocabulary regularly, testing yourself and making personal sentences. To try this, choose two useful expressions and note their meanings and contexts. Then hide the answers. The next day, try to recall the expressions before looking at your notes. Return to them a few days later, as needed.

On one side of a card, write the meaning of an expression in your language. On the other, you might put “ask for help” and your own sentence: “I can ask for help at work.” You could do the same with “make a decision.” If you cannot remember an answer, check it, say it aloud and plan to revisit it. A notebook or digital cards will work; choose something you will want to open again. The point is to recall and reuse expressions, not collect cards.

3. Read a short text about something you enjoy

Interested in cooking, sport or travel? Try an English text on that subject. The British Council’s reading activities are organised by level and include messages, invitations, articles and travel guides. Choose a text whose main subject you can understand without looking up every word. If a whole article feels too demanding, start with one paragraph or a set of instructions. You can try a different format next time.

With a recipe, we suggest finding the ingredients and explaining one step in your own words. With a travel text, look for where the person is going and why. Then pick an expression you would like to use and check its meaning in the sentence. For example, “book a room” might be useful when planning a stay. Keep your answer to your original question: it gives you a concrete record of what you understood.

4. Speak aloud and record yourself

The British Council also suggests speaking to yourself and recording what you say, so you can hear what works and what needs correcting. Try it with a familiar situation: describe your day, introduce yourself or prepare a question for a trip. Choose one simple idea and record a first attempt without writing out every word. If you get stuck, note the word you need, check it and try again.

Here is our example: talk about a plan using “This weekend, I want to…” and add a reason with “because…”. When you listen back, choose just one thing to work on: an unfinished sentence, a word that is hard to pronounce or an unclear idea. Record a second version and compare the two. You could also tell a partner about your plan and ask what activity they understood. Their answer gives you a chance to clarify your message.

5. Write a few lines you could really use

In its tips for practising reading and writing, the British Council suggests keeping a journal in English. To try it, write a few lines about something that happened, something you want or a plan. You could also draft an everyday message: suggest meeting up, thank someone or ask for information. Reuse an expression from your vocabulary notes when it fits what you want to say.

For example, write an imaginary invitation: “Would you like to have lunch on Friday?” Add a place and time, then reread it. Would the other person have enough information to reply? Check one specific point in a dictionary or with someone who knows the language well. Keep both your first version and your correction. At the end of the week, choose a sentence you might use in a real conversation and try saying it without reading.

Try this during your next listening session

1. Choose your priority for the week: understanding spoken English, recalling expressions or expressing an idea. Pick one of the five ideas to start with.
2. Keep a small record of your attempt: a detail you understood, a card you reviewed, a reading answer, a recording or a written message.
3. In another session, connect two activities: use an expression you heard on the radio in a written sentence or in your recording.
4. At the end of the week, look at what you kept and decide what to repeat or change. Make the task smaller if it does not fit into your day.

Listen with Slow English FM

To try the first idea, tune in to Slow English FM, a free live radio in easy English, spoken at a measured pace. The continuous broadcast alternates news, stories, weather, short English-learning segments and music breaks. Replays let you revisit a passage with its transcript and synchronised text when available. Choose a topic, listen with a question in mind, then check your answer. The scripts and voices are generated by AI from cited sources.

Sources and writing

• British Council — Five tips for busy learners: listening and speaking
• British Council — Remembering vocabulary
• British Council — Reading
• British Council — Five tips for busy learners: reading and writing

Guide written with AI assistance and automatically checked against our editorial standards. The exercises are practice suggestions, with no guarantee of results.