Listening is an art that can greatly improve the speed at which you learn to communicate in a foreign language. A huge amount of practice is required by a language learner, and this is the very art of absorbing and trying to understand what it is you are hearing.
Great speakers and good readers do not achieve success without first listening to the words and language they seek to master.
The more exposure you get to listening, the faster the learning skills will develop. It is possible to train the ear to listen out for foreign speech and is a key learning skill in developing toddlers as they listen to the words spoken to them by their parents and siblings.
When you see a baby with eyes wide open, mouth aghast and head in a still position – this is what a developing child does when he or she is listening. It is a natural act and is the most prolific and dynamic method to language comprehension.
We know then that language comprehension greatly relies on listening skills, but are there any other tips to give you a head start in comprehending a language more dynamically and at a faster pace?
Removing any distractions that may hinder the ability to listen to a foreign language is a good start. Listen as much as you can: world dramas on television box sets are available in many languages, thanks to smart set-top boxes; make sure it is something you enjoy and do not get agitated when you don’t understand. It will happen and patience is required.
Mastering language comprehension has become easier with the many apps available to download on our smartphones. Common words and phrases are available to help you through the minefield of language pronunciation.
Train the Brain to Listen Fluently
Many language learners will read textbooks and listen to smartphone apps and repeat back what was said in the lesson. It may seem as though everything is actually going really well.
Then you might find yourself speaking one-to-one with a native speaker of your target language, only to find you barely understood a word they said. Did they speak too quickly? Did they talk in a local slang? Probably not.
They will have spoken normally and your listening skills will not have been finely tuned to understand the flow of words that have just been heard by the untrained ear.
Reference:
Says:, V., Says:, J., Says:, D. N., Says:, A. V., Says:, S., Says:, P., . . . Says:, L. (2015, October 04). How To Improve Your Foreign Language Comprehension. Retrieved March 06, 2018, from https://www.mezzoguild.com/how-to-improve-foreign-language-comprehension/