[matwood]

> I also find that I can speak far better than I can listen.

Interesting. I'm learning Italian while living in Italy at the moment. I'm much better at listening than speaking. I can eavesdrop quite easily. I am still relatively new to the language so maybe there comes a point where it flips?

[nchmy]

no, i think its almost universal that you can listen better than you can speak. To speak, you sort of need to be able to express a full thought (even if it has mistakes in it), whereas to listen you generally only really need to get the gist of it.

I think the parent comment was really just about finding it difficult to hear/distinguish words when spoken at a native speed. In which case, sure, you might find it easier to stammer out a few words. But once you get even a basic level of the language, listening is easier.