How to be a better listener

You spend more time in school listening than doing any other activity. It is important that you understand most of what you hear so that you can learn about your different subjects and at the same time improve your English. In order for you to become a better listener, look first at the following list. It contains many of the things that can make it hard for you to understand what you hear:
-the speaker talks too quickly
-the speaker talks too softly
-two or more people are speaking at the same time
-there is background noise
-there are other distractions
-the speaker or the topic is boring
-you are not concentrating on what the speaker is saying
-there are no pictures or charts to look at while listening
-you have no idea about the topic
-the speaker uses many new or difficult words
-the speaker’s sentences are long and complicated

Any one of the above problems alone can make it difficult for you to understand. But very often you are faced with two or three of them together. For example, you may be in a lesson where the teacher is talking quickly and in complicated English about a topic you know nothing about. Then your chances of understanding will be small.

-However, there are quite a few things you can do to improve your comprehension of what you hear. These are listed below:
-ask the speaker to repeat or rephrase what they said
-pay attention
-block out distractions
-look at the speaker (ask to sit near the front of the class)
-ask questions (aloud and silently)
-try to picture and make connections, e.g. to a previous lesson
-think about and answer silently all the questions asked by the teacher
-listen to the other students
-keep listening even if you don’t understand at first
-listen for the teacher’s clues
-ask someone after the lesson to explain what you didn’t understand
-try to find out something about the topic before the lesson

If you do all these things, it will help you to become a better listener in class. But you can practise your listening understanding outside of the classroom, too. For example, you can borrow cassettes with stories to listen to at home, or try to understand the words of the pop songs you like.

Watching English language TV or videos is a great way to improve your listening skills because what you see can help you understand what you hear. Even better is to watch DVDs with the English subtitles turned on. Or how about listening to a podcast on the internet? You will find a good list of listening sources on the internet at the deep of this post.

Working on increasing your vocabulary will also help you to become a better listener.

Finally, remember this: the more you speak to people, the more they will speak back to you. Talking with other students is a great way of getting lots of extra listening practice!

SOURCE:   http://esl.fis.edu/learners/advice/listen.htm

http://www.livestation.com/bbc-world

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/

http://www.eslpod.com/website/index_new.html

http://www.esl-lab.com/

http://esl.about.com/od/englishlistening/English_Listening_Skills_and_ActivitiesEffective_Listening_Practice.htm

http://www.elllo.org/

http://www.examenglish.com/TOEFL/toefl_listening.htm

http://www.englishonline.org.cn/en/learners/ielts-preparation/listening

http://www.canadavisa.com/ielts/mod/quiz/attempt.php?id=27&username=guest

and even at    english.web.tr

http://english.web.tr/english-grammar/listening/

The Penguin Dictionary of ENGLISH PROVERBS

 

by Rosalind Ferguson

1. ABSENCE

 

1. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

 

2. Men are best loved furthest off.

 

3. Absence diminishes little passions and increases great ones.

 

4. Far from eye, far from heart.

 

5. Salt water and absence wash away love.

 

6. Friends agree best at distance.

 

7. Long absence changes a friend.

 

8. When the cat’s away, the mice will play.

 

9. Well kens the mouse when the cat’s out of the house.

 

10. He that fears you present will hate you absent.

 

11. The absent are always in the wrong.

12. Never were the absent in the right.

 

13. The absent party is always to blame.

 

14. Out of sight, out of mind.

 

15. Present to the eye, present to the mind.

 

16. Unminded, unmoaned.

 

17. Long absent, soon forgotten.

 

18. Seldom seen, soon forgotten.

 

2. ADVERSITY

 

1. Misfortunes come of themselves.

 

2. Trouble brings experience and experience brings wisdom.

 

3. Woes unite foes.

 

4. It’s easy to bear the misfortunes of others.

 

5. Misfortunes tell us what fortune is.

 

6. Ill luck is good for something.

 

7. Misfortunes find their way even on the darkest night.

 

8. Misfortune arrives on horseback but departs on foot.

 

9. Mischief comes by the pound and goes away by the ounce.

 

10. Misfortunes never come singly.

 

11. It never rains but pours.

 

12. Of one ill come many.

 

13. Lightning never strikes twice in the same place.

 

3. ADVICE

 

1. Good counsel has no price.

 

2. Good counsel never comes too late.

 

3. When a thing is done, advice comes too late.

 

4. We may give advice, but we cannot give conduct.

 

5. Counsel is no command.

 

6. Take counsel only of your own head.

7. Steer not after every mariner’s direction.

 

8. Too much consulting confounds.

 

9. Like counsellor, like counsel.

 

10. If you wish good advice, consult an old man.

 

11. Night is the mother of counsel.

 

12. The best advice is found on the pillow.

 

13. Counsels in wine seldom prosper.

 

14. Counsel over cups is crazy.

 

15. Advice whispered in the ear is not worth a tare.

 

16. Advice whispered is worthless.

 

17. It is safer to hear and take counsel, than to give it.

 

18. It is as hard to follow good advice as to give it.

 

19. Give neither counsel nor salt till you are asked for it.

 

20. Don’t teach your grandmother to suck eggs.

 

21. Nothing is given as freely as advice.

22. The land is never void of counsellors.

 

23. Bachelors’ wives and maids’ children are well taught.

 

24. He who has no children, brings them up well.

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