Greetings all!!!
I am here to share with you how, throughout the years of learning a new language (both English and French), I practiced my listening skills!!!
First of all, I believe that you need to get used to the language! You need to train your "ears"!!! I say that today because several years back I was downloading a few episodes of Tin-Tin (a French cartoon) when I realized I had NO CLUE OF WHAT LANGUAGE it was!!!!!
I swear to god it took me a good five minutes of listening to grasp one word that I would be able to decypher! Do you want to guess what language it was? Not French! Not English!
Spanish is the correct answer!
I couldn't believe myself for taking that long to find out!!! And the worst part it, I consider myself very good at understanding Spanish!!!
But truth to be told, I was not used to listen that kind of speech! They were talking so fast and, if you have watched cartoons, it is not like having a person talking and you are able to see their expression and lips moving!
My point is: my ears were not trained and used to that language - or at least, to that language being spoken in its regular pace.
I was surprised because I didn't remember having had that problem ever when learning English or French! But again, I have been studying those since I can remember!
Looking back, I remember being SO EXCITED whenever I got the new class material for my language courses (i.g. tapes/cds, books, workbooks, etc). I would go home and play the WHOLE CD over and over (and I had NO CLUE of what it was being said - remember, I had just got the material. I was going to be studying that in the next couple of months!). I remember my mom and sister complaining because I would play it while cleaning my room, doing the dishes, cleaning my father's office, etc. It wasn't like I was listening to it with the book in front of me. I just wanted to listen!
Turns out it paid off quite well! Even thought didn't really understand what it was being said, I did manage to "decode" words. I new the start and end of an word. I didn't know what it meant but I could tell one from another. I could even tell short sentences and expressions. All that because I trained my ears to that language. I got used to how it sounded. I got used with the speech pattern, pace, intonations...
It might be a little weird at first - and I know not many people would be willing (and allowed!) to listen to people speaking another language just for listening, without worrying about what is being said, or understand anything whatsoever!
The alternative i give to my students is much more enjoyable and pleasant! MUSIC! Listen to music!!!! It is different than just listen to regular people speaking the language in various daily situations BUT it is already something! Music, podcast, cartoons/tv shows/movie... there are infinite ways for you to practice your listening skills. And here, I am not even saying that you have to listen attentively! You just have to listen! I really believe this is the first step - getting used to the sound of the new language!
It is not something that you will see results overnight but I can assure you, after a while, when you do get your results, it is going to take you a long way :)
2 comments:
Hi Thaty,
I would like to compliment you not just for this great post, but also for your Blog as a whole. It is GREAT how you made your personal experiences of learning languages useful for somebody else who needs some advice as well as motivation to keep up her/his learning. I also like the way you build it up. Knowing you as a classmate and a friend, I feel you did an awesome balance between personal and professional. I can see your personality in each section and at the same time great content for teachers, learners or anybody interested in the language-learning world. Congratulations girl =)!
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