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Does this situation seem familiar to you? Your English is progressing well, the grammar is now familiar, the reading comprehension is no problem, you are communicating quite fluently, but   listening is STILL a problem! Why spoken English is difficult to understand A lot of English learners have trouble understanding what native English speakers say. One reason that real English is difficult to understand is that the English in classrooms and textbooks is very different from how people really speak. Some of the differences include: People use different words and phrases in spoken English than they do in writing. They use slang. They say "um", "hmm", "ah", "uh", etc. They skip the word "that" when using relative clauses. ...and so on. Native English speakers pronounce words differently when they say them together than when you say them one-by-one. This is called "connected speech". If you only learn English...

Here are some basic ideas for success to help you as you study English. STUDY EVERY DAY It's important to study English every day. However, don't exaggerate! Study for thirty minutes every day instead of two hours once a week. Short, steady practice is much better for learning than long periods on an irregular basis. This habit of studying English every day will help keep English in your brain fresh. A LITTLE GRAMMAR, A LITTLE LISTENING, A LITTLE READING, AND A LITTLE WRITING Next, make sure to study a number of areas rather than focusing on just one topic. Study a little grammar, then do a short listening exercise, then perhaps read an article on the same topic. Don't do too much, twenty minutes on three different types of exercises is plenty! REVIEW GRAMMAR AS YOUR WATCH OR READ Give yourself one grammar goal when reading a new article or watching a new video. For example, try to write down each example of a form you are studying such as the present p...

News programs are written clearly and directly, making them perfect for language learning. The news can be your own personal English classroom. Also, language is about making sense of real life issues. News is called news for a reason: news is by definition fresh and current. News programs focus on issues that you care about and on how you live your life. It makes sense to learn English in the context (situation) you can actually use. And learning English isn’t just about improving your vocabulary. It’s also about being able to connect with English speakers. When you know what’s going on in their world, then you’ll be able to speak their language better. Here are some steps to get you started. 4 Tips for Learning English Through the News 1. Watch TV Online and Read the Newspaper at your Learning Level. If you know a lot of English, you may be ready to read the  The Wall Street Journal   or to watch videos from  CBS News . If you are a begi...