In the process of learning a new language, it is necessary to study and practice the four communication skills: reading, writing, oral comprehension (listening) and oral production (speaking), right? There are different skills that must be worked on and that require a lot of study and dedication on the part of the students. There are those who say that, in this learning journey, it is easier to understand reading and then be able to understand speech (especially a native speaker). In this scenario, we are faced with a situation: how to improve oral comprehension in the new language we are learning?
As with everything that involves learning something new, there is no other way out than to practice - a lot. In this case, we have to exercise a lot so that our ear gets used to words and expressions and, thus, we can communicate well in this new foreign language.
To help, I brought you 3 tips to train your oral comprehension of the new language, to put them into practice and see how you will progress in learning.
Watch movies and series without dubbing or subtitles
It may seem difficult, but to train the ear it is necessary to put it in contact with dialogues as realistic as possible to get used to the sound of words and the different accents. A good way to do this is to watch movies and series.
Choose original productions of the language you are learning. If in your case it's English, look for films that were originally English, or if it's Spanish you're studying, look for Spanish productions, and so on. Give preference to stories you already know so that you can make an effort to understand what is being said without the support of subtitles. For example, watch the same episode several times. If it's too difficult, use subtitles, but in the original language, okay?
In this way, you will understand the intonation of sentences and how some expressions are actually used in everyday life. There is no doubt that watching movies and series in the language you are learning is an excellent exercise for studying and, at the same time, being able to relax.
We have here on our blog an article that talks about getting used to learning in a fun way. If interested, click here to read.
listen to podcasts
This is perhaps the best strategy for those who have a busier routine. How about listening to a podcast while exercising? Or while in traffic, in your car or even on public transport?
These platforms have become quite popular. After all, you can listen anytime, anywhere and they still bring another advantage: they help those who need to train their ears in the study of a new foreign language.
Ideally, choose a podcast on a topic that you like and that, of course, is suitable for your level. There are podcast options that are directly aimed at studying the language — this turns out to be a great option for the most basic levels. Or, if your level is already more advanced, you can simply choose any topic and put your ear to practice.
Whatever your level, the idea here is the same: concentrate to extract as much information as possible about what is being said.
Sing songs in that language
There are some songs that are like bubblegum and don't get out of our head, even if we try to forget them, right? Therefore, an interesting tip to improve your listening comprehension is to listen to music in the language you are studying.
Choose a musical genre that you like and, for the first few times, accompany the song with the lyrics. Once you're familiar with it, start listening to it and singing it without the support of the lyrics.
Did you like these tips we brought you in this post? Want to learn more about Glorick's language courses and how we can help you achieve foreign language fluency? Talk to us and discover the best solutions for you.