Are audio books helping or are they a waste of time?
The answer can hardly be single because in foreign language learning as well as in life, magical decisions do not exist, it takes labor and perseverance. One of the main mistakes that many people make in terms of learning a foreign language is neglecting the fact that language is a system, not just a collection of rules and words. Or simply, if you learn a lot of words in French or English for example, that does not mean that you know it. It's the same if you learn all the grammatical rules, but miss learning words. And last but not least, your ability to hear and understand words when talking, as well as to make sentences for yourself to express your thoughts. That is, if you rely only on listening to literature in French or German for example, you will certainly not make much progress in the language. But that does not mean that audio books are useless, on the contrary!How can we use them properly?
Although they are not a shortcut to learning a new language, audio books can be your priceless helper in mastering any of its components, for example:- to train your hearing. Yes, being able to read .. is a must condition for you to actually understand the language. Because language is communication first and foremost. And even if you are very good at reading with understanding, it does not always mean that your hearing is able to distinguish words from the stream of speech and hence the meaning of what has been said. Audio books will help your brain to get used to the speech given and over time to decode it .
- to understand the meaning. Yes, the easier and faster you can distinguish words, the better you will understand the meaning of what is said. But when the language you want to communicate is not born for you, it probably takes years in a particular language environment, especially to learn all the words, idioms and phrasesology to catch the whole content of thought. Audio books will help you cope faster because even at a relatively early stage of your language learning will put you in a natural language environment. Especially if the book you have chosen has a theme that you are interested in. By tracking the plot, without comforting being able to stop to search for any unknown word, you will learn to understand the meaning of speech. This will also encourage you to search and learn words that you have often heard without understanding, for example;
- to learn standard lines from situations. Art literature is abounding with dialogues. If you select a book in which they dominate the descriptions, you will be able to easily learn standard phrases that you can use in such a situation. This can prove very useful, especially if you are not yet at a high level of the language you are studying;
- to concentrate your attention. When you listen to a book in a foreign language, you follow the development of the plot but also the flow of speech at once. So you train your brain to concentrate and spread the attention. Skill can be useful not only in foreign languages but also in a bunch of other areas of life. But the main thing is that your brain will learn to process and process information that has been done in a foreign language. Then you will easily apply what you have learned in a real foreign language environment.
How to start and keep up the pace
The most important condition for success in any enterprise is the sober assessment of the situation. Try to understand what level of the language you are, without being underestimated, but not too presumptuous. Then select a book that is adequate for your level and the specific purpose you set yourself - hearing training, listening with understanding or any of the above. There are huge amounts of free audio library online. Just find a source of your chosen language. And here's a tip on how to build properly in several steps.- Start by listening without doing anything else. Find a good book and spend about an hour a day just to listen. Relax on the couch, close your eyes and concentrate on the text. This will help you in the beginning so that you do not get distracted until your skills improve.
- Continue listening while you walk, travel... Try listening while walking to work or riding in the city transport. This will help you to exercise your concentration while doing something else at the same time.
- Listen while you're working. You can only approach this step when you feel confident enough, mainly, in your ability to properly distribute attention. You can start while you do some chores - clean, cook ... If your work allows you, for example, if you are a graphic designer and spend hours working on images of your computer, you can use time to listen to a book in a foreign language and thus maintain and build on your skills in this area.