# Speaking vs. listening?



## James Styczinski

Which do you fell is more difficult? 
I feel like I have a much more difficult time with listening and comprehension in comparison to speaking it. This is relevant to the spanish language for me. Is it usually the same in other languages?

James


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## Mei

Hi,

For me it's more difficult speak or write that listen. When I write or speak I have to think what I want to say and the way to do it, but when I listen, most of the time I understand it all. (i.e. for me it's easier understand an US person that an Uk one.)

Cheers

Mei


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## James Styczinski

Interesting! 

Perhaps it depends on the person and the language. 
And I understand what you mean by the UK english. I am an american that speak English and even I sometimes have a really difficult times understanding the British English or Irish English. I also find Mexicans and Europeans easier to understand in spanish, whereas South Americans I have a more difficult time.

Saludos
James


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## Mei

And I can tell you why! 

I use to listen to american music and sometimes I try to do it reading what I listen. As I said in another "post" I went to an english class 10 years ago and I didn't like English in those days, I don't know the grammar. 

One day I was listen to a song and I wanted to know what were he/she talking about and here started my particular odyseey.... so here I am!  

Mei


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## James Styczinski

I find that there is a tendancy for many to want to learn English due to music. 
And many people hate the grammer. I don't blame anyone who hates English grammer. In actuality, so do I. 
Prefiero Espanol!

James


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## Mei

James Styczinski said:
			
		

> Interesting!
> 
> Perhaps it depends on the person and the language.
> And I understand what you mean by the UK english. I am an american that speak English and even I sometimes have a really difficult times understanding the British English or Irish English. I also find Mexicans and Europeans easier to understand in spanish, whereas South Americans I have a more difficult time.
> 
> Saludos
> James


 
Maybe its because the spanish that you learn is the one from Spain.... but my case it's different, because here in Spain we learn the English from UK that's why most people don't understand people of US, the opposite of me. (I'm a rebel  )

Mei


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## James Styczinski

Actually, most of the spanish I learn is from Mexicanos. Many come to Seattle from the south and California. When I visit Europe twice a year, most of my friends use Spain or South American Spanish. Generally, it is the accent that takes time to get used to.

James


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## Mei

James Styczinski said:
			
		

> I find that there is a tendancy for many to want to learn English due to music.
> And many people hate the grammer. I don't blame anyone who hates English grammer. In actuality, so do I.
> Prefiero Espanol!
> 
> James


 
So I prefer the English one!  I would like to talk English as well as you, which it's so difficult. (And expensive!)

Mei


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## James Styczinski

why so expensive?

James


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## Mei

Because I want to talk English correctly I must go an academy, here it's expensive (for me right now) I would like to go to US and live and work there for a year or something. 

You'll see, I speak two lenguages "perfectly" spanish and catalan (as any other catalan). I can speak in spanish with you and catalan with someone else at the same time, I just change the lenguage it's easy, and I would like to do the same with English.

Do you know what I mean?

Mei


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## James Styczinski

claro,

I understand, 
Besides British English, are you learning American English or both at all right now? I think probably the biggist difference is spelling. 

for instance, in your previous text:
lenguage
lenguages
I am assuming these are british English spellings

whereas American English:
Language
languages

color, colour and sooooo on. The list is exhaustive yes? 
And now I understand what you mean by how expensive it is. 
Isn't it strange, if you want to learn something valuable you have to spend lots of money for it.

James


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## James Styczinski

what do you think is the best way to remember a word?

James


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## BasedowLives

flash cards help me.

and just repetitive writing.

not the most fun way, but it's been the most effective for me.


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## tey2

Hi, I would have to say speaking is more difficult for me than listening, since our dialect is broken spanish we're okay with comprehension when we're listening to a music, or watching movie or someone who's speaking spanish although I don't comprehend 100% I still have a lot to learn. I'm having a hard time in speaking Spanish, like what Mei mentioned when I speak the language, first what registers on my mind is english then I would translate it in spanish then from there I would still have to think about the grammar rules, the conjugations if it's present or past if it's conditional or not and so on. I still have a lot to learn so as of the moment I'm still very slow when it comes to spoken or even written in Spanish.

Saludos,
tey2


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## James Styczinski

I find flashcards work well too
however I do it in a different manner
I cut out photos from magazines, and figure out the
new vocabulary based on the photo. The brain can remember a photo a 
lot easier than a complex word or phrase. As a result the brain connects the dots and one can remember the word. At least it has helped me in a incredible way. how about you?

