In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: If your listening skills feel lacking, don't beat yourself up. It seems like the easiest skill, but it can be very, very taxing. The way you're taught English in school is practically the opposite of how native speakers actually speak. No wonder it's such a chore! So the next time someone says, "Do you want to pass me that bag?" and you hear, "Djuwanapassmethabag?" you're not going crazy. Between that and all the "like," "uh," and "umm," you run into it could drive a person crazy. So when you get in the listening zone, remind yourself: it's slang time. Really. Passive listening is okay, but interacting is even better. If you want to get good at listening, you have to ask questions. And this way you have control of the conversation! If you ask someone what their favorite thing to do in summer is you know they're not going to go off on a confusing tangent on politics. At least, hopefully! And the more you hear a specific individual talk, the easier it is to understand them. English has so many accents you may find yourself not understanding someone and wondering why. Be patient! Your mind will get used to their accent in time. English-speaking people have to adjust for each other all the time. So while talking and listening proactively is best, passive learning is good, too. So throw on the telly and sit down for a spell. Try to keep the captions off! And if you can record it and watch it more than once, even better. That way you can see your progress. Even having the radio on in the background is helpful, just to keep your mind in the English zone. But the best case scenario is getting a movie and watching it over and over until your mind stops having to worry about understanding and instead can concentrate on the little things, like intonation and slang. And watching TV shows where you have the same characters over and over so you get used to their speech. In other words: repetition. If you have a friend who speaks English that is trying to learn a language you speak, start an English exchange! Half the time you speak your language and the other half you speak English. And you get to spend time drinking coffee and relaxing, too! If that's not a possibility, find some friends who all want to practice their English. Though practicing this language with non-native speakers isn't ideal, it's definitely way better than nothing. You'll be less nervous speaking it in front of them and you can learn from each others' strengths. Even just learning a song a day can widen your vocabulary extensively. And it's fun and energizing, too. You can grow your musical repertoire, learn new words, and expand your knowledge without even realizing it. And then you can go hit the karaoke bar! Stick to songs that are slow and clear. The Beatles and Elvis are two great places to start, though modern music is good, too -- just aim for the ballads; they're usually the easiest to understand. Rap can wait till later.
Summary: Know why it's difficult. Talk. Watch TV, movies, podcasts, and everything in between. Have an English exchange. Listen to English music.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: If you are reading a piece of literature with the purpose of critiquing it internally rather than for an essay, you should begin with understanding the cultural milieu of the piece. Knowing the social context of a written work boosts your understanding of the vocabulary, setting, and character motivations, all of which are critical for forming an accurate critique. Bring a highlighter or pen with you to your reading sessions, and mark words you don't understand. Looking them up in a dictionary as you read will increase your understanding of the text, just as knowing the cultural milieu in which the text was written does. Once you begin reading, consider the significance of the title. Ask yourself why the author chose this title. Is it a simple title, merely relating the main setting or object, such as the title of the short story "The Yellow Wallpaper"? If so, why would the author understate the work so much? Questioning the title helps in determining the main theme and contributes to a more accurate critique. Thinking about the title will help you determine the main theme of the work. Determining the main theme provides a trunk from which the branches of the rest of your examination of the text will spring. You will look at the elements of literature of this text, and knowing what theme they should be pointing to helps you to critique how well the author accomplishes this. Examine the elements of the piece of literature you're reading by exploring how each element is presented in the text. Identify examples of each element and determine how each relates to the main theme. You may want to write down where these connections take place in order to organize your thoughts. Settingdescription of the surroundings. Plotevents of the text. Charactersthe motivations and depth of each character, such as how much they change or don't change as a result of the events. Characters can be people, objects, even ideas (especially in poetry). Conflictthe opposition that the main character encounters and its climax and resolution. Themeswhat the narrator observes about human nature. Point of viewthe way that a character thinks, whether it is curious, condescending, etc. Can also be the perspective the text is told, whether in first person, third person, etc. Tonethe way the text feels, whether sad, happy, angry, apathetic, etc. Symbolsobjects, people, or places that repeat consistently throughout the story and seem to represent another abstract idea. Once you have analyzed the different elements of the text, you may form an interpretation based on your analyses. This interpretation could be that the author could have done a better job, that the author is profound, that some elements of the text connect to modern society in an interesting way, etc. You may want to write down your interpretation of the work at this point, as it is an excellent springboard into a thesis statement, if you end up needing to write a paper about this text. You can review outside sources such as peer reviewed articles and books to verify that your interpretation is accurate or needs work.
Summary:
Look up the author and cultural context. Highlight and look up words and passages you don't understand. Investigate the meaning of the title. Decide on the central theme. Examine components of the work. Form an interpretation of the work.