Exactly - this is precisely why it's possible for us to "understand" an experience without being able to describe it in words. The description/articulation/translation part is a secondary skill.

Important to distinguish vocabulary and context. Vocabulary is about specific words and their meaning. Context is the entire framework in which you make sense of words, phrases and stories. There's a lot of context behind in news that we take for granted. To make sense of political news, for example, you have to know what sort of governmental system they have, the different states and municipalities, the different offices and laws, etc. Otherwise what they're saying won't make much sense to you, even if you know most of the vocabulary. Just trying watching a sports match in English for a sport you know nothing about. For example, I know nothing about cricket, so when I watch it, even though people are speaking English, I have no idea what they're talking about because I don't have the references. So if you really want to follow news for a particular country. You have to educate yourself first about all these issues first. Then you will have some sort of meaning scaffolding in which to make sense of the vocab you recognize and don't recognize.

Thank you for that clarification. Would I be correct in saying that those at higher levels have read extensively on/studied a range of different topics? If so, how can the breadth and the depth of the range of topics' be defined? I'm looking to move up to those advanced levels and while I work on recognising sounds, the other part of that equation therefore, is experience with the context which you have called references.

​@@IncredibleMet If you take your English for an example, your spoken command is largely influenced by your years of education and reading. To reach that same level of command in another language, you would also need to read and educate yourself a lot. But not as much as first time around, since as adult you have lots of high level concepts already in your head, you just need to learn the vocab. To make it all less overwhelming, I would just define a single context and aim to dominate that context. So if it's speaking about current affairs in a certain country, then read periodicals and watch news specific to that topic. Write down and look up words and references you don't know. For example, if a certain person is referenced and you don't know who he is, google him and find out. Do this repeatedly and it will start to "color in" that specific context for you. Then when you feel comfortable, you move on to the next context. It's important to break it down to "context" rather than think in broad terms like "advanced". Because then you get overwhelmed and inefficient in your studies - going after broad tasks instead of being specific. Just start with the topics you personally feel dissatisfied not being able to dominate.

Thank you so much for your responses!

That's good. Images are deeper in your mind than words are. So linking stories to that will make understanding more intuitive for you

Practice. Your subconscious begins to handle the process when you do it so many times, for example reading. Words are pictures. When you first learn to read you have to think to recognize the words. Once you repeat it the less you need to think about doing it and it happens automatically.

Relevance and repetition. First the sound-meaning connection comes up in a personal context. The more emotion associated to that context, the more resources your brain dedicates to make the connection. Then each time you return to that context and the sound-meaning connection emerges again, the connection is made stronger. Repeat that over and over again, and the connection solidifies, so now it becomes automatic.

If you've made it past "The Shift" in French, and you want to learn Spanish, then you should be able to take both with minimal interference. But if you're still not conversational in French, it may be best to just focus on one language until you're comfortable, before you stack on another. Here's an article where I explain "The Shift" in more detail - www.mimicmethod.com/point-conversations-finally-stop-sucking/

The words written are wrong anyways in this....hello is hola not ola.