Listening is hard.

Question

Hi everyone. I am learning spanish and can write and speak a little. Probably the late beginner early intermediate level, but I have a real problem listening and recognising what has been said. When a sentence is said, I recognise some words but when i understand those words another 5000 words have been said. I can just keep up. The other thing is when a sentence is written, 9 times out of 10 I know the meaning of most of the words but to understand the sentence is a bit tricky sometimes. Can someone please tell me that this it is not me but just a thing that always happens when you are learning a new language. Does everyone go through this??? Any help will be appreciated. ohh p.s..... I am going to Argentina in March and I want to be able to at least have and understand a basic conversation. regards.

Answer 1

Hello Mike , welcome to the forum. My answer to your question is that you are describing a common experience.Good luck in your studies and journey. I am going to edit your post for you as proper English is required on this site.

Answer 2

One word, Mike:

(A hard one...)

Patience.

There's no shortcut!

Some days I felt like

Other days my brain felt like

Sometimes my feeble attempts to communicate in Spanish would unleash a torrent of sentences from the other person causing me to feel

But slowly, eventually it started clicking and I was that I kept at it.

All these suggestions you see here can help. Just keep at it!

Answer 3

I spent a long period not understanding anything at all. I went to the doctor's and I couldn't understand anything he said either. Finally, he shouted at me and I understood immediately. "Estás sordo?"

• Your post made me laugh...I had to give it a vote for that .... - 4Annie Nov 8, 2009

Answer 4

Wow guys. Gracias por ayudame tanto rapido. I didnt think i would get these responses so fast. I try to listen as much as i can, and i can say one thing, that i am learning!! But it is a very "testing" learning process. I have come this close to giving up but no,, I have made a decision to learn this language even if it takes me 50 years!!!!!

Answer 5

Yes, this is normal. I have this problem too even now, however by listening to everything I can in spanish as much as possible, movies, music, and by speaking aloud in spanish often especially while reading (even though people might think you're crazy to talk to yourself), I am slowly understanding what is being said more and more. It's like a little lightbulb goes on, but it takes time and lots of it. Especially when I've heard a song 100 times with no clue on what they are saying, and then one day I hear it again and actually pick up on what they said. It amazes me. It does take lots of practice though, and I think if you try to speak alot, then you get used to how words sound when 'meshed' together. Hang in there, you'll get it.

Answer 6

G'day Mike,

"owyagoin?" and "didyaavagoodweegend?" - yes another Aussie, and apparently we are the worst offenders for speaking English way-too-quickly and running our words together.. Aussieelision perhaps?

And the going to Argentina thing? Don't worry too much, I went to Costa Rica this year with my terrible Spanish but once I told them I was there to learn/improve (Spanish) everyone I met went to no end of trouble to help me - I'm sure it will be the same in Argentina - just soak it all up and have fun!

And recently here I've had connected, through "Selecttv" satelite television, four channels, totally in Spanish - ($34.95 a month) - well worth it if you can stretch the budget!

Annie.

• How long were you in costa rica? i am thinking of visiting there, maybe moving - cheeseisyumm Nov 7, 2009
• Seven weeks, this year - lots to see - I loved it! - 4Annie Nov 7, 2009
• yeah- I agree with that- you will learn spanish when you are there but i guess it's good to know a bit before you go!:) - April-Sarah Nov 8, 2009

Answer 7

Try and try. After 3 years I am still striving to reach that day when I can understand my Mexican friends in open coversation. To make things worse I am very hard of hearing and I read lips in English. With these deficits I am going to master espanol, no matter what.

Answer 8

I would say this is normal. I studied Spanish for four years in school and have the opportunity to speak it up to 4-6 hours a day, but comprehending what is spoken and speaking is the worst for me. I also feel I write fairly well, (although my conjugating is very rusty right now.) The only saving grace I have is that the person I converse with is very patient and speaks very slowly with me!

Answer 9

What seems to be working the best for me right now is reading newspaper articles out loud for an hour a day and watching TV for 4 hours a day, both in Spanish of course.

Answer 10

Los acentos de Argentinos son difíciles de entender. Tengo amigas Colombianas quien me dicen que no es facíl aunque por ellas para entenderlos.

• From what I understand, there is quite a bit of slang and regional usage (In Buenos Aires, I think that they call it "Lunfardo") that can throw you off especially in Buenos Aires. - Izanoni1 Nov 8, 2009
• well... acentos and grammar in argentina are different, closer in sound to italian, so don't be too hard on yourself. - zenejero Nov 9, 2009

Answer 11

Try Pimsleur Spanish course. Concentrates on listening and speaking. Has improved my conversational skills no end! Keep plugging on, you'll get there.

Answer 12

What did you say?

Answer 13

Oh yeah mike123587, you might want to check out the movie "Nine Queens"(Nueve reinas), as it takes place in argentina so you will get a general idea of their "accent"...

imdb

• hey! that movie had a remake! - zenejero Nov 9, 2009
• Whats the remake? - cheeseisyumm Nov 10, 2009

Answer 14

Also, check out this write up taken from the Blog here at Span¡shD!ct.com. Its on this page -----> Why Don’t I Understand Spoken Spanish?

• I love that article! - cheeseisyumm Nov 7, 2009

Answer 15

I recently saw an ad for a Spanish conversation course, I believe it costs around $175 for the CD's and promises results not in 4 - 6 weeks but, more realistically, in 3 - 6 months. So it is not the kind of scheme promising "quick results," meaning it is not attempting to scam anybody but to truly instruct students. I haven't used it but I've been thinking about buying it eventually since there is nothing of the kind for free on this particular site.

• It was $165 not $175. - Malenor Nov 8, 2009
• you might want to check your local library, since they might have open and free conversation classes/conversation cd's in Spanish. - zenejero Nov 9, 2009