Some months ago, I installed the Woodpecker app and have used it occasionally but didn’t take the time to get familiar with it. Now I’ve found that it’s a good app for training comprehension. There are short videos of all kinds that can immerse you in different dialects on various subjects, and I’m thinking about how to use it most effectively. There are many methods, I guess, but the developers give no hints on how to use it successfully. Trying lots of possibilities to find the best one would be inefficient—it wouldn’t work. Therefore, I devised a strategy that seems best for my current level. My problem? Understanding.
1. I will start by listening while reading the transcript simultaneously.
2. I will scan the transcript for vocabulary I don’t know exactly.
3. I will listen again without reading.
4. I will listen to it again at a slightly higher speed relative to the speaker’s normal pace.
5. I will increase the speed just until it begins to sound unnatural.
I chose the last two phases based on my ability to understand speech in my mother tongue at relatively high speeds. In the first phase, I focused on TED Talks (scripted but freely spoken). Then I will move on to more natural content—general podcasts (not scripted or typical language-learning shows). Finally, I will move on to movies with very casual English. I will apply this method for four weeks and then review how it worked—that is, until the end of July.