[10:33] Listen to English for Half an Hour Daily: Rapidly Improve Your Listening Skills and Communication

Carefully selected practical listening materials suitable for middle and high school students, scientifically designed training for easy breakthroughs! From extensive listening to intensive listening, capturing keywords to understanding the full text, gradually conquering 90% of the content. Persist for 21 days and let your ears get used to the English rhythm—you will notice amazing progress! Start now and witness a qualitative leap in your listening skills! Below is a compilation by qicai website editors of some listening content to help you boost your English listening by listening for half an hour every day.

I'm Siri, and I'm so excited to share something really special with you today. You know what's funny? Just a year ago, I would have been too nervous to even record this video. I was that shy person who would see someone wearing a beautiful dress or doing something amazing, and I would think, wow, that's incredible. But then, I would just keep it to myself. Sound familiar to anyone. Today, I want to talk about something that completely changed my life, learning how to give and receive compliments genuinely. It sounds simple, right? But trust me, it's actually an art. And the best part, once you master it, your relationships become so much richer and more meaningful.

I'm a 24-year-old graduate student from Thailand, studying at NYU in New York. When I first arrived here, I was overwhelmed by everything, the fast pace, the different culture, and especially the way people communicate. Americans are so direct and expressive. Back home were more reserved, more subtle. But here, people freely share their thoughts and feelings, including compliments. So, let me take you through my journey from the girl who was too shy to say, I like your shoes, to someone who now believes that genuine compliments are one of the most beautiful ways to connect with others.

It all started during my first semester at NYU. I was sitting in the library, trying to focus on my research paper, when this girl named Maria sat down next to me. She had the most beautiful, curly hair I'd ever seen, and she was wearing this amazing vintage dress. I kept glancing at her, thinking about how to start a conversation, but instead of saying anything, I just stared at my laptop screen. After about an hour, Maria turned to me and said, I love your notebook. The design is so unique. I was completely shocked. Someone was complimenting me. I didn't know how to respond, so I just mumbled, thanks, and quickly looked away. I could feel my face turning red. After that day, I realized something important. Maria's compliment had made me feel seen, valued, and a little less alone in this big city. But I had missed the opportunity to connect with her because I was too nervous to respond properly.

That moment made me think, what if I could learn to give compliments as naturally as Maria did? What if I could learn to receive them gracefully? I decided to start with something simple, my daily coffee shop visits. There's this amazing barista named Jake who works at the cafe near my apartment. He always remembers my order and has this incredible talent for latte art. One morning, I gathered all my courage and said, Jake, your latte art is absolutely beautiful. It always makes my day start on such a positive note. The way his face lit up was incredible. He smiled so genuinely and said, thank you so much, that really means a lot to me. We ended up talking for a few minutes about his passion for coffee and how he learned latte art. That simple compliment opened up a whole conversation.

What I learned from this experience was that compliments work best when they're specific and genuine. Instead of just saying, you're nice, I told Jake exactly what I appreciated about his work. And the timing was perfect. I wasn't rushing. I wasn't nervous. I was just being honest about what I noticed. As I practiced more, I started to notice something interesting. The more I looked for things to compliment, the more beautiful details I discovered in every day life. I noticed how my classmate Sarah always organized her notes with different colored pens, creating these beautiful, organized pages. I saw how my neighbor, Mr. Rodriguez, took such good care of the plants in our building's lobby.

One day, I told Sarah, I love how you organize your notes with different colors. It's like you're creating art while studying. She was so surprised and happy. She told me that no one had ever noticed that before, and it made her feel really good about her study habits. This taught me another important lesson. Sometimes the most meaningful compliments are about things that people do naturally, things they might not even realize are special. When you point out these small details, you're showing that you really see them as a person.

But here's the thing, giving compliments was only half the battle. I also had to learn how to receive them properly. This was actually harder for me. When someone would compliment me, I would immediately downplay it or change the subject. For example, when my friend Emma told me, Siri, your presentation was really impressive today. You explained everything so clearly. I would respond with something like, oh, it was nothing special. Or I was so nervous, I'm sure I made mistakes.

One day, my professor Dr. Thompson pulled me aside after class and said, Siri, I've noticed that you never accept compliments gracefully. When someone says something nice about you, you should just say thank you and let yourself feel good about it. That was a wake-up call. I realized that by rejecting compliments, I was actually being rude to the people who were trying to be kind to me. I was also denying myself the joy of being appreciated.

The real breakthrough came during a study group session. We were working on a group project, and my teammate Lisa said, Siri, you have such a calming presence. Whenever I'm stressed about the project, just talking to you makes me feel better. This time, instead of brushing it off, I looked her in the eye and said, thank you, Lisa. That's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me. I really appreciate you telling me that. I could feel the genuine connection between us in that moment. Lisa smiled and said, you're welcome. I just wanted you to know how much I value having you in our group.

That conversation changed everything for me. I realized that when you accept a compliment genuinely, you're not just being polite, you're creating a moment of real human connection. Now, let me share some practical tips that have helped me become better at giving and receiving compliments. For giving compliments, be specific. Instead of your nice, say, I love how you always remember everyone's birthdays and make them feel special. Be genuine. Only compliment things you truly appreciate. People can tell when you're being fake. Focus on effort and character. Compliment someone's hard work, kindness, or unique qualities rather than just their appearance. Use the right moment. Don't interrupt someone or compliment them when they're clearly busy or stressed.

For receiving compliments, simply say, thank you. Don't downplay it or change the subject. Make eye contact. Show that you're really listening and appreciating their words. If appropriate, ask a follow-up question. Thank you. What made you notice that? This shows interest and keeps the conversation going. Allow yourself to feel good. It's okay to feel happy when someone says something nice about you.

As I got better at this, I started noticing something amazing. Compliments have a ripple effect. When I complimented someone, they often felt inspired to compliment others. My friend Emma told me that after I complimented her presentation skills, she felt more confident and started giving more presentations in class. I also noticed that the more I practiced giving genuine compliments, the more comfortable I became with myself. I stopped being so self-critical and started appreciating my own qualities more. It's like the more I focused on the good in others, the more I could see the good in myself.

Looking back on this journey, I realized that learning to give and receive compliments wasn't just about being more social. It was about learning to see and appreciate the beauty in everyday moments and in the people around me. Every compliment is like a small gift of appreciation, a way of saying, I see you, I value you, and I want you to know that. And when we learn to give and receive these gifts gracefully, our relationships become richer, our confidence grows, and our world becomes a little brighter.

So my challenge to you today is this, try giving one genuine compliment to someone today. It could be to a classmate, a coworker, a family member, or even a stranger. Notice how it makes you feel and notice how it makes them feel. You might be surprised by the beautiful connections that can start with just a few kind words. And remember, the next time someone compliments you, just say, thank you, and let yourself feel good about it. You deserve to be appreciated, and the person giving you the compliment deserves to have their kindness acknowledged.

Thank you so much for listening to my story today. I'd love to hear about your experiences with compliments in the comments below. Have you ever received a compliment that really meant a lot to you, or have you given one that created a special moment? Share your stories I'd love to read them. Until next time, remember, your words have power. Use them to spread kindness, appreciation, and connection. You never know how much a simple compliment might mean to someone. Take care, everyone.

The above is a compilation by Qicai website to help you with listening half an hour daily to boost your English listening skills. Hope it helps you!