When learning a language, practicing listening comprehension is extremely important. As an English language learner myself, I find phone conversations particularly challenging, as there are no visual cues to help provide contextual clues. Even after years of living in the US, it is always a bit intimidating to talk on the phone. My students often experience similar difficulties when it comes to listening comprehension opposed to written, which is why I always encourage them to listen to radio programs or podcasts. Even if you don’t completely understand the content, simply having them on in the background will be helpful in conditioning one’s ear.
This has inspired me to record audio shorts for those who want to practice listening comprehension in French and in Japanese. In this series, I will provide and read short texts taken from literature and media, however I recommend reading the texts only after having listened to the audio to get the most out of it. I will read the same text twice: once fast (normal speaking speed), and the second time more slowly, so that you can connect the sounds. If you didn’t catch the first time, I would recommend listening to the audio a few times. In any learning, repetition is the key!
Today, I will read two texts about the complexity of human beings, by two French authors from two different centuries.
« Un homme est plus compliqué, infiniment plus que sa pensée. »
Paul Valéry “Tel Quel” (1941)
« L’étude du cœur humain est de telle nature, que plus on s’y absorbe, moins on y voit clair; »
George Sand “Histoire de ma vie” (1854)
Were you able to understand? If you missed something or have any questions, you are always welcome to ask me in our lessons. Merci!