What is listening?

To give attention to something you can hear or to someone speaking. It listens with purpose. 

What is hearing?

It is the ability to hear sounds, the process of perceiving sounds by detecting vibrations through your ears. 

Listening is a skill that requires special attention; therefore, the learning environment is vital. Being in the right place, having the right techniques, and using the proper tools can significantly improve your listening ability.

Choosing the best arrangement for you significantly affects your progress as a learner. We all have different ways of learning; some people choose to be in a classroom with other learners, others want to be alone and study by themselves, and some people prefer to learn one on one with their selected teacher or with a student partner. The bottom line, you must choose what works best for you.

There’s a big difference between just listening and intentional listening. If you listen, that means you only hear the tone, voice, and words, but it does not necessarily mean that you understand everything you hear.

However, in intentional listening, you consciously give the speaker your full attention to understand what they are saying. 

The main point is to grasp the whole idea of the information, the story, or the conversation. 

For example, let’s listen to a new song; when you hear a song for the first time, the lyrics are alien or unfamiliar to you. And to understand the song’s message, you need to listen to that song repeatedly. And so this time, you become more attentive and focused on what you are listening to.

Therefore, you are putting more effort into listening to the melody and the lyrics; the goal is to understand and remember the words and meaning of the song.

Have you ever done that before? It would help if you tried it.

Below are some tips for you to improve your listening skills.

1. Listen to the same English audio/video file or podcast daily for about a week.

-The topic doesn’t matter, it all depends on you, it’s your choice.

-Find any audio/video file or podcast that you are genuinely interested in, something that caught your attention. Listen to that particular material every day for one week—while doing your chores, eating, traveling, in your free time, etc. 

-Take note of the words or phrases that are difficult to understand and look them up on the first and second days. 

-Try memorizing parts of the material and practice speaking them out loud. 

-Record your voice as you speak it, and observe the difference between your recording and the original speaker.

-Re-record your voice on the last day, then listen and compare the difference from how you say it on your first try.

-On the final day, you’ll notice that you can understand the words better than the first time. As your ear adjusts to hearing this English material, it’ll be easier to listen to a new audio file the next time.

2. Listen to English audio/video files on various topics.

It is possible to acquire information about different topics while learning the language.

-Consider diverse topics while building your vocabulary and challenging your memory and comprehension. 

-You can choose English materials and unfamiliar topics; that way, you can expand your vocabulary. 

-Concentrate on what you are listening to; always listen with intention.

– If you are watching a film or video, try listening without reading the subtitles. It is a test of your comprehension, it may be difficult at first, but you’ll get used to it; remember to focus and concentrate on the words and the expressions. Do it as often as you can.

3. Listen to people talking in English.

Suppose you are in a place where people can speak in English, grab the opportunity to hunt for an English conversation. When you start to hear someone using English, slow down and try to listen intently. You may need help understanding initially, but this makes it even more challenging and fun.

-Listen, pick up any new words you may not know, and try to see if you can catch what the conversation means. It may be awkward and inappropriate to listen to other people’s discussions. But it’s okay if you only keep it to yourself and don’t harm anyone. Right?  

There are different English conversation locations, for example, on a train or bus, maybe in a cafe or restaurant, a public office, or perhaps at a park or on school grounds; there are many options to consider. 

However, if there are no English speakers where you live, it’s best to look for it online; there are countless options on the Internet that you can take advantage of. Do your research, or ask for help from anyone who can recommend great resources.

4. Join a Group for English learners. 

It is a fun and great way to listen to various English accents, tones, and voices. If you’re nervous about speaking English, remind yourself that you are just going to listen—and this is okay, or you could tell them this:

“Hi, I’m (your name). I want to concentrate on listening, so I may speak less this time.”

-In listening and speaking practice, joining a conversation group can be a fantastic way to make new friends. Find a group of English learners who are motivated and driven to practice and share. It can help you learn much easier and faster.

