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Learning a new language can be a challenging task, but everyone wants to master it, right? When we learn English, we put a lot of effort into mastering vocabulary, pronunciation, reading and writing. However, the real tests begin when we try to apply our knowledge in practice, in real life, where there will be no teacher or anyone nearby who can support, check and polish your speech.

It often happens that when we begin to practice our new knowledge, we realize that the way words sound in conversation may be different from what we originally learned. Accents, speed of pronunciation, slang and idioms can make us feel confused and make it seem as if the other person is speaking a completely different language than English. Therefore, it is worth stocking up on useful phrases and words that will come in handy if you do not understand the speech of your interlocutor.

Formal phrases

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So, if a conversation in English is taking place at a formal level, use one of the following short but polite phrases to let the other person know that you did not hear or understand what was said in English.

• Sorry?
• Excuse me?
• Pardon?
• I beg your pardon?

Besides the fact that these phrases are formal, remember that they are used mainly in England, and are translated as “ Sorry?" However, not all formal phrases are so short; There are more genuine ones and they will help you when you don’t understand even if you heard what was said.

• Sorry, I’m afraid I don’t follow you. - Sorry, I'm afraid I don't understand you.
• Excuse me, could you repeat the question? – Sorry, could you repeat the question?
• I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Could you say it again? - Excuse me, but I do not understand. Could you say that again?
• I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. Would you mind speaking more slowly? - I'm sorry, I did not understand. Could you speak more slowly?
• I'm confused. Could you tell me again? - I'm confused. Could you say it again?
• I’m sorry, I didn’t understand. Could you repeat a little louder, please? - I'm sorry, I did not understand. Could you repeat it a little louder please?
• I didn't hear you. Please could you tell me again? – I didn’t hear you. Could you say it again?

Informal phrases

However, despite the abundance of formal expressions, less formal options are still popular, and they are the ones most used to ask someone to repeat what they have said, and some can even sound rude.

• Sorry? – this word is most often used if you simply couldn’t hear what was said (as in a formal setting).
• Sorry, what? - this phrase is also used for the same purpose, but it no longer sounds so polite.

But the following phrases will be even more informal and even rude:

• ‘Scuse me? – this is a colloquial version of ‘excuse me’
• Huh? - A? - it's not even a word, but a sound. Be careful when using it so that your interlocutor’s pride is not hurt. As a sound it is most often used with phrases such as ‘I don’t get it’ or ‘I don’t understand’
• What? – that’s exactly what foreigners ask, infuriating the British, because... This question sounds aggressive, so be careful!
• Eh? is also a sound that can be used to emphasize that it is difficult to understand what is being said.
• Hmm? - another sound that indicates that you are probably distracted or were not listening too carefully.

Slang phrases

Slang has penetrated almost every corner of English, including our article, so if you like the “language of the streets” more than standard English, remember the necessary phrases:

• Come again?
• Say what? – this is more American English
• Pass that by me again?
• What? - but this is popular in the United Kingdom
• I don’t get it... – it’s simply equivalent to ‘I don’t understand’.

Idiomatic phrases

Finally, to show off your eloquence, learn idioms that can be used to emphasize that someone's speech sounds complex, unclear, or difficult to understand.

• I can’t make head nor tail of what you’re saying. – I can’t understand what’s what.
• This is all Greek to me. – for me this is a Chinese letter.
• Sorry this is as clear as mud to me. – it’s clear that this is a dark matter.

Instructions

Any skill, including listening comprehension, needs to be trained. Since at first this seems to be a very difficult task, most students try, consciously or not, to leave these classes “for later”; first they try to master grammar, learn, but avoid listening. But no skill can be mastered in theory; practice is necessary. After all, you can’t learn to swim just by reading about how to do it correctly.

Surround yourself with English as much as possible. Using the Internet, listen to English-language radio broadcasts, watch English and American films without dubbing, and use educational audio materials. At the same time, it is not necessary to set aside time for this - just listen while washing dishes, ironing, or cleaning. Even if you don't understand certain words or can't even tell what is being said, listening this way will help you get used to the tempo of the language.

Try to use materials that are interesting to you personally - for some, listening to British news is more suitable, for others, listening to songs by English-speaking performers may be more useful for hours, for others, it seems more useful and effective to listen to special educational texts, while others see the point only in direct communication with friends.

