Listening in a Listening in a Foreign LanguageForeign Language

Edward A. Lockhart DomeñoEdward A. Lockhart Domeño

ListeningListening

• To make an effort to hear To make an effort to hear something: something: listen to the radio; listen to the radio; listening for the bell.listening for the bell.

• To pay attention; heed. To pay attention; heed.

Listening vs. Listening vs. UnderstandingUnderstanding

• Listening is Listening is volunteervolunteer

• Understanding is Understanding is automaticautomatic

• Paying attention won’t Paying attention won’t affect understandingaffect understanding

• Paying attention will Paying attention will affect remembranceaffect remembrance

• You can focus You can focus on detailson details

• You need to go for You need to go for the general ideathe general idea

• Your Your understanding is understanding is limited!limited!

• You understand You understand more!more!

Two factors that improve Two factors that improve understandingunderstanding

• Listening for the general ideaListening for the general idea

• RelaxingRelaxing

How to improve listening How to improve listening strategies in our learnersstrategies in our learners

• Teach them to seek help on the contextTeach them to seek help on the context– TopicTopic– Previous commentsPrevious comments– Images and gesturesImages and gestures

• Teach them to seek help on Teach them to seek help on redundanciesredundancies

• Negotiating meaningNegotiating meaning– ParaphrasingParaphrasing– Concrete questionsConcrete questions

Little things to improve Little things to improve listeninglistening

• Activities which help learners look for Activities which help learners look for the general idea:the general idea:– PredictionsPredictions– General questionsGeneral questions– Sorting out sequences (pictures, text…)Sorting out sequences (pictures, text…)– ……

• Motivating activities: songs, fairy tales, Motivating activities: songs, fairy tales, pair work…pair work…

• Comfortable environmentComfortable environment• Material or speech adapted to the Material or speech adapted to the

learners level and stage of development.learners level and stage of development.• Visual and kinesthetic supportVisual and kinesthetic support

Things not to do!Things not to do!

• Activities that focus on detailActivities that focus on detail– Listen and fill the blanksListen and fill the blanks– Concrete questionsConcrete questions

•Overuse of audio-Overuse of audio-visual materialvisual material

•Not permitting Not permitting children to questionchildren to question

•Not listening to Not listening to childrenchildren

“It’s better listening to little and understand than listening a lot and not to do it."

~ NIRVANA SUTRA