How to Use Listening Comprehension Videos
We have created an archive of videos for listening comprehension here at My Bilingual Life. I would like to offer you some suggestions on how to use these videos to help you learn Spanish. Each of our videos will include a link to our website where you can find resources to enhance your learning as well.
First Steps
First, I would listen to the listening comprehension video one time. I would take notes of any words that I did not understand or anything that was confusing to me. If you are a beginning student and only understood a few words, then you might write down the words that you could understand. You can always listen to the video a second time if necessary. Check the description. Some videos may have a short video that highlights some of the vocabulary or related videos that you could watch next.
Next, I would visit the website for the resources for each video. The transcript for the video will be available on this page. Personally, I would print the transcript and keep that in my language learning binder. I would listen to the listening comprehension video again while reading along with the transcript at least two times. As I am doing this, I would make notes of any pronunciations that are new to me or things that I did not understand.
At this point, if there are words you don’t know you have a couple of options. The first option is that you could look up the words to find the translation. I suggest that you write down these words as they will stick in your brain better if you write them down. Another option would be to listen to the English version of the video and see if you can figure out the meanings. I would suggest that you don’t listen to the English version of the video until you have listened to the Spanish version several times.
Finally, I would practice reading the transcript aloud without the support of the video. Also, if you have any questions or would like some additional support, you may leave a comment on the video or on the website and I will help as best I can. Then you can choose which video you want to listen to next. Remember to check the video description or the webpage as we will provide links to related videos.
Further Study
For further study, many of the videos will have a link to purchase an activity pack on Teachers Pay Teachers (there will also be some free downloads as well). These activities will include the transcript, some vocabulary exercises, some comprehension exercises, and more. There will be several options of things you can do to extend your learning on each video. Please be patient as we are working to complete this archive. If the download isn’t available yet, please feel free to contact us. We are working to get everything readily available, but not everything is uploaded yet.
