How To Improve Your Listening Comprehension

Summary

This video provides practical advice on improving listening comprehension in a target language. It emphasizes the importance of daily practice using various resources like YouTube, streaming services, and DVDs with subtitles. The speaker suggests using both simplified and native-level materials, and recommends speaking with native speakers through platforms like italki. Key tips include making connections between audio and visual cues, practicing in uncontrolled contexts, and being consistent in listening exercises to enhance understanding and retention.

Takeaways

• 🎧 Listen to your target language every day for consistent practice.
• 🔤 Ensure you know the phonology, basic grammar, and vocabulary before working on listening comprehension.
• 🌐 Utilize online resources like YouTube, streaming radio, and TV stations for diverse listening materials.
• 💻 Watch videos with subtitles to connect auditory and visual learning.
• 📀 Use DVDs or videos with removable subtitles to train your listening skills.
• ⚠️ Be cautious of automatically generated captions on YouTube as they are often inaccurate.
• 📚 Incorporate a mix of graded language materials and native speaker content for balanced learning.
• 🧠 Listen to more challenging materials without expectations to internalize language patterns subconsciously.
• 🗣️ Practice speaking with native speakers using platforms like italki to improve comprehension in real-life contexts.
• 🔄 Repeat listening exercises with and without subtitles to reinforce learning and reliance on auditory cues.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the talk?

The main focus of the talk is on improving listening comprehension in the target language being studied.

Who is the target audience for this talk?

The target audience is people who are already studying a language and know the basics but want to improve their listening comprehension.

Why is listening every day emphasized in the talk?

Listening every day is emphasized because consistency is key to improving listening skills and it's important to practice listening just as much as reading, speaking, or learning grammar and vocabulary.

What resources are recommended for practicing listening?

Recommended resources include YouTube videos, streaming radio stations, streaming news networks, streaming television stations, downloadable videos on demand, and full movies in the target language.

How can subtitles be used effectively to improve listening comprehension?

Subtitles can help make a connection between the visual and auditory aspects of the language. It's recommended to first watch videos with subtitles and then without them to train listening skills.

What should one be cautious about when using subtitles on YouTube?

One should be cautious about automatically generated captions on YouTube, as they are often inaccurate and can sometimes be humorous due to errors.

Why is it beneficial to use graded language materials?

Using graded language materials, which are tailored for learners at different levels, helps consolidate learning from textbooks or classes and provides encouragement by being easier to understand.

What is the benefit of listening to materials aimed at native speakers?

Listening to materials aimed at native speakers helps internalize auditory patterns and prepares learners for higher levels of comprehension without the pressure to understand everything initially.

What are the advantages of speaking with native speakers?

Speaking with native speakers provides real-life practice in uncontrolled contexts, helping learners deal with unexpected language and improving their ability to understand and use contextual cues.

What online platform is suggested for finding native speakers to practice with?

The talk suggests using italki.com to find native speakers for language practice, noting that lessons can be affordable and effective.

Outlines

00:00

🎧 How to Enhance Listening Comprehension

The speaker begins by emphasizing the importance of improving listening comprehension for those already familiar with the basics of a target language, such as phonology, grammar, sentence structure, and basic vocabulary. The key advice is to listen every day with consistency, paralleling time spent on other language skills. Thanks to the internet, accessing listening materials like YouTube videos, streaming radio, and television, or downloadable videos in various languages has become easier. The speaker recounts the limited resources during their study of Hebrew in 1997 and urges learners to take advantage of the abundance of current resources.

05:01

📺 Utilize Subtitled Videos for Learning

The speaker advises using videos with subtitles as an effective tool for learning. Subtitles help learners connect auditory input with visual representation, aiding comprehension. They suggest starting with subtitles and then removing them to focus solely on listening. The speaker warns against relying on automatically generated captions, which are often inaccurate. The use of both simpler materials designed for learners and more challenging native content is recommended for balanced learning and exposure to authentic language patterns.

🗣 Engage with Native Speakers

Interacting with native speakers is highlighted as crucial for improving listening comprehension. The speaker recommends using platforms like italki to find affordable Skype teachers. Speaking with native speakers in uncontrolled, spontaneous contexts helps learners get accustomed to unexpected language use and trains them to utilize various cues for understanding, such as intonation, context, and body language. This practice helps learners become more adaptable and confident in their listening skills.

🌐 Daily Practice and Resource Utilization

In conclusion, the speaker reiterates the importance of daily listening practice and utilizing the plethora of online resources available. They stress that consistent practice with a mix of simpler and more complex materials, alongside interaction with native speakers, is essential for improving listening comprehension. The use of subtitles can aid in bridging the gap between visual and auditory learning. The speaker encourages learners to make the most of available resources and incorporate listening practice into their daily routine to achieve better language comprehension.

