I read better than I listen

[murrayjames]

Most Chinese TV and movies are subtitled. I generally look at these subtitles because it helps my comprehension immensely. But there's a problem. Sometimes I understand the subtitles but not the dialogue. That is, I can read what's on the screen without a problem. If I listen to the dialogue while looking away from the screen, though, I would not understand what's being said.

So I read better than I listen. Wonder if anyone else here has dealt with this imbalance. Any advice?

[imron]

Watch everything twice.

Either

a) the first time with subtitles, the second time covering them up (just place something over the bottom of the screen). or

b) the first time without subtitles (and your brain frantically trying to figure things out), and then again with subtitles filling in the gaps you missed from the first time.

[renzhe]

So I read better than I listen. Wonder if anyone else here has dealt with this imbalance. Any advice?

All the time.

Watch TV shows at different levels. Watch really simple ones without subtitles, hard ones with lots of reading and pausing, and intermediate ones with reading at full speed.

[amandagmu]

Me three. It's the only thing making me freak out about taking the HSK right now. If only my listening was close to the same level as my reading....

The only thing that has helped me thus far is tons of TV watching and listening to lectures in China, and it's still not at the same level. Not sure what else I can do at this point.

[anonymoose]

I think having some imbalance between your skills is inevitable. Don't forget that with reading, you have more control over the process in the sense that you can set the pace, whereas with listening, you are at the mercy of the person who's speaking. (And if reading text, character recognition shouldn't be a problem, whereas with listening, you have to contend with the speaker's accent. Imagine if you were reading hand-written text. That would even things out a bit, wouldn't it?)

If you want to improve your listening, you need to practise more. Other people have already given good suggestions. But don't think of it as your listening lagging behind your reading, but rather your reading surging ahead of your listening. It may mean the same thing, but at least you'll feel better about it.

[John Lee]

I also have this problem when I watch English show. I can understand the shows better by reading the subtitles in Chinese, Maybe it could be due to the unfamiliar accent when we watch Chinese Shows as well.

[chevil]

Oddly enough, this even happens to me in English. If a movie is subtitled and I don't stop myself, I find that I start exclusively reading the subtitles and tuning out the audio stream entirely. The point is, don't feel bad about it ;).

[Hofmann]

...Yeah...I sometimes wish I could get subtitles IRL so I don't have to listen to people. Sometimes it all just sounds like a muted trumpet.

[joshuawbb]

What you mentioned OP may not be an imbalance - it's more likely just one of the realities of Chinese. I don't think it necessarily means there's an imbalance between your reading and listening. The listening tasks you face in the HSK, whilst being conversation related to daily life, are not quite the same as the rapid-paced snippets of conversation you'll hear on TV shows.

Indeed, pretty much every non-live TV show is subtitled in China, and a few weeks ago I asked my girlfriend why. Originally I thought perhaps it was for speakers of other dialects who can read but have trouble understanding Mandarin, but she said that it was for comprehension - if programs were not subtitled, there would be far too many missed words or unclear sentences for most people to really enjoy or understand the show properly. She said that whilst speech in most shows isn't exactly muffled, it's sometimes unclear, and it's just the way Mandarin is that it's occasionally easy to mishear or misunderstand speech that is spoken quickly or with regional accents.

My girlfriend said that she watches shows by listening to the speech and at the same time reading the subtitles for clarification. She went as far as to say that were TV shows not subtitled, depending on the show (e.g. TV enactments of literary classics, talkshows) most Chinese would be lost without concentrating very carefully, and that should she come across a non-subtitled show that wasn't live she'd probably turn it over within a few minutes - too much bother.

It makes sense if you think about it really. All of us here have run into the same thing, and there must be good reason for everything to be subtitled, right? Whenever Chinese people are shouting or arguing some distance away, most people won't be able to catch enough clear speech to know what they're arguing about. Yet in English, someone can be arguing quite some distance away from my window and I'll still be able to hear clearly enough to pick up on their topic.

It's the difference between Mandarin and English I suppose. Every English word is unique in spelling and sound, whereas Mandarin words are combinations of a limited set of sounds (might have phrased this wrong), so understanding what's being said in speech depends heavily on hearing clearly and following the context.

[imron]

I'm not sure I buy that explanation (despite coming from a native speaker - remember, not all native speakers are experts in all facets of their native language). I mean, what about on the radio and telephone where there are no subtitles? If there were too many missed words without subtitles why would people use these technologies?

My assumption was always that subtitling was done to help promote literacy (people who know the word but not how it's written can get it from the subtitles) and also putonghua (people who know how it's written but not the standard pronunciation can pick this up from listening and watching).

[skylee]

I have lived long enough to have watched Chinese TV without subtitles (in HK). I didn't find it incomprehensible.

[imron]

It wouldn't surprise me if there was some law or regulation requiring it on the mainland.

I had a brief look, but couldn't find anything specific. I did however find this:

[joshuawbb]

Yes, those are good points, the theory doesn't hold up much against radio and phone conversations. I think there's an element of truth in what she said though (whilst it may not be universal) and I get her explanation, I'll have a chat with some other friends too to see what they think too. My girlfriend is quite well-learned in many linguistic aspects of Mandarin, aims to be a teacher and holds the top grade in the Putonghua exam, so I don't think she's talking hot air.

[imron]

But at the same time, is she also well versed in the laws and regulations regarding television broadcasting and what requirements there are if any regarding subtitles and their usage?

[xiaocai]

I'm pretty sure what I, and most people that I know, say in mandarin will be subtitled then if accents are not tolerated... (Well I think it is not very likely that I will ever appear on TV though)

[imron]

After a bit more searching, it seems in Beijing at least, it's to make TV shows accessible for deaf people:

立法要求包括中央电视台在内的本市所能接收的所有大众电视传媒，应在播出电视剧、电影等节目时，提前录制配备同声字幕，使聋哑人在看电视时趋于“无障碍”。

[anonymoose]

Is everything on television subtitled? I don't think so (but then I haven't watched television for several months).

[xiaocai]

That is probably why then. Since not like in some other countries that you can select/deselect "soft" subtitle through teletext options, hard subtitles is the only solution we have in China now...

[imron]

Is everything on television subtitled?

No, but most (all?) television series and movies are, as well as many non-live/pre-recorded shows.

[heifeng]

No, but most (all?) television series and movies are, as well as many non-live/pre-recorded shows.

And to the point about the hearing impaired, there are news programs that have someone signing next to the host. I began watching streamed news recently from China and several of the news programs either had someone signing next the anchor...or a person in a bubble on the screen signing.

I always thought (assumed) subtitles were due to the dialect issue, but maybe not.

Listen to radio, or just do something else while watching a TV show, or get some masking tape if the subtitles are too addicting. (Or I just close my eyes but 9 out of 10 times I fall asleep...heh)