Step 5: Listen
Have you ever watched a movie in your target language and found it impossible to understand a word they were saying? You could have read the same words and understood most of it, but as soon as they put it into speech, added an accent, and sped up the words, it made it completely impossible to understand.
In order to get better at listening and understanding, you need to practice.
This setup for the step is going to be really easy for some people and really hard for others. It all depends on what language you are learning and where you live.
If you live in the U.S. and are learning Spanish, you will have no trouble looking for things to listen do. There are several Spanish channels on television, you can watch the Spanish track on dvds, and you can listen to Spanish radio.
If you are unsure how to find listening material for your language, check the internet. There are radio stations from all over the world that you can listen to on the internet. Or, you can purchase movies in your target language.
Programs such as Pimsleur
Treat your listening sessions just as you do your writing. Listen to as much as you want. If you decide to spend 20 minutes listening, listen for 20 minutes.
Use your listening time wisely. Don’t think that just by putting on the Spanish channel while you read a book or get ready will work. You won’t learn much just by listening. You can listen while you get ready, you just have to listen carefully.
Listen and try to understand what you are hearing. Whenever there is a pause, try to think how you can respond.
All the steps in this language learning program are critical for learning a language quickly, efficiently, and thoroughly. Next you will learn how you can supplement these steps with equally effective methods.
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