5. Talk to someone who is an non-native English speaker.

Pay close attention to how the person speaks; this will give you a chance to listen to the distinct sound that a non-native speaker has, compared to that of a native speaker. 

It will allow you to figure out the difference between them. It also allows you to be more aware of your sound as you speak.

6. Listen attentively to your teacher.

 Be observant about intonation and stress. You may record the class or conversation for your reference. 

Intonation is when the voice rises or falls in pitch (high/low sounds) while speaking. In English, intonation often communicates the emotion or mood of the speaker. 

Stress is another important part of understanding spoken English. Stress is the relative emphasis you can give to certain syllables in a word or specific words in a phrase or sentence. 

In English, stressed syllables are louder than non-stressed syllables. Also, they are longer and have a higher pitch.

7. Gather a list of words you can listen 

Take note of the words commonly or often used in your class or any English material you are listening to. 

Include words you can use in the topics that can be discussed in any conversation.

You can use online dictionaries to verify the proper pronunciation of each word. It is essential to understand the meaning and, at the same time, study how the terms are used in a sentence. 

Once you’re comfortable with the words you hear, you can focus and take a new set of words to learn.

Let’s discuss a few more suggestions that might help as you work on becoming a good listener.

FOR ACTUAL CONVERSATIONS:

· Firstly, as you’re about to listen to someone speak, try to be quiet and focus on the speaker. 

· Avoid any interruptions or distractions around you; this might affect the message you are receiving.

· Look at the speaker directly through their eyes.

· Determine the main idea of what the person is discussing. 

· Be aware of the topic, focus, concentrate, and do not interrupt. 

· Observe the body language of both you and the speaker, do not pretend to understand if you honestly are confused about what they are saying. 

· Learn to ask and clarify the questions or information delivered if necessary. You may interrupt politely as long as it’s needed. 

More on Listening: 

Recall a time when a child is just learning to talk, and they only listen to the voice of their parents or the people around them for about two years. You cannot even say a word, but then you start to mimic and make a few sounds or utter simple words. Then you learn constructions, new vocabulary, expressions, etc. that is precisely how we should learn as adults. We can all learn much by passive listening, even as beginners.

Here are a few more ways to help you develop your listening skills :

** Listen to something you enjoy, like some of the songs you are into, and check the lyrics out if necessary. Pop songs are full of cliches and common phrases which you can use in your speaking and even writing or the movie or series you’re interested in, don’t limit yourself just to educational materials. 

** When you start working on your listening skills, it is best to do a lot of passive listening or, better yet, hearing—watching English videos on youtube, over the radio, or news on T.V. like BBC or CNN, and so on.

** Surround yourself with English when you are not paying attention. Doing this allows your ears to get used to the sounds of spoken English.

For example: when you are doing the dishes, cooking, surfing the Internet, or cleaning.

** Accept the fact that you are not going to understand everything.

** Keep calm (idiom=stay relaxed) when you do not understand – even if you do not know for a long time.

** Do not translate into your native language (synonym=mother tongue); that’s the worst thing students usually do.

** When watching videos, T.V., or movies, don’t forget to take down notes of some useful phrases to add to your vocabulary list!

More techniques on how to improve your listening skill:

1. Change your mindset that listening is difficult; believe it is effortless. Never pressure yourself.

2. Start by listening to a simple English song and try to take it in; it is also wise to guess the words in the music, write it down then check it by searching for the correct lyrics.

3. Look for a movie with subtitles; while you’re practicing, listen; you also add your vocabulary competence here. Later, try to watch the film again, but this time without the subtitles.

4. If you have a smartphone, you can download listening applications or English word games based on your preference and competence.

It also depends on the person, but for me, your listening skill is the first step you should focus on to improve your comprehension. By doing this, you will notice that you can understand, express yourself better, and improve your pronunciation.

So, consistently practice listening most suitable for you, whether you learn best in a classroom, one-on-one with a teacher, or alone at home. I do hope these tips will help you improve even faster than before. Take note; hearing comes first! Understanding comes next! 

Good luck!