iBT 115 - 如何提高英语听力水平

sdcar2010

Listening comprehension is another area which requires a lot of attention from English learners. Intrinsically your ability to understand what goes into your ears would help shape what comes out of your mouth after all the information is processed within your brain. Therefore, there is a positive feedback loop between the listening and speaking skills of an English learner. For example, a good listener would easily and correctly understand a speaker’s main point after taking heed of all the hints perceived. This, in turn, will give the listener ample time and ammunition to contemplate a proper response, be it a concurrence or an objection.

How to train your ears? I am a subscriber to the notion that you reap what you sow. One of my favorite jokes is the following:

The tourist in Manhattan asks for directions: “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?”
Helpful local: “Practice, practice, practice.”

If you are checking my post right now, I believe you would agree that whenever you do something repeatedly your performance soars. Having said that, I also believe it might be hard for you to knuckle down and practice more after so many years of practice. The reasons are plenty: No one is a born working bee. No one wants to practice without a push or shove. Practice is hard. There are so many temptations around us and so many fun things to do. Practice is not fun. Wait. Did you mention practice and fun? Hmm. A light bulb just went off in my head: why don’t we combine them together!

Indeed we should and there are ways to do it.Do you like music? If so, why don’t you listen to more English songs than Chinese songs? Do you like watching movies? Why don’t you buy more tapes or CD’s of English movies? Do you like space exploration? Why don’t you watch Star Trek : The Next Generation from ToDou.com? Do you like science?  Why don’t you search on YouTube.com for English presentations?  Do you like jogging? Why don’t you jog …? Wait. My ears hurt while jogging. Scratch that. The bottom line is that you need to be creative in order to sow the seeds of practicing English in every available time slots in your daily life if you do not want to do it in the conventional (and possibly boring) way.

In the old days, college students only had shortwave radios as a tool to improve their listening comprehension by tuning to VOA or BBC. With the arrival of internet and hand-held electronic devices, current English learners have a plethora of FUN ways at their disposal to bomb their ears with English sound waves. Make your choice and be wise.

I admit that a bit of talent is required in every trade, including learning English. But without practice, even a talented person would not succeed.
Are you listening?

woodhorse1987

感谢。楼主确实当得这个分数。

ansonyulin

楼主这水平的确不是盖的！赞一个！

hnulijie

listening

yimeng616

还是得靠积累！

anyadai

You made a good point about listening. Thank you~

siudeedee

Great sharing. After this lesson I guess I am going to readjust my schedule to learn English now. Am Ioverwhelmed by your attitude,  solemnly bow to you.

月照琳琅

thx

babybearmm

Thanks St. sdcar (I wanna say - sdcar super-NN)! I can't agree more on what you have said....

I especially second your idea that practice could be fun. I recently have found some terrific sources for improving listening and speaking skills, and I have been truly obsessed in them! To name a few:
http://www.ted.com/        
a plethora of inspiring and thought-provoking talks given by renown scientists, artists, business whizzes, ....
http://blogs.hbr.org/ideacast/      
Interviews with "the leading minds in management" (recommended by lovecloris)

I hope more CDers could read your threads. Your proposed methods are challenging our traditional way of learning English, a way mostly ineffective and painstaking. Thank you for shedding light on this issue.

铁板神猴

jogging while listening Music will hurt our ears? Is that true?
Cause I've been always enjoying in that way ...