Prior to the 1980s, our level of English listening was low.
There were few opportunities and machines for this. Most of the time we only listened to slow conversational tapes. The only live English language broadcast was FEN by the U.S. military in Japan. Otherwise, we had to listen to shortwave broadcasts. There was an excellent Sony shortwave radio, but the sound was not good.
In contrast, today there is an overwhelming increase in opportunities and machines. Listening is now required more and more in college entrance exams. However, the speed of the local language cannot possibly keep up with the speed at which it is spoken at the entrance exam level.
The best way is to become accustomed to the speed of the local language. Fortunately, with the development of personal computers, it is possible to watch live TV news with images. The following will give you an idea of the world news.
Please note the following cautions in doing so. One is that English is difficult to listen to. I have also learned German and Turkish, and English has a more subtle pronunciation than those two, and takes much longer to get used to. It is five times harder than Turkish and twice as hard as German.
Another thing is that you will not hear words you do not know. This is especially true for phrases of idioms. This means that you have to steadily increase your vocabulary. To reach a certain level of proficiency, you need at least 10,000 words.
If you learn 10 words a day, you will have 3,600 words in a year, and 10,000 in three years.
In the end, the only way is to have fun and keep at it. Unlike in the past, it is much easier to do it while looking at the images.
CNN:http://atdhe.net/tv/watch_cnn_international.html
-CNN is the international news version of the leading U.S. news broadcaster.
BBC: http://atdhe.net/watch-bbc-news.php
The BBC is a world-renowned British broadcaster. The pronunciation is different from the American one. Once you get used to this, you will feel comfortable. Australia and other Commonwealth countries are basically pronounced in the British system.
FRANCE24: http://www.france24.com/en/aef_player_popup/france24_player#
France24 is the only English-language broadcaster in France. Interestingly, the pronunciation is British.
AL Jazeere: http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/
-This has nothing to do with Al Qaida. It is world news from the Middle East. It tries to compete with CNN by broadcasting in a neutral way.
Deutsche Welle: http://tinyurl.com/26nulfd
The only English-language broadcaster in Germany. There is a German version, too..