Practice regularly, make it a rule to devote some time to listening every day - as much as you can, but the more, the better.

When starting listening, do not forget about training other skills - grammar, reading, speaking, writing. To get the maximum effect when learning a language, you need to study comprehensively.

When you listen purposefully to a text, be focused but not tense. Build images and pictures based on familiar vocabulary, without paying attention to unfamiliar ones. This is a common mistake - students hear an unclear word or phrase and, wondering what it means, lose their thoughts and become completely disoriented in the text, although these words may be absolutely unimportant for understanding the meaning.

Video on the topic

Related article

Sources:

• Listening
• understand English by ear
• How to develop English listening skills?

Many people who studied English at school and college experience certain problems not only with speaking a foreign language, but also with listening to English. If there are a few secrets on how to learn to understand English speech by ear.

Instructions

Of course, in order to understand speech by ear, you need to know at least 75% -100% of ordinary, non-specialized text in English. If your knowledge of the language is not up to the required level, it will be very difficult for you to distinguish even everyday language. Therefore, first of all, you need to improve your English.

Many people, believing that their English is at a sufficient level, rush to watch English films in the original without subtitles. And after that, in frustration, they give up trying to learn to understand English by ear. The fact is that in phrases in this language, individual words can merge into structures that are incomprehensible to the ear, so you can’t tell where the y is and where the end is. Therefore, it is best to watch English films and TV series with English subtitles. So all these long chains of words immediately break down into understandable components. If you are not at all confident in your English level, start with children's cartoons. And to begin with, you can start with the American ones. The fact is that Americans tend to collect all the words into one whole a little less; at first they are easier to understand.

Then try to find an English-speaking person on the Internet; you can find him on various linguistic resources, on Facebook or some thematic forums. If you find one, invite him to chat on Skype, preferably with .

After this practice, try watching news or documentaries with real people. If you feel unsure, help yourself with subtitles. Listen to audio books in the language. A good option would be Harry Potter, read by Stephen Fry, whose pronunciation is very clear. And the book is written in a fairly simple but colorful language.

Try to gradually turn off subtitles. A good film to test how much your listening comprehension of English has increased is “Forrest Gump.” The main character speaks slowly and very simply, the other characters speak differently, but in general it is also understandable. With the exception, perhaps, of John Lennon, who appeared for half a minute in the recording, whose Liverpool pronunciation is difficult to understand even for some Englishmen.

note

If you want to test your increased ability to understand speech, take some unfamiliar song (blues, rock and roll songs or anything where the vocals are clearly distinguishable are suitable), listen to it a couple of times and write down the lyrics you hear. Find the original one on the Internet and compare.

Helpful advice

If you play computer games, try playing them in English, with subtitles if possible. This way, games will not only help you relax and unwind, but will also bring additional benefits.

As you know, listening is the most difficult skill. Sometimes we in Russian cannot make out something in another person’s speech, what can we say about foreigners. However, a few simple tips will help solve this problem.

Instructions

Constant replenishment of vocabulary

Always try to expand your vocabulary. Better study the words you use in life. On the topic of everyday life, family, study, work, home, etc. As a rule, such collections are offered in applications that can be downloaded to your phone. However, your task is not only to remember the word and its translation, but to be able to imagine it (create an image). Then the word, or better yet the phrase, will be perceived easily.

Listening to music, watching movies

It is very important to listen to a lot of English music and watch foreign films in the original language. This way you will get used to foreign speech and it will be easier for you to perceive it. However, do not forget that before you start listening to a song, you should translate it, and either watch films with subtitles (for the first time), or watch already familiar films, but in English.

Dialogue with yourself in English

You definitely think about household chores every day, telling yourself that you need to go to the store, do the cleaning, get ready for work, and so on. Translate your thoughts into English and speak to yourself in it. This way you will quickly master English words and learn to use them directly in communication. It is not necessary to immediately speak to yourself in English completely; first, let it be in English words. Increase your vocabulary gradually.

Communication in English

Still, the most effective way is to communicate with other people. Only when you begin to understand another person’s speech without problems and are able to answer him easily, then you will have the feeling that you know the language.

