Guide to Success

Many Chinese learners find listening difficult. "I just don't understand", they will say. The difficulty may be due to multiple factors. The following table gives you a list of potential reasons for difficulty and suggestions for solution.

Reasons for difficulty	Solutions
speech tempo 　speakers speak extremely fast;
vocabulary 　there are too many new words in the listening material;
sentence structure 　the sentences are long and complicated;
content 　the subject matter is unfamiliar;
unnecessary pause 　you pause to figure out the meaning of a word you don't understand or cannot recall at a flick of a second;
lack of concentration 　your mind wanders away to something else because of mental fatigue or distraction from outside.

Tips for improvement

It takes time as well as your patience to improve your listening performance. You should proceed step by step. Here are some useful tips for you.

Step 1

Find a material with an accompanying transcript that you can understand 30-50% at the first listening. Feel pleased with yourself.

Step 2

Listen to it again from the beginning to the end. Don't pause to recall the words you don't understand. See if your understanding improves at this try.

Step 3

Take a quick look at the vocabulary of the attached transcript. Check the pronunciation of the new words and practice it aloud as many times as you can. Don't stop practicing it until you can pronounce it without making conscious effort.

Step 4

Listen to the tape the third time. We are sure that you will be very much pleased with yourself. Your understanding will reach at least 70-80%.

Step 5

Read the transcript to familiarize yourself with the complex sentences or idiomatic expressions that block your understanding. Take notes of them and review them later.

Step 6

Listen to the tape the fourth time. If you find yourself being able to understand it over 90%, congratulations!! You should be proud of yourself!

It is important that you listen to English every day. Even mere exposure to the English sounds with little comprehension will help tune your ear for ready perception.