From First Recording To Comprehensible Corpus

by Reid Wilson, Editor of Language Learning

First appeared: Language Learning #24

1. Record the "text" onto a cassette.

2. Connect the cassette player to a computer.

3. Using Cool Edit 2000, record from the cassette onto the computer.

4. Using Cool Edit, edit the sound file, taking out the clicks at the beginning and end, long pauses and "uhh"'s, and pops--as you like.

5. Save the MP3 file and give it a good (systematic) name.

6. Listen to the MP3 file a couple of times, either on your computer, an MP3 player, or even recording it back onto a cassette.

7. Go over the text with a tutor, asking about words and phrases you don't understand. Use Cool Edit to do this. By end of the tutor session, be able to listen to and understand the text while having your notes in front of you.

8. Continue to listen to the text over the next couple of days, until you can listen to it with full understanding. (Ask more questions if you need.)

9. Once you can understand it without your notes, move the text into your "periodic review" category. It's now in your comprehensible corpus. Mabruk!