One of the interesting things I've found in picking up a few languages is that listening to a foreign language is quite different from reading one.
When listening, especially to a recording (that is, you can't simply ask someone to repeat themselves, though you can usually replay a passage), when I hear a word I don't immediately recognise or am unfamiliar with ... my mind just sort of skips over it. Often I have some idea of meaning (previous encounters, or more often, context), even if that's vague. When reading, however, strange words cause me to stumble and I'll slow considerably. Consequence is that I can listen faster than I can read.
The dual option of listening and reading simultaneously is particularly effective, and I'm fond of options (often podcasts) which offer both audio and text transcripts to read along. This also seems to be more useful for expanding my language skills.
In non-native languages, often not.
One of the interesting things I've found in picking up a few languages is that listening to a foreign language is quite different from reading one.
When listening, especially to a recording (that is, you can't simply ask someone to repeat themselves, though you can usually replay a passage), when I hear a word I don't immediately recognise or am unfamiliar with ... my mind just sort of skips over it. Often I have some idea of meaning (previous encounters, or more often, context), even if that's vague. When reading, however, strange words cause me to stumble and I'll slow considerably. Consequence is that I can listen faster than I can read.
The dual option of listening and reading simultaneously is particularly effective, and I'm fond of options (often podcasts) which offer both audio and text transcripts to read along. This also seems to be more useful for expanding my language skills.