Hello, this is Steve Kauffman
For those who know my channel here in Youtube
I like learning languages, and I like talking about them in my videos
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Today I want to talk about "Listening" in language learning
Because for me it is, let's say "the task" in language learning
and for those who don't know me
I am in my 19th and 20th languages, that is to say, Arabic and Persian
What I do more than anything is "listening"
"Listening"
Listening for me is the tool, it is the essential weapon in the conquest of new languages
Why?
First, because it's very easy to do
I do it in the morning when I wake up, I do exercises
In the morning I listen to the language
I prepare breakfast and I listen to the language I am learning
If I'm in my car, if I do other tasks, if I'm cleaning the house or whatever
I can still listen, and it's never been easier
I can download internet content, audiobooks, podcasts ...
videos from Netflix, Youtube .. whatever, and I listen!
So, listening, it's the start... it's the first step
Because while listening, there are some things that I will not understand
There I'm going to want to read because I didn't understand
and there I read, because I have an application called lingQ
So, I usually use the iPad or the iPhone to work on the text
Because I always listen to things with texts, where I have the possibility to understand
If we listen, and listen again, and we never understand anything, it doesn't help much
Working on the text is a must, looking for the misunderstood words and the expressions
Looking for explanations, reread, listen again
So, it's this kind of process that takes me from a beginner level to a level..
where I can easily listen to political podcasts, follow movies in Netflix or elsewhere
It's a pretty long process and at every step
75% of my time is spent listening to learning a language
But, when I listen, it's not possible for me to focus all the time
So there's something about listening you need to know
When we have some experience in language learning
We know there will always be things we don't understand
We can't totally focus, we shouldn't want or demand to ourselves
Understanding everything, it's not possible! Nor that we can always focus!
If I listen to something in the car while exercising in the morning
If I listen for 15 minutes, maybe, depending on what I'm doing
There will be 20% of the time when I'm going to focus, maybe 50% of the time..
But, whatever, anyway, especially when we're focusing
and even if we are not focusing, the language enters the brain
and that allows us to get used to another language
The rhythm, the intonation, the expressions, the choice of words
Well, all those things that are so important
So, listening is not only the easiest way or activity
At least in my case where I spend most of my time
But It is also the goal!
Because for me oral comprehension is the most important thing
It is the first, let's say "Step"
If we can understand what others say, what is said in movies or podcasts
It gives us a kind of basis that will allow us to express ourselves in this language
Because we can engage in conversations with people mastering the language
and we will understand what they're say
and if we don't have this level of oral comprehension
We won't be able to participate in this kind of conversations
We won't be able to benefit from movies, because we don't understand
But as soon as we understand, for example in movies or Netflix series or anything
If we understand, 75-80%, most of what they say in these movies
We can take advantage of it and we will improve our level in the language
Since we already have a certain level of understanding
But we have to work on this level of understanding, so we have to listen
Listen and work on texts!
So that what we listen to, becomes more and more understandable
Okay, one more thing ..
We can't, I mean, if I start a language as I did for Arabic, Persian, Greek Romanian
At first, it's just noise, I don't understand anything!
But I listen to fairly brief things and look for words and phrases in lingQ and read
And I listen again and reread, and it goes on like this
And finally, in the end, I will listen to the same thing
Because we have for example at lingQ, the mini-stories
What we call the little stories, with a lot of repetitions
Well, I'll listen to the same story in Arabic 30 times
But not 30 times at a time, that's what's important
I'm going to listen to the first story, the second, the third, the fifth ...
Then I will listen again, re-work the first then the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th..
And then the first one ...
That way, we're going to have enough repetitions, but without it becoming
What is called in English "The block learning"
We can not say "I will completely master this content" it is not possible
We must give the brain the opportunity to wander a little
Don't try too hard to force it
Because the more we listen, or read the same thing over and over, the less we learn
This is because, as the famous German neuroscientist Manfred Spitzer says
"The brain needs repetition, but needs also novelty"
Don't just give the brain nothing but repetition
You also have to give something new. The brain looks for new things
So, we have to take a little care of the content we are listening to
Once we get to a certain level
where we understand political podcasts, and we only miss 10% of the words
Then, there is no need to listen so many times
because most of the content has been understood
But, at first, when we only get 10, 15, 20% and we have to read and listen again, etc.
There we have to listen a lot of times but not at the same time, that's what is important
Well .. what was there more to say ..
So, we shouldn't try too hard to master, and be frustrated when we don't understand
We shouldn't be frustrated if we are unable to concentrate
By the way, I am ..
For me, it's easier to concentrate if I'm doing something else at the same time
Whereas if I sit down and try to listen and do nothing but listening
Then, I'm going to have more difficulty concentrating
But if I do something else, and I let my mind wander
I focus sporadically, then sometimes I don't..
But, in doing so, I find that in the 20th time when I listen to something
I'm going to notice things that I hadn't noted before
Yes, because the other things became evident
But there is something, a structure in the language, a pronunciation,
A choice of words that I haven't noticed
Suddenly, it becomes obvious to me
and therefore, I assimilate this new phenomenon in the language
That's the advantage of listening to the same thing over and over again
But not at the same time!
Whereas once I'm more advanced, I will listen for fun
I listen for fun to an audiobook of literature etc..
In languages I am the more advanced.
But anyway listening, "organized listening" in an intelligent and realistic way
I believe it is the most important activity in language acquisition
Of course, that goes with reading and speaking opportunities
and possibly writing in the language
But listening is still for me
what is most important in the acquisition and learning of languages
And it is also a "goal"!
Because "listening" means "oral comprehension".
Thank you so much!
So I made this video in French, most of the time I speak in English
Because most of the people who follow my channel speak better English than French
and because all the videos I share here are available on lingQ
So, I prefer, since I am not a French native
It is best to study and learn from people who are native to the language
So, I hesitate to make videos in French which will become lessons for lingQ
But I also speak in other languages from time to time
I made a video with another Steve!
Who speaks Japanese in an absolutely amazing and impressive way
I will leave the link for those who are interested in Japanese
They will be able to hear me with this other Steve, an American by the way, in Japanese
There it is ! Thank you so much for your "Listening"!
Bye!