Listening skill:
Basic concepts and
terminology
Listening is a vital skill in language learning, but it’s often one of the most challenging for students to master. Unlike reading, where learners can take their time to process information, listening requires real-time comprehension. To teach listening effectively, it’s important to understand the basic concepts and terminology used to describe listening skills. In this lesson, we’ll explore these concepts and show how you can apply them in your teaching to help students become better listeners.
Concepts and terminology for describing listening skills
Here are some of the most important terms and ideas you need to know when teaching listening:
Bottom-up processing:
This refers to understanding a text by focusing on the individual sounds, words, and grammar structures. It’s like building a puzzle piece by piece.
Example:
A student listens to a sentence and tries to understand each word before putting them together to grasp the meaning.
Top-down processing:
This refers to using background knowledge, context, and expectations to understand a text. It’s like looking at the big picture first and then filling in the details.
Example:
A student hears the word “bank” and uses the context of a conversation about money to understand it means a financial institution, not a riverbank.
Listening for gist:
This means listening to get the general idea of a text without worrying about every detail. It’s like understanding the main plot of a movie without catching every line of dialogue.
Example:
A student listens to a news report and identifies the main topic, such as a weather forecast or a sports event.
Listening for specific information:
This means listening to find particular details, such as names, dates, or numbers. It’s like searching for a specific piece of information in a conversation.
Example:
A student listens to a train announcement to find out the departure time of their train.
Inference:
This means understanding implied meanings or ideas that aren’t directly stated. It’s like reading between the lines in a conversation.
Example:
A student hears, “She didn’t say a word all day,” and infers that the person is upset.
Listening for attitude and opinion:
This means understanding the speaker’s feelings, tone, or perspective. It’s like detecting whether someone is happy, sarcastic, or annoyed.
Example:
A student listens to a speaker’s tone and realizes they’re joking, not being serious.
Interactive listening:
This refers to listening in a two-way conversation, where the listener responds or asks questions. It’s like having a back-and-forth discussion.
Example:
A student listens to a classmate’s question and responds appropriately.
Non-interactive listening:
This refers to listening to one-way communication, such as a lecture, podcast, or announcement. It’s like listening to a radio show without being able to respond.
Example:
A student listens to a teacher’s explanation or a recorded dialogue.
How to apply these listening concepts to planning and teaching
Now that we’ve explored the key concepts, here’s how to use them to teach listening effectively:
Teach bottom-up and top-down strategies:
- Help students practice both approaches. For bottom-up, focus on individual sounds, words, and sentences. For top-down, use activities that activate background knowledge and context.
- Play a short audio clip and ask students to identify specific words (bottom-up), then discuss the overall meaning (top-down).
Practice listening for gist:
- Use activities where students listen for the main idea. Provide short audio clips and ask broad questions like, “What is the speaker talking about?”
- Play a news headline and ask students to summarize the topic in one sentence.
Practice listening for specific information:
- Use tasks where students listen for details. Provide questions in advance to guide their listening.
- Play a train announcement and ask students to note the platform number and departure time.
Teach inference skills:
- Use audio clips with implied meanings and ask students to interpret them. Provide guiding questions to help them think critically.
- Play a dialogue where a character says, “I’m fine,” in a sad tone, and ask students how the character really feels.
Focus on attitude and opinion:
- Use recordings where the speaker’s tone or attitude is clear. Ask students to identify emotions or perspectives.
- Play a speech and ask students whether the speaker is enthusiastic, skeptical, or neutral.
Incorporate interactive listening:
- Have students practice ordering food in a restaurant, with one student playing the waiter and the other the customer.
- Use role-plays, pair work, or group discussions to practice two-way listening. Encourage students to respond and ask questions.
Use non-interactive listening activities:
- Provide one-way listening tasks like lectures, podcasts, or announcements. Follow up with comprehension questions or discussions.
- Play a TED Talk and ask students to answer questions about the main points.
Use real-world materials:
- Incorporate authentic materials like news clips, songs, or movie scenes to make listening practice relevant and engaging.
- Use a song to teach vocabulary and pronunciation, or a movie scene to practice understanding natural speech.
Scaffold listening tasks:
- Start with easier tasks and gradually increase the difficulty. For example, begin with slow, clear speech and move to faster, more natural speech.
- Start with a slow-paced dialogue and progress to a fast-paced conversation between native speakers.
Provide feedback and support:
- Give constructive feedback on students’ listening skills. Highlight their strengths and suggest areas for improvement.
- After a listening activity, discuss common mistakes and provide tips for improvement, such as focusing on keywords or using context clues.
Listening: Real-world activities in the classroom
Listening for gist:
Play a short podcast about climate change and ask students to identify the main topic.
Listening for specific information:
Play a flight announcement and ask students to note the flight number and gate.
Interactive listening:
Have students practice a job interview, with one student as the interviewer and the other as the candidate.
Inference:
Play a dialogue where a character says, “I’m so tired of this,” and ask students to infer what “this” refers to.
Non-interactive listening:
Play a recorded lecture and ask students to take notes on the key points.
Final thoughts
Listening is a complex skill, but by understanding the key concepts and using practical teaching strategies, we can help students become confident and competent listeners. Whether they’re listening for gist, specific information, or implied meanings, your guidance can make all the difference.
So, the next time you plan a listening lesson, remember to balance bottom-up and top-down approaches, use real-world materials, and provide plenty of opportunities for practice and feedback.
To your CELTA journal:
What’s your favorite way to teach listening skills?
Reflect on your favorite way to teach listening skills. Write in your CELTA journal about your experiences, including the techniques and activities you find most effective. Describe any challenges you have faced, such as students struggling with accents, speed, or comprehension, and explain how you addressed these difficulties.
- Next lesson: Purposes of listening
- Previous lesson: Potential barriers to reading