(2015-11-16, 10:45 pm)PotbellyPig Wrote: The speech is fast and slurred in anime and jdrama with jdrama being the worst offender.

It could be that the problem lies with the actor/actress ability to speaking one's lines smoothly, and not with your ears or listening comprehension.

滑舌が悪いと思う芸能人
http://girlschannel.net/topics/135951/
Looking at that webpage, there are a quite a lot of them, of which I suspect there are more artistes/"talento" that are not listed due to the nature of "Japanese way of self-censorship" so as not to incur the fearful risk of the fans displeasure and wrath.

I've been working on my listening comprehension too lately-- I have a two weak spots. One, I need a higher vocabulary. The other problem is I've only been getting my listening from anime, which is scripted and clear and mostly dialogue. So other media like variety shows, news, interviews, etc are harder to understand.

I thought I'd share some resources I've found that might be helpful to others too.

Japanese history videos
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL..._Jn8-dJl-7

A youtube channel with many science related news videos, which I believe was linked somewhere else on this forum
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHpFyLQ...ZuFyby7RbQ

Some more 実況プレー . This guy does a lot of Zelda games, I watched the Triforce 1 and 2 series
https://www.youtube.com/user/sena7329/playlists

Some anime art tutorials, mostly with nice narration.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB8gUdH...aou95RQvQw

A youtube channel with radio dramas.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5Q2m3Z...SyA/videos

I also saw a lot of audiobook videos on youtube when I searched 朗読
I'm sure that when I tried that a few years ago I didn't really find anything, but there seems to be stuff now.

Japanesepod101
Hmm, I started listening to this too. I like how they repeat the dialogues and explain the vocab and phrases. I've started with lower intermediate, which is really easy, but I'm still hearing some valuable stuff I haven't heard other places, like postcard writing and wedding vows. Since I find listening harder than reading, I think I can benefit even from simple lessons.

@yukamina
Thanks for the links! That history themed one looks like a good addition to my 'replace English language TV documentaries' list. And yeah, jstscience is great (in fact, I just linked to one of their videos on the previous page).

You are way ahead of me in your learning so I don't know if this is too basic for you.  But I just started listening to Japanese pod 101's dialogs.  What is good about them is they are like graded readers, so you can pick a level that you can follow along comfortably then progress to higher levels as you get better.  I'm guessing you won't be starting with the beginner dialogs and probably not even the intermediate, but maybe the advanced audio blogs aren't too basic that you can get some good practice.

(2015-12-08, 2:04 pm)yogert909 Wrote: You are way ahead of me in your learning so I don't know if this is too basic for you.  But I just started listening to Japanese pod 101's dialogs.  What is good about them is they are like graded readers, so you can pick a level that you can follow along comfortably then progress to higher levels as you get better.  I'm guessing you won't be starting with the beginner dialogs and probably not even the intermediate, but maybe the advanced audio blogs aren't too basic that you can get some good practice.

Thanks for the suggestion.  I tried Erin's challenge as Chris suggested and went through the first ten chapters (the sections he suggested) in a night.  It's a bit on the easy side.  I'm thinking there is no substitute for native materials that I've used such as anime. dramas and newscasts.  I may use some N1 listening materials again since that may be closer to native sources than other things.  I like watching the news but get caught with stories with a lot with political and economic vocabulary.  I guess as I build that up, it'll become a bit easier.

As an update, I've been watching the nightly NHK news most nights and I'm getting much better at it. However, for a change of pace, I tried a Jdrama I was interested in and I was blown away by the speed of speech. It seems at a different level altogether. Vocabulary isn't usually the issue, it's the speed. The NHK news seems tame in comparison. I guess how they speak on the newscasts at one speed and you can concentrate on the subject being discussed at the time makes it easier to understand. It's just a bit annoying that after thinking you make some progress, you get thrown for a loop again.

If you wanna be thrown through a real loop, try variety shows! @_@ They blow me away.

Great job on listening improvement Potbelly Pig!

I had mentioned this resource at the N3 thread but this thread seems more appropriate as this is for listening improvement. It contains jlpt listening quizzes and other listenining improvement activities.
mic-J AV Resources for Japanese Language Instruction @ Tokyo Metropolitan University website

(2016-01-08, 11:53 pm)RawrPk Wrote: If you wanna be thrown through a real loop, try variety shows! @_@ They blow me away.

Variety shows are pretty good listening practice, but I have a mixed track record with them. Either they suck me in completely and i can't stop watching, or I just get bored out of my mind in the first few minutes and can't keep watching. Not sure if it's my attitude when I come into a show or the shows themselves.

