listening comprehension

Question

My grammar comprehension through the quizzes is proceeding well. I am 1/2 way through A2; but my listening comprehension is lagging. I seem to be at A1 at best; very difficult to understand spoken french. Should  i be spending more time on listening and less on grammar, or do i need the grammar (future anterior, simple past etc) to understand spoken conversations?thankstony

Accepted Answer

Bonjour Tony,
I think what Chris, Maarten and Jim mentioned is very good advice. I can only agree with it all.
@Chris, thank you for your suggestion regarding a Kwizzer's forum to talk about your personal learning journey and experiences. I will pass it on to the Language team and we will discuss it during our next team meeting (although I saw that you've already started it ;-) ). 
In the meantime, here are some interesting articles that Kwiziq language experts wrote about learning tips:
Tips and ideas to improve your French writing skills
Learn French while you sleep
Solo French Speaking Practice
Improve Your French Pronunciation
I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée à tous !

Answer

Hi Tony,It is not easy I agree.Why not try listening to French in radio broadcasts or during discussions on TV involving French speakers?In my experience, the trick is not to concentrate on every single word but better to get used to the "music" of the language   --  let it "wash" over you.You may also try going to see French films with or without subtitles.Another possibility may be to get involved in your local Twinning Association and meet French speakers that way?Hope this helps.Jim

Answer

Thanks,but guess I wasn’t clear….i do try to listen lots; question is should Iisten more and study less or do i need to keep doing quizzes  to help my listening

Answer

Hello, again Tony,It is your journey and for you to decide how and at what pace you wish to pursue it.Jim

Answer

Hi Tony, here is my take on this very common observation:

Learning grammar and improving listening comprehension both involve very different areas of the brain. It is quite common that they progress at different speeds. For some this can mean that they understand well but can't wrap their head around the grammatical side. For others it's just the other way around. That is normal.

As long as you give your brain enough stimulus for either side, you're fine. Keep immersing yourself in spoken French. And continue to study grammar. The most important point is to have fun doing both. Take note of your progress, even if it's only a small improvement. Pat yourself on the shoulder often and don't be too critical of yourself.

Progress doesn't happen in a linear way either. I've seen people seemingly stuck on a plateau for a long time, and suddenly something magically becomes unstuck and they take a big leap forward.

Answer

By the way, it would be great to read about the experience of other students on their quest to learning French. What have you found helpful? What are you grappling with? What motivates you? Let's have a little sharing!

@kwiziq team: Why not allow us to add a bit of information to our profiles? Or, maybe, open up a forum that's specifically for talking about how we learn French, share resources, and experiences? We're all in this together, so let's become true "Kwizzers" and harvest the resources that lie in becoming a true community.

Answer

Tony, if you are interested, suggest some reading about the work of Stephen Krashen and Beniko Mason, and search on 'acquiring a language'. At the least recommend listening to a good series of YouTube videos on the topic - there are several in particular by Alice Ayel worth listening to (she speaks slowly and clearly in French - suggest do them in order (they are numbered to make it easy) for best understanding).