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Listening Skill Improvement
Listening skills are one of the main topics in learning English and one of the four language skills, including Speaking, Reading, and Writing. That’s why it’s so important to learn and strengthen it. Listening is directly related to speaking. You will not be able to give a proper answer as long as you do not understand what the other party is saying.
But many people, even though they have worked in universities or educational classes at English language schools and institutes, still can’t understand the conversations and dialogues they see and hear in movies and TV series. From our English learning – entertainment series, you can choose a variety of genres, animations, and movies carefully selected for English learning.
What is the problem?
1. Differences between general language and standard language:
Like all other languages in the world, people do not speak officially to communicate with other people. The words and phrases being used in every day (informal) everyday English are different from the ones in the official language. Unfortunately, what we learn in the books taught in most of the institutions does not include this wide range of English. The language of most books is formal and less general, and informal words and expressions of the language are not included and taught.
2. Word Order
When speaking, we should not expect humans to speak like a robot. Most of the time, the words that come together in a sentence are combined and their pronunciation become different as if there’s another word. For example:
Is he busy= isi busy
Go out = gowout
Next door= nexdoor
Understanding these compounds is a bit difficult and requires practice. People who have made great strides in the field of listening and have been able to strengthen this skill are fully acquainted with this model of compounds. So don’t rush to learn them.
3- False Confidence or Expectations
Some people think that they can understand any conversation after a few listening exercises while impossible. You need a lot of practice in listening skills.
How can we overcome these problems?
The tricks of improving listening skill
1- start with simple movies:
At the beginning of learning listening skills, you should start with simple resources and step by step improve it. To do this, we offer animations; because animations are made for children, they have simpler words and better pronunciation. Take a look at our film collection.
2- Expose yourself to language:
You must have heard that in order to learn a second language, you must be exposed to it. On the other hand, not all people who have immigrated abroad have learned the language well. The reason for this is very simple and understandable. Wherever you are in the world, you must consciously and voluntarily expose yourself to English or target language. If you live in Los Angeles, USA, or, as the Iranians call it, Tehrangeles, a city that has many Iranians, you may never learn a second language, English. The same thing may happen to you in Toronto, Canada. So the first principle is self-awareness. It is to force ourselves to communicate with the English language.
You do not need to travel abroad to do this. You can use English in your daily conversations. News, movies, animation, audio stories are all ready to serve you and strengthen your listening as well as other English skills. Also, socialize with people who have learned English well, and try to use English as much as you can at all times. To strengthen your listening skills, first, listen carefully and ask and repeat wherever you do not understand. Identify and correct your weaknesses.
3- Don’t be limited to one subject:
Watch a lot of English-language animations and movies. Use English subtitles instead of Persian subtitles. Also, don’t be limited on a specific topic. For example, don’t just watch the series, sometimes listen to English news, documents, etc., to get acquainted with different types of topics and domains of words and phrases, and enter them in your special vocabulary book.
4- Exercise Duration:
You don’t have to practice for several hours a day at the beginning of language learning. At the beginning start practice for at least 10 to 15 minutes a day and gradually increase it to one or a few hours a day.
5- Listening with proper practice:
You need to select the right audio sources and files and listen to each one several times. When listening, write down the text, or have a so-called transcription. Practice taking notes. You know that transcription and note taking are different. Then show your notes to an instructor or high-level language learners and ask them for guidance.
6- Prize and punishment:
Take prize or punishment for better or worse learning. This means that you decide to learn by listening to a clip; if you do, give yourself a reward, but if you don’t, you’ll have to punish yourself. This can help you to make a to-do list and stick to it according the English skills you are learning.
7- Build an English learning team :
Create an English learning team for yourself. To strengthen your listening skills, you will need to overcome your fears, compete, get help, and stay motivated. Group learning can double your energy and motivation. Join active forums and groups and participate in free discussions. Learning a language is nothing more than fun.
Abstract:
Listening skills can be involved in all other English skills and play an important role in language learning. As a result, do not hesitate to strengthen your listening and do whatever you can to achieve listening skill improvement. Here are some suggestions on how to begin the journey and go ahead on.
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