In any case, the liberal splashes of subtitles tend to make them easy to follow even if your listening comprehension is mediocre. Usually. Sometimes they get pretty weird and start using some obscure vocabulary. Usually the dialogue is pretty normal though, if very fast and often slangy.

Your mileage might vary, but I've found these kind of kana to meaning/kanji cards pretty helpful:

http://forum.koohii.com/thread-13063-pos...#pid225540

After all, "knowing" a word when the kanji are screaming out the meaning and understanding from just its pronunciation is quite different.

(2016-01-09, 1:10 am)SomeCallMeChris Wrote:

(2016-01-08, 11:53 pm)RawrPk Wrote: If you wanna be thrown through a real loop, try variety shows! @_@ They blow me away.

Variety shows are pretty good listening practice, but I have a mixed track record with them. Either they suck me in completely and i can't stop watching, or I just get bored out of my mind in the first few minutes and can't keep watching. Not sure if it's my attitude when I come into a show or the shows themselves.

In any case, the liberal splashes of subtitles tend to make them easy to follow even if your listening comprehension is mediocre. Usually. Sometimes they get pretty weird and start using some obscure vocabulary. Usually the dialogue is pretty normal though, if very fast and often slangy.

This is the same as the news where they put a good amount of text on the screen.  I'm going to try to mix in some drama and variety shows with my news viewing.  The speed at which they speak in dramas is making me lose confidence, though.

Audiobooks -- FeBe. I've started a separate thread on that. And just let it wash over you. You can look up words when they recur if you want, but don't study it. Just let it wash over you. Listen to the same thing multiple times. But just try to enjoy getting as much as you can, whether movies or books. I have Japanese itunes and get a bunch of movies on a regular basis. Pretty easy if you have apple tv.

(2016-01-10, 7:12 am)Saruyatsu Wrote: Audiobooks -- FeBe.  I've started a separate thread on that.  And just let it wash over you.  You can look up words when they recur if you want, but don't study it.  Just let it wash over you.  Listen to the same thing multiple times.  But just try to enjoy getting as much as you can, whether movies or books.  I have Japanese itunes and get a bunch of movies on a regular basis.  Pretty easy if you have apple tv.

I may try an audio book but I have a feeling from when I listened to one briefly a while ago,  that the pronunciation is clear and at a slower pace.  I think I am having more trouble with things like movies and jdramas where the speech is fast and slurred.

(2016-01-10, 11:48 am)PotbellyPig Wrote:

(2016-01-10, 7:12 am)Saruyatsu Wrote: Audiobooks -- FeBe.  I've started a separate thread on that.  And just let it wash over you.  You can look up words when they recur if you want, but don't study it.  Just let it wash over you.  Listen to the same thing multiple times.  But just try to enjoy getting as much as you can, whether movies or books.  I have Japanese itunes and get a bunch of movies on a regular basis.  Pretty easy if you have apple tv.

I may try an audio book but I have a feeling from when I listened to one briefly a while ago,  that the pronunciation is clear and at a slower pace.  I think I am having more trouble with things like movies and jdramas where the speech is fast and slurred.

What do you think about increasing the speed on the audiobooks to help adjust that way?

(2016-01-10, 2:25 pm)yukamina Wrote:

(2016-01-10, 11:48 am)PotbellyPig Wrote:

(2016-01-10, 7:12 am)Saruyatsu Wrote: Audiobooks -- FeBe.  I've started a separate thread on that.  And just let it wash over you.  You can look up words when they recur if you want, but don't study it.  Just let it wash over you.  Listen to the same thing multiple times.  But just try to enjoy getting as much as you can, whether movies or books.  I have Japanese itunes and get a bunch of movies on a regular basis.  Pretty easy if you have apple tv.

I may try an audio book but I have a feeling from when I listened to one briefly a while ago,  that the pronunciation is clear and at a slower pace.  I think I am having more trouble with things like movies and jdramas where the speech is fast and slurred.

What do you think about increasing the speed on the audiobooks to help adjust that way?

I'll try that.  But right now I think I'll stick to watching the news and a drama when I can.  Along with anki,  I'm already putting in so many hours a day with this.  I stopped studying new vocabulary words in anki for a while to trim down reviews but after doing 33 words a day for several years, it's going to take a while to par down the deck.  I may even stop the news for a while and just do dramas but they are a bit frustrating due to the speed and slurring that has been mentioned previously.

What about the good old ajatt headphone immersion stuff? Even just having something playing while you do your reviews would be useful here. An easy way to get hours of listening practice in during times you are otherwise occupied?

