Listening - Vivi, Ági, Mikeás

Knowing all the lexis and grammar rules of a language doesn't necessarily mean that someone will be able to understand the spoken form of the language.

-hard to pick up the most important information by listening someone during speaking

-it is hard to tell when a word starts or stops

-people might pronounce words they don't recognize in the moment of speaking

-it is hard to know what attitudes people are expressing

-people might speak too fast to follow

Possible errors:

How do we listen? -> different strategies

Top-down

Bottom-up

we make use of what we already know

~'brick-by-brick' listening

virtually impossible

= using the elements to build up larger stuff (eg.: sounds -> words)

it used to be believed

getting the overall message

we always have some!

making predictions can be very beneficial

These can vary

we need to decide which one to focus on in our lessons

Listening ideas

A teacher should tell the students that:

  1. it isn't necessary to understand every single word in order to understand the important information in the recording
  1. what kind of information they have to pay attention to - specific or general/overviewed - during the recording

Keep in mind that it is important to decide what kind of listening you would like to use

Do not overburden the students - don't give them a task which includes writing and listening at the same time

Task based approach is useful

Jigsaw listening e.g. record three slightly different viewpoints of a single event and the students' task is to work out which story has happened actually

The gallery - e.g. find 10 short jokes, stories or poems, record your self reading them than let the students listen these recording in different places of the classroom

News headlines - best way to use the task-feedback circle

Home recording - students make their own recordings for classroom use

Live listening - students listen real life conversations in the classroom between real persons

Guest stars - play the role of a famous person and the students have to name the 'star'

Task-feedback circle

Starting with easy tasks, then moving onto more difficult ones

The group can find its' own level

Stop giving new taks once it has become too difficult for students

You can go around the circle three or four times if the students need it

Before listening a recording, always let them know what their task is going to be

Task sequence

from general to detailed

Starting with detailed

Starting with easy questions like What is the topic of the discussion? Where are they?

Moving onto questions that require more detailed answers like What did he not like about the book?

Closing with language study issues like What tenses are used in the story?

Suitable for texts where you have to comprehend to global meanign and smaller details as well

so most coursebook tasks

radio discussion

lectures

When we listen to a long text, but only intereted in a tiny detail like From which platform does the train leave?

You have to give some background information like You are at the railway station, you want to travel to Kazincbarcika.

Consider why they need to do such a task

reflects what they have to do in real life

improves skills that are going to be useful for them in the future

It is not the most important thing that students get the right answers, if they do, then the task was probably not challanging.The most important thing is trying to get the right answer, especially if it's difficult

Some guidelines for listening skills work in class

Keep the recording short! (2 mins. is enough)

Play the recording as many times as needed (it's a common mistake that teacher don't play the recording sufficient times)

Let your students discuss their ansers in pairs/small groups

Don't accept the right answer as soon as you hear it, ask other students about it as well

DO NOT FLY WITH THE FASTEST!

Try to get your students to a consesus...play the recording to confirm the right anwer

Play bits of the recording until it's clear for everybody (not always necessary)

Give them help if they stuck, but do not do the job for them, let them to work out the answers on their own

Maybe you can give control of the recording to students

Don't change the reuirement halfway!

Make sure that the taks is within their abilities, also praise them after a difficult task

Grade the task, not the recording

You can use an authentic material on your class

You can use any recording on any level

Make sure that the task is suitable for their level

Beginners: catch the names of famous people mentioned

Intermediate: pick out unstressed words