Register  Login  Active Topics  Maps  

Listening when understanding nothing

 Language Learning Forum : Learning Techniques, Methods & Strategies Post Reply
13 messages over 2 pages: 1 2  Next >>
dbstraight
Diglot
Newbie
United States
Joined 5755 days ago

30 posts - 32 votes
Speaks: English*, German
Studies: Spanish

 
 Message 1 of 13
23 August 2008 at 11:49am | IP Logged 
I would like to know if anyone can speak from experience on what benefits, if any, can be drawn from listening to your target language when you can understand NOTHING of what is being said, not even a single word. Does it help to get accustomed to the sound of the language? Does it make it easier to get pronunciation right later when you get down to studying the language?
1 person has voted this message useful



Cainntear
Pentaglot
Senior Member
Scotland
linguafrankly.blogsp
Joined 5770 days ago

4399 posts - 7687 votes 
Speaks: Lowland Scots, English*, French, Spanish, Scottish Gaelic
Studies: Catalan, Italian, German, Irish, Welsh

 
 Message 2 of 13
23 August 2008 at 12:39pm | IP Logged 
In general, I doubt it.

If I listen to something in an entirely alien language, it's all just ish-osh-oosh to me.

It isn't until I start to be able to pronounce the sounds myself that my mind tends to make any effort to understand what the ear is hearing.
1 person has voted this message useful



qklilx
Moderator
United States
Joined 5945 days ago

459 posts - 477 votes 
Speaks: English*
Studies: Korean
Personal Language Map

 
 Message 3 of 13
23 August 2008 at 2:02pm | IP Logged 
Mezzofanti supposedly did it to learn the rhythms and intonations of the languages he would prepare himself to learn, so I think if you have a good enough ear, and perhaps a few languages already in your store, it might be a somewhat useful technique.
1 person has voted this message useful



hyij
Triglot
Newbie
Sweden
Joined 5696 days ago

5 posts - 5 votes
Speaks: Swedish*, Mandarin, English
Studies: Finnish, Arabic (Written)

 
 Message 4 of 13
23 August 2008 at 3:50pm | IP Logged 
I'd say don't put too much faith in it. In the beginning stages listening to the target language now and then is all well and good, but it's not gonna do you any miracles.

However, when you you're at a level where you can start guessing meanings, the more listening the better.
1 person has voted this message useful



alfajuj
Diglot
Senior Member
Taiwan
Joined 5970 days ago

121 posts - 126 votes 
Speaks: English*, Mandarin
Studies: Taiwanese, French

 
 Message 5 of 13
24 August 2008 at 1:20am | IP Logged 
It's only useful for getting a feel for the rhythm and intonation of the target language. That isn't unimportant but I would suggest that you shouldn't put too much time into it.
For example, you could put on some kind of talk shows in the target language on web radio while you're doing other things on your computer.

1 person has voted this message useful



Eduard
Decaglot
Senior Member
Norway
Joined 5784 days ago

166 posts - 170 votes 
2 sounds
Speaks: Dutch*, NorwegianC1, Swedish, Danish, English, German, ItalianB1, Spanish, Serbo-Croatian, French
Studies: Portuguese

 
 Message 6 of 13
24 August 2008 at 3:29am | IP Logged 
It does help to growing accustomed to the language and the sounds of it. Also, it depends if the language is close to a language you know or not. As I heard Danish for the first time, I hardly understood a single word. Yet, as I already understood a bit of Norwegian and Swedish, the Danish sounds gradually became understandable.

I'd suggest to do as alfajuj proposes: listen with half an ear whilst doing something more useful.
1 person has voted this message useful



Javi
Senior Member
Spain
Joined 5740 days ago

419 posts - 548 votes 
Speaks: Spanish*

 
 Message 7 of 13
24 August 2008 at 4:43am | IP Logged 
Deleted message.

Edited by Javi on 24 August 2008 at 6:32am

1 person has voted this message useful



Autarkis
Triglot
Groupie
Switzerland
twitter.com/Autarkis
Joined 5711 days ago

95 posts - 106 votes 
4 sounds
Speaks: German*, English, French
Studies: Italian

 
 Message 8 of 13
24 August 2008 at 5:43am | IP Logged 
I don't believe it does anything besides upping your adrenaline and thus your frustration. However, it might also up your frustration tolerance to the sounds. So if you'd have to learn a language the sounds of which would offend you, you could get used to the sound of it this way. I mean, it's really quite comparable to listen to monkeys arguing in the zoo. ;) No offense intended!

From the point of view of comprehension, I'm pretty sure nothing at all is to be gained.


1 person has voted this message useful



This discussion contains 13 messages over 2 pages: 2  Next >>


Post ReplyPost New Topic Printable version Printable version

You cannot post new topics in this forum - You cannot reply to topics in this forum - You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum - You cannot create polls in this forum - You cannot vote in polls in this forum


This page was generated in 0.3750 seconds.


DHTML Menu By Milonic JavaScript
Copyright 2024 FX Micheloud - All rights reserved
No part of this website may be copied by any means without my written authorization.