We previously discussed the importance of redefining how you “learn” English in the “Language Education” category. We saw that in order to continue developing your skills toward full mastery, you have to move away from passive learning and being taught toward active engagement in real-life communication in English and independent learning.
We also saw, in the “Activities” category, that a powerful way of doing so is identifying real-life topics of interest to you and pursuing knowledge about them in English. As you do, you create the optimal conditions to acquire more English and to strengthen the four core skill areas — reading, listening, speaking, and writing — by integrating them into a dynamic, personalized self-study program.
The key to consistent progress is interest-based learning. When you’re passionate about a subject matter, language acquisition happens more naturally and effectively. The digital world offers a multitude of resources for English learners, but the sheer volume can be overwhelming. This post will guide you through choosing topics you genuinely care about and focus on resources you will need to integrate reading and listening.
Go-To Resources to Discover Your Topics of Interest
Whether you already have a topic of interest in mind or are looking for ideas, the following are my favorite go-to sources. They provide reliable information on a wide range of current, culturally-relevant topics in English.
If you already have a topic in mind, you can do key-word searches to uncover articles, audio, and videos on that topic.
If you are not sure what topic to pursue, browse the different sections of each site looking for stories, headlines, and even images that catch your attention.
Either way, you are likely to find material that sparks your interests and triggers your curiosity. Remember that the idea here is to find something you genuinely want to learn more about.
VOA Learning English (Intermediate)
- Purpose: This platform is specifically designed for English learners. It uses a limited vocabulary and broadcasts at a slower speed.
- Content: You can explore current events, technology, American life, and global issues.
- Why it’s reliable: As a government-funded outlet, VOA is legally mandated to provide accurate, objective, and comprehensive news.
- Purpose: NPR (National Public Radio) is a premier source for high-quality audio and written stories on a multitude of topics.
- Content: It is ideal for learners wanting to hear natural, conversational English. Programs like This American Life or Rough Translation tackle complex social and cultural issues through engaging, human-centered storytelling.
- Why it’s reliable: Known for its deep investigative journalism and commitment to public service, NPR provides a nuanced look at the trends and debates shaping modern society.
- Purpose: This is a daily news program focused on providing in-depth analysis rather than just headlines.
- Content: The site offers full episodes and shorter segments on law, politics, arts and culture, science and technology, education, health, social issues, the economy, and global news, often featuring expert interviews that break down difficult topics.
- Why it’s reliable: As a non-commercial broadcaster, PBS does not rely on advertisers and can provide independent, long-form reporting on under-reported communities and complex global issues.
A Read-First Strategy
To develop your language skills, I recommend starting with the written word. This allows you to control the pace, build essential vocabulary, and create a solid mental blueprint of the topic before tackling the faster pace of spoken English.
Follow these steps to choose a topic and generate a list of materials for integrated practice:
Phase 1: Deep Dive into a Topic via Reading
- Choose an article from a reliable source like VOA Learning English, NPR.org, or PBS NewsHour. Look for something that genuinely interests you.
- Identify its topic (a noun): What is the central subject of the article? (e.g., climate change, artificial intelligence, pregnancy, Korean food, etc.)
- Formulate the main idea (a sentence including that noun): Summarize the article’s core message in a single sentence. (e.g., Climate change is causing more frequent and severe weather events.)
- Outline the main parts: Create a basic outline of the article’s structure, focusing on the key points the author makes to support the main idea.
- Focus on key words/terms: As you outline, actively highlight or list the important vocabulary words related to the topic. Understanding these is crucial for the next step.
Phase 2: Expanding Your Learning through Broad Search
Once you have a solid understanding of the topic and its core vocabulary, expand your learning by searching the internet for a variety of sources.
- Search for diverse materials: Use the topic (noun) and key terms you identified to search broadly. Look for everything from other news articles and blog posts to YouTube videos, podcasts, and even official organization websites.
- Generate a list of materials: Compile a comprehensive list of resources.
- Materials to read: Include articles from different news outlets, Wikipedia entries, or non-fiction excerpts.
- Materials to listen to: Include relevant podcast episodes, news segments, or video interviews.
- Prioritize transcripts and captions: When generating your list, prioritize sources that offer full transcripts or accurate closed captions, as these will allow you to employ the highly effective “reading while listening” strategy.
By following this method, you will move from foundational comprehension to a rich, multi-faceted integration of your reading and listening skills on topics that matter to you.
Alex Oliveira's Master English 