Episode 19 - Can’t Understand Fast English?

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Episode 19 - Can’t Understand Fast English?

Allen: Hi everyone, I’m Allen.
Luna: And I’m Luna.
Allen: Welcome to Effortless English Podcasts.
Luna: Today, we’re talking about something every English learner has struggled with.
Allen: That’s right.
Allen: How to understand native speakers when they speak fast.
Luna: Or, in other words, how to survive when English sounds like a nonstop blur of words.
Allen: Many learners say they know a lot of words, but real conversations feel too fast.
Luna: Yeah!
Luna: Like, you hear English in a movie, and it’s fine.
Luna: But then you talk to a real person, and it’s like, “Wait, what did they just say?”
Allen: This happens because native speakers don’t talk the way textbooks teach.
Luna: Yeah, we’re not out here saying, “Hello, how are you today?” in perfect, slow sentences.
Allen: Instead, we shorten words, connect sounds, and even skip some syllables completely.
Luna: So today, we’ll break it down and help you train your ears to keep up.
Allen: And if you ever feel lost, don’t worry.
Luna: We’ve got a full transcript for this episode.
Allen: Just check the link in the description to read along.
Luna: Plus, our podcast has subtitles in multiple languages.
Allen: So if you need them, just turn on the CC captions.
Luna: Now, let’s get into it!

Allen: So, why do native English speakers talk so fast?
Luna: I don’t know, maybe they’re in a hurry all the time?
Allen: That might be true, but there’s more to it.
Allen: Native speakers are used to hearing and processing English at high speed.
Luna: Yeah, and the problem is, learners are not.
Allen: Exactly.
Allen: The average English speaker talks at about 150 to 180 words per minute.
Allen: But in casual conversation, that speed can go up to 200 words per minute or more.
Luna: Okay, wait.
Luna: You’re saying people casually talk faster than they officially should?
Allen: Pretty much.
Allen: And compared to many other languages, English has a higher average syllable speed.
Luna: Great.
Luna: So English is just fast by nature?
Allen: Partly, yes.
Allen: But it’s not just about speed.
Allen: It’s also about how words connect.
Luna: Ah, you mean all that weird sound blending?
Allen: Exactly.
Allen: In English, words don’t always sound the way they look.
Allen: We use contractions, link sounds together, and even drop some letters completely.
Luna: Like “going to” becomes “gonna.”
Allen: Yes, and “want to” becomes “wanna.”
Luna: And “did you” turns into “diju.”
Allen: That’s called connected speech.
Allen: It helps native speakers talk smoothly and quickly.
Luna: But it makes English sound like a big messy blur!
Allen: I know it feels that way at first.
Allen: But once you get used to it, you’ll start recognizing the patterns.
Luna: I still remember my first time hearing a native speaker talk fast.
Luna: It felt like they weren’t even pausing for breath.
Allen: Yeah, because in natural speech, people don’t pause between words like in textbooks.
Luna: No, they don’t.
Luna: And they also mumble half the time!
Allen: Well, sometimes.
Allen: But more often, they’re just using reductions.
Allen: Like “what do you” becoming “whaddaya.”
Luna: Yeah, that one took me forever to understand.
Luna: “Whaddaya mean?” sounded like one strange word.
Allen: That’s why it’s tough for learners.
Allen: You might know the words, but you don’t expect them to sound different.
Luna: So when you hear it, your brain is like, “Sorry, we don’t have that word in our database.”
Allen: Exactly!
Allen: But once you learn the common patterns, it gets easier.
Luna: Yeah, but it still takes time.
Allen: True.
Allen: But don’t worry, we’ll talk about ways to train your ears later.

Allen: So, here’s a common problem.
Allen: You study English for years, you know thousands of words, but when people talk fast, you still don’t understand.
Luna: Yeah, and that feels super unfair!
Luna: Like, I memorized all these words, where’s my reward?
Allen: The problem is, knowing words is not the same as understanding speech.
Luna: Right, because native speakers don’t talk like a dictionary.
Allen: Exactly.
Allen: When we read, we see clear words with spaces.
Allen: But when we listen, we get a stream of sounds.
Luna: A very messy, very confusing stream of sounds.
Allen: That’s why context is key.
Allen: When native speakers talk, they don’t just say random words.
Allen: They use common phrases, expressions, and patterns.
Luna: So even if you know the words, you might not recognize them when they’re squished together.
Allen: Yes, and some words are used way more often than others.
Allen: If you only study rare words, you’ll miss what people actually say.
Luna: Like, you might know “consume,” but people usually just say “eat.”
Allen: Exactly.
Allen: Or you learn “depart,” but in real life, people say “leave” or “take off.”
Luna: So, even if you know big fancy words, they won’t help much in daily conversations.
Allen: Right.
Allen: That’s why focusing on common phrases is more useful.
Luna: And let’s not forget about short, casual speech.
Allen: Oh yeah.
Allen: Native speakers love shortening things.
Luna: “I do not know” turns into “I dunno.”
Allen: And “let me see” becomes “lemme see.”
Luna: I once heard someone say “gimme” instead of “give me,” and I thought, “What is that?”
Allen: Exactly!
Allen: These small changes make spoken English sound completely different.
Luna: So if you only study full, perfect sentences, you’ll be lost in real conversations.
Allen: Right, because real people don’t talk like robots.
Luna: Unless you’re talking to a robot… then maybe.
Allen: True!
Allen: But for human conversations, understanding natural speech is key.
Luna: Yeah, and that takes more than just memorizing words.
Allen: It’s about learning how words actually sound in real life.
Luna: And that’s what we’re here to help with!

