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Zhou writes: I'm a loyal English language learner. I've never stopped
learning even after graduation from college. But I'm still unable to
follow English news, for example, news on CCTV 9. Could you please give me
some advice about that, which will help raise my listening comprehension?
Or rather, give an example about how to understand a piece of news?
My comments:
There are two major reasons why we don't understand a
news reader. One, we don't understand their vocabulary - he said
"gobble-dee-gook", or something sounding like that. Two, we don't
understand the subject matter being discussed. If you knew nothing about
basketball, for example, you would have a problem understanding a
discussion on the triangle offense run by the Los Angeles Lakers.
A third problem we face is with the speaker's accent. But this is a
minor problem which usually ceases to be over time - after awhile we get
used to accents, even on CCTV 9.
From your writing, I'm convinced that you have a considerable command
English. Therefore, I don't think vocabulary is a problem for you (if it
is, no worry, just build it). Whether you understand the various subjects
making the news, on the other hand, will determine whether you get a hang
of the news without kinks and hiccups, so to speak.
Let's take an example. This is the top news right now at BBC online,
the international version - Chinese parliament meeting opens (March 5,
2007):
"The meeting of China's legislature - the National People's Congress
(NPC) - has opened in Beijing with a speech by the Prime Minister, Wen
Jiabao.
"Nearly 3,000 delegates are attending the annual two-week
meeting.
"Correspondents say the congress is a symbolic organization
with little power, but it offers a guide to issues at the top of the
government's agenda.
"This year, these include the growing gaps between
rich and poor, and between the cities and the countryside."
Being Chinese and someone who watches news on CCTV 9, you are probably
familiar with news on Chinese politics and Chinese politics doesn't get
any bigger than the National People's Congress. So therefore, if you hear
that piece on the air, you'll probably be able to follow the story through
without trouble. Any of the words like "legislature", "National People's
Congress", "delegates", "correspondents", even if you have trouble
understanding you'll be able to muddle through the whole story satisfied,
knowing that, by and large, you've "Got it".
On the other hand, if you heard this earlier top sports story, West Ham
3-4 Tottenham (March 4, 2007), and you knew nothing about English soccer,
you would perhaps have had a lot of trouble understanding what all the
fuss (names of teams, players and all that jazz) was about.
"Tottenham's Paul Stalteri scored a dramatic injury-time winner as the
visitors came from 2-0 and 3-2 down to deepen West Ham's relegation
worries.
"A Mark Noble strike and a Carlos Tevez free-kick put West Ham
in control before Jermain Defoe scored a penalty after Lee Bowyer fouled
Aaron Lennon.
"Teemu Tainio volleyed Spurs level from Lennon's
audacious flick before West Ham's Bobby Zamora headed in late on.
"But
Dimitar Berbatov scored a free-kick before Stalteri struck on the
break.
"It was a dramatic and cruel end to the game for West Ham - who
looked to be on the verge of their first Premiership win in 11 games when
substitute Zamora headed home Tevez's free-kick in the 85th
minute.
"Victory would have moved bottom club West Ham above Watford
and to within seven points of fourth-from-bottom Wigan.
"But their
failure to consolidate on their 2-0 half-time lead means they have not won
in the Premiership since 17 December and are looking increasing
certainties for relegation."
See what I mean? However, if you were a Spurs fan, all the fuss, or
farce if you will, would have been very exciting indeed.
In short, to be able to follow the news, one needs to broaden one's
knowledge, in additions to having a vocabulary and getting used to
accents. Luckily, this last can be achieved the same way as the first two.
And that is through practice.
All things take a little getting used to, that's
all.
Or, as announcers say, stay tuned.
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