3 Ways to Improve Your Listening Skills

Greetings Everyone,

  I just got an email from a level 2 student asking me about improving listening skills. She asked if watching CNN and AFN and American Dramas would be helpful.

  My answer: NO! NONE OF THOSE ARE GOOD! Why? They are too difficult. Think of it this way, if you have difficulty with the practice listening quizzes I give in class, then how do you expect to improve your listening by watching CNN? CNN is MUCH MORE DIFFICULT!

  Don’t start with TV. My recommendation would be to start with the listening quizzes on this blog. Just scroll down this page and start taking a few of the quizzes. You can take them over and over and over until you feel comfortable with them. When that happens, email me and let me know you are ready for more difficult listening quiz videos and I’ll make some more. You can also go to www.youtube.com and find me. My youtube ID is: youreslpal. I have several more videos posted there. I have used up all the space on this blog so I cannot post anymore videos here.

  My second suggestion is to watch Disney and Pixar movies like: “Finding Nemo,” “The Incredibles,” “Monsters, Inc.” and others like these videos. Why? Because they are entertaining, the English is not such a high level and the fluency is still great. Plus, if you can understand the humor in these videos, you’ll have a better understanding of American culture. Plus you dont have all the bad words and violence in them and if you have kids, you can watch these movies with them. 

  The third way is to take notes in class. Koreans are notorious for NOT taking notes in class. I think if you listen and then write it down, you will remember it better plus you can improve you listening because you will force yourself to pay attention. If you don’t take notes, then your mind just wanders and you forget.

  So to summarize:

   1. Don’t watch CNN and AFN. Instead, watch the listening quiz videos posted here first.

   2. Watch Disney and Pixar Studio movies

   3. Take notes in class but not on listening quizzes.

 Hope this helps. Have a great day.

  Andrew