7 Simple Steps to Dramatically Improve Your Listening Comprehension in a New Language

In this video I will show you my listening comprehension routine that helps me retain vocabulary twice as fast as usual and it takes me just 5 minutes.

My strategy is divided into 7 simple steps aimed to make your listening routine not only effective, but also enjoyable and not too long in order to avoid burnout.

I will explain why taking notes is a crucial part of this routine and how combining that with the audio material will increase your retention rate up to three-fold.

[khalifaalkhalifa]

I divide the page into two columns; on the left I write notes relating to the subject, and on the right I note general vocabulary and remarks relating to the language.

[hansreginaldnatividad]

More than a year ago, when I was debating with some of my friends about a certain topic on debate league, one of them shared with me a strategy he employs when it comes to writing down important details. For him to remember an important snippet of dialogue that any of his opponents would say, he writes just three words from the dialogue, which helped him recall most of his opponents' statements in debate. Applying this strategy to my own, it did help as well for me because it gave me a way to remember most of what anyone would say which sparked my interest.

When it comes to listening and writing simultaneously, I too recommend this technique; the great Aristotle named this the "Rule of Three" in philosophy, wherein we mostly remember up to three of something at any given point in time.

[fatihakhan]

active listening is the best way to develop better listening skills. what i do mostly that basically i find something to listen everday. and after 1 week i get used to it. but i cant use that phrases when i speak.i think passive listening only works if you are really aware of the content. and you already know how to integrate it to your conversation.

[felixshultz]

When I first started to understand what was said, I was so excited about this and I've started to watch everything in English, listening audiobooks, reading books. Luck for everyone. We can do it!

[tuinglessinmiedo]

I agree with you. Active listening gets you involved in the activity. Depending on what I'm listening, I take notes about 1) about the big picture or the keywords (for A1/A2 level) 2) I read the transcript and look up the unknown words (for B1/B2/C1). As you recommended in a previous video, It's imperative to choose the right content.

[cloeye]

When I was at University and I was taking a psychology course. I would record my lecture with a mini tape recorder and then I will go back and replay it and take notes with my note taking device which means I would have to stop and pause the tape several times in order to jot down all the information that was being said to me. I did try this approach for Spanish when I was taking six semesters of Spanish and university for my undergraduate degree in theater studies. It does work. You will retain a nice amount of information in your long-term memory by doing this. Now I meant to lead your dad on what Frases I like in French by listening to the news for 90 minutes on FRANCE 24 app on my Apple TV every day. Because I have such a high price of knowledge of the French language is much easier for me to understand what is going on with a particular segment of the news as has been spoken I don’t world to me. I try to use the same approach with a tell you as well. I like to listen to stuff personally because it it’s easier for me to reserve it a lot more easier. Are you trying to do 90 minutes of French listening every day when I first wake up in the morning and about 6 AM Eastern standard time here in Akron Ohio. Then I might do some listening in another language for 30 minutes to an hour depending on how much time I have during that. . Or use the same approach for over a year and a half with Russian listening constantly for hours TV shows, programs, press conferences with President Putin and secretary Labron etc. this approach did work because I was able to it’s the bathroom in the Samanna information that was relevant to me on a personal level in Russian. Now I’m able to hack to our conversations with people in Russian and a upper intermediate level. It’s increase my level of comprehension tremendously. I highly recommend this particular process for learning languages. Along with speaking as well. This is coming from someone as visually impaired and has limited readable vision left. I also do a lot of BRAILLE reading with my display in conjunction with my iPad Pro and my iPhone 6s. Right now I am working on Turkish and I’m enjoying it immensely. Hope you have a great Christmas and a happy new year my friend. Hope to have the opportunity to interview you for my podcast show next year.

[DLusby]

I'm happy to hear an accomplished polyglot, such as yourself, talk about listening activities like this. I've often heard some of my past students and some of my fellow classmates in past language classes dismiss listening activities. For me this seemed like a huge missed opportunity, but almost always I'd hear the phrase "passive listening" as they would hand wave it away with an attitude of dismissal. I'd often ask, "What makes you think listening needs to be passive?" The way some of those people would say the word 'passive' seemed to imply the meaning of 'not involved' or 'not doing anything'.

I'm really curious about what you do with note taking, Luca. I sometimes use notes for organizing my thoughts, but I've often overlooked them beyond that since I sometimes don't use those notes again. I might be overlooking an opportunity maybe.

For me and listening activities, 'attention' or 'engagement level' seems to be key. Some people talk about working hard or "no pain no gain" and others talk about paths of least resistance and learning in accordance with one's nature—I think both arguments could have some merit and they don't necessarily need to cancel each other out. For example, one could be 'doing the work' or 'working hard' and not realize that they are working at all because they are so enjoying the activity and are in a state of flow.

[watvid]

Luca making consistent videos, great! Thanks for the help!

[ivanzet]

Interesting.. I'm going to try this method.
Thanks Luca

[redshoes]

What do you think about passive llistening while doing something else that requires focus? Is it just a waste of time? Like while studying for an algebra test or other stuff that doesn't really require you to think in your native language.

[rsalc]

Luca, your method makes a lot of sense. I am having some trouble with it. Am currently trying to improve my listening in Czech. I do okay with simple lessons. I don't understand cartoons or short documentaries/podcasts well.
Today I watch a Peppa the Pig cartoon in Czech. I took notes of the big picture (in Czech): wrote down main nouns and verbs. On the second pass (to fill the details), I just couldn't understand other words.
In other words, I may understand things like: this is Peppa, her brother, mom and dad, go visit grandma. Garden, vegetables, pick, kitchen, grandma makes salad.
But I don't understand the detail words in between the main words...

How should I approach this?

[catedeanssmith]

Wow... don’t think I’ve ever seen Charles Swindoll quoted by anyone but me before!

[TheJesusNerd]

Luca, do a tour of your bookshelf. Also, do reviews on language learning and acquisition books.

[daraghmaclachlan]

Should I take the notes down in my target language? Or just in my native language?

[jaimegallegos]

Grazie Luca! Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo!

[NathanSkates]

Another incredibly helpful video! Thanks for sharing your insights with us.

[yousefalghamdi]

First of all, you are a wonderful and intelligent educator, secondly I am talking personally you have that ability to make the language so easy and piece of cake.
NOTE: if you can make a video what should I do if I encounter a word I do not know it, and relatively for that, do you think the best way to improve my language is to increase my vocabulary.

[michelelonoce]

Thanks for these tips, Luca! Really useful!

[mihaineagu]

I sincerely think that you have a good potential for podcasting.

[felixj]

Which is better we must takenote and pause the video or takenote without pause the video luca?