Rapid Listening

As you gain proficiency in understanding spoken English (or any second language), you tend to focus on the key words to derive meaning, either ignoring or guessing at the less prominent words. Even at higher levels of English proficiency, the international speaker often does not recognize every word spoken during the course of a conversation. As a result, misunderstandings may continue even at these higher language levels.

We work on increased understanding of rapid English in a relaxed and entertaining manner. This listening ability relies on the understanding of a number of components:

• Auditory discrimination (which, in turn, relies on pronunciation, intonation and emphasis)
• American expressions, including idioms and slang
• Facial expressions and gestures
• American humor

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TIP: You may find understanding more formal speech, such as that in news programs & lectures, easier than understanding more natural, real-life conversational speech. You would do well to watch movies, TV sitcoms and dramas, also. What a pleasant form of homework!