Listening



Does this situation seem familiar to you? Your English is progressing well, the grammar is now familiar, the reading comprehension is no problem, you are communicating quite fluently, but: **Listening is STILL a problem!**
 * Improving Listening Skills **

First of all, remember that you are not alone. Listening comprehension is probably the most difficult task for almost all learners of English as a foreign language. So, now you know you are not alone....! OK. The most important thing is to listen, and that means as often as possible. The next step is to find listening resources. This is where the Internet really comes in handy as a tool for English students. First you need to:

· Download The [|RealPlayer] from RealMedia.com

The RealPlayer allows you to listen to RealAudio and use the Internet like a radio station. Many sites now also provide listening using the Windows Media Player - or even have their own players on the site. Once you have the RealPlayer you can begin to listen to English as it is used in everyday life. The possibilities are almost unlimited.

Once you have begun to listen on a regular basis, you might still be frustrated by limited understanding. What should you do? Here is some of the advice:
 * Strategies **

· Accept the fact that you are **not** going to understand everything. · Keep cool when you do not understand - even if you continue to not understand for a long time. · Do **not** translate into your native language. · Listen for the general idea of the conversation. Don't concentrate on detail until you have understood the main ideas.

While you are listening to another person speaking a foreign language (English in this case), the temptation is to immediately translate into your native language. This temptation becomes much stronger when you hear a word you don't understand. This is only natural as we want to understand everything that is said. However, when you translate into your native language, you are taking the //focus// of your attention away from the speaker and concentrating on the translation process taking place in your brain. This would be fine if you could put the speaker on hold. In real life however, the person continues talking while you translate. This situation obviously leads to less -not more- understanding.
 * Translating creates a barrier between yourself and the person who is speaking **

** Most people repeat themselves ** Think for a moment about your friends, family and colleagues. When they speak in your native tongue, do they repeat themselves? I don't mean literally, I mean the general idea. That means that whenever you listen to someone speaking, they will probably repeat the information, giving you a second, third or even fourth chance to understand what has been said. By remaining calm, allowing yourself to **not** understand, and not translating while listening, your brain is free to concentrate on the most important thing: //Understanding English in English.//