Allen: Alright, so how do you actually get better at listening?
Luna: Step one, develop superhuman hearing.
Allen: Or, we could try something more realistic.
Luna: Fine.
Luna: But seriously, where should people start?
Allen: The best way is to start with subtitles.
Allen: Watch something with both audio and text.
Luna: So, like, movies, TV shows, or even this podcast!
Allen: Exactly.
Allen: When you read and listen at the same time, your brain connects the sounds to the words.
Luna: Yeah, and you can see how words actually look versus how they sound.
Allen: But here’s the trick.
Allen: Don’t rely on subtitles forever.
Allen: Use them as a stepping stone.
Luna: So, first, watch with subtitles.
Luna: Then later, try without them?
Allen: Exactly.
Allen: And another tip—gradually increase the speed.
Luna: Oh no, are you telling people to watch videos at 1.5x speed?
Allen: Not right away!
Allen: First, get comfortable with normal speed.
Allen: Then, if you want a challenge, speed it up a little.
Luna: I guess that makes sense.
Luna: If you train with faster speech, normal speech feels easier.
Allen: Exactly.
Allen: And it helps your brain process words more quickly.
Luna: Okay, but I have a different trick.
Luna: Just expose yourself to fast speech as much as possible.
Allen: Meaning?
Luna: Meaning, stop avoiding native-speed conversations.
Luna: Even if you don’t understand everything, keep listening.
Allen: That’s a good point.
Allen: The more you hear fast speech, the more familiar it becomes.
Luna: Yeah, like when I first heard “wanna” and “gonna,” they sounded weird.
Luna: But after hearing them a hundred times, they felt normal.
Allen: That’s because your brain started recognizing the patterns.
Luna: Exactly!
Luna: It’s like training your ears to expect fast speech.
Allen: Right, and that brings us to another point—should learners practice connected speech?
Luna: You mean, should they learn to say “gonna” and “lemme” like native speakers?
Allen: Yeah.
Allen: Some people say you should only focus on understanding, not speaking that way.
Luna: But I think if you can say it, you’ll understand it better.
Allen: That’s true.
Allen: When you practice speaking naturally, you get used to how it sounds.
Luna: Yeah, and it makes conversations feel smoother.
Allen: So, to sum up—start with subtitles, increase speed slowly, and expose yourself to fast speech.
Luna: And maybe try speaking like a native to get used to the sounds.
Allen: Exactly.
Allen: Listening takes time, but with practice, it gets easier.
Luna: So don’t give up!

Allen: So, is it better to learn English from movies and TV shows, or from real conversations?
Luna: Well, if I could just watch Netflix all day and call it “studying,” that’d be great.
Allen: I mean, technically, you can.
Allen: But does it actually help?
Luna: I think it does, but only if you use it the right way.
Allen: Yeah.
Allen: Movies and TV shows are great because they expose you to natural speech.
Allen: You hear different accents, tones, and ways people express themselves.
Luna: Plus, they make learning fun.
Luna: You’re not just memorizing words—you’re watching a story.
Allen: Exactly.
Allen: But there’s a catch.
Luna: Oh, here comes the serious part.
Allen: TV and movies don’t always match real-life conversations.
Luna: Yeah, because in real life, people don’t talk like actors in a drama.
Allen: Right.
Allen: In movies, speech is often clearer and more structured.
Allen: Real conversations are messier—more interruptions, faster speech, more slang.
Luna: And sometimes, people just mumble.
Allen: Yep.
Allen: So, while movies help with listening, they don’t fully prepare you for everyday speech.
Luna: Okay, but what about sitcoms?
Luna: They have more natural conversations, right?
Allen: Yeah, sitcoms can be a good choice.
Allen: They use a lot of casual, everyday language.
Luna: And jokes!
Luna: If you understand humor in another language, you’re winning.
Allen: True!
Allen: But even then, it’s still scripted.
Luna: So, what’s the best way to use TV and movies for learning?
Allen: First, pick something with realistic dialogue.
Luna: No fantasy shows with ancient magic spells?
Allen: Probably not the best for daily conversation.
Luna: Unless you want to order coffee like, “Thou shalt giveth me a latte.”
Allen: That would be... interesting.
Allen: But seriously, focus on modern, natural speech.
Luna: And use subtitles wisely!
Allen: Yes!
Allen: Start with subtitles in your language if needed.
Allen: Then switch to English subtitles.
Allen: And eventually, try watching without them.
Luna: And rewatch scenes!
Luna: If you don’t get something the first time, replay it.
Allen: That’s a great tip.
Allen: Now, let’s compare this to real conversations.
Luna: Ah, the scary part.
Allen: Real conversations are harder because you can’t pause or rewind.
Luna: Yeah, and people don’t slow down for you.
Allen: Exactly.
Allen: But the more you practice, the better your brain gets at keeping up.
Luna: So, what’s the verdict?
Allen: Both TV and real conversations are useful.
Luna: But for real-life listening skills, you need real-life practice.
Allen: Yep.
Allen: So, don’t just watch—get out there and talk to people.
Luna: Or at least, listen to real conversations as much as possible.
Allen: That’s the key!

