English listening skills/ how to train your ear : Part two :

 

Hearing is different from active listening - hearing is merely the act of recognizing sound ( hearing a loud bang or birds chirping outside - this requires no effort.) whereas listening is taking in information, understanding the vocabulary, expressions and nuances of a language so as to comprehend what is being said - so as to COMMUNICATE effectively. Hearing is called signal-based processing. Listening requires both an active effort, a basic understanding of the English language and hearing. Exemplary English listening skills are essential to deep and meaningful conversations, essential to communicating and forging solid relationships. Essential to your passing that exam or job interview with flying colours !

So, what can we do to start fine - tuning this magnificent skill, you ask...well : Continue reading : 

Try these 3 exercises to train your listening skills:

1. Watch a show on Netflix or your mobile phone without closed captioning/subtitles, playing it back with closed caption/subtitles to evaluate how well you understood everything that was happening. Try doing this in short segments - 10 minutes or 15 minutes. 

Make notes of full expressions that you may not yet understand/that are unfamiliar. ( Remember - jotting down individual words is not always helpful as we have idioms, phrasal verbs and certain expressions in English that can not be separated. Examples : Raining cats and dogs, Kick the bucket, How are you holding up?) 

Make notes of any elisions / contractions that were not clear in spoken English but understood once reading the closed captions. 

Examples : 

• Would you like a cup of tea >>>Wood’yeh’lyk’eh’cuppeh’tei ? (Elision/Connected speech and the Schwa sound. Contact me for more information on the schwa sound and why it is essential to English pronunciation. ) 

• What are you doing >>>Whaddaya’doin? ( Elision/Connected speech.) 

• Are you British >>>Ah’yeh’Brih’ish ? (Example of ‘’T’’ Glottalization - where the ‘’T’’ is often dropped. Contact me for a lesson if you would like more information on the rules and how to produce this sound ! ) 

This will help you highlight some of the typical nuances of pronunciation when natives speak. Being able to produce these sounds will help you recognise them when you hear them ! This will greatly improve your pronunciation and listening skills ! 

2. When you have started to feel comfortable doing exercise one, read a book whilst simultaneously listening to the audio-book version. ( Graded readers are available online ! Try reading a book specifically for your level and then read the same book just a level higher. Intermediate >>> then Upper Intermediate ! )

3. Read the news aloud/ Get a friend or your partner to read it aloud to you -  then rephrase what you heard / discuss the news article. ( Remember to jot down new vocabulary as you do this ! A large part of struggling with listening/comprehension is simply because one has encountered new vocabulary. ) 

Interested in the 5 features of connected speech ? The Schwa sound or the glottal stop ? Pop me a message and let’s have a lesson ! :) 

Remember, cultivating good habits is essential to your progress. Motivation alone will not serve you - one needs to be dedicated and disciplined. Start off with 10 minutes once a week if you do not feel the discipline fairy in your soul ! Then… 20 minutes...then...45...then 60 ! You can do this !