Tip 4: How to learn English with pleasure. Listening, communication

If everyone was taught reading and translation at school, then there were and are big problems with listening and pronunciation. Of course, the skill of listening comprehension takes longer and harder to develop than the perception of textual speech. This often stops those who want to learn the language. However, developing difficult skills is not at all boring, on the contrary, it is very interesting. How to master listening and pronunciation skills?

Different ways to say "clear, understandable" in English.

Friends, hello everyone. In colloquial speech, we very often use words such as “clear, understandable, I understand.” You will find a list of similar phrases in English below.

The phrase “It’s clear.”

If someone explains something to you or simply tells you, you can say “It’s clear” in response:

— It’s forbidden to smoke here.

(No smoking here)

— Ok, it’s clear. I'm sorry.

(I see. I apologize)

— Use this button to turn on the computer.

(To turn on your computer, use this button)

- It's clear.

The phrase "I see".

The best analogue of our “clear, understandable” in conversation is the phrase “I see.” You can say “It’s clear”, but this is not a very suitable option.

— Yesterday I went to the cinema with my girlfriend.

(Yesterday I went to the cinema with my girlfriend)

— Tomorrow I’m going to visit my parents in the country.

(Tomorrow I will go to the village to visit my parents)

- I see. It's a great idea! Have a nice trip!

(I see. That's a great idea! Have a nice trip!)

“Get” means “to understand.”

Another good colloquial phrase is “I got it.” In the article, I already wrote that the verb “to get” is very popular and has many different meanings, depending on the situation. Especially in Native speakers often use this word in their speech. One of its meanings in colloquial English is “to get - to understand”

I get what you mean.

(I understand what you mean)

I’m sorry, but I don’t get it.

(Sorry, but I don't understand this)

(Okay, got it)

The phrase "Fair enough".

The next phrase is “Fair enough.” It has the meaning “It’s clear, everything is clear, fair, logical, okay, good.” For example:

— I like cats more than dogs.

(I like cats better than dogs)

- Fair enough.

(All clear)

And of course the verb “to understand” - to understand. Used to literally express that you understand something. It is better not to use it in the meaning of colloquial “clear”.

— I don’t want you to see my daughter ever again!

(I don't want you to ever see my daughter again!)

— Ok, I understood.

(OK I understood)

— I don’t like people that speak on the phone very loud in public.

(I don't like people who talk loudly on the phone in public)

- Yes, I understand what you mean. Me too.

(Yes, I understand what you mean. Me too)

Keep learning English and take care of yourself, friends!

» As it will be clear, understandable in English

Listening to English is one of the most popular problems in learning English. Most students do not understand the interlocutor’s speech at all or only catch individual words.

Why is this happening?

In the article I will give you 5 reasons that affect your listening comprehension of English speech. This will help you find the reason that is bothering you and correct it.

So, let's begin.

Reason #1: You have a small vocabulary

If you don't know a word, you won't be able to understand it when someone says it to you. It's logical.

The fewer words you know, the worse you understand English speech. After all, you can only catch those words that are in your stock.

Therefore, it is very important to learn words correctly!

Be sure to look not only at the translation, but also at the meaning of the word. This will help you understand your interlocutor correctly.

After all, sometimes words have the same translation, but are used in different cases.

For example, your friend asks you:

Does this skirt suit me?
Does this skirt suit me?

At the same time, she does not mean whether this skirt is the right size for her, but asks your opinion about whether this skirt makes her attractive, that is, it is suitable in style or color.

Almost every English word has several meanings. The more meanings of a word you know, the easier it is for you to understand exactly what your interlocutor means.

Advice: Increasing your vocabulary will help you understand English better. I told you how to correctly and quickly replenish your vocabulary.

Reason #2: Pronounce English sounds incorrectly

Sometimes it can be difficult to hear even a word that you know. Why?

It's just that when you were learning the word, you remembered the incorrect pronunciation. That's why you won't recognize him now.

Sometimes we simply pronounce certain sounds incorrectly, so it is difficult for us to recognize their correct sound.

There are also words in the English language that sound very similar.

For example:

Lose / [luuz] - to lose, lose
Loose / [luus] - free, wide

As you can see, by ear the words will differ only in the sound of the sounds [z] and [s].

Advice: When you learn words, be sure to listen to their pronunciation and practice it to perfection. It is also best to immediately practice the difference between the pronunciation of similar sounds, so you will not confuse them.

