Today I used my earphones again for the first time in weeks during my daily walk. Of course, not to listen to German podcasts, but to practice English – to protect myself from losing the fine things I’ve learned over the past few months.
No, I didn’t talk to myself or record anything. Instead, I focused on strengthening my understanding. As you know, that’s always been my biggest weakness when it comes to learning English.
I’m afraid I’ll never become great at understanding spoken English. Why? Well, my listening skills in German aren’t great either, especially when it comes to films or the radio.
What are the reasons for this personal drawback? Maybe it’s my age – or ADD, which I have diagnosed myself with recently, after it became one of those “modern diseases.” Honestly, I think that explanation is quite realistic.
I remember struggling to concentrate at school and at university. Still, when I had to listen to lectures, it wasn’t always a problem. If the topic really interested me, I could focus completely and become deeply involved – up to the point when a new idea was triggered by what the speaker said. Then I’d get distracted, lost in my own thoughts, and no longer following the lecture.