MORE LISTENING PRACTICE

Even after months of studying English, many students still have a hard time improving their listening skills.  And it's frustrating for them!  After all, their knowledge and grasp of grammar is pretty good, they have the ability to read and write - and they can speak on almost any everyday subject - but when it comes to watching a movie or listening to a bunch of native speakers, there are times they still feel lost.

And that's okay.  Listening difficulties when learning any language are very common.  But there are ways that will help you improve.  So don't worry, and don't give up, because by reading this you're now closer to listening to and understanding native speakers than you were before.

So what do you do?

Here's a few tips:

* Make sure your contact with native speakers is enjoyable.  If you're only watching the news to improve your listening then there's a good chance you'll get bored quickly.  It's better to interact with others in social situations.
* Make listening a daily habit.  I know you all have busy lives with study and work, but come up with a strategy that ensures you turn your listening practice into a habit.  You have to do it every day - like anything else in life - in order to get better at it.
* Make the most  of podcasts and the radio.  There are thousands and thousands of different podcasts out there, so there's no reason you can't find one that is about a topic you find interesting or like.  Video games are a hobby of yours?  Then find a podcast where they talk about video games.  You like soccer?  Easy to find a podcast about that.  No matter what your interests are, there's a podcast to match.
* Download an audiobook and read along with it - that way you can also improve your pronunciation and get an ear for how certain words are spoken.
* Watch movies.  Without subtitles.  And choose a genre that you like.  If you enjoy the topic, chances are you won't get bored.

And there's something else you can do - especially if you're an FCE student.  Go to this link - Listening, Parts 1-4 Practice - for it has three different listening exercises for each part of the listening exam.