Could anyone suggest best tips for Improving Listening Skills in a New Language?

Languages
#1

¡Hola amigos! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

So, I’m totally hooked on learning Spanish – reading and writing are coming along great, but listening? ¡Uf! That’s a whole other beast. Especially when native speakers get going a mile a minute or throw in all those slang words.

Anyone have some secret weapons for improving listening skills? I’ve tried movies and shows, but subtitles become my crutches way too easily. Are there any killer podcasts, exercises, or just plain awesome methods you’ve sworn by?
I also check this : https://forum.polyglotconference.com/t/looking-for-language-learning-assocfliatesnowflake But I have not found any solution.

Feeling a bit lost in the land of rapid Spanish, so any advice would be a lifesaver!

Gracias :innocent:

1 Like
#2

Hello @emily59 :wave:

Here are some strategies to help you improve your capacity to hear.

  • Engage the speaker and make eye contact.
  • Listen for nonverbal signs as well.
  • Never stop.
  • Listen without judgment.
  • Stay focused
  • Avoid starting to plan what to say next.
  • Show that you are attentive.
  • Never push your ideas.

Try these methods and then let me know about the results.
All the best for new leaning :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: :+1:

1 Like
#3

the speed thing confused me for a while, because slowing audio down didn’t actually fix it, the sounds were still running together in ways I hadn’t heard before.

what helped more was going back to really easy listening stuff, embarrassingly easy :sweat_smile:, until those sounds started clicking. and on the subtitle front, switching to Spanish subtitles instead of English ones is worth trying before you drop them entirely. your brain starts connecting sounds to words rather than just reading translations. i still miss a lot, but i started catching more, not because anything changed in the show but because the sounds were less foreign.