Listening Comprehension: Put Down the Grammar Book and Open Your Ears


Audio ResourcesWhen people start to learn a language, listening comprehension comes second to vocabulary and English grammar. But many beginner and intermediate learners have realised that they do not understand as much as they would like when people speak in English.Should you focus on grammar before you improve your esl listening skills?How do humans learn their first languages? We sit in our diapers and listen to it for about two years, without saying a word. Then we start to mimic, learn constructions, vocabulary, expressions etc.Why shouldn’t it be the same for adults? Some believe that the learning process is different in Children and in adults.I tend to disagree and feel that we can all learn a great deal by passive listening even as beginners.When you first start working on your listening skills it is best to do a lot of passive listening or better yet hearing. Listening to English radio stations or audio books are two great ways to start improving your English comprehension. (Download and Listen to any audiobook from Audible.com for as little as $7.49. Click here to find out more.).

  • Surround yourself with English when you are not paying attention, like when you are doing the dishes, cooking, surf the Internet or cleaning. Doing this allows your ears to get used to the sounds of English.

I am not saying that you can learn EVERYTHING just by listening but it can help you in many ways. After a while you will start to notice that you are able to find English words more easily, express yourself better and also your pronunciation will improve. It depends on the person but hearing English is the first step to improving your Listening comprehension.

Free Audio and Video learning materialLearnOutLoud.com has scoured the Internet to bring you over 2000 free audio and video titles. This directory features free audio books, lectures, speeches, sermons, interviews, and many other great free audio and video resources. Most audio titles can be downloaded in digital formats such as MP3 and most video titles are available to stream online. Enjoy!

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