Repetitive listening to English

http://thelinguist.blogs.com/how_to_learn_english_and/2006/04/repetitive_list.html

Assad, a regular and valued contributor at this blog, asks in a recent comment here about the benefits of repetitive listening to English content as compared to just listening to CNN or TV sitcoms. He makes the point that children do not listen repetitively to the same content when learning their mother tongue.
In my view the answer depends on the level and the goals of the learner. For a beginner or low intermediate and even many intermediate learners, CNN and sitcoms are too difficult to understand.
I believe that listening to the same content and then reading it and then working through the new or unfamiliar words and phrases using The Linguist methodology, and then listening again and again, is a very efficient process for beginner and intermediate learners. Doing this helps the learner become familiar with the flow of the language as well as enabling him or her to learn new words and phrases. I am constantly spontaneously mimicking Russian phrases that I have heard through my repetitive listening.
Of course the content has to be interesting for this process to be bearable. Most text book content is not interesting. That is why we have created more interesting and authentic content at The Linguist and allow the learner to choose what to learn from.
Listening to content, such as CNN or sitcoms where, for many learners, 25% or more is not understood, can be frustrating. What is worse it can destroy confidence. On the other hand repetitive listening increases confidence in the ability to understand even a limited range of content. This tends to build confidence in using the language. That has been my personal experience in learning other languages, and is the experience of our learners at The Linguist.
It is true that as the learner progresses the frequency of repetition will decrease. We talk about an "intensive" period during which the first 2,000 words of the language are acquired. In this period a "strange" language gradually becomes more familiar and even predictable. The learner can acquire a sense of the language more easily by listening to content that he or she understands, and by getting a second and third and fourth chance to hear it.
The high frequency words and expressions are listened to over and over. Listening to familiar content means that the learner is able to focus on these words and phrases and acquire them. Repetitive listening is also excellent for working on pronunciation and rhythm, since the meaning is already understood. This "intensive" period may last 3-6 months.
Thereafter the learner moves gradually into a more "extensive" study period. There are fewer unknown words and these new words also reappear less frequently. On the other hand the learner is now better at guessing at meaning. So, now the learner only listens to the same content a few times and is able move on to new content sooner. This content may consist of CNN or other radio content, or sitcoms, or whatever subject is of interest to the learner.
Those learners who are already past the intermediate stage but want to work on pronunciation may still listen many times to content which they particularly like, or which features phrasing or intonation or a voice that they find pleasant. I have always done this even for languages which I already know quite well. I often listen to the same Xiang Sheng dialogues in Chinese to refresh my Chinese, because it helps me get back into the rhythm of Mandarin.
Children listen to a limited range of content even though it is not repetitive listening to recorded content. The subject matter and vocabulary is limited. The child also takes many years to reach the level of vocabulary and the ability required to express complex ideas. The adult learner can reach that level in less than a year.