IELTS: Are you listening?
Are you learning to listen or listening to learn? This is an interesting question. Most listening-based IELTS program rely on using some sort of tapes or CDs. The theory seems to be to force the student to listen to frequently-used words or phrases with the hope that the constant repetition will enable the students to recognize what is being sent. This in some cases may be effective, but it is my opinion that the harder the student tries to listen, the less they really hear. What do I mean by that?? Well it is my theory that forcing a person to listen to the same thing over and over again will unintentionally have the brain create a block. Think about this; if you watch TV and see the same commercial advertisement over and over, you eventually do not even notice it when it appears and pay no attention to it. So your subconscious creates a block or closes the door to your brain when it appears on TV. So why should your brain act any differently when you listen to the same thing over and over?
