Can Read but Not Heard and Understand

I will be attending my junior year in high school in Belgium. It is highly recommended to learn the language before so i make sure to get on Rocket Languages every day or every other day. This is very helpful but what should i do if i can read the words in French and understand but when heard , I often can't translate what is being said?

Yeah, this is definitely the toughest part for me. The only thing I can suggest is to immerse in the language as much as you can because exposure and repetition will make it easier to pick up at least pieces of the sentences even when you don't completely understand the entire thing, like listening to French music and watching films (subtitles on or off). I also work with a couple of tutors so I can get used to different accents (and also get familiar with everyday French), but another option is to find a language partner who wants to learn English. I'm not in tune enough to pick up subtleties, but I've heard that Belgian French has more in common with Quebeçois French than French from France, so that may help to target the kind of language partner that will work for you.

Wow, that's very interesting. This is my first real experience with French. The most difficult part for me is to WRITE and read the language. The way the words are written and the way they sound are so different! At least for me, a native English speaker. I agree with torusan. Continue to read and listen over and over during the lessons. I do this until I feel comfortable. Anywhere you can read the words and hear them at the same time would be very helpful.

I am a beginner; I agree with Wendellyn that reading is definitely easier than listening to the conversation especially when there is an R in the word, which always seems to sound like an H; then it leads me down the wrong path of thinking for the right word. I have tried videos (I have no one to converse with); they talk too fast for me to pick up enough to get the gist but reading, obviously at my own pace I do much better.

listen and look at the text in same time so you will link it with words and then try to spell it or write it in scratch paper

I suppose a learner of any new language can more easily read and understand than he can hear and understand. With reading we can work slowly, at our own pace, but with listening we must keep up; there's no time to think, especially when a new, unfamiliar word becomes part of the conversation. It would be very nice if we had somebody with whom we could practice, even better is to immerse ourselves into the new language. But that's not always possible. Here's another thought: watch movies. Choose a movie with which we are already familiar in English and know the story line. Watch it in French, and watch it repeatidly until it's easily understood. Knowing the story line and having the visual clues will help to understand the French. Right now I have three movies on my list and have watched them repeatidly. Sometimes I find myself looking at points of grammar used. Another benefit with movie-watching is that they help us strengthen and increase our vocabulary.

thank you all but i am now living in Belgium and learning more and more everyday

@wendellyn m- Please post some ideas or links. I just finished two audio books by Schmitt (now a Belgium author). They have audio read by the author available at the libraries here in Paris and he speaks very clearly and pronounces the liaisons very strongly. You can order them from audiolib. http://www.audiolib.fr/livre-audio/lenfant-de-noe-de-eric-emmanuel-schmitt-lu-par-eric-emmanuel-schmitt http://www.audiolib.fr/livre-audio/le-sumo-qui-ne-pouvait-pas-grossir-de-eric-emmanuel-schmitt-lu-par-eric-emmanuel-schmitt If you want something shorter and less expensive try onethinginafrenchday.com. -Jason