Should you start with slower or faster audio samples?

[deathtrap]

I restarted my language learning a while ago and was wondering whether it is more beneficial to start with slow audio samples or faster ones? I'm going through NPCR again and it comes with slow and normal speed dialogues, and the videos feel as if they're spoken at hyperspeed.

Anyone have any empirical evidence to suggest any one approach is better than the others or does it really matter at all?

[anonymoose]

There was a discussion on this not very long ago, with people having fairly strong opinions one way or the other, but no general consensus. If you will be listening to prerecorded dialogues, then usually it is beneficial to listen more than once, so start with the slow dialogue, and then listen again at regular speed.

[deathtrap]

I'm listening to them many times over, still having a hard time registering numbers as anything more than a jumble of syllables ;p

I don't suppose you have a link to that thread you mentioned? Thanks.

[jasoninchina]

I agree. The important thing is to not let the slow recording become a crutch. Using recordings of various speeds is your best bet. Sometimes I want to listen to something a little slow so that I can absorb every word. Other times, I want to listen to something a bit faster to practice real life scenarios.

[roddy]

Nothing empirical, but I would be inclined to start with the fast ones, get as much out of that as you can, and if after a few listenings you're still missing something, use the slow recording to try and figure it out. That is, start with the most challenging but manageable option, then work your way down to help with the difficult bits.

That said, if your listening skills are at a point where the fast version is always an exercise in frustration, that's not going to do you any good - start slow, then listen to the fast one once you know what's coming.

[jon831]

In my mind, I think you want to feel comfortable as you listen. So if the faster makes you too uncomfortable, then go with the slower, simply to ensure that you stick with doing it, or that you do more of it (listening).

That said, I think it's also a good idea to consciously see if you can raise your level of tolerance for not understanding all, or a good part of what you hear.

In other words, if you can make an effort to lower your expectations of what you 'get' when you listen, then you will be able to listen to faster stuff comfortably as well. That, in my opinion, would be good for your listening.

[Wang7]

At the present moment I'm using Madeline K. Spring's Making Connections: Enhance Your Listening Comprehension in Chinese. Believe me, there's nothing easy about listening to the recorded dialogues, at normal speed, that come with the text. However, it does get easier the more you listen.

[Olle Linge]

Personally, I would start at normal speed and make an effort to understand as much as possible. Then I would use all kinds of aids to make sure I understand more, including (in no particular order):

• Slowing down the pace
  
• Breaking down the material in smaller parts
  
• Listening more than once
  
• Reading the transcritp
  
• Read related material (if the topic is complicated)