Allen: Let’s be honest.
Allen: Learning to understand fast English can be frustrating.
Luna: Oh, 100%.
Luna: You think you’re making progress, and then—boom!—you hear a native speaker, and it’s game over.
Allen: Yeah, that feeling of “I studied so much, but I still don’t get it.”
Luna: It makes you want to scream into a pillow.
Allen: I get it.
Allen: But here’s the thing—you have to accept that not understanding is part of the process.
Luna: Ugh, I knew you were gonna say something logical.
Allen: Think about it.
Allen: Even in your native language, do you always catch every word people say?
Luna: Hmm… okay, true.
Luna: Sometimes I zone out and miss half a conversation.
Allen: Exactly!
Allen: So, in English, it’s totally normal to miss words.
Allen: The key is to keep listening, even when you don’t understand everything.
Luna: So, you’re saying… just get used to feeling lost?
Allen: Kind of!
Allen: It’s about training your brain to fill in the gaps.
Luna: Okay, but what if someone hears fast English and just feels defeated?
Allen: First, take a deep breath.
Allen: Then, remind yourself—it’s not about understanding 100%.
Allen: It’s about catching the important parts.
Luna: Oof, that reminds me of when I first watched English movies without subtitles.
Luna: I understood, like, 10%.
Allen: And now?
Luna: Now, I still don’t get every word, but I get enough to follow.
Allen: That’s progress!
Allen: And that’s how listening skills improve—little by little.
Luna: Yeah, but people want fast results.
Allen: I get that.
Allen: But listening is like working out.
Allen: You don’t get strong overnight.
Luna: Ugh, don’t remind me about working out.
Allen: Same idea, though!
Allen: If you stay consistent, you’ll improve.
Luna: Okay, so what else can help with frustration?
Allen: Change your focus.
Allen: Instead of thinking, “I don’t understand,” think, “What did I understand?”
Luna: Oh, like focusing on the words you caught instead of the ones you missed?
Allen: Exactly.
Allen: Celebrate the small wins.
Luna: Hmm… I like that.
Luna: But let’s be real, some days will still feel terrible.
Allen: Of course.
Allen: That’s why it’s important to enjoy the process.
Luna: So, find fun ways to practice?
Allen: Yes!
Allen: Listen to things you actually enjoy—music, movies, podcasts.
Luna: Ooh, like this podcast!
Allen: Exactly.
Allen: Learning doesn’t have to feel like work.
Luna: And if all else fails, just remember—it gets easier.
Allen: 100%.
Allen: Keep going, and one day, fast English won’t feel so scary.