Keywords

💡Listening comprehension

Listening comprehension refers to the ability to understand spoken language. In the context of the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of improving listening comprehension for learners who already have a basic understanding of the target language. This skill is crucial for effective communication and is as important as practicing reading, speaking, and learning grammar.

💡Consistency

Consistency means practicing a skill regularly and without long interruptions. The speaker stresses that listening to the target language every day is key to improving listening comprehension. Consistent practice helps solidify the learner's ability to understand spoken language, making it an integral part of the learning process.

💡Subtitles

Subtitles are textual versions of the dialogue in videos. They are important tools for language learners because they help make a connection between the spoken and written forms of the language. The speaker advises watching videos with subtitles first to understand the content and then re-watching without subtitles to enhance listening skills.

💡Graded language

Graded language refers to simplified language used in materials designed for language learners at different proficiency levels. The speaker suggests using graded materials, which are tailored for beginners, intermediate, or upper-intermediate learners, to consolidate and review what has been learned in textbooks or classes.

💡Native speakers

Native speakers are individuals who speak a language as their first language. The speaker recommends interacting with native speakers to improve listening comprehension and speaking skills. Engaging in conversations with native speakers exposes learners to authentic language use and helps them handle unexpected linguistic situations.

💡Intonation

Intonation refers to the variation in pitch while speaking, which can affect the meaning and emotion of spoken words. The speaker encourages learners to pay attention to intonation patterns in the target language, as this helps in recognizing and understanding speech even if all words are not clear.

💡Internet resources

Internet resources include various online tools and content such as YouTube videos, streaming radio, and television stations, which provide access to the target language. The speaker highlights the abundance of these resources today compared to the past, urging learners to utilize them for daily practice.

💡Automatic captions

Automatic captions are machine-generated text that attempts to transcribe spoken language in videos. The speaker warns that these captions are often inaccurate and should not be relied upon for precise language learning. Instead, learners should use reliable subtitles added by humans.

💡Auditory patterns

Auditory patterns are the recurring sounds and rhythms in spoken language. Recognizing these patterns helps learners understand speech. The speaker advises that even if learners do not fully understand what is being said, they should listen to the language to internalize these patterns.

💡Uncontrolled context

An uncontrolled context in language learning refers to natural, unscripted conversation where the learner is exposed to unexpected language use. The speaker suggests practicing in such contexts to improve real-world comprehension and reaction to unanticipated linguistic elements.

Highlights

Emphasizing the importance of daily listening practice for language learners.

Highlighting the necessity of having a foundational knowledge of the language's phonology, grammar, and vocabulary before focusing on listening comprehension.

Stressing the value of consistency in practicing listening as much as reading, speaking, and learning grammar.

Advocating for the utilization of various online resources like YouTube, streaming radio stations, and on-demand videos for listening practice.

Recommending the use of videos with subtitles to aid in connecting visual and auditory learning.

Suggesting watching videos first with subtitles and then without to train listening skills.

Cautioning against relying on automatically generated captions on platforms like YouTube due to their inaccuracy.

Advising learners to practice listening to graded language materials tailored for different proficiency levels to consolidate learning.

Encouraging the exposure to more challenging materials aimed at native speakers to internalize auditory patterns.

Promoting listening to native speaker conversations without the pressure of understanding everything, focusing instead on recognizing familiar words and intonation patterns.

Highlighting the importance of speaking with native speakers to practice listening in an uncontrolled context.

Recommending online platforms like italki for finding affordable native speaker tutors.

Emphasizing the benefits of experiencing unpredictable language use in conversations to build comprehension skills.

Urging learners to use all contextual cues, including intonation and body language, to aid understanding during conversations.

Summarizing the key to improving listening comprehension: daily practice using diverse and readily available resources.

Transcripts

[Music]

