How to improve your listening skills using the web
The huge choice of resources on the web can be a bit daunting for the language learner. This section will deal with the learner of French but can be adapted to other languages. The news and current affairs are always a favourite choice for listening materials. It is important to know what is happening in the target language country; some events might already be familiar, having been heard on the UK news and therefore will act as a guide for the listener. Whatever your level, the Lingualearn radio and TV pages provide a wide variety of links. Have a look at them (and a listening session!). Just make sure you have the necessary plug-ins installed, which you can download free. Radio and TV can be listened to /viewed live ("en direct"). But there are also audio and video-recordings available on some sites and that are an invaluable aid to the language learner.
General advice
- Knowledge of English & international news will help
- Regular listening, at least 3 times a week, is strongly advisable.
- Take time to get accustomed to the accent, rhythm, and possible
interferences before you start.
Advice for beginners
- Listen to short audio and video recordings.
- Repeat the same extract or segment no more than 3 or four times.
- Note the words you recognize. Try and recognize one more word each
time.
- Don't get disappointed if you don't understand the recording. Try
and choose one that also has a written article: read it, get the gist,
note the keywords likely to be on the recording, listen to the recording
again and spot these keywords.
- Bookmark the Lingualearn radio and TV pages.
Types of exercises you can do:
1. Find news headlines.
2. Understand the gist of a report/topic & note the key words.
3. Understand details: answer the questions "What is it about?
How? Who? Where? When? Why?"
4. Understand numbers - practise numbers aloud to recognize hundreds,
thousands etc.
5. Understand or recognize proper nouns (those of politics, stars,
celebrities in particular)
6. Write a transcription of a recording: part of a sentence/a whole
sentence. Use the rewind button.
Try some Radio sites
Europe 1
Click on "Ecoutez la radio" (top left) to listen to this
radio station live.
Who is "A l'antenne"?
Listen for 30-60 seconds
What type of programme is it? What is it about?
Close the window and go back to the Europe 1 homepage.
Click on "A la UNE" to read and listen (if there is a recording)
about the top story.
What is today?
Read the text: what is it about?
In the frame "A la carte Ré-écoutez ", choose
a programme, click and listen to the recording 2 or 3 times, making
notes.
Radio France
You have a choice of several stations: France Inter, France Info,
France Bleue, France culture, France musique etc.
Click on "France Inter" in the frame "A l'antenne en
direct "to listen to this radio station live.
What is the programme about?
Now click on " France info", and at the top of the page,
click "Ecoutez le dernier flash"
What is the news flash?
Go back to France Inter
Click on "Les chroniques", on the left-hand side of the
screen. Are they all on politics?
Click "La revue de presse" on the left-hand side of the
screen and listen to one of them.
- What is the topic?
- Is it the same topic as the article below?
- Is the article a transcription or not?
Try some TV sites
M6
Click on "INFO" in the top navigation bar
You are going to listen to & view the latest news bulletin ("Le
6 minutes") of this TV channel.Click on "Voir la dernière
édition de 11.54".
What are the main headlines?
Can you see these headlines written on the screen?
What is the topic developed below the video?
What is the choice given by "Ma télécommande 6
minutes" in the frame on the right-hand side of the video?