Films and series as learning tools

Some obstacles that stand in the way of understanding

As I often say, if the process of learning a language took the shape of a high-rise building, understanding movies/series with ease would be at the very top floor.  Admittedly, it takes time to accomplish.

Having said that, if you are prepared to put up with a certain amount of confusion and lack of understanding and spice up your watching experience with a bit of imagination, nothing can stop you from starting now, regardless of the level you are at. Bear in mind that, the lower the level, the fewer demands you should make on yourself. 

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3 Techniques to take a proactive approach to listening

In other words, how to transition from input to input-output

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Having the radio on in the background is, by all means, enriching your passive vocabulary acquisition but taking a more active role will do the trick: active as opposed to passive listening. And as a result, your speaking will get better.

In this post, I am about to describe in detail 3 hands-on methods to carry out that task:

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The podcast revolution

 

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The proliferation of this digital audio system has greatly enriched the world of communication in general and language learning in particular. It has provided learners with extensive and engaging material to access for free and at any time.

Are you keen on listening to the radio? Then, podcasts are just right up your alley. In this blog post, I am going to share links to some quality English learning podcasts. As a rule of thumb, the higher the level, the wider the contents but I will do my best to cater for all levels.

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Approach listening with a positive attitude

 

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“The harder the climb the sweeter the view.”

For some students, listening is unquestionably one of the hardest skills but let’s turn this around and go in a different direction. If you tend to be overwhelmed by the fact that your understanding is poor, that might take you down a road of negativity and make you shut down which will, in turn, prevent you from grasping at least general ideas. Instead of being put off by it, make it one of your main battles to fight.

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