Driving around the world (Video) Posted by Gabriele on Nov 21, 2013 in Culture
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About the Author: Gabriele
Hi there! I am one of Transparent Language's ESL bloggers. I am a 32-year-old native English speaker who was born and raised in the United States. I am living in Washington, DC now, but I have lived all over the US and also spent many years living and working abroad. I started teaching English as a second language in 2005 after completing a Master's in Applied Linguists and a Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults' (CELTA). Since that time I have taught ESL in the United States at the community college and university level. I have also gone on to pursue my doctorate in psychology and now I also teach courses in psychology. I like to stay connected to ESL learners around the world through Transparent Languages ESL Blog. Please ask questions and leave comments on the blog and I will be sure to answer them.
Comments:
Sergio Rodrigues:
I would like to get a piece of advice from Gabriele, related to listening skills, one of my main weaknesses in the English learning process.
Some people say we should listen to only we can understand most of what it is said – say around 90% – otherwise, would be a waste of time.
Others, however, claim we should listen to virtually anything, even not understanding much, in order to get in touch with the intonation and rythm of the target language.
I have subscribed to a lot of podcasts, trying to improve my listening skills, I haven’t found so far the áudio that suits me – nothing so easy that gets me bored, but not so difficult, that makes me feel demotivated, with the sense that I still have a long way to go.
I would like to know your take on that.
Thanks for your time!
gabriele:
@Sergio Rodrigues Hi Sergio,
I think I remember you asking a similar question on this blog, back in July of this year. Here are my general thoughts on this issue (they aren’t that different than they were a few months ago).
Listening to English on a subject that interests you is important, if for no other reason than you will listen to the material for longer. The length of time spent listening is important too, but so is the amount you are understanding. Language learners should try to find listening material that is suited to their level, i.e. beginner material for beginners, advanced material for advanced students. I don’t think you have to understand everything (or near 90%) of what you hear, but understanding at least 50% will likely be a better learning experience for you, than only understanding 10% of the audio material. Listening to audio material in a language you are trying to learn is never a waste of time, in my opinion, but I think you can listen smarter (i.e. listening to material that is around your comprehension level) and get more out of the experience that just listen to material at random. So, finding the right level of program to listen to is important. To improve listening comprehension you want to be listening for individual words, as well as the whole structure of how those words go together and are interconnected through grammar.
Also, although podcast are great, for language learns actually seeing language produced (in person or on TV) is often more helpful when it comes to increasing understanding/comprehension. This is why phone conversations are harder than in person conversations for most. So, perhaps watching a show or movie on a topic you are interested in would be more beneficial to your listening comprehension, in the beginning, compared to listening to a podcast.
I hope that answers you question.