Since I work in Istanbul, I run into a lot of people who are learning English. They often ask me for some tips.

They often look at me, slightly puzzled, and ask, “Why would that help? In real life, people don’t repeat their words 5 times.”

That’s true. But this is not real life. You are learning a new skill.

And if you listen to one thing once, and don’t understand, and then listen to something different, and don’t understand, and then listen to a another new thing, and don’t understand, what are you training your brain to do?

You are training your brain to hear English and say, “I don’t understand English.”

However, if you listen to the same 3 minutes, 5 times, and each time you hear a little bit more, what are you training your brain to say? “When I hear English, it’s familiar.”