English Listening | 提高听力


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中文 (English version follows)

职场话题 （3）：有意识地提高英语

周围不少人包括美国人说我说英语不错，特别是语音语调 。可是我自己知道，我有一个很大的缺陷就是，口语还行，但在正式场合表达还不够多样、不够严谨、不够专业。 我很长一段时间觉得这是我工作上没有突破天花板的一个重大原因之一， 回头一看，也不全是。

职场语言障碍的领悟

多年以前，我一直以为如果英语是我的本族语，我的工作肯定能上一个台阶。直到有一天，我唯一一个职场老美好朋友说不是。我们合作过一个大项目，我是lead，她是工作人员之一。当我千头万绪把几个吵架的部门一大群人弄在一起，按时超量而且大家都很愉快地完成了高层给的任务时，高层专门开了一个小型的庆祝会。高管说完之后，我是第一个被邀上台讲几句的，我有点准备，之前列了几点重点，其他临场发挥，我自己觉得我说的挺好的。

可是当我的白男老板在我之后也说几句时，我都惊呆了。我说的就像是自己都做了10件又重要又难的事，但表达出来好像才做了1-2件事，而且轻描淡写的、充分体现团队合作的集体精神。我老板那架势就好像他只做了1-2件微小的事，但到了他口中就像是他做了10件拯救地球的重要事，关键人家说得也不让人觉得他自大。

我有些气馁，完全不是因为老板抢功（谁都知道我是这个项目的领头人，但我们都是他的团队，所以都是他的成绩，这个我早就不在乎了）。我气馁甚至有点羡慕的是，同样一件事，人家怎么说得那么有条理、那么激动人心、那么看向未来（forward-thinking），而且我还是准备过的呢。

我的老美朋友说，这不是本族语者的问题，这是个人的问题，你看看周围有那么多本族语者，也没有几个能这么说话的呀。你看看某某，也是能说会道的，但也是进不了圈子。你再看看某某，都不爱说话，但是和高层是朋友，火箭一样就升上去了。 老美说的当然总体的流畅感比我们好，但能不能说的面面俱到、逻辑缜密，还是得分人而且得要有机会不断训练的。我以前会纠结的口音其实没那么重要（看印度人），思想表达的复杂性和到点子上才更重要（还是看印度人）。

我想想真是，我要在中国混，也不会是一个很好的演讲者，不会让人听了觉得我就是一个很能“煽情”（褒义）、很有思想的人。语言表达得有综合能力包括天赋、性格、口才、学识等。我天赋一般，性格已难改，口才表达和学识还有点希望提高，那就开始吧。我这些年看了很多职场的书，收获巨大，点明了心中很多疑惑，很多道理浅显但有时自己就是看不清楚，需要借助外力。

我这几年却开始了听书提高英语。我的目的早就已经不是为了升职，而是有几个目的：1）快餐文化和生活忙碌后，我越来越没法静下心来读书，听书能让我结合到散步和开车里去； 2）我想提高复杂的口语表达，那听懂复杂一点的材料是基础，升不升职已经安心地躺平了，但就是喜欢自己说话表达清晰、逻辑缜密的样子，为自己提高，还能培养专注力； 4）最重要的一点是想让眼睛多休息，有时晚上听了会迷糊过去睡着也挺好。

听力训练工具

泛听：我听英文最多的是Amazon Audible, 下载它的APP到手机就行，它有两个选择。一个是初级版(Audible Plus)，30天免费无限试听，之后每个月收费7.95无限。另一个是升级版(Audible Premium Plus)，也是30天免费无限试听，之后是每月收费14.95，不同与初级版的是，它每个月可以留存收藏一本书，还经常有各种30%off的折扣。 两个都有很多的选择，可以放心免费试听一个月，一个月前亚麻会email问你要续约嘛，到时不喜欢了可取消，但很多人听着会从习惯到入迷。

比如我听过的几本经典书：

1.Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High

2.Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Values, and Spiritual Growth

3.The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

4.Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

5.Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen: The Essential Conversations You Need to Have with Your Kids

精听：我用NPR有文字的节目（一个星期后都会出文字），第一第二遍专注地听内容，如果有1-2个单词听不出来去再看文字，有时是生词就查一下写在本子上可复习，有时其实都不是生词，但会因为各种原因没听出来，比如语速和口音等。 我的目的是死磕，精听就要能100%的听懂和能写下来，我基本第一次就能容易地做到了。

我是一个星期打卡2-3次，每次15-30分钟的精听几个节目，然后 Google Spreadsheet 纪录（我有个spreadsheet纪录我喜欢的几件事比如听书、锻炼、养生等，每月每年一看那些数字有惊喜有加油，跟数钱似的，数字越高越好，就是单纯喜欢自己能“想到做到”的状态）。

我经常刻意选了我不太熟悉的政治节目，这样能有新单词和新知识，比如这个：https://www.npr.org/2022/06/09/1103764247/republican-liz-cheneys-leading-role-in-jan-6-hearings-threatens-her-own-future

