Listening. Is that music to your ears?
"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak;
courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen".
Winston Churchill
So, you have been learning a foreign language for quite a while and you have noticed with surprise that you read and understand rather much compared to listening. Native speakers keep on using words and phrases different from what you studied. Their pronunciation drives you mad and you are about to give up. Is that about you? Well, that's about all of us, foreigners making an effort in search of understanding.
Here is what we have in common:
We read the subtitles to the movies instead of watching them;
We listen to podcasts and radio programmes as if they were concerts of classical music (far far away with our thoughts, then suddenly hearing the sound again, surprised to have lost track of what's going on);
We tend to get nervous if we don't know every single word and ask our partner to explain the details instead of checking general understanding.
Here is what we can do to practice listening skills and start understanding better:
Find a video or a podcast about something interesting for you. This could be something connected with your job or a hobby, your family issues or a party you are going to host. Whatever topic is great if it is fun for you to listen to.
In case it's a video, watch it first without sound just to get oriented in what, where and with whom is happening.
Listen and pay attention to the key words, most frequent ones. Check how much you've guessed during the first try.
Listen again, this time with the subtitles if it's a video or following the lines in a script if it's a podcast.
Finally, watch or listen without a helping text, notice whether it is easier now.
What is important is to practice with consistency and encourage yourself when you manage to understand more. Like with other language skills, practice makes perfect with listening, too.
No comments:
Post a Comment