{"id":50068,"date":"2021-03-25T01:15:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-25T01:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/127.0.0.1\/aee\/listening-fast-funny-story\/"},"modified":"2023-04-25T15:39:19","modified_gmt":"2023-04-25T15:39:19","slug":"listening-fast-funny-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/listening-fast-funny-story\/","title":{"rendered":"AEE 1545: How to Understand a Fast and Funny Story in English"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you ever have a hard time keeping up with a story that somebody is telling in English? <\/p>\n

Do you try to listen and pay attention and still feel as though you are missing important details somehow? <\/p>\n

We have heard students say that they have a hard time following stories, and that they often get hung up on missing one word or detail. <\/p>\n

This is why we created conversations and coffee\u2014this is the only place to listen to fast group English conversation. <\/p>\n

No other teachers or resources are helping with this, and as you will see it can be a really wonderful thing when you put it to work for you. <\/p>\n

You can get a subscription and enjoy weekly conversations, hear more about our personal stories, and take things a step further at Conversations and Coffee with AEE<\/a><\/p>\n

So today we\u2019re talking about how to focus on the important details of a story, and take in what you can when somebody is speaking fast. <\/p>\n

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Struggling To Keep Up<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Do you ever struggle to keep up with a story? <\/p>\n

Does it feel as if the details are coming at you too fast? <\/p>\n

It can be hard when you are listening to somebody tell you something and you can\u2019t quite keep up. <\/p>\n

This is particularly frustrating when you\u2019re learning English, but it can be that way even for natives. <\/p>\n

When you find yourself in this situation, as we all do, then you really have to learn to focus on what is truly important.<\/p>\n

If the person that is telling the story speaks fast, then it can be hard to keep up and focus on everything that you are saying. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the important thing to remember though\u2014sometimes you can\u2019t possibly keep up with every detail and that\u2019s perfectly okay. <\/p>\n

The idea is to learn to listen to a fast or funny story and focus on the really important parts. <\/p>\n

This comes with practice and also comes with letting go of any stress that you may feel, and instead focusing on the parts that are truly important. <\/p>\n

Even natives may struggle to keep up with a story, and this is when you will learn that there are two strategies that can help you to stay focused. <\/p>\n

Today we will talk about two strategies for keeping up with a story. <\/p>\n

1. Gist<\/em><\/strong>: This means to take in the main idea or the major points of something. Rather than trying to take in every single detail that comes your way, you are instead only focused on the gist or the main idea. You can get the gist of something if you take away the main ideas that are pertinent to the story and to your understanding. <\/p>\n

2. Tone<\/em><\/strong>: You want to listen to the type of tone that the speaker is using. You can usually tell pretty quickly if it\u2019s a funny story, if it\u2019s a serious story, or if they are trying to tell you something really important. Listening to the tone of the speaker can help you to focus in on what they are trying to tell you. <\/p>\n

If you can remember these two strategies and use them moving forward, then you will be successful at keeping up with whatever comes your way. <\/p>\n

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Focusing On What Is Truly Important<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Those two strategies of gist and tone are so important for understanding a story someone is telling. <\/p>\n

Basically this allows you to slow down and take the pressure off of yourself. <\/p>\n

So even if the speaker is going quickly or you feel as though it\u2019s really hard to keep up, you have a couple of key things to focus on. <\/p>\n

You no longer have to be on the edge of your seat or stressed out about catching every little thing that is said. <\/p>\n

Think about this\u2013when you listen to a story, do you listen to EVERY single detail extremely closely? <\/p>\n

Maybe sometimes, like if you had to take notes for some reason. <\/p>\n

Most of the time though, you likely don\u2019t have to take notes or keep track of everything that is being said. <\/p>\n

Life isn\u2019t always like that, though and sometimes you do the best that you can. <\/p>\n

It is most important to understand the general idea of the story. <\/p>\n

If you spend your time constantly rewinding, getting frustrated if you don\u2019t understand a word, or hung up on the tiny details, you will miss the overall important topic of the story. <\/p>\n

When we listen to a story, we want to get to the two main points which are:<\/p>\n