I can´t understand what I am listening.

[Isabel77]

Hello:

My point is I love read, and I read a lot, but when I listen a song or I am watching a movie I don´t understand almost a word. I guess because my pronunciation is bad, then I listen bad, too.

Any advice for improve my listening, and pronunciation? Now I met new friends, english native speakers and I am suffering a little, since my english is just basic.

Thank you for your help :)

[Mannysteps]

Not a teacher

Try to get the lyrics of songs and sing away as you listen to them. You'll learn rythm, which is an important part of the language and have great fun. I'm not joking.

M.

[AlexAD]

I am not a teacher nor a native speaker.

Isabel, I'm having a very similar problem and that is how I am getting on with it:

As I also like reading more than listening I believe my confidence in listening is the key to speak English more fluent. Otherwise how one can speak English fluent without understanding what natives saying? So, I am improving my listening skills.

- I am reading stories with the audio.
- I am listenening to conversations from classicfm.co.za (that is tied up with my trip to SA) and trying to understand what they saying.
- I have choosen the film "Rock'n'Rolla" I love very much and splitted it into the audio parts about 15 minutes (they are speaking all time!). I am listening to them, while I am walking or staying at the queue and trying to understand what they saying. Before that I listen that parts with subtitles at home.

I hope you will find my story somehow helpful.

Good luck!

Yours sincerely, Alex.

[AlexAD]

Not a teacher

Try to get the lyrics of songs and sing away as you listen to them. You'll learn rythm, which is an important part of the language and have great fun. I'm not joking.

M.

I don't like how singers utter some words and sometimes it is difficult to understand what they are singing even if you are a native, IMHO.

Yours sincerely, Alex.

[Isabel77]

Really??

That will be so much fun :) because I love music, I am singer, and I play piano and guitar.

I will do what you recommend. I have been learning english for 5 months, I think I am not too bad,please tell me when I am writing wrongly.

Thank you very very much.

[Isabel77]

I don't like how singers utter some words and sometimes it is difficult to understand what they are singing even if you are a native, IMHO.

Yours sincerely, Alex.

I remember two months ago, someone told me that, as well.
He told me: "Learning english by listening music is not a good choice"

Well, then I will try only with easy songs. Maybe you are right and that is why I can not understand, sometimes.

Thanks a lot

[Isabel77]

I am not a teacher nor a native speaker.

Isabel, I'm having a very similar problem and that is how I am getting on with it:

As I also like reading more than listening I believe my confidence in listening is the key to speak English more fluent. Otherwise how one can speak English fluent without understanding what natives saying? So, I am improving my listening skills.

- I am reading stories with the audio.
- I am listenening to conversations from classicfm.co.za (that is tied up with my trip to SA) and trying to understand what they saying.
- I have choosen the film "Rock'n'Rolla" I love very much and splitted it into the audio parts about 15 minutes (they are speaking all time!). I am listening to them, while I am walking or staying at the queue and trying to understand what they saying. Before that I listen that parts with subtitles at home.

I hope you will find my story somehow helpful.

Good luck!

Yours sincerely, Alex.

Very helpful Alex!.Effectively, I think listen is one of the most important rules, otherwise I can not talk to native speakers,since they can not understand me neither I can understand them, and communicating is the objetive.

I will review carefully your tips. And tell me how is your english going now that you are doing this?

Please correct me if I am writing something wrong :(

Very pleased Alex.

[Mannysteps]

Let me clarify my point: I didn’t recommend you to simply listen to music, since, as Alex Ad pointed out: even for native speakers sometimes it’s hard to figure out parts of the lyrics, which explains why it is so common for a recording to be sold with the lyrics included in the package. I remember, back in Britain, friends of mine listening to a new release for the first time, while looking at the lyrics, although they were native speakers. I recommended singing, which is a totally different kettle of fish. According to analogies within music and linguistics proposed by Leonard Bernstein, highly influenced by Noam Chomsky, my recommendation has some ground to stand on.


With the due respect for all participating in this thread,

M.