Why Is Listening Comprehension the Last Stage of Listening Practice?

... shadowing, listen and repeat, and listening comprehension. Be sure to do them in that order.

Otherwise Listening Comprehension Will Be Difficult

If you try to start with listening comprehension, you will have trouble. It is like learning to run before you can crawl. Or learning to paint before you can draw. It is possible. But it is much more difficult.

Done in Order, This Stage Is Easy

If you do the listening practice in the proper order you will find listening comprehension easy. That’s because you only have to think about the meaning. Your brain does not have to think about what sounds it is hearing. Your brain does not have to think about trying to remember the word so it can think about them. It only has to think about the meaning. Easy.

So, you can you improve listening comprehension?

Do the First Two Stages

Make sure you have practiced the first two stages enough that they are comfortable. You can shadow. You can remember well enough to do listen and repeat. Now the preparation is ready. You can start the ‘real stuff’. Or can you? What if there are things that you don’t know?

Find the Words You Do Not Understand

IF there are words that you do now know, you will not be able to practice listening comprehension. You have to find those words. You have to find the meanings. You have to remember the meanings. Do that before you go to the next step. The next step is checking the grammar.

Check the Grammar You Do Not Know

If there is grammar that you do not know, you will not be able to practice listening comprehension. You have to learn that grammar. You have to find what it means. You have to remember the meaning. Do that before you do the next step. The next step is reading.

Then Read the Script

When you read the script, you are reading to understand the story. Think about the meaning. Think about the situation. Ask yourself questions. Where is the action happening? When is it happening? You might not find the answers, but these questions will help you understand. What other questions can you ask?

Then Listen

Now you have to listen (no script), and think of the meaning of the story. Really listen. No daydreaming. Try to make pictures of the scene, and action as you listen. Think about the meaning of the story that you read while you listen.

Then Do Shadow Listening

Shadow reading is reading the script at the same time as you listen to it. This helps you discover any mistakes that you were making. It also helps use more parts of your brain in the thinking and understanding process (auditory, and reading parts).

Repeat

Do the listening again. Then do the shadowing again. Do this repetition twice. By now you have shadowed the audio many times. And you have practiced listen and repeat. And finally you practiced listening comprehension. You are ready to move on.

Then Change

Move on to a new selection. Do the three steps for it as well. Be thorough. Always make sure that you can do one step comfortably before you move on to the next.

Come Back

After two sessions with the new selection, come back to the first selection and review it. Just do some listening for comprehension and one shadow reading. That is enough for review for now. Time to change again.

Change Again

Then do a new selection (third). Then review second selection. Then move onto the fourth selection and after that review the second. Keep going with this pattern. Soon you will find the cycle becomes shorter and faster for each new selection.

Summary:

Listening comprehension is the highest level of listening practice. Do it only when you are comfortable with shadowing and listen and repeat activities. When you do it, you will prepare by reading the script for understanding. Then just listen while you think of the meaning that you learned by reading. Then do shadow listening. Do this twice and then start a new selection. Review periodically.

Next step:

Go to the story on this page (or any page here at English Listening World.com) and practice shadow reading with this story. Of course, do all the listening practice steps in order to prepare.