Online Listening

Our English lecturer wanted to improve our listening skills. So She suggested us listen to online podcasts. I have chosen two podcasts from http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts. Podcast's titles were "Author explains Mysteries of Music and the Mind" and "New Climate Solutions Sought as CO2 Levels Rise".

Firstly I would like shortly present what podcasts were about. First odcast was about music. Neurologist Oliver Sacks sais that music sometimes can remain in the brain long after other memories fade. Some people with limited language abilities can sing unimpaired. Oliver Sacks talks about his latest book, Musicophilia, and the way music affects the brain. Another one was about climate. Levels of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere are rising faster than predicted, researchers say. Also, carbon sinks — places that take CO2 out of the atmosphere — aren't absorbing the gas as well as they used to. Several new papers propose new ways to combat global climate change.

I am going to review podcasts by compating them. First topic was easier to me than second one. First, it was only 8 min 41 sec, while another one was 41 min 26 sec. Moreover, podcast about music was much moreinteresting to me. "New Climate Solutions Sought as CO2 Levels Rise" was also interesting especially of its topicality. There were many unfamiliar and unknown words but after second listening I understand more about what was spoken. So I listened both podcasts twice. I tried to write unknown words and look to the dictionary, however, sometimes I haven't get them. Unfortunately, there were any transcripts of listening and exercises to check myself after listening. What is more, in second podcast there was many speakers, that is why it was more difficult to understand it. Talking about level of English, I think it was advanced.

To sum up, it was quite easy to listen it because the language was fluent and the speakers were talking normally: not very quickly.