Teaching Listening

Strategies for Developing Listening Skills

Language learning depends on listening. Listening provides the aural input that serves as

the basis for language acquisition and enables learners to interact in spoken communication.

Effective language instructors show students how they can adjust their listening behavior to deal with a variety of situations, types of input, and listening purposes. They help students develop a set of listening strategies and match appropriate strategies to each listening situation.

Listening Strategies

Listening strategies are techniques or activities that contribute directly to the comprehension and recall of listening input. Listening strategies can be classified by how the listener processes the input.

When is a board not a board?

Classes differ in terms of location, status and amount of technological equipment, and in the age, level and number of students, but they all have one thing in common: a board. Teachers are always using the board, but there may be much greater potential to exploit this resource than many people think. One way of finding new possibilities is by using metaphors. This article considers a number of metaphors for the board, and suggests that creative thinking may help teachers find the full potential of this ubiquitous ‘empty space’ resource.

Project work with teenagers

Project work is becoming an increasingly popular feature within the ELT classroom. Common projects are class magazines, group wall displays about students' countries and designs for cities of the future.

A project involves students in deciding together what they want to do to complete a project whilst the teacher plays a more supporting role.

• Some advantages

• Planning the project

• Some possible drawbacks

• Example projects

• References

Some advantages of project work are:

• Increased motivation - learners become personally involved in the project.

• All four skills, reading, writing, listening and speaking are integrated.

• Autonomous learning is promoted as learners become more responsible for their own learning.

• There are learning outcomes -learners have an end product.

• Authentic tasks and therefore the language input are more authentic.

• Interpersonal relations are developed through working as a group.

• Content and methodology can be decided between the learners and the teacher and within the group themselves so it is more learner centred.

• Learners often get help from parents for project work thus involving the parent more in the child's learning. If the project is also displayed parents can see it at open days or when they pick the child up from the school.

• A break from routine and the chance to do something different.

• A context is established which balances the need for fluency and accuracy. Haines (1989)

TBL and PBL: Two learner-centred approaches

Many newly qualified or inexperienced teachers tend to base their lesson planning on the traditional PPP approach (Presentation, Practice, Production) because it is reliable and it is a valid framework around which to base a series of classroom activities. It is also usually the best way of covering all the lexical areas and grammar points in the course book or syllabus.

All good and well. The problem is that PPP serves the teacher’s needs but it is debatable whether or not it fulfills the needs of the learner.

The language presented and practiced does not take into account the particular needs of each learner; the language content is almost always dictated by the coursebook and/or syllabus. For this reason, many teachers, having experimented with the PPP approach turn to more learner-centred approaches where the needs of the learner are central to the lesson content. Two such approaches are TBL (Task-Based Learning) and PBL (Project-Based Learning).

Learning strategies for learners

We’ve all heard about learning strategies and what to do to teach them to our students. The problem which arises is how you can understand this tough puzzle: 
 
DIRECT STRATEGIES 

o I. Memory

1. Creating mental linkages
2. Applying images and sounds
3. Reviewing well 
4. Employing action

o II.Cognitive 

1. Practising
2. Receiving and sending messages strategies
3. Analysing and reasoning
4. Creating structure for input and output

o III. Compensation strategies 

1. Guessing intelligently
2. Overcoming limitations in speaking and writing    

  

 INDIRECT STRATEGIES

o I. Metacognitive Strategies    

1. Centering your learning
2. Arranging and planning your learning
3. Evaluating your learning

 o II. Affective Strategies   

1. Lowering your anxiety
2. Encouraging yourself
3. Taking your emotional temperature 

o III. Social Strategies   

1. Asking questions
2. Cooperating with others
3. Empathising with others

Brown's 12 Principles - An Interactive Approach to Learning Pedagogy

#1 – Automaticity

• Efficient 2nd language learning involves a timely movement of the control of a few language forms into the automatic processing of a relatively unlimited number of language forms.
• Automaticity – the road to fluency

#2 – Meaningful Learning

• Meaningful learning will lead toward better long-term retention than rote learning.
• Appeals to student interests
• Connects new info to old info (good schemata building)

Meaningful Learning – Don’ts

• Too much grammar explanation
• Abstract principles and theories
• Too many drills and memories
• Activities with unclear purposes
• Extraneous activities
• Distractions that take the focus off of meaning

Dr. Stephen Krashen at the 5th Annual Extensive Reading Seminar in Nagoya, Japan.

Krashen's Theory of Second Language Acquisition by Vivian Cook

Acquisition	Learning
implicit, subconscious	explicit, conscious
informal situations	formal situations
uses grammatical 'feel'	uses grammatical rules
depends on attitude	depends on aptitude
stable order of acquisition	simple to complex order of learning

The PPP methodology for Communicative Language Teaching

In recent years, the purely "structural" approach to language teaching has been criticized, as it tends to produce students who, despite having the ability to produce structurally accurate language, are generally deficient in their ability to use the language and understand its use in real communication.

What is the "structural" approach to language teaching?  If your classroom is full of students that memorize vocabulary and grammar rules through repitition and rote learning, and are corrected for even the smallest mistake whilst speaking or writing English, then you are a champion of the structural teaching approach.  No doubt your students are learning a lot of English, but how effective and how enjoyable is this process?

An approach to language teaching has been developed which attempts to overcome the weaknesses of the "structural approach" (which incidentally is the kind of teaching methodology that tends to prevail in Asian public schools).  The new approach is based on viewing language as a combination of:

a)   Linguistic Structures          b) Situational Settings          c) Communicative Acts

This is known as the "communicative approach" to language teaching.  Communication is not simply a matter of what is said (structure/lexis), but where it is said, by whom, when and why it is said.  In short, this is basically the "communicative function" or "purpose" of language.

