| For most educated people, listening in the foreign | | | | increase the amount you can remember and |
| language is the most challenging skill to master. | | | | repeat with each successive try. |
| We are visual learners, accustomed to learning by | | | | After you've listened multiple times without |
| reading, but reading is useless for improving | | | | reading, then you can check the script and |
| listening skills. Moreover, because we are not used | | | | re-listen. Don't worry if you don't get the whole |
| to learning by hearing, we need all our | | | | thing. |
| concentration to master the sounds of the | | | | 3. LISTEN TO WHOLE LANGUAGE Whole |
| language. Follow these tips: | | | | Language is usually real sentences or phrases, |
| 1. LISTEN WITHOUT READING Any course | | | | rather than just individual words taken out of |
| materials or foreign language programs come with | | | | context. Maybe as a beginner you will want to |
| CDs, DVDs, or some kind of audio component. | | | | listen to individual words just to get started. |
| Not only do you need to listen to native speakers | | | | However, you should listen to dialogs, |
| (through daily conversation, music, movies, TV, | | | | conversations and phrases as soon as possible. |
| etc), but you should be doing some targeted | | | | That is because pronunciation changes at the |
| listening at a level just slightly above your own. | | | | sentence level. Think about the following simple |
| The key is to listen to a passage or conversation | | | | question in English, and how each individual word is |
| multiple times, without reading the script, despite | | | | pronounced: |
| whatever the course instructions say. Why? | | | | WHERE / ARE / YOU / GOING? |
| When you read and listen, you are mainly reading, | | | | Now say this question as you would normally say |
| because you are used to learning by reading. | | | | it in a conversation, and it sounds something like: |
| Moreover, people often read a word, for | | | | WHERYA GOIN? |
| example, in Spanish, and unconsciously assign it | | | | So you need to hear all the intonation, sentence |
| the wrong pronunciation based on their native | | | | level stress (which parts are emphasized, or |
| language, so are not really hearing how the words | | | | louder), rhythm and word combining to really |
| are actually being pronounced. Also, the sentence | | | | understand the language as it is spoken, and hear |
| level pronunciation, intonation, word stress, | | | | the pronunciation. |
| emotional factors, are not present in the reading | | | | 4. LISTEN TO REAL LANGUAGE Listen to music, |
| passage. You need all your attention focused on | | | | TV programs, radio, whatever you can get a hold |
| what you are hearing to really improve your | | | | of. Don't worry if you feel like you are missing |
| listening comprehension - and pronunciation. | | | | everything. Get a hold of some music lyrics and |
| 2. LISTEN AND REPEAT Again, do this without | | | | sing along. Music is like glue - for some reason the |
| reading so that you are really focused on | | | | words and tunes really stick in your brain. I |
| pronunciation and intonation. If it's too easy, do | | | | remember two French songs I learned in |
| something harder, and if it's really impossible, get | | | | kindergarten, and I can still understand and sing |
| something a little easier. You want the passage | | | | them, yet I have never studied or spoken French. |
| just above your own level. If you have a course | | | | If you start implementing the above steps, I am |
| DVD which shows little skits and dialogs, these are | | | | certain, as a language learner and teacher, that |
| ideal as you have all the non-verbal cues from the | | | | you will notice a vast improvement in your |
| actors. Listen to a "chunk" of the sentence and | | | | listening comprehension. |