2023-03-01

As my readers may already know, I prefer not to drive in the Bay area and instead rely on ride-sharing services such as Uber, Lyft, or public transportation like buses, to commute from my office to my home. In this article, I will provide some useful English listening tips for non-native speakers.

Carpool in Bay Area

 Online delivery App: UberEATS、 DoorDash、Grubhub、Postmates

1. Broad & concentrated listening

“Essentially, I divide my percentage allocation based on channels and content. While I previously used an 80:20 split, I have now modified it to a 60:40 split.

1-1 Broad listening (Spare time)

I recently took stock of my daily spare time and was pleasantly surprised to find that there are many opportunities to make productive use of it. From applying makeup, commuting, cooking, and winding down before sleep, the possibilities are endless. I strongly believe that making a conscious decision to not waste time can significantly enhance one’s personal growth.

1-2 Concentrated listening (scheduled time)

When it comes to serious and professional topics, I would recommend finding a quiet and comfortable environment at home or elsewhere to focus on the sources of information. This can involve searching for relevant vocabulary and reading relevant posts to enhance your understanding of the subject matter.

2. Electronic (Earphones & Speakers)

2-1 Earphones

I typically use my earphones while using public transportation, but I’ve noticed many people opting for the wireless version. If budget isn’t a concern for you, I would highly recommend giving them a try.

2-2 Speaker

I highly recommend Amazon’s Alexa, which not only plays audio but also offers some cool features such as to-do and shopping lists (which I can share with you once I’ve tried them out!). Personally, I use the Bose SoundLink Micro Bluetooth speaker, which is a great option if you’re on a budget and have a small living space.

3. Listening channels

After years of training, I have compiled a list of recommendations that I would like to share with all of my readers. The screenshot below was taken from my phone, where I have grouped all of my Audible app recommendations together.

3-1 Medium

3-1-1 Intro

Medium is one of my favorite reading channels due to its clean and uncluttered interface – white background and black letters, without any annoying advertisements. It primarily features English posts, with contributions from both storytellers and professional writers.

Recently, I discovered that I could download the app and “listen” to articles as well. The green circle indicates the listening feature, with options for 10-minute listens or extended plays up to 30 minutes. As an example, during my 40-minute commute (including bus and walking), I typically listen to 2-3 articles per day.

3-1-2 Membership fees

$5 per month

3-1-3 Cancellation fees

If you would like to cancel the subscriptions, free to  cancel many times.

3-2 Amazon Audible Book

3-2-1 Intro

The Amazon Audible Book page is designed with simplicity in mind. It offers one free audiobook and two Amazon original audiobooks every month.

I highly recommend the book ‘Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions.’ I read it during my school years, and the audiobook version takes just 2 hours to listen to. It’s perfect for those looking to spend their spare time learning something new

3-2-2 Membership fees

$14.95 per month

3-2-3 Cancellation fees

Swap any audio books you don’t love or cancel anytime.

3-2-4 Nice design – Sleep mode

I used to fall in deep sleep when I listened the audio books. I’m too happy to see Amazon offers this function.

3-3 Podcasts

For podcasts, I recommend checking out ‘Tech News Weekly.’ They discuss the latest news and interview people, which can be helpful in gathering information on the stock market. Since some of the vocabulary and content may be difficult, I also suggest reading related news articles afterwards.

 Investment learning & US stock trading app – Robinhood

3-4 Ted talks

Ted Talks cover a wide range of topics, making them a great resource for students preparing for English exams. However, similar to podcasts, some of the content may be challenging, so I also recommend reading related news articles after watching them.

3-5 YouTube

I believe that my readers are already familiar with this approach, where the sources of information are selected based on their content, be it for entertainment or knowledge purposes. In my spare time, I like to listen to various YouTubers on topics such as makeup, among others. Here are some of my personal favorites

4. Summarize listening tips

5. Online Material and Courses of 2019

Please refer toOnline Material and Courses of 2019