THE BIG PROBLEM!

        No matter how well you score on the English exam, if you have problems with listening, you won't be able to communicate well.
     It's really discouraging when you:
  • Watch English movies, but can't understand what they are saying
  • Try to have a conversation with International friends, but you don't know what they are talking about
  • Cannot understand your English teacher
  • Travel abroad and you don't know what people around you are saying

TRY THESE TIPS

  • When you listen to an English recording, news broadcast, speech, etc., don't just listen passively, but repeat what you hear. This has a way of sticking the words you hear into your memory.
  • Don't focus on understanding every word, but listen for the general meaning. And don't be discouraged if you don't understand every word. Even we native English speakers sometimes don't understand every word of our movies.
  • If you watch English movies, DO NOT turn on Chinese subtitles. Chinese subtitles will steal your brain's focus from the English. If you must use subtitles, use only English subtitles. Here are some recommended movies. 
  • Check out the resources listed below - remember, don't just listen to them, but listen and repeat, and record yourself.

CLICK THESE FREE LISTENING RESOURCES
HOW TO IMPROVE LISTENING
        English listening is just like anything else in life we want to become good at. This is not easy, but it is simple, very simple. The more we do it, the more our ability improves.
        Do you want to become a better ping pong player? Play more ping pong. Do you want to become a faster runner? Run more. Do you want to be a better dancer? Spend more time dancing. Do you want to become a better English listener? Increase the amount of time you spend listening to English. Yes, it is that simple!
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        I think everybody knows this, but many students are asking, "Where do I start? What do I listen to?" The opportunities are unlimited, but I recommend you try some of the resources on this page. 
      







  Another great way to improve English listening is to watch something in Chinese first. After you understand it in Chinese, then watch it in English. You can do this with any movie that is available in both languages, or you can watch a short video like WHERE DID I  COME FROM in English, with Chinese subtitles (click here).  

ENGLISH LISTENING


One of the most popular shortwave radio programs used by students in China for listening practice is VOA. If you don't have a shortwave radio you can also tune in to VOA online at their website.

Overseas news in English is easy to find online. Most of what you'll find is reading material, but these news sites also include some videos. Try clicking on these news sites: FOX, CNN, CBN.

Bilingual podcasts at PlayerFM. This is one of the best listening resources for bilingual listening. The only disadvantage is that the site also has bilingual stuff for languages other than Chinese-English, so you will have to look through the sources and find the ones that work best for you. Check them out at PlayerFM

Another favorite and an excellent resource for English listening practice is English World's broadcasts.

Here's a cool English radio station you can listen to online from anywhere in the world. 
Click here to enjoy K-LOVE radio.     
  
If you think you are ready for advance level English listening, try listening to sermons (speeches) given in Churches. Choose from many sermons in a famous New York church, or a rather simple message about salvation: Message # 1 and Message #2.


If the church messages above are too difficult, try these kids' stories, for some great English listening. Click here to enjoy listening to free Adventures in Odyssey stories.