At the opposite extreme from the structural approach, and with at least as many flaws, is the purely "conversational" approach, where it is assumed that exposure to lots of conversation from a native English speaker will produce a high level of aptitude in the students.  Whereas the structural approach promotes accuracy and tends to inhibit communicative confidence, the conversational approach tends to create communicative confidence in combination with many entrenched errors.  Being keen to communicate and yet not being able to do so properly is almost as risky as knowing what to say but not having the confidence or practice to use it.

Enhance the Learning Process with the Power of Music

Research has found that the ideal state for learning is when the brain is in a relaxed, but aware state.

So when we say relaxed, we do not mean asleep. We mean relaxed, focussed and aware.

At this point the brainwaves run at about 8 to 12 cycles per seconds or hertz.

This is called the alpha state.

This compares with the 'normal' state of 13-25 hertz which is called the beta state. The beta state is that of most of our waking moments as we go about our daily lives.

At the other end of the spectrum we find, just below the alpha level, the theta state which is even slower than alpha, and an even deeper sense of relaxation.

It is however more difficult to achieve, and really requires one to have the ability to meditate deeply. It is a highly creative state.

Slower still is the state of sleep which is the delta state.

So, How can the Alpha State be achieved?

Read On!!
It can be achieved in a number of ways and most of us achieve it at some during most days. A typical time may be just before one goes to sleep, or as one wakes.

At this time the mind is clear, receptive to information, and rapidly makes 'connections', realisations and joins up thoughts.One naturally enters the alpha state as one falls asleep, and when one slowly and naturally wakes up.

The blast of the alarm clock will shatter through theta-delta-alpha and to beta.

How does one harness this 'alpha state' on waking?

* As you awaken, just lie there and consciously direct your thoughts to the learning material you are covering, or the topics that you need to address.

This is particularly easy when you have no pressure to get out of bed, say on a weekend.

* Use a non-alarm type alarm clock. Use one of those that just wakes you up gently, for example like with quiet music that very slowly builds up.

Researchers have also found that certain music types ease the brainwaves into the relaxed 'alpha state' that is ideal for enhancing the learning process.

If you listen to music that contains rhythms at a frequency of 10 Hz,it will generate more brain waves at a frequency of 10 Hz, and enter a state of mental relaxation .


One form of this music is the largo movements of certain Baroque composers. The largo movements are around 40 to 60 beats per minute.

If you are a skeptic, why not try classical music while studying?

Suggested songs:

1. Aira, de la suite No.3
2. Adagio
3. Danza de los espíritus bienaventurados, de Orfeo y Eurídice
4. Largo de Xerxes
5. Canon en Re
6. andante, del concierto No.21 para piano
7. Adagio sostenuto
8. El cisne, del Carnaval de los animales
9. Muerte de Ase, de Peer Gynt
10. Meditación de Tahis
11. Intermezzo, de Cavalleria rusticana
12. Claro de luna
13. Fantasía sobre Greensleeves
14. Gnossienne No.1
15. Adagietto, de la sinfonía No.5

You can listen to the previous tracklist with just one click on the video below.


Bibliography

* " Música para el entrenamiento de las ondas cerebrales." Piano Red: sitio sobre pianos. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2010. http://www.pianored.com/musica/2007/10/28/ondas-cerebrales.
* "Alpha brainwaves are the optimum for Superlearning. 10 things you must know.." Language learning 200 words a day Spanish,French,German, Welsh-easy-effective.. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2010.http://www.200words-a-day.com/alpha.html.

Learn English Physically

Allen J Hoge looks into learning English through total physical response.

One student struggles to learn English. His speaking is slow and hesitant. His pronunciation is garbled and heavily accented. He is painful to listen to.
Another student speaks easily. English flows from her, seemingly without effort. Her pronunciation is clear; her voice is strong.
We all know both types of students. The question is, what creates the difference between them. Why do some students forever struggle to speak English fluently, while others seem to do so naturally, with a minimum of effort?
Some teachers believe that genes or ingrained talent determine a students success. But there is no research to support this opinion and it is, in fact, totally false. Students do not fail or succeed because of talent or genetics.

Read On!!


Success or failure are ultimately determined by one simple thing: how the student learns. Students who use inferior learning methods get inferior results. Students who employ the very best learning strategies get superior results. It is that simple.
The trick, of course, is knowing which methods to use. There are, of course, a wealth of highly effective English learning methods. Unfortunately, most are not taught in traditional schools.
One of the most effective methods for learning English is to learn the language physically. Research by Dr. James Asher shows that combining physical movement with language learning produces powerful results. Dr. Asher developed a method called Total Physical Response as a way to teach language through physical movement.
What we find is that combining physical movement with intellectual learning creates stronger neurological connections in our nervous system. In other words, we more quickly wire our brains.. thus learning faster, remembering more, and remembering longer.
Studies at San Jose State University show that students who moved their bodies while learning English learned more vocabulary and grammar in a shorter time, compared with students who learned the same material while sitting still. More remarkably, when tested one year later, the students who learned with movement still remembered 80% or more of what they had learned, while the non-moving students had forgotten over 80%.
So how can you put this to use? One simple suggestion is to always be moving while learning English. Go for a walk or run as you listen to a lesson- do not sit still as you learn.
For even better results, try this: as you listen to a story or article, physically mime the action. For example, if you hear the word go, move your feet as if walking. Pretend you are an actor who is physically acting out the action of the story.
By doing this, you wire the language deeply into your nervous system and subconscious. As a result, you will learn more English, remember it longer, and be able to use it more easily.

Bibliography

Learn English Physically. (n.d.). Retrieved January 11, 2009, from http://www.eslbase.com/articles/physical.asp