Babbel 30-Day Challenge Week 3: Listening

For the third week of the challenge, we’ll help you build your listening comprehension skills in the language you’re learning.

By Dylan Lyons

September 15, 2019

Babbel 30-Day Challenge Week 3: Listening

Welcome to the third week of the Babbel 30-Day Language Challenge! Every week, we’re publishing an article to help you get in the habit of learning every day. By the end of the month, you’ll have the tools to carry you forward.

This Week’s Language Challenge

We’re already at week three of Babbel’s 30-day challenge, and hopefully you’re settling into a learning routine that works for you. In the last two weeks, we’ve given you challenges and tips on reading and writing in your new language. Now, it’s time to listen!

Listening comprehension is crucial if you’re going to have conversations in the language you’re learning — which is more likely than not one of your goals. You need to be able to understand what people are saying to you in order to respond appropriately. Fortunately, we’ve got plenty of resources and advice to help you improve your listening skills.

As always, there are several different challenges you can complete, based on your schedule each day this week. Maybe one day, you can spare 15 minutes, but the next day you only have a single free minute. That’s totally fine! As long as you stay consistent by doing something each day, you’ll continue building a healthy learning habit. And be sure to check out our resources below for more specific recommendations on how to practice your listening skills.

Ready to get started? Listen up!

1 Minute Challenges

Watch a short Instagram video in the language you’re learning (we have curated lists of accounts to follow for each language below).
Use the pronunciation feature from an online dictionary for a few common vocab words.

5 Minute Challenges

Listen to a song in your new language and see how much you understand (we have curated Spotify playlists to follow for each language below).
Find and listen to a radio station that broadcasts in your local language (you’ll likely have to find an online radio station for this).

10 Minute Challenges

Watch a YouTube video that’s partially or entirely in your target language (we have curated lists of channels to subscribe to for each language below).
Find an online comprehension quiz to test your listening abilities.
Listen to a chapter of an audiobook. If you have the physical book, you can combine this with your reading skills.

15 Minute Or More Challenges

Listen to an episode of a podcast in the language you’re learning (we have curated lists of podcasts to check out for each language below).
Watch an episode of a TV show — try it with English subtitles first, then turn them off (we have curated lists of TV shows to watch for each language below).
Take a local tour offered in the language.