How to Listen & Read When Learning a Foreign Language

The more time you spend reading and listening to a foreign language, the faster you learn it. If you are taking a class, don't restrict yourself only to the course material. Be an active learner, looking for opportunities to listen to good speakers of the language wherever you happen to be. Look for things to read other than text books and class assignments. An hour spent listening and reading outside of class is at least as important as an hour in class.

Things You'll Need

  • Television
  • Radio
  • 3 x 5 cards
  • MP3 player
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Instructions

  1. Instructions

    • 1

      Read and listen to the language every day. Use regularly scheduled time slots so you don't miss a day. Listen to songs in the language on an MP3 player. Listen to television and radio programs. Use the closed captioning option on TV programs to listen and read at the same time.

    • 2

      Make listening and reading enjoyable by looking for content you find interesting. Read stories that you like. Listen to radio and TV programs that are entertaining or funny. Search for newspaper articles on topics that mean something to you.

    • 3

      Read through new material several times without stopping. Guess at the meaning of new words. Try to grasp general ideas without worrying about words you don't know.

    • 4

      Listen to people who speak the language fluently on recordings, radio, television and in real life. Don't look up words in dictionaries at the same time. Relax. Concentrate only on listening and trying to make sense of what you hear.

    • 5

      Make vocabulary lists of new words you come across. Use a dictionary and 3 x 5 cards to make flash cards of the words. Use the cards to practice the words aloud at different times during the day. Keep at it until you know their meanings automatically. You'll begin to recognize the words when you encounter them elsewhere in your reading and listening.

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