Balen asks: "Is it possible to become fluent in a language only by listening?"

Episode Summary:

No, you can't become fluent only by listening.

• The Silent Period
• Children listen for years, soaking things up, but still take years of practise to produce coherent English
• Learning English by watching TV
• Immigrants are often silent for years...listening instead

However, listening is the most important skill, and I find myself spending more and more time working on it:

• The role of time
• Active vs Passive Listening

Resources Mentioned In Today's Episode:

• The “Silent Period” in Language Acquisition: Truth or Myth? - a good article that summarises this topic

Start speaking today:

I’d like to thank