Allen: Alright, let’s talk about something really important.
Allen: The one thing that most learners forget when training their listening.
Luna: Ooh, is it “drink more coffee so your brain works faster”?
Allen: Uh… not exactly.
Allen: It’s learning to focus on keywords, not every single word.
Luna: Ohhh, I see where you’re going with this.
Allen: A lot of learners think they have to understand 100% of what they hear.
Luna: But native speakers don’t even listen that way!
Allen: Exactly!
Allen: We don’t process every word.
Allen: We listen for key information.
Luna: Yeah, if someone says, “Yesterday… park… dog… ran away,” I already get the idea.
Allen: Right.
Allen: Even if you miss a few words, you still understand the main point.
Luna: But I think learners panic when they don’t catch everything.
Allen: That’s the problem.
Allen: If you focus too much on one missed word, you lose the rest of the sentence.
Luna: Yeah, and then your brain just freezes.
Allen: Exactly.
Allen: That’s why you have to train yourself to let go of the small details.
Luna: Just relax and catch the important parts?
Allen: Yes!
Allen: And here’s another trick—predict what’s coming next.
Luna: Oh, like guessing what someone will say before they say it?
Allen: Exactly.
Allen: Native speakers do this all the time.
Luna: That’s true.
Luna: If someone says, “I’m so hungry, I really want a…” I already know they’ll say “burger” or “pizza” or something like that.
Allen: Yes!
Allen: Your brain fills in the blanks using context.
Allen: That’s why knowing common phrases helps so much.
Luna: So, instead of listening word by word, listen for patterns?
Allen: Exactly.
Allen: And don’t be afraid to guess.
Luna: Okay, but how do people practice this?
Allen: One way is to listen to short clips and try to catch only the key words.
Luna: Oh, like listen once, then write down just the important words?
Allen: Yes, and then try to reconstruct the meaning.
Luna: That sounds fun.
Luna: Any other tricks?
Allen: Shadowing can help too.
Luna: Ah, repeating what you hear right away?
Allen: Yes.
Allen: It forces your brain to focus on rhythm and key sounds instead of every single detail.
Luna: I like that.
Luna: And it helps with pronunciation too.
Allen: Exactly.
Allen: So, remember—focus on keywords, predict meaning, and train your ears with active listening.
Luna: And don’t stress over missing a few words!
Allen: That’s the key to better listening.

Allen: So, let’s talk about mistakes.
Allen: What are the biggest mistakes people make when practicing listening?
Luna: Oh, I know one.
Luna: Expecting to understand everything immediately.
Allen: Yes!
Allen: A lot of learners get frustrated because they don’t get every word.
Luna: But like we said earlier, even native speakers don’t catch everything.
Allen: Exactly.
Allen: And here’s another mistake—only listening once.
Luna: Oh yeah, that’s a big one.
Luna: If you just listen once and give up, you won’t improve.
Allen: Right.
Allen: You need to listen multiple times to really catch the details.
Luna: And each time, you’ll understand a little more.
Allen: Exactly.
Allen: First, listen for the main idea.
Allen: Then, listen again for key words.
Allen: Finally, listen for small details.
Luna: Yeah, it’s like peeling an onion—layer by layer.
Allen: That’s a great way to put it!
Allen: Now, another mistake—relying too much on subtitles.
Luna: Oof, guilty.
Luna: I used to watch everything with subtitles and thought I was improving.
Allen: But?
Luna: But the moment I turned them off, I was lost.
Allen: That happens to a lot of people.
Allen: Reading is not the same as listening.
Luna: So, what should people do?
Allen: Use subtitles as a tool, not a crutch.
Allen: First, watch with subtitles.
Allen: Then, watch again without them.
Luna: And maybe try repeating key sentences?
Allen: Yes!
Allen: Shadowing is a great way to train your ears.
Luna: Another mistake—sticking to just one type of content.
Allen: Oh yeah, that’s a good one.
Allen: If you only listen to news, you might struggle with casual conversations.
Luna: Or if you only watch movies, real-life speech might feel too fast.
Allen: That’s why variety is important.
Allen: Listen to different voices, accents, and speaking styles.
Luna: And mix it up—podcasts, interviews, movies, even real conversations.
Allen: Exactly!
Allen: And one last mistake—focusing too much on single words instead of overall meaning.
Luna: Oh, that’s a big one.
Luna: If you stop at every word you don’t know, you’ll never finish listening.
Allen: Right.
Allen: It’s better to keep going and guess the meaning from context.
Luna: Yeah, don’t let one unknown word ruin the whole conversation.
Allen: So, to sum up—listen multiple times, don’t rely too much on subtitles, and use different types of content.
Luna: And don’t panic over every single word!
Allen: That’s how you improve listening the right way.

Allen: Alright, let’s wrap things up.
Allen: Today, we talked about why native speakers sound so fast.
Luna: And why knowing a lot of words doesn’t mean you’ll understand them.
Allen: We also shared tips to improve listening skills.
Luna: Like using subtitles wisely, training with different speeds, and focusing on key words.
Allen: Plus, we covered common mistakes to avoid.
Luna: Yeah, like only listening once or relying too much on subtitles.
Allen: Exactly.
Allen: The most important thing is to stay patient and keep practicing.
Luna: Listening takes time, but it gets easier the more you do it.
Allen: So, start small.
Allen: Pick something interesting and just listen.
Luna: And don’t stress if you don’t understand everything!
Allen: Right.
Allen: Focus on progress, not perfection.
Luna: And hey, if you have any thoughts, drop a comment below!
Allen: We’d love to hear how you’re practicing your listening.
Luna: Or if you just want to say hi, that’s cool too.
Allen: Thanks for joining us today.
Luna: And we’ll see you next time!