I don’t have a problem with reading text at canolradd level and chatting to other learners but when the tutor plays a lot of the audio chats during the lesson I find I’m really struggling sometimes. Quite often I’m picking out enough words to answer the questions in the textbook but in terms of understanding the whole thing it’s tough. It would be even worse if I didn’t have the textbook questions in front of me which give me an idea of what I should be listening out for. Anyone else having similar problems?
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Hi Stuart
I’m doing Canolradd intensive this year. I also find the listening harder than speaking and reading. With our tutor she coaches us through the listening exercises so there are not too many surprises.
Having learnt (Learned?) german 25 years ago I do know that there is an art to listening.
To help me I have welsh radio or a SSIW challenge on in the background most days. I also watch a few programs on S4C. The point of this is to attune my mind to the rhythm and cadence of welsh. Then when I know there is a listening exercise coming I find it easier to focus.
Listening is always a hard part to pick up. With speaking, reading and writing, you can go at your own pace, and with speaking and writing you can choose your own words, but with listening you’re forced to go at the pace of the speaker and you have no control over which words or constructions (or accent!) they use.
Exposure to as much spoken Welsh as possible really will help though - S4C, Radio Cymru, podcasts, whatever you can get! And the trick is not to sit and concentrate and try and make sense of every word - do something else with Welsh TV or radio on in the background. Don’t make a conscious effort to listen, just hear it. It will take time, but in time you’ll realise you’ve understood a bigger chunk than you expected to (it kind of creeps up on you!), and that’s a great feeling! As Ken said, it gets your ears used to the rhythms and cadence and it really will be of huge benefit in the longer term.
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