Out of curiosity, which drama did you try to watch that gave you so much trouble?

(2016-01-11, 1:29 am)kameden Wrote: Out of curiosity, which drama did you try to watch that gave you so much trouble?

It seems most dramas are giving me some trouble.  The one I am watching now is "Rich man poor woman". I can repeat some dialogs multiple times and still not catch some of the words.

(2016-01-11, 9:51 am)PotbellyPig Wrote:

(2016-01-11, 1:29 am)kameden Wrote: Out of curiosity, which drama did you try to watch that gave you so much trouble?

It seems most dramas are giving me some trouble.  The one I am watching now is "Rich man poor woman". I can repeat some dialogs multiple times and still not catch some of the words.

This is a good case where native subtitled shows can help. I did two full seasons of 相棒 using J-subs, and it's made the subsequent, subtitle-less season easier to comprehend. My listening's still not perfect for this show, but the subtitle reviews helped a lot.

(2016-01-11, 6:41 pm)gaiaslastlaugh Wrote:

(2016-01-11, 9:51 am)PotbellyPig Wrote:

(2016-01-11, 1:29 am)kameden Wrote: Out of curiosity, which drama did you try to watch that gave you so much trouble?

It seems most dramas are giving me some trouble.  The one I am watching now is "Rich man poor woman". I can repeat some dialogs multiple times and still not catch some of the words.

This is a good case where native subtitled shows can help. I did two full seasons of 相棒 using J-subs, and it's made the subsequent, subtitle-less season easier to comprehend. My listening's still not perfect for this show, but the subtitle reviews helped a lot.

Yes, I try to get Japanese subtitles for the shows I am watching.  I wouldn't be able to make out everything without it.

(2016-01-10, 8:04 pm)kendo99 Wrote: What about the good old ajatt headphone immersion stuff? Even just having something playing while you do your reviews would be useful here. An easy way to get hours of listening practice in during times you are otherwise occupied?

Best way to improve your 発音 but you can still only pick up words you know. Those shows will serve you best after you've already studied them. at least in my experience. The pronunciation benefit by itself is worth it as long as the constant streaming isn't interfering with your other life.

I just saw a good deal on the White Rabbit Press! Tokyo Realtime: Akihabara Audio Guided Walking Tour is on sale for $2.50! Seems like an awesome way to immerse Japanese

http://shop.whiterabbitjapan.com/search?q=walking+tour

Nvm it's a auditory tour/map! My bad xD

I found this site http://delvinlanguage.com/

It's basically an online flashcard system for listening practice. Clips used from various native media (mostly drama and anime but I saw a commercial too). For some reason, I was having the most difficult time hearing 「失礼します」. I actually have a lot of trouble hearing certain words as I feel like it is almost slurring but it could be just me not used to the speed of native speech.

Hope this helps!

37k words? Wtf dude! lol

But now I'm really interested. You said you've been adding about 33 words daily, right? Didn't your reviews begin to pile up like crazy at any point?

I'm asking this because I've been thinking about adding 30-35 amount of words on a daily basis, but I'm afraid it'll become a little overwhelming in the long run unless I take a long break at one point. Reviewing stuff on Anki is a pain in the ass, Lately, I've been spending a little more than 1 hour on Anki every day. I can't help but think that's 1 hour I could spend improving my reading comprehension, which would be a whole lot more entertaining.

Heh, I was hitting the hour-a-day mark just recently, and I chopped my new-words count right down to bring it under control (50/day to 5/day). I figure a smaller vocab-adding rate and reviews I can cope with is better than a rate that looks great right up to the point where it falls off a cliff because I give up on reviewing...

I plan to ramp up a bit again once I've had a breather.

(2016-02-16, 9:48 am)FlameseeK Wrote: 37k words? Wtf dude! lol

But now I'm really interested. You said you've been adding about 33 words daily, right? Didn't your reviews begin to pile up like crazy at any point?

I'm asking this because I've been thinking about adding 30-35 amount of words on a daily basis, but I'm afraid it'll become a little overwhelming in the long run unless I take a long break at one point. Reviewing stuff on Anki is a pain in the ass, Lately, I've been spending a little more than 1 hour on Anki every day. I can't help but think that's 1 hour I could spend improving my reading comprehension, which would be a whole lot more entertaining.

After a few years it got to around the 700-800 review count.   I've taken a break for a few weeks from new words like I stated so it went down to around 550 recently.   But I read a lot of light novels and did listening practice recently so I have a 700 word backlog.  I should probably clear it out.  Right now if I read around a 300 page light novel, I can add ant 50 words.   I can remember back to the day when it would be hundreds.