James


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## BasedowLives

James Styczinski said:
			
		

> I find flashcards work well too
> however I do it in a different manner
> I cut out photos from magazines, and figure out the
> new vocabulary based on the photo. The brain can remember a photo a
> lot easier than a complex word or phrase. As a result the brain connects the dots and one can remember the word. At least it has helped me in a incredible way. how about you?
> 
> James



wow, i hadn't thought of that.  that sounds like  a really good idea.   only thing is, you have to have a decent amount of time.  i'm definately gonna try that out though.


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## Mei

James Styczinski said:
			
		

> claro,
> 
> I understand,
> Besides British English, are you learning American English or both at all right now? I think probably the biggist difference is spelling.
> 
> for instance, in your previous text:
> lenguage
> lenguages
> I am assuming these are british English spellings
> 
> whereas American English:
> Language
> languages
> 
> color, colour and sooooo on. The list is exhaustive yes?
> And now I understand what you mean by how expensive it is.
> Isn't it strange, if you want to learn something valuable you have to spend lots of money for it.
> 
> James


 
Well, right now I'm in this forum so, I don't know but I want to get a place in and academy of US English that it's the one I like. And I value it because I've been looking for an academy this week and I realize that it's expensive for my pocket. 

I live near Barcelona and I have to take the train (about 35 minutes, that are really 1 hour) every day to go to work (8 hours) , and I have lunch out of home, I like go out with friends, and I want to do a lot of thinks. Right now I'm living with my parents (yes, I know that I'm 27 but...  ) and I would like to get my own home but I can't because it's expensive (money again)....  and where is the time for English? Here in this forum at the moment.


"what do you think is the best way to remember a word?"

If I just hear a word, I can forget it, so I write it and it works for me. What about you my friend?


Mei


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## James Styczinski

I'm an artist, so pictures help me the best with remembering words. Similarly if I hear a word once, I do not remember it.


James


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## Mei

James Styczinski said:
			
		

> I find flashcards work well too
> however I do it in a different manner
> I cut out photos from magazines, and figure out the
> new vocabulary based on the photo. The brain can remember a photo a
> lot easier than a complex word or phrase. As a result the brain connects the dots and one can remember the word. At least it has helped me in a incredible way. how about you?
> 
> James


 
What do you do with abstract concepts like happiness, sadness, ...?  

Mei


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## James Styczinski

hehehe good question!

Use a concept designed art peace. For example, if there is a man in a photo that is 
smiling, we can assume at that moment he is potraying happiness or joy. Therefore: two new words joy and happiness. then I include those a discription of the photo. 

James


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## Mei

Well, what happens then is that I recognize de word but I don't remember what it means so I think that if I do it with images it would be better.

Mei


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## James Styczinski

try it, it does wonders...Use photos or draw the image on a flash card. And the best way is to make exaggerations of the word or concept. So if a man has a 'large' shirt, draw the man with and Gigantic shirt. The brain will pick up the concept and remember the word quickly. 
James


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## Mei

Yes but if you have a picture with a man crying, is he crying because he is happy or because he is sad? (just kidding!) 

I like the way you do it!

Mei


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## James Styczinski

Sometimes we can spend soooo much time trying to remember something. One day I just realized I needed to figure out ways to remember things within the least amount of time. Of course, for everyone it is different what works and what does not. 
James


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## James Styczinski

Well I must go for now, I am visiting germany right now. I have a friend from Hannover I visit this evening. hasta manana
tambien, mucho gusto 
James


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## Mei

James Styczinski said:
			
		

> Sometimes we can spend soooo much time trying to remember something. One day I just realized I needed to figure out ways to remember things within the least amount of time. Of course, for everyone it is different what works and what does not.
> James


 
Yes, I agree, I'll try and I'll tell you!

Mei


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## James Styczinski

good luck to you,
let me know how it goes!
I go to see my friend now. 
hasta manana,
James


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## Mei

See you! Take care!


Mei


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## rob.returns

speaking would be hard, i have a hard time with past tenses, and special tenses like passive, subjunctive, actives, those kinds. 

But im learning little by litte, step by step.


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## Lanitas88

Hello. I am new here to this website. I don't know whether to type in spanish or english...
Anyway, I thought that this was an interesting conv. so I thought I would join in.

