Episode 58: What to Do When You Don’t Understand a Native Speaker

[00:00:00] Welcome to English, please, the podcast where we explore interesting topics in under 10 minutes in clear, intermediate English. I’m your host Christopher. I live in New York City, and I’ve always been passionate about languages and how we learn them. Whether you’re listening on your way to work or while cooking dinner at home, this show is designed to help you with your English listening and comprehension skills.

Thanks so much for being here.

Before we get started, a quick note: if you want extra practice after you listen, you can subscribe to the free English, please newsletter at comullen.com/newsletter. Sign up and you’ll receive a free sample lesson by [00:01:00] email, plus English practice tips and activities with each new episode!

In this episode, I want to talk about something that happens to almost every language learner at some point. You are in a conversation with a native English speaker. Things are going fine, and then suddenly you don’t understand what the person said. Maybe they spoke too fast. Maybe they used an expression you didn’t know. Maybe they didn’t finish their sentence clearly. Whatever the reason, you’re lost, and you freeze.

This is one of the most uncomfortable moments in language learning, and I know this because I study languages, too, and it happens to me sometimes. You nod your head, you smile, and you hope the conversation moves on, but deep down, you know you missed something [00:02:00] important.

The good news is that this is completely normal and there are real strategies you can use when it happens.

The first strategy is simple: ask for repetition. This sounds obvious, but many learners are afraid to do it. They worry it will seem rude or make them look less fluent. But the truth is, asking someone to repeat themselves is completely normal. Native speakers do it all the time. You can say something like, “Sorry, could you say that again?” or simply “Sorry?” with a rising tone. That one word is enough. It’s polite, it’s natural, and no one will think any less of you for using it.

The second strategy is to ask for clarification. This is slightly different from asking for repetition. [00:03:00] Clarification means you heard the words, but you didn’t understand the meaning. In this case, you can say “Sorry, what did you mean by that?” Or “I’m not sure I understood. Can you explain?” These phrases show that you are engaged in the conversation, and most people are happy to explain.

The third strategy is to use what you did understand. Even if you missed part of a sentence, you probably caught some words. Use them. You can say, “So you’re saying that...” and then repeat back what you understood. It shows the other person what you heard and gives them a chance to correct you, if necessary.

The fourth strategy is to be honest. Sometimes, the simplest thing to say is “I’m sorry, my English is still improving. Could you speak a [00:04:00] little more slowly?” Most people will respond with kindness, and they will appreciate your honesty. And a slower speaker is much easier to understand.

Now, here is something important to remember: the reason native English is so hard to understand is often not about vocabulary. It’s about how the words sound together. Native speakers connect words, drop sounds, and speak in a rhythm. “What are you going to do?” becomes “What are you gonna do?” “I don’t know” becomes “I dunno.” These are not mistakes. This is real natural spoken English, and this is exactly why training your ear matters so much. The more you listen to natural spoken English, the more familiar these patterns become.

Over time, your brain starts [00:05:00] to recognize them automatically. Speaking of training your ear, the English Listening Accelerator was designed for exactly this. It is a complete workbook with 10 lessons, audio, exercises, and a full answer key. Each lesson focuses on a different aspect of natural, spoken English. You can try a free sample lesson at comullen.com/listen. That’s c-o-m-u-l-l-e-n.com/listen. And if you want the full workbook, it’s just $7!

Again, I’m Christopher and I want to invite you to join me in future episodes of English, please to hear about a variety of topics all focused on helping you with your English. Subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts, and let’s continue this adventure together in clear, understandable English.

Sincere thanks as always for your support.

See you [00:06:00] soon!