Tried your hand a conversing with native speakers, but can’t figure out a lick of what they’re saying? Don’t worry, it’s normal. It usually takes much more than couple months of language lessons to get your listening skills down pay. Why is that?
- Your vocabulary’s just too weak. It’s possible that you just don’t have enough stock of a language to be able to comprehend what people are saying. The solution is straightforward: beef up your vocabulary.
- They speak in an accent different than your own. Even if you can identify words and phrases, accent can complicate the language heavily. This is why we recommend teaching be done using the target language’s accent – doing so helps familiarize you with their speaking patterns, so you can easily recognize them in real-world situations.
- They bring their own cultural biases into the language. The way native speakers use the language often bring idioms and cultural elements into play that sound perfectly natural in their local environment. Learning more about the local culture should help you on this end.
- They use slang that isn’t taught in formal classes. Slang, especially plays on words, are near impossible for non-natives to make out. Unless you befriend locals and spend time in their company, chances are, they’ll remain a mysterious parlance.
- They talk too fast. Since they’re perfectly familiar with the language, most native speakers will plow through their speech and pronunciations patterns quickly. Your limited time with the vernacular isn’t likely to help you much with regards to keeping up. The solution? Spend more time listening to native speakers, either through actual conversation, watching movies or listening to speeches.