For most adults, reading is the easier place to start: you set the pace, the words are already separated, and you can look one up. One study found learners picked up far fewer new words from listening alone than from reading. Listening still needs its own practice, because knowing a word in print doesn't mean you'll catch it in speech.
Why is listening harder than reading for beginners?
On paper, listening should be easier. Paul Nation's analysis of English found that speech relies more on common words than writing does: about 6,000–7,000 word families give 98% coverage of conversation, against 8,000–9,000 for novels. But he adds a warning. Speech is transitory, so a listener may need even higher coverage than a reader to cope.
His numbers show why. At 95% coverage, a listener meets about 7 unfamiliar words in every minute of speech at 150 words a minute. Even at 98%, that is 3 a minute, and none of them waits for you. A reader with the same gaps can slow down, reread the sentence or look the word up.
There is also the problem of hearing where words begin and end. In a study by Brown, Waring and Donkaewbua, Japanese university students listened to stories in English narrated at a gentle 93 words a minute. Even so, the authors concluded that the students had to follow a stream of speech whose speed they couldn't control, and probably failed to recognise many spoken words they already knew in writing. Their comments suggested that telling where one word ended and the next began was a major challenge, a job that the spaces in print do for you.
Which teaches more new words: reading, listening or both?
The same 2008 study compared the three modes directly. Thirty-five students met 28 unfamiliar target words in graded readers by reading, by reading while listening to a recording, or by listening only.
| Mode | Recognised the meaning (multiple choice) | Could translate the word | Students who preferred this mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading only | 45% | 15% | 28% |
| Reading while listening | 48% | 16% | 72% |
| Listening only | 29% | 2% | 0% |
Reading and reading while listening gave almost identical results, so the authors suggest letting learners choose between them. Listening on its own lagged far behind: three months later, students on average still knew the meaning of just one word from the reading modes and none from listening alone. Students also rated listening only as the hardest and least enjoyable mode.
If you can read a word, can you hear it?
Not necessarily. James Milton reports a study of 30 IELTS candidates who took two vocabulary tests: one with written words (X_Lex) and an aural version in which the test words are heard but not seen (A-Lex). The two scores were only modestly related, with a correlation of .46, which suggests they measure different knowledge.
| IELTS score | Written vocabulary test | Spoken vocabulary test |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | .70 | .22 |
| Writing | .76 | .44 |
| Listening | .48 | .67 |
| Speaking | .35 | .71 |
The written test lined up with reading and writing, the spoken one with listening and speaking. In practice that means words learned from the page have to be learned again by ear. Reading first gives you the vocabulary and grammar; listening practice then teaches you to recognise them at speed.
How does Contos fit with listening practice?
Contos is a reading app. It has no audio, so it covers the first half of this picture: text written at your level, with a tap for any word you don't know and flashcards for the ones you want to keep. You'll need other material for listening.
Reading also lets you handle longer sentences than you could follow by ear. Here is how long the average sentence gets at each level in the free chapters of three Contos languages:
| Level | Spanish | French | German |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | 5.5 words | 5.2 words | 4.7 words |
| A2 | 6.5 words | 6.4 words | 6.0 words |
| B1 | 11.7 words | 10.6 words | 8.9 words |
| B2 | 12.5 words | 11.3 words | 9.8 words |
A reasonable routine: read a chapter until it's easy, then spend the same time listening to something at a similar level, such as a podcast for learners. If you can find recorded text, reading while listening did as well as reading alone in Brown's study, and most students preferred it.
Read a free chapter today, then try retelling the plot aloud in two minutes.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
Does Contos have audio?
No. Contos is a reading app: chapters written at your level, tap-to-translate and flashcards built from the words you save. For listening, pair it with podcasts, radio or video at a similar level.
Is reading while listening better than reading alone?
In Brown, Waring and Donkaewbua's study the two gave almost the same vocabulary gains (16% and 15% of target words translated correctly), but 72% of students preferred reading while listening. The authors suggest letting learners choose. Listening without the text did far worse.
Why can I read a language but not understand it spoken?
Because recognising words in print and by ear are partly separate skills. Milton reports that written and spoken vocabulary tests correlated only modestly, and speech adds speed and the problem of hearing where one word ends. Regular listening practice at your level closes the gap.
How many words do I need to follow a conversation?
Nation estimates that about 3,000 word families plus names cover over 95% of everyday spoken English, and 6,000–7,000 reach 98%. Our page on how many words you need puts these figures in context.
Should complete beginners listen first?
Some methods start with listening, and there is no single right order. For adults teaching themselves, reading at a level you can follow is the more forgiving start, because you control the speed and can look words up. Add listening early so your ear isn't left behind.