Reason #3: You don’t know English grammar

We must know English grammar in order to understand not only individual words, but also the meaning that a person puts into them.

Only by knowing the rules of the English language can we understand whether a person is talking about the past, or whether he just did it, or maybe he’s just planning to do it?

For example, you hear:

I will buy a car.
I will buy a car.

If you understand only the words, you will get:

I'm buying a car.

That is, you won’t understand that he has already bought it, or is just planning to.

Advice: Learn English grammar. Try to understand it, rather than memorize the rule. Immediately practice using grammar in your own speech until you are confident. This way you will instantly grasp the meaning of the sentence, rather than literally translating it.

Reason #4: No listening skills

Listening is the perception and understanding of foreign speech by ear.

Even if you know the words and understand the rules, it will be very difficult for you to understand English speech if you do not have speech recognition skills.

Why?

Your interlocutor’s speech contains:

• Speed

How do we speak the language? We do not pause between each word, pronouncing it separately. We speak at a certain speed.

Foreigners say the same. Why is it sometimes difficult for us to grasp what is being said to us?

We are not used to recognizing words and grammar quickly.

So far you have translated one sentence. The interlocutor is already finishing the third.

• Smoothness

This is the flow of one word into another without sudden jumps. I think, listening to English speech, you have noticed this more than once.

Advice: The only way to develop listening skills is to listen to as much English as possible. It can be:

• Speech from a live interlocutor
• English TV series
• Movies
• Songs
• Podcasts (short audio materials on various topics).

If you listen to English spoken every day, then you can easily understand the meaning of what is said.

Of course, just turning on a movie/series and listening to it in the background is not enough. To develop a skill, you need to work with it in a certain way.

Reason #5: You don't know the abbreviations

We all use abbreviations in our speech. There are also abbreviations in English. Of course, they are used very often in colloquial speech.

The words we abbreviate sound different.

For example, read the following sentences out loud:

He is not a teacher.
He's not a teacher.

He isn't a teacher.
He's not a teacher.

Without knowing what the abbreviation isn't, it will be difficult for you to understand it by ear.

Advice: When learning grammar, look at how you can shorten words.

Bottom line

So, to learn to recognize English speech by ear.

1. Expand your vocabulary
2. Remember the correct pronunciation of words and complex English sounds
3. Learn English grammar, train to quickly understand it in the speech of your interlocutor
4. Develop listening skills - listen to as much English as possible
5. Remember English abbreviations

This way you can easily understand your English-speaking interlocutor.

I didn’t understand you can be said in the following phrases:

1. ‘I didn’t follow..’
2. ‘I didn’t get…’
3. ‘I didn’t understand..’
4. ‘I didn’t catch that..’

All four phrases are very similar, however there are some differences between them.

In what situations are the words used: catch, follow, get, understand

1. The math teacher explained to you a complex formula that you did not understand, in this case you can say: “I don’t understand” or “I don’t follow.”

2. I don’t follow how.. is used when you don’t logically understand something.

For example:
“I don’t understand how anyone can root for this sports team,”
“I don’t understand how a civilized society can allow...”

4. If someone doesn't understand the joke, he will say I don't get it, that is, he doesn't understand humor.

5. If you said an unfamiliar English word, but the student of English does not know this word, he can say I don’t understand.

5. It would not be correct to say: I don’t understand.

You can repeat unclear words as follows:

Could you please, write it down?- Could you write this down?
Could you please, repeat it? - Repeat, is this please?

Could you please, say it again?- Please say it again?
Could you please, speak more slowly?- Could you say it more slowly?
Could you please, say it in a different way?- Tell me, please, is it different?

How to clarify the meaning of what was said

So what are you saying is…
Saying is...

So what do you mean…
I think I get what you're saying..

If you are communicating with a native and do not understand something from his speech, which is natural, then it is better to tell him about it.

Firstly, he may ask you a question about what was said, but you will have nothing to answer, because you did not understand.
Secondly, it will look a little ignorant.
Yes, native speakers, in general, are very correct and polite people and they will not show it in any way, but they will draw certain conclusions.
Thirdly, you will improve your English when you receive new phrases and expressions from the native - it’s so cool! Therefore, there is no need to be shy and nod your head at everything that the Englishman said, while you understood little at all from his words.

This was a short free translation = an excerpt of the video below from a Canadian teacher.