NAME : DELITYA ISLAMY PUTRIE

NIM : F1021171027

SUBJECT : SPEAKING FOR ACADEMIC PRESENTATION

CLASS : B / Drs. Sy. Husin,M.Pd

Why Watching Movies is not a Best Way to Improve Our Listening Skill=
I bet you, you have to hear this question for many times from the learners who want to improve
their listening skill. They are mostly ask, “How is the best way to improve our listening skill?”. So,
practically your teacher or most people will answer by watching an English movie. But, I think this is not
the best way. Why? But First let me ask you this question, what is the differences between hearing and
listening. So, by hearing, you have not to pay attention. But, by listening, you have to pay attention to what
you are listen. So, let me give you an example. When you turn on to the radio and you paying attention to
the sound from the radio and then, that is listening. But, when you turn on the radio and then doing
something else or another activity like reading a book and that is just hearing. You can hear the sound from
the radio, but you are not paying attention to it.

Now, let’s talk about watching movies cannot improve our listening. Some learners or maybe us
mostly watching the movies with subtitle. Yes, I know you are watching an English movie, but you will
add the subtitle to your movies, right? Why? Because, if we remove the subtitle, we will not understand to
the movies that we are watching. And, if we watch a movie with subtitle, your brain has two choices. First
option is to focus on reading the subtitles or the second option is to focus on listening to the sound. Now, I
have a question for you. Which option do you think your brain will choose? The first option or the second?
Reading or Listening? Well, the answer is too obvious. Your brain will choose to the first option. Because
it is much easier and the text on the screen is clear. So, it’s easy for your brain to process it.

So, when you watch the movies with subtitle, you are not really improving your listening skill, but
you are actually improving your reading skill and that’s why it doesn’t work. So, what should you do? Well,
here is my suggestion. Don’t try to improve your listening skill by watching movies, just watching it for
fun. And again if you want to improve your listening, make sure that you are really listening not just hearing.
You need to make sure that you are paying attention.