I don’t have an ear for languages. So how can I learn?
Listening is probably the most difficult part of learning a language. Listening is difficult because, unlike reading, you can’t always know where one word begins and the other one ends. You have to pay far more attention than reading, writing, and speaking. Sometimes you only have one chance to listen to something. For example, either you heard what the TV commercial was about, or you didn’t. Having only one opportunity to hear a phrase or conversation makes developing listening skills more difficult. However, you can develop this skill! As you continue learning, build your vocabulary and get plenty of practice listening to the language. Think about what the benefits will mean for you! For more information in the future, sign up for tips and suggestions.
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A lot has to do with the way foreign language has been taught. There are four skills of a language. Two skills require you to gather information: reading and listening. The other two skills require you to produce information: writing and speaking. Many schools have taught students to read the language (literature), write the language (grammar and verb drills), and occasionally listen to a pre-recorded audio file pronouncing the vocabulary and verbs for you. Little emphasis may have been placed on actually speaking the language or listening to it extensively. The way languages are taught in high schools and colleges is changing. But for many who have been taught using the old methods, you simply had much more practice in reading and writing than you had in listening and speaking. But don’t give up. There are a variety of ways you can now increase your listening and speaking skills.A second language usually refers to a language that you learn in the country where that language is spoken. Immigrants coming to the U.S.A. and learning English would be learning English as a Second Language (ESL). A foreign language usually refers to a language that you learn where it is not the native tongue. For instance, a French student in the U.S. learning English would be learning English as a second language. A French student in France learning English is learning English as a foreign language (EFL). Some people prefer to call non-native languages taught in a classroom as world languages.
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AuthorAurelia McNeil is an English Teacher who helps students reach advanced level English skills. |