Most people now have access to visual media such as films, and television programs, and to auditory media, such as radio. Sometimes these are broadcasts and sometimes they are now digitally recorded on DVDs or on computers or other electronic devices. Learn to talk about these media and work at being able to understand them.

Beginning Learners:

Some possible vocabulary:

Here’s a tip for beginners when listening to the radio or television news. First listen to the international news in English or another language you know well. Now you know what’s happening in the world, so when you listen to the news in the language you are now learning, you should be able to pick out some of the main words, such as earthquake, election, or whatever the major stories are about. Local news will be harder and will take longer to understand.

For television, if it is possible, record a section of a program – perhaps not the whole thing. In that way you can listen more than once. If close captioning is available, turn that on so you can see and hear the words. Don’t worry if you can’t understand the whole thing. Listen for some of the main words and guess about the topic.

Intermediate Learners:

Watch a television program with your LH. If possible, record it, or turn on close captioning. Ask questions about things you don’t understand. Sometimes watching a program with subtitles is helpful in understanding the program. Especially if it is on a CD or digital recording, so that you can turn the subtitles on or off.