Improve Your English
Learning English Tips
English Tip #29 - Listening Skills
Train your ears
When learning English, you will probably find it difficult to understand what native speakers say. People who are comfortable with a language usually speak very quickly and often take it for granted that everyone understands them. This can make it very difficult to accomplish simple tasks, such as ordering a portion of fish and chips in London or Manchester. If you want to communicate freely in English, then you will have to find a way to adjust your ear to the voices of native speakers. You can do this by visiting an English-speaking city.
Whether you are learning English in London, or Spanish in Barcelona, the onus is on you to make friends with native speakers and to practise regularly. You can make friends the traditional way by visiting social hotspots, or you can use one of the many online social-networking sites to find someone who wouldn’t mind meeting for a cup of coffee once in a while.
Remember, true proficiency in English doesn’t come from a textbook – it comes from speaking to those who use the language every day.