Muitas vezes a parte mais difícil de compreender o inglês é o ouvir. Se não entenderes algo quando lês é fácil, basta ires a um dicionário e tens a tradução, mas quando não entendes algo quando ouves, como fazes? Neste resumo, irás ficar a saber algumas dicas para compreenderes o que te é dito em inglês.
Info 1: Where are you?
Whether you are listening to an English audio in your class or you are face to face with a British person, focus! What is it all about?What is the person talking about?Context is very important because it will help you put concepts together more easily.
If in the audio, the girl is talking about her daily routine you can remember the vocabulary you have learnt about this topic and the structure that she uses (I get up at.../I brush my teeth/ I eat breakfast);
If in the audio, they are describing a holiday, again, remember the vocabulary you have learnt about the topic and pay attention when they describe places, experiences and people;
Also, if you are going to take an exam remember that you need answers to specific questions, try to find them in the audio.
Info 2: See the big picture
Sometimes we tend to focus too much on the details (not having understood a word or not having recognized the accent) that we miss the general information. Be careful! The most important thing in the first listening is:
Who is talking? - asking this question will help you guide your attention;
What is he/she talking about? - Once you know who is talking, try to understand what he/she is talking about, it will help you recognize the topic of the conversation;
If it is a debate, pay attention to the arguments!
If it is a description, identify the object/matter being described.
Note: In the second listening focus on the information that you missed in the first listening. It can aso be helpful to take notes of general ideas in the first listening and in the second listening look for gaps in your own notes.
Info 3: What does that mean?
In any language, you will come across words that you don't know, including in Portuguese. So, it is important to stay calm when you listen to something you don't understand. You may even know the word, but you didn't know it was pronounced that way.
For theses cases, focus on the context: What did he/she say before?What did he/she say after?
Info 4: Improve your listening
How can you improve your ability to understand spoken English? I am sure you already know the main tip: surround yourself with English!
Watching your favourite series and movies in English and/or with English subtitles is a good way to acquire vocabulary and get used to the sound of the language;
Listen to English music and look up the lyrics on the internet: once you read the lyrics try to listen again and recognize the words;
Listen to podcasts, audiobooks, interviews and youtubers in English, there are thousands of choices.
