Tips for improving Chinese listening

Many people learning Chinese have an easier time reading and writing Chinese rather than speaking and hearing Chinese. As they expand their vocabulary, they find it easier and easier to read and write. Despite this, they still struggle with using the phrases and sentences they have learned when trying to communicate with Chinese speakers. The reason for this is simple: they haven't put in the time required to build their speaking and listening skills.

许多人学习中文的时候，认为_阅读和_写作会比较简单，而_口语和_听力就比较难。随着词汇量的增多，他们会发现阅读和写作越来越容易。尽管如此，在使用自己学过的词组和句子与中国人进行交流的时候，他们还是有些纠结。原因很简单：他们没有花足够的时间去锻炼自己的口语和听力技巧。

Here are some hints that you might find helpful:

以下是一些对你有所帮助的建议：

1. Listening to anything Chinese whenever you can

随时聆听任何中文

One thing you could do is to set up an online radio station on auto start on your computer. You could also rip the audio from films, cartoons or video clips you’ve found online. Make sure you always have enough audio material on your phone.

一个你可以采取的方法是设置一个在你的电脑开机就自动启动的在线广播电台。你也可以从电影、动画片或者网上发现的视频剪辑里截取音频。一定要确保手机里存有足够的音频资料。

Hint: Use an MP3 Player or iPod

提示：可以利用MP3播放器或者iPod

The great thing about these is the portability. You can create a playlist of Chinese lessons and then learn Chinese on the go. Another option is to download Chinese lessons, audiobooks, interviews, TV shows, podcasts, and more from the Internet onto your iPod or MP3 player. Learn Chinese everywhere you go!

这些东西最大的好处就是方便携带。你可以制作一份中文课程的播放列表，然后在路上的时候可以学习。另一个方法是下载中文视频、有声书、访谈、电视节目、播客以及更多其他网上的材料到你的iPod或者MP3播放器里。随时随地学习中文！

2. Extensive listening, be patient

广泛地听，耐心坚持

Listen to the material only once and keep in mind that you only have one chance so try your best to catch the contents within this one chance. If you cannot catch some words or sentences, let it be. This exercise will still help you build a good language sense and get into the habit of listening sentence by sentence instead of word by word. Be patient! Don’t worry if you can only catch 30-50 per cent of the whole piece. Re-listen to the piece after a period of time.

听一遍材料，提醒自己只有一次机会，因此要尽力一次性捕捉所听的内容。要是你听不懂一些字词或句子，先别管。这样的训练有助于你构建起良好的语感，培养起一句一句听中文而不是一个词一个词的习惯。耐心点！不要担心自己只能听懂整个内容的30%到50%。记得过段时间再次重复听一遍材料。

3. Intensive listening and transcription

强化听力和抄录能力

Choose audio clips that are five minutes or shorter. Before transcribing anything, listen to it closely without attempting to write anything down. The second time, listen carefully to the audio and write down each word. If you don't get every single word the first time, that's fine; you may have as many chances as you need. Do your best to focus on phrases, rather than individual words. This technique will make a significant difference in boosting your listening skills, and you will learn an array of colloquial phrases that native Chinese-speakers use often. When you are finished with your transcription, listen to the audio again to double-check your work. If applicable, listen to the areas where you had trouble until you finally understand them.

选择最多5分钟的音频片段。开始抄录之前，先仔细听一遍，不要写下任何内容。第二遍的时候，认真听然后写下每个词。要是第一次的时候没办法记下所有的词的话也不要紧，你可以有许多机会。尽力留意短语而不是单个字。这个技能将会显著提升你的听力能力，你将可以学到大量中国人常用的通俗用语。做完抄录之后，再听一遍音频进行二次检查。可以的话，注意听自己存在问题的地方直到完全听懂。

4. Diversify your listening

多样化练习听力

Listen to Movies，TV shows, radio programs and podcasts – all of which are good choices.

利用电影、电视节目、电台节目和播客练习听力都是很棒的选择。

Here a method you may follow: View the episode with subtitles in your native language to get the overall meaning of it. Next, watch each scene with Chinese subtitles. Pause to look up any new words or phrases you don’t understand in a dictionary; write these words or phrases in your notebook. The final step is to watch each scene without subtitles several times, and then do the same with the entire episode.

你可以用这样的方法训练：看一遍自己母语的字幕，了解大致的意思。接下来，观看带中文字幕的每个场景。遇到不懂的词或者短语就暂停，再去字典里查看，把这些字词记在本子上。最后不看字幕再看几遍每个场景，然后用同样的方法看完整个剧。

5. Build your vocabulary

构建你的词库

Let's look at how to say "but": 但是、可是、不过…..they all mean "but". These are essentially interchangeable words in Chinese, and using one or another is simply a matter of habit. So an important part of building listening comprehension skill is building our vocabulary. Each word is a pattern, and when you know more patterns, you’ll recognize more words.

我们了解下如何说“but”：但是、可是、不过…这些都表示“but”的意思。这些其实本质上都是可替换的中文词组，使用其中的某一个只是个人习惯。因此一个锻造听力理解技巧的重要部分就是构建我们自己的词汇。每个字都是一种模式，一旦你懂得更多这样的模式，你将会认识到更多的字词。