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embarrassing and explosive things yeah so check out the adam wilde and jack show available every wednesday wherever you get your podcasts acast helps creators launch grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere acast .com Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of our podcast. I'm Leo, a lover of snacks, speed talker, and sometimes a little too excited about microphones.
Hello, I'm Gwen, and yes, I'm the calmer one here.
Today's topic? It's something we all struggle with, but rarely approach the right way.
Hey Leo, to make the podcast more interesting, I've got a quick challenge for our listeners.
Oh, what kind of challenge?
Say a sentence in real native speaker speed.
Let's see how much they can catch. All right, here we go.
I thought I had enough time to catch the train, but the doors closed right in front of me.
So, how much did you catch?
30 %? 70 %? Just a few words?
If that felt way too fast, don't worry.
You're not alone. The truth is, a lot of people think listening is the easiest part of learning English.
But actually, it's one of the most important and most difficult skills.
Yes. When you can listen well, you're not just hearing words.
You're hearing meaning, emotion, real language, and real use.
And if you've ever struggled with pronunciation, fluency, or slow responses, maybe it's not your speaking that needs work.
Maybe it's your listening.
Why? Because listening and speaking are closely connected.
if you don't listen well, you won't know how to pronounce things correctly.
That's right. And you also won't get used to the natural rhythm and sentence structures, which slows down your speaking reflexes.
To make it clearer, in real -life conversations, if you're not familiar with phrases like wanna, then when someone quickly says I wanna go, you might not realize it means I want to go and you won't know how to respond.
Today, we're going to talk about that to solve the problem.
Why listening is so essential when learning English and how to actually improve it with simple practical steps.
Alright, ready? Let's dive in.
Okay, Leo, before we dive into tips, let's talk about the big picture.
You mean, why does listening even matter?
Exactly. So many people skip listening because they think it's passive or boring.
Or they think speaking is more important.
But actually, listening comes first. Yep, that's how all of us learned our first language.
Babies don't start with grammar books.
They just sit there, wide -eyed, and absorb everything they hear.
Moreover, they listen for months before they ever say a word. That's the foundation.
so if we want to learn a second language, it makes sense to start the same way.
Listening helps you recognize pronunciation, especially all the natural changes that happen when people speak fast. Yeah, like how going to becomes gonna or want to turns into wanna.
Textbooks usually don't show that.
But real -life conversations do.
And when you listen often, you also start understanding sentence patterns.
patterns. Yeah. Not just grammar rules, but how English flows in everyday talk, the rhythm, the pauses, the emphasis.
It's like music. And your ears start picking up on tone.
Like, when someone says, I'm fine, but you know they're not.
Oh, I've been there.
And that's another benefit, context.
Listening shows you how people really use words in real situations.
So you're not just learning vocabulary, you're learning how and when to use it.
And honestly, the more you listen, the easier speaking becomes.
You start copying phrases without even trying.
I've seen that with my students.
They speak more naturally just because they've been listening consistently.
And you don't need to understand every word, right?
Exactly. That's a huge mindset shift. It's okay to miss a few words.
What matters is the meaning.
That was a game changer for me.
I used to panic if I didn't understand a word. Now I zoom out and focus on the big idea.
That's real listening.
You let your brain guess from tone, context, and key phrases.
So don't aim for perfection.
Aim for connection.
And remember, listening isn't just a skill.
It's your foundation.
Build that strong, and the rest, speaking, reading, writing, all gets easier.
Listening first, fluency later.
Let's break listening down into four levels.
It'll help you know where to start.
Four levels? Sounds like a video game.
That's an interesting way to put it.
Level one is language detection, just recognizing English sounds.
Like hearing hello and knowing it's not Spanish or Korean.
Right. Babies don't freak out when they don't understand.
They just listen. And adults?
We panic. I heard something.
Does that mean I understood?
Right. We overthink it.
Babies would just chill.
So what's Level 2 about?
Level 2 is word recognition.
Catching a few familiar words.
Like hearing coffee, yes, thank you.
Oops, I need coffee, yes, thank you.
