How to listen without translating in your TL

[Carmody]

Ok, for the record I am applying myself as you folks have already directed, but there are just so many hours in the day.

smallwhite:
I am working towards taking the Dialang test for Structure that you spoke about. I would like 1-2 more months of study before taking it; then I will see what happens. Your very specific suggestions are always appreciated.

Uncle Roger:
I am doing Oral Native Material Input through movies and have backed off the heavy reading- all of which you have suggested. So I do follow through on your guidance.
Re: Anki
I am not opposed to Anki; and I totally respect people who do it, however, I am embarrassed to confess I haven’t figured out how it really works.

That long list of books that I have read has in each book words that I did not know highlighted and definitions written in. That way all my “words” are surrounded by context for greater understanding. I am reviewing all these books daily.

I respect you folks and am grateful to you all for your guidance but please relax and know that I am a slow learner. I am a Tortoise surrounded by many very fast moving Hares. This Forum has nothing but brilliant polyglots; I am comfortable with that. I absolutely can not become one of you guys, but I can keep moving forward at my own pace knowing in the greater scheme of things there is even a place for Turtles.

Thank you.

[Adrianslont]

I am a Tortoise surrounded by many very fast moving Hares. This Forum has nothing but brilliant polyglots; I am comfortable with that. I absolutely can not become one of you guys, but I can keep moving forward at my own pace knowing in the greater scheme of things there is even a place for Turtles.

Nah, I’m a turtle too.
You’ve had lots of good advice in this and other threads but can I add one more - from a fellow turtle? You want to improve your listening? Seek out smallwhite’s posts on her method, which she refers to as Ari’s chinesepod method. I followed it for 2-3 months and made great gains. I can now understand much of documentary style tv, though I’m still hopeless on dramas. I used her method with the podcasts from Balades and L’Avis de Marie. I’m not sure I have seen you mention them so maybe you don’t know them. I think they would be a very good level for you and they have transcripts - gold! They are about ten minutes long each and there are about 200 of them. Truth be told, I did all of the Balades and then did some of Marie’s but grew tired of her! You can learn much about France with them, too. I really highly recommend smallwhite’s approach and that content. Now I just need to find the “next thing” for myself.

[rdearman]

Ari's Method:
http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/fo ... ?TID=29828

[Carmody]

Thanks Adrianslont; yes I have used L'Avis de Marie and Balades and found them very useful as well as informative.

Thanks also to Rick for the link!

Lots of good advice from everyone; and now to work!

[Xmmm]

The best language advice I ever got was "watch 500 hours of TV."*

In Italian, not only can I listen to TV without translating with good comprehension (75%+), I can also sometimes speak without translating -- from time to time I just blurt things out, dredging them up from the memory banks, and they end up not only being correct, but natural sounding more often than not. I think s_allard said the vast majority of everyday conversation is formulaic. TV tattoos the patterns on your brain.

Even with Russian, my listening comprehension is trending north of 50%. Need to watch another 500 hours.

But when I read, I mentally translate. Because I control the timing there, instead of actors controlling it.

*Edited to christen a new unit of measurement, the reineke -- a 500 hour block of extensive listening.

[Carmody]

Wow; I never thought of that; thank you.

[Cainntear]

While I've heard teachers and other learners advise not to translate, I don't think I've ever heard any advice as to how. Tastyonions's advice is about as good as you'll get: if the input you're receiving doesn't give time to translate, your brain will have to learn another strategy...

When I was learning French at high school, one day I just realised that as part of my brain was trying to construct the sentences consciously, there was another bit of my brain that already knew the answer, and that I was shutting up/out that bit of my brain. So I stopped shutting it out and just let it do its thing if it knew what to do.

Not very clear advice, I know, but it boils down to "trust your brain".

[Cavesa]

While I've heard teachers and other learners advise not to translate, I don't think I've ever heard any advice as to how. Tastyonions's advice is about as good as you'll get: if the input you're receiving doesn't give time to translate, your brain will have to learn another strategy...

When I was learning French at high school, one day I just realised that as part of my brain was trying to construct the sentences consciously, there was another bit of my brain that already knew the answer, and that I was shutting up/out that bit of my brain. So I stopped shutting it out and just let it do its thing if it knew what to do.

Not very clear advice, I know, but it boils down to "trust your brain".

Yes, that's it. I think the insistence on even beginners not translating is nonsense (everyone translates at that point), but it should change at some points

I think there are three key components to this switch, and it looks like most posts on the thread are about this, so to sum it up:
1.the amount. Xmmm's 500 hours are a good idea.
2.the speed. tv series and/or movies, course cd or audiobook won't do.
3.the emotion. Usually, the first moments I catch myself thinking in the language and naturally responding are those when the tv series in question makes me respond emotionally and intuitively. That's when the barrier breaks and thinking (and therefore speaking and writing) in the language becomes much easier!

[Carmody]

Cavesa
Thanks for your summary.

[messi1]

What does TL stand for?