Many advanced learners believe native speakers talk too fast.
But speed is rarely the real issue.
The illusion of speed
What sounds like speed is usually compression. Sounds are shortened, linked, or reduced based on context. Familiar words lose their textbook shape.
Sound reduction and compression
Slowing down the entire sentence often fails because it does not isolate the problem. The difficulty usually lives in one transition or reduced sound.
Why slowing playback rarely helps
Once this is understood, listening stops being a race. It becomes a task of perception.
Where listening actually breaks down
The solution is not more exposure, but clearer listening targets.