When we are worried about speaking English, we often think about how scary it is to speak. But listening is a very important part of conversations. So what happens when we can't understand the person we're speaking to? We need to practise listening in a controlled environment. If you have a teacher, they probably speak clearly and maybe slowly. But outside the classroom, people speak quickly and use idiomatic expressions you may not have heard.
We need to get used to different accents from all over the world. One main issue is when students are not familiar with different accents. They are always exposed to one variety of English, and that tends to be the American English. It's important to hear lots of voices and lots of accents so you can be ready for anything. We can improve our listening skills by asking questions to clarify what someone is saying. We can also watch or listen to something a few times a week and make sure we're watching something that has a variety of voices.
We can watch films and series, but also try to watch things that include fast, natural speech, like interviews, talk shows, and listen to chatty podcasts. At BBC Learning English, we have lots of things you can try. For example, our podcast series, Our Stories, where we tell real stories about our lives. We can learn to understand different accents and voices by practising regularly.
