There’s another benefit to spending a lot of time listening to English – it
reduces the anxiety people often feel when speaking a new language. Many
English classes push new students to speak right away, but this is an
unnatural approach.
In fact, being required to speak too soon can slow down language
learning. Your brain hasn’t had enough time to process the new words and
store them in your memory. So while you may be able to repeat familiar
phrases in English, you still won’t understand what people are saying to you.
This is an unnatural and stressful situation.
In one study of beginning-level English students, researchers found that
those who weren’t forced to speak but were trained in listening
comprehension did better than students taught using conventional methods.
In addition, delaying speech also had a positive effect on students’ overall
attitudes about English, and kept the classroom free of anxiety.
Dr. J. Marvin Brown took this idea even further. The director of a Thai
language program for foreigners, Dr. Brown created a program that mimics
the silent period of babies and small children. In his AUA Thai program,
students listen to understandable Thai every day but they do not speak for six
months or more. The students focus completely on learning with their ears.
For many foreigners, Thai is a difficult language to pronounce. Dr. Brown
found that the silent period had a strong positive affect on learners’
pronunciation, eventually producing superior pronunciation much closer to
that of a Thai native speaker.
The same principle works with English. Though a silent period is not
necessary for most intermediate learners, you still might try it. Why not
focus completely on English listening for a few months, and then return to
English speaking? You’ll likely find that your speaking has improved even
though you never practiced it.
What Should You Listen To?
The most important thing to keep in mind is that you must listen to easy
English. It has to be easy for you. That means you should understand 95% or