有时也听其他的轻松，比如这个访谈：https://www.npr.org/2016/06/24/482837932/read-the-transcript

我没有用YouTube来精听，因为看录像容易分心，而且眼睛容易累， 查某个单词也不太方便。

慢速精听：如果英语基础比较差或想听语速慢点，你可以听VOA Special English, 这是全世界很多学英语的人的起步， 国内英语专业的新生很多是要求到能边听边写下每一个字。可以给自己一个可行的计划，坚持就会进步。

English Version

Career Insights (3): The Conscious Pursuit of English Mastery of Listening

Many people around me, including Americans, tell me my English is quite good—especially my pronunciation and intonation. However, I am acutely aware of a significant flaw: while my conversational English is fine, my expression in formal settings lacks diversity, rigor, and professional "polish." For a long time, I believed this was a major reason I hadn't broken through the professional "glass ceiling." Looking back now, I realize that wasn't the whole story.

Realizations on Language Barriers in the Workplace

Years ago, I assumed that if English were my native tongue, my career would naturally reach the next level. Then, a close American friend and colleague told me otherwise. We were collaborating on a major project; I was the lead, and she was a team member. When I finally managed to align several bickering departments and successfully complete a high-pressure task—ahead of schedule and with high morale—the executives held a small celebration.

I was the first person invited to say a few words. I had prepared some notes and improvised the rest. I felt I did a good job.

But when my boss (a white male) spoke after me, I was stunned. In my speech, I sounded like I had done ten difficult, important things, but it came across as if I’d only done one or two—it was understated and perhaps too focused on "team effort." My boss, on the other hand, spoke as if he had done two small things, but in his retelling, it sounded like he had performed ten world-saving feats. The kicker? He didn't sound arrogant at all.

I felt discouraged—not because he was taking credit (everyone knew I led the project, and as his team, our success was his success), but because I was envious. How could someone take the same set of facts and make them sound so structured, so inspiring, and so forward-thinking? And I was the one who had actually prepared!

My friend told me: "This isn't a 'native speaker' issue; it's a personal skill issue. Look around—plenty of native speakers can’t talk like that. Look at so-and-so; he's articulate but still can't break into the inner circle. Look at the other guy; he barely speaks, yet he’s friends with the execs and is rising like a rocket."

Native speakers naturally have better flow, but the ability to be comprehensive, logically rigorous, and persuasive depends on the individual and their access to continuous training. The accent I used to obsess over isn't actually that important (look at many successful Indian professionals); the complexity of thought and the ability to hit the "nail on the head" are what truly matter.

I realized that even if I were working in China, I wouldn't naturally be a "charismatic" orator. Effective communication is a synthesis of talent, personality, eloquence, and knowledge. My talent is average and my personality is set, but my eloquence and knowledge can still be improved. So, I began. Over the years, I’ve read many career-focused books that cleared up my confusion and shed light on simple truths I couldn't see on my own.

Recently, I’ve turned to "listening" to books to improve my English. My goal is no longer about a promotion, but rather:

1.Integration: In a world of "fast-food" culture, I struggle to sit and read. Audiobooks allow me to learn while walking or driving.

2.Complexity: To master complex oral expression, I must first understand complex material. I’ve embraced "lying flat" regarding promotions, but I still love the feeling of being articulate and logically sound. It’s for my own growth and focus.

3.Rest: It gives my eyes a break, and occasionally listening at night helps me drift off to sleep.

Tools for Listening Training

Extensive Listening: I primarily use Amazon Audible. There are two tiers: Audible Plus (unlimited streaming of a select catalog) and Audible Premium Plus (which includes credits to keep books forever). It’s easy to try for 30 days and cancel if it's not for you, but many find it addictive once the habit sticks.

Recommended Classics:

1. Crucial Conversations
2. The Road Less Traveled
3. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
4. Atomic Habits
5. Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen

Intensive Listening: I use NPR programs that provide transcripts. I listen once or twice for content. If I miss a word, I check the text. Sometimes it’s a new vocabulary word; other times, it’s a word I know but missed due to speed or accent. My goal is "100% comprehension"—being able to write down exactly what was said.

I "check in" 2–3 times a week for 15–30 minutes and track my progress in a Google Spreadsheet. I track my listening, exercise, and health habits. Seeing those numbers grow month over month gives me a sense of accomplishment—like watching a bank account grow. I simply love the state of "doing what I said I would do."

I often deliberately choose political programs I’m less familiar with to learn new vocabulary and perspectives. I avoid YouTube for intensive listening because the video is distracting, my eyes strained, and checking transcripts is less convenient.

Slow Intensive Listening:
For those building a foundation, VOA Special English is the gold standard. It’s how many English majors start—listening until they can transcribe every single word.

Set a feasible plan. Persistence is the only way to progress.