[General] Hearing and Listening

[grapefruit]

Hi members!

I am wondering what you guys do to improve listening skills as I still have loads of problems comprehending TV news programs or Talk shows without subtitles on.
My another problem is that when a person speaks too fast or with a bit of an accent, I can't keep concentrating on him/her and consequently I often fail to catch up.
I sometimes feel like a DEAF(!)

I've tried to use many approaches to improve listening skills, such as dictating and repeating a voice sound, etc. But I don't think these methods have helped as much as I've been hoping.

I tend to just hear when people talk, not listening properly. This may seem to be my root of the problem. I wonder whether this even stops me from making good progress with speaking as well.

Please advise me.

[Anglika]

Curiously a factor preventing you hearing something when watching TV is that you are also watching people.

To improve you hearing of spoken word, take to the radio or recorded books instead, or try turning your back to the TV screen and listen without watching. If you are using DVD or video, then repeat as often as necessary till you are hearing the dialogue without thinking.

[a_shley]

I agree with Anglika that training your ear by just listening will help.

However, if you have the means, I would also advise spending some time in an English-speaking country and immersing yourself in the language. I am learning Spanish as my second language, and I have always had trouble understanding and speaking the language. This summer I participated in an internship with 1Global Translators (www.1globaltranslators.com) in Barcelona, Spain, and, after having been surrounded by Spanish speakers for two months, I can now listen to podcasts or watch movies with little difficulty understanding what the people are saying. I believe wholeheartedly that complete immersion is the only way to become truly fluent.

Anyway, just a suggestion! Good luck!

Ashley