good evening everyone today i'm going to

talk about how to improve your listening

comprehension in the target language

that you are studying

now i should point out in advance i'm

not talking to people who don't know any

of the language yet there's no point

trying to improve your listening

comprehension if you don't know the

phonology the basic grammar and sentence

structure and basic vocabulary of the

language really i'm talking to people

who are already studying the language

already know some of the basics but

their listening comprehension is not up

to speed with their other skills and

other awareness of the language all

right so the most important thing is to

listen every day consistency is king you

want to practice listening every day

make sure you are practicing listening

just as much as you are practicing

reading or practicing

speaking or learning grammar and

vocabulary spend just as much time on

the listening because obviously that's

of key importance when you want to

communicate with people so these days

it's very easy to do every day even if

you live in the middle of nowhere if you

have an internet connection you have no

excuse to not practice the listening

when i studied hebrew language back in

like 1997

in those days the internet was just

getting off the ground there were very

few resources you guys today are very

lucky make use of them you have youtube

videos

all languages have you have videos

available on youtube i'm sure you can

find something good there

as well you can find streaming radio

stations streaming news networks

streaming television stations you can

find downloadable videos on demand

full movies in your target language you

can find everything so make sure you get

some of that no excuses do it every day

okay one piece of advice i will give you

is to use videos and to use videos that

have subtitles so if you get a dvd

sometimes you can set the subtitles on

so you can watch with the subtitles and

then maybe remove them

but also on the internet you can find

videos that have been

they've had subtitles added to them as a

way to help second language learners

like i found a website for french that

had all sorts of movies with subtitles

added to them french movies that

somebody added the subtitles as a way to

help second language learners french

learners so there are materials out

there like that with subtitles and those

are very useful for helping you make a

connection between the visual and the

auditory some people are more visual

learners they need to understand the

language visually and conceptualize it

visually and if you're just listening

sometimes you won't be able to perceive

the sounds until you make that

connection with the written word so the

subtitles help you do that to make that

connection between the sound and the

visual

and i recommend that you listen with the

subtitles first but then you can remove

them

if it's a dvd and you can remove the

subtitles with a setting then do that

but if the subtitles are kind of

they're already edited into the video

and you can't remove them then you can

try just closing your eyes or covering

your eyes you could do that i'm sure

after you are already familiar with the

content of the video and you know what

it's about you know the the topic and

stuff from reading it then you can

switch off the subtitles just try to

rely on your hearing the second time

around and you are getting rid of that

visual crutch after you've already made

the connection between auditory and

visual okay so watch once with subtitles

once without train yourself like that to

just listen

i should say though beware of captions

on youtube or any automatically

generated captions they usually suck

sometimes they're hilarious so if you

want a good laugh you can watch them and

figure out what they're saying usually

it's way off so just be careful the

captions are not usually accurate okay i

recommend that you practice listening to

a variety of different levels

so

some materials out there are made for

second language learners so they're

graded they use graded language that's

aimed at for example beginners or

intermediate level

or upper intermediate the language is

tailored for learners so it's simpler

and it's easier for you to grasp and

understand so i recommend you use that

sometimes because that helps you

consolidate the things that you are

learning in your textbook the things

that you are studying or the things you

learn in class from your teacher

if you use a simple video

simple audio too that will help you

review and consolidate things you're

already learning and it's encouraging

because it's it's not too far above your

level not too far out of your comfort

zone so you will be able to understand a

lot of it and that will be encouraging

for you you'll feel that you're

improving and you're using the language

for something functional so you'll feel

good and encouraged but at the same time

i recommend that you use more difficult

materials that are aimed at native

speakers so listen to the radio listen

to the news watch tv shows that kind of

thing

and just experience the sound of the

language i recommend that you

have no expectations of understanding

you just relax you don't put any

pressure on yourself to have good

comprehension you just want to

just hear the sounds of the language and

notice the things that you recognize

even if you don't understand what's

being said just think ah i remember that

word i've heard that before and notice

the patterns of intonation notice where

if you notice where one word starts and

then ends or you notice where the next

word begins that's that's all fine just

notice that don't worry about trying to

understand you just want to internalize

those patterns subconsciously so then

once your study

gets to that level you will be very well

prepared to

to understand it because you've already

internalized all of those

auditory patterns okay so i recommend

you

listen to simpler materials also more

challenging materials just

listen

and experience the sounds that's it

and the last thing i'll recommend is to

speak with native speakers maybe it

sounds obvious to some of you but a lot

of people still just study in books and

they still

just they still just learn to read and

write and make sentences out loud in the

language without actually talking to

native speakers but these days with the

internet again you have no excuse you

can go to

italki.com and you can find a skype

teacher some of them are really cheap

depending on the language you're

speaking you can sometimes get a lesson

for like five dollars per hour or ten

dollars per hour is more common

it's cheap and it's effective you need

to speak with native speakers in your

target language

especially in an uncontrolled context

like if it's just um

a very structured scripted lesson where

they do listen and repeat with you or

they have you just read sentences and

that kind of thing that's not as

beneficial you want to have some

surprises you want it to be uncontrolled

so that you

you hear things you aren't expecting and

that kind of trains you to

to

not panic when you hear things that you

don't understand to just relax and

notice the things you do understand to

use all of the cues all of the the

signals that help you understand

including intonation including

including context including body

language all that stuff you just want to

train yourself to to notice the things

that help you understand and ignore the

stuff that doesn't that's why it's good

to

to practice in an uncontrolled context

with native speakers so that you are

doing that with the native sounds of the

language

all right so those are my pieces of

advice for how to improve listening

comprehension it's not rocket science

you just need to do it every day there

are tons of resources on the internet

you can use radio you can use videos you

can watch youtube all that stuff get a

teacher through italki or some service

like that speak with people

and use subtitles when you watch videos

subtitles not all the time but they're a

good tool to help you connect the visual

and the auditory alright hope that made

sense hope that was helpful have a good

night talk to you later

[Music]

big

[Music]