To reply to the message posted a while back, I find it most dificult speaking, opposed to writing or listening. I think this is just a problem I face because I do not have much confidence when it comes to speaking, even though I know quite a lot. 
anyway- if any of you have any advice, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks in advance.
Morgan


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## JLanguage

James Styczinski said:
			
		

> claro,
> 
> I understand,
> Besides British English, are you learning American English or both at all right now? I think probably the biggist difference is spelling.
> 
> for instance, in your previous text:
> lenguage
> lenguages
> I am assuming these are british English spellings


 
No, lenguage is a mispelling of "language" even in the UK. Spelling differences exist are but are not so numerous, nor are they too difficult. Formal English is essentially the same in all Anglophone countries except for accent and of course the occasional spelling difference. Slang and accent vary far more in the different Anglophone countries and even within the Anglophone countries.

Cheers,
-Jonathan.


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## BasedowLives

what about
aluminium and aluminum


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## JLanguage

BasedowLives said:
			
		

> what about
> aluminium and aluminum


 
It's not that there aren't a number of words spelled differently in AE and BE, more that spelling differences are insignificant compared to accent/slang differences.


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## Merlin

I would prefer listening. I mean active listening. I learn faster when I listen. I've been to many places with different languages or dialects. And I learn faster while I listen to them speak the language or dialect. After I hear a word I try to analyze how they use it and begin to speak it. Ofcourse you aren't always to be successful. But if you're afraid to try, you don't deserved to be successful.


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## LV4-26

Writing and speaking aren't that difficult. I tend to only use these words and constructions I'm more or less sure of.
Reading is OK as I can always look up for a word or two.
Listening is harder (even with BE which I'm more familiar with than AE) because I sometimes miss some fragments of speech and I don't have time to look them up.


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## mandarina_82

first of all spelling in english is always difficult for everyone even if u r an english speaker or not.
for me is easier listening and understanding, but right now i'm living in my country spain so for me is hard speaking in english, i feel my tongue like a sponge haha. but i still read and write in english so i'm not bad at writting.
at first i lived in England  i love it and there i started learning english i have never heard english before excluding music (songs i didn't understand), later i went to usa and at first i didn't undertand them, the accent was so different! and they didn't undertand me i guess...
 now i'm back home and i think i understand better american accent because it was the last i was used to but i think it wouldn't take me a long time to get used to brittish accent... it still my favourite one 
the accent affects to the language above all if it isn't your mother tongue.
in my opinnion speaking is harder because we are often prone to translate literally but i consider it the best way of learning a foreing language and little by little although it would be easier and easier.
to learn a language u need to speak (and make others understand u), understand (listening & speaking)
u can't exlude neither of them.


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## Don Borinqueno

Listening is a most important skill to learn. Being able to catch every phrase in a sentence is a skill that takes time to master. Try putting on a spanish show or movie and turn around. Listen to it without watching it. This is a weird way of learning but it will help you practice the importance of  paying attention to what is said.


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## mandarina_82

But when you listen, you see and then you watch and therefore you associate images to words, that what makes listening usefull


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## me82

i speak English better than i listen to it... because i have practiced a lot of English by writing and reading online... but i haven't listened often enough to English speaking people... and when i do, i panic and i SO want to understand that i can't concentrate enough on the words that are said.  it's horrible, i have tried to listen to American radios, but sometimes they speak sooo fast.. i'm worried about when i'll go there...  Will i ever be (almost) bilingual?


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## James Styczinski

I wouldn´t be too worried about what may happen to you in America. If you are around people that speak English, tell them to speak slowly. I am around Spanish people all the time in Seattle and these friends of mine ask me to speak more slowly. and as well I ask them to speak more slowly if I don´t understand some of their Spanish. The only place in the US you might have to worry about is New York. People here seem to be more in a hurry. So speaking slowly can be a drag for them. However this is more of a cultural thing for the New Yorkers I believe. 
James


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## me82

James Styczinski said:
			
		

> I wouldn´t be too worried about what may happen to you in America. If you are around people that speak English, tell them to speak slowly. I am around Spanish people all the time in Seattle and these friends of mine ask me to speak more slowly. and as well I ask them to speak more slowly if I don´t understand some of their Spanish. The only place in the US you might have to worry about is New York. People here seem to be more in a hurry. So speaking slowly can be a drag for them. However this is more of a cultural thing for the New Yorkers I believe.
> James


 
Thank you James, it's a real good advice. And that will be great if everyone is as patient as you. i just hope i won't need them to speak slowly all the time, that it will be just at first.  But you've reassured me a little.


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