Exactly. When you get a handful of words, you're in the game.
Level 3 is idea understanding, grasping the main meaning of a sentence or short speech. You don't need to know every word, just the big picture.
My brain refuses to translate word by word. And that's good.
Your brain starts guessing meaning from context, tone, and keywords.
And when that happens, you're ready for the next level, nuance detection.
It's about catching humor, emotions, like knowing someone said nice job sarcastically, not genuinely, right?
So true. According to a Yale University study, people are better at recognizing emotions when they listen to voices alone, without any images or text.
So, it highlights how truly listening can deepen our emotional understanding of others.
Oh, looks like reaching all these levels makes you a master of English listening, right?
Kind of. These levels show why listening is a journey.
And now we know which level we're stuck at, and what's next.
Definitely. Okay, so here's a real question.
Why does English feel like ten times faster when a native speaker talks?
That's not just a feeling.
It's a fact. So here comes the first challenge.
The speed. In class, everything's slow and clear.
How are you? But outside?
It's like, how are ya?
Whatcha doin? All smashed together.
I know. Real -life English doesn't take breaks.
It just runs. No wonder it feels hard to follow sometimes.
Yeah, like watching a movie with no subtitles and suddenly questioning your life choices.
Exactly. But speed isn't the only thing.
Accents are also important.
Oh man, I once met a guy from Liverpool.
He was super friendly, but I caught maybe three words out of the whole conversation.
That's so real. English comes in so many flavors.
American, British, Australian, Irish, and even within those, every region has its own sound.
It's like English is wearing a different costume every time you meet it.
Nice metaphor. And now, the final boss, slang and idioms. This one's brutal.
Someone says, break a leg, and you're like, uh, thanks?
Or, spill the tea. And my student once said, but I didn't bring any.
Ha ha. These expressions don't make sense if you translate word for word. That's why a lot of learners feel lost. Not because they're not smart, but because English loves to speak in code.
So if you've ever thought, why can't I understand, now you know why.
And knowing is the first step.
Because next, we're going to show you how to turn all those challenges into progress.
Okay, so now we know the big problems. Speed, accents, slang.
Yep, English listening isn't just about hearing words.
It's about catching meaning in the middle of the chaos.
Which brings us to something super important, how you listen.
Right. Let's talk about passive versus active listening.
Sounds serious already.
Not scary, I promise.
Passive listening is when you just let the words fly by, like background music.
Like playing a podcast while scrolling TikTok.
Exactly. You're hearing English, but your brain isn't really doing anything with it.
So then, active listening is the opposite?
it? Yes. Active listening means you're focused.
You're trying to understand the meaning, catch keywords, notice common phrases.
You're in the conversation, even if it's a recording.
So it's not just, do I understand the words, but what are they really saying?
Absolutely. Active listening helps you react better, speak faster, and remember longer.
That makes sense. When I actually focus while listening, I remember phrases and even how they said them.
And here's the truth.
Most of us start with passive listening.
That's okay, but the goal is to train your brain to shift into active mode.
Like going from watching a movie for fun, watching it and trying to catch every line like a detective.
I love that. So next time you listen, ask yourself, Am I really paying attention?
Or just letting the sound pass by?
And if the answer is just passing by, maybe hit pause.
I mean, you don't have to replay something again and again with a notebook in hand, just listen and try to catch the main idea.
Totally spot on! All right, we've talked about why listening is hard, and how we can shift from passive to active listening.
Now comes the good part, how to improve your listening skills.
It's about training your ears!
This is where it gets practical So first tip, choose content that fits your level Yeah, don't start with stand -up comedy or reality shows If you're still figuring out nice to meet you Try beginner podcasts, slow audiobooks Or YouTube videos made for learners And subtitles are lifesavers Watch once with them to get the meaning Then again without to train your ears Bonus tip, repeat the same video two or three times You'll notice words you miss the first time.
It's wild how much your brain picks up once it knows what to expect.
Also, focus on keywords and don't stress about every little word. Right?
You're not a robot.
You're a human trying to understand humans.
