First Steps

Whether your goal is to improve your comprehension, or develop a more native accent, the following recommendations will help you make the most of these stories. Ideally, you should spend two to three days on each story to make sure you understand and assimilate everything. And don't forget to send an email with any questions you may have.

First Steps

If your goal is to use this blog to improve your listening comprehension, I recommend the following 4-step approach:

Listen to the story one time without looking at the text. Estimate what percentage of the story you understood. Alternatively, you can study the New Words and Phrases before you listen, and then see if you can pick them out when they come up in the story.
Now listen again, this time reading along. It may be helpful to copy and print the story and highlight the parts that gave you trouble when you listened the first time. If you knew the words, but didn't understand them when I said them, then it's an issue with listening comprehension. If you just didn't know the meaning of certain words or phrases, then you can add them to your vocabulary. Also refer to the Study Notes at the bottom of the page for additional tips and explanations.
After studying the story and noting any words or phrases that were new to you, listen to it a third time, this time speaking after me. Pause after every sentence and repeat what you heard exactly as you heard it. Make sure your rhythm and intonation match mine. If not, check to see what part is giving you trouble, and work on it until you can say it effortlessly like me.
Once you're happy with your pronunciation, listen to the story a fourth time, shadowing me. Shadowing involves speaking at the same time I do — or slightly behind me — in a loud, clear voice. It may help you to add stresses and intonation marks to your copy of the story in order to help you work out the rhythm.

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