There are many small tweaks you can do to improve your ability for comprehension.  You can work on your vocabulary, ask the other person to slow down, listen more intently and other common advice.   We suggest trying them out to see if one or more hits home for you.

There’s one technique I’ve found to be extremely effective for speakers at all levels, though, and it’s something I recommend you implement in your own practice.  That is to look for what you know during conversations.

By that, we mean listening for what you can understand and using that to tie in with the rest of what’s being said.  When someone speaks, just keep an ear for words and phrases that you know, combining it with what you can discern from their tonality and body language.

Don’t let your limited knowledge of a language intimidate you.   Instead, put all your focus on figuring out what you can and trusting your instincts.  Doing so will give you confidence in further experiences, apart from sharpening your comprehensive abilities.  Sure, you’ll mistakes — plenty of them.  If you stick with the process, though, you’ll find yourself progressing at a much faster rate, compared to just continuing vocabulary work all by yourself.

Compared to other areas of language learning, listening skills are complicated by the lack of a structured approach to integrating them into your skillset. Vocabulary, for instance, can be memorized using a variety of mediums, from flash cards to language software. Grammar, on the other hand, is defined by sets of rules that you can follow. For developing speaking and writing skills, there are tons of tried-and-tested exercises that can be employed.

When trying to improve your listening skills, the best thing you can do is to keep getting experience. Watch shows in the language you are studying and try to understand their context. Listen to songs and try to flesh out their meaning. Read articles in the vernacular and figure out what they’re trying to impart. As for guidelines, the best advice I’ve ever gotten is to get out of my own way.

A lot of the time, it’s our own mind that creates problems for our ability to progress in our comprehension abilities. Do you do any of these things that hinder the development of better listening skills?

1. Tuning out. When some students can’t understand what they’re listening to the first time, they just tend to tune out, their minds either flying out into some other place or their internal dialogues taking over. If you find this behavior becoming a habit, better work to eradicate it. It wastes a lot of your learning time.

2. Letting frustration get the better of you. Many students end up letting frustration at their lack of results get the better of them, often getting angry or just giving up. When you’re learning a language, it’s important to understand that not understanding everything is fine – you will, eventually.

3. Expecting too much. Just like any skill, the development of listening skills often occurs at a gradual pace. Don’t expect miracles. Instead, look towards small improvements that can add up over time.