Secondly, combine listening with other techniques.
Like? Shadowing. Listen to a short sentence, then repeat it right after.
Try to match the rhythm and tone.
It feels awkward at first, but your mouth starts learning the music of the language.
Then there's dictation.
Pause. Write down what you hear.
It's great for catching small sounds in spelling.
And summarizing. After listening, try saying what it was about in your own words.
That's real understanding.
Not just repeating, but thinking.
The third tip is letting listening support your speaking.
I felt that. When I listened more, I spoke more naturally, like the sentences just came out smoother.
So true. Try practicing with a partner.
Take turns listening and responding.
Or copy short dialogues from shows.
Pause, repeat, act it out.
Great recommendation.
And don't forget that even fun stuff works like English games or little speaking challenges.
challenges. Anything that connects what you hear to what you say is golden.
And finally, bring it into real life.
You know, real -life English doesn't come with clean audio and perfect subtitles.
Right. You've got accents, background noise, people mumbling, speaking fast. But that's okay.
Start small, maybe eavesdrop on a news report or try to catch lyrics from a chill song.
Street interviews on YouTube are great too, super real.
These interviews have been trending these days.
And when you don't understand something, ask.
That's brave, not embarrassing.
Like, Sorry, could you repeat that?
Or, What do you mean?
Or, Can you say that more slowly?
That's right. And the best part, when you do that, you're actually having real conversations.
You're not just learning English, That was a lot of good stuff.
Honestly, I even want to go back and listen again.
Same here. Okay, let's check out and learn some phrases appearing in this podcast. We have the first phrase, struggle with.
It means to have difficulty doing something.
Example, many learners struggle with understanding native level English.
Then we have focus on.
It means to give attention or energy to something.
Example, instead of every word, focus on the main idea.
And maybe focus on breathing too while you're at it.
Here's a phrase, pick up.
It means to learn something naturally without formal study.
Example, you pick up phrases just by listening often.
Yeah, like how I picked up gonna from movies.
Now we have aim for.
It means to try to achieve something.
Example, don't aim for perfect words.
Aim for real connection.
I like that. Feels more human.
And the final phrase is act out.
It means to perform or say something out loud.
Example, try to act out scenes from your favorite shows.
My Oscar speech is ready.
Wow, someone's a little too confident, huh?
Because I deserve it.
And our listeners deserve some reflection questions to help them take something valuable from today.
You go first, Leo. You're really good at changing the subject.
Alright then, here goes.
Why does English often feel faster than what learners expect?
From my point of view, it's because native speakers naturally blend words and speak quickly, unlike the slow and clear pace in classes or textbooks.
books. Yes, and to reach a native level, we have to practice regularly with the right methods.
And here is my question for you guys.
Why is translating word for word not effective in listening?
What do you think, Leo?
I think that's because English often uses phrases or idioms that don't translate directly.
Understanding meaning requires context.
Great answer. Hey listeners, feel free to drop your answers in the comments.
Yeah, it's a fun and active way to learn English together.
And now, we've come to the end of our podcast. What a chill and meaningful learning session it's been.
You won't always catch every word. And that's okay.
Listening takes time and patience.
Even when it feels like you're not improving, every try counts.
Real progress in listening doesn't come from catching every word. It comes from not giving up when you don't.
If you find yourself stuck, ask gently, Am I giving myself time to grow?
Or when you hear something too fast, instead of feeling defeated, pause and ask, what part did I actually understand?
One kind word, to yourself or to someone else, goes further than you think.
And staying open, even when it's hard. If this episode helped you feel a little more hopeful, share it with someone learning English too.
Or leave us a comment.
We're always listening.
Keep listening. Keep learning.
You're not alone in this.
We're proud of how far you've come and excited for where you're going next.
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word. What's up, everybody?
I'm Indomitian Sue, Super Bowl champ and investor.
Throughout my NFL career, when I wasn't sacking your favorite quarterback, I was networking with some of the sharpest business minds in the world.
Now I'm bringing those conversations to you on No Free Lunch, a podcast from The Athletic and The New York Times.
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