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Listening
INTERMEDIATE LISTENING COURSE
C. EADE
COURSE DESCRIPTION
COURSE OBJECTIVES
•
ENABLE students to develop their listening skills in order to cope with authentic
audio and video materials
•
ENCOURAGE students to develop their language fluency through guided input
COURSE COMPONENTS

in-class sessions

independent on-line assignments

Course Portfolio: a collection of all the materials studied during the in-class
sessions and the independent assignments. Please bring this to every session.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND EVALUATION
•
Esonero: (at end of course) only for current students with minimum 80%
attendance and a completed personal Course Portfolio. The esonero consists in
a discussion of the Course Portfolio.
•
Final Exam (June): Listening Comprehension Tasks
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LISTENING: LESSON ONE
I. What is listening?
1) What is the difference between hearing and listening?
2) Which activity involves the most amount of listening?
3) How much time do you spend listening?
in general:
watching tv and in conversations:
in school-related hours:
4) What is needed to listen effectively?
5) What is active listening?
6) Are you a good listener? Explain
Now read the text. What answers can you find?
Students spend 20 percent of all school related hours just listening. If television watching and
one-half of conversations are included, students spend approximately 50 percent of their waking hours
just listening. For those hours spent in the classroom, the amount of listening time can be almost 100
percent. Look at your own activities, especially those related to college. Are most of your activities
focused around listening, especially in the classroom?
Hearing and Listening are two very different things. Hearing is the perception of sound while listening
is the absorption of the meanings of words and sentences by the brain. Listening leads to the
understanding of facts and ideas. But listening takes attention, or sticking to the task at hand in spite
of distractions. It requires concentration, which is the focusing of your thoughts upon one particular
problem. A person who incorporates listening with concentration is actively listening. Active listening is
a method of responding to another that encourages communication. Good listening is built on three
basic skills: attitude, attention, and adjustment. These skills are known collectively as triple-A
listening:
Attitude. A positive attitude paves the way for open-mindedness. Don't let reactive interference prevent
you from recalling the speaker's key points.
Attention : Your attention must focus on what you hear. The words enter your short-term memory,
where they have to be swiftly processed into ideas. If they aren't processed, then they will be dumped
from short-term memory and will be gone forever. Attentive listening makes sure the ideas are
processed.
Adjustment: What you expect to hear is not always what your hear. You need to adjust both mentally
and physically to the variations both in topic, depth and even style.
.
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Poor Listening Habits and Good Listening Habits
The key to effective listening is acquiring good listening habits.
Read the following types of listening habits. Do they refer to Good listeners or Poor
Listeners? Which is most similar to your behaviour?
1) Allowing yourself to be distracted
__Poor Listeners___ use little distractions -- someone coughing, a pencil dropping,
the door opening and closing -- as an excuse to stop listening.
________________ filter out distractions and concentrate on what the speaker is
saying.
2) Listening only for facts
_______________ want to see how the facts and examples support the speaker's
ideas and arguments. They know that facts are important, because they support
ideas.
_______________ only want the facts. They consider everything else to be only the
speaker's opinion.
3) Listening to only the easy material
_______________ want to learn something new and try to understand the speaker's
point. They are not afraid of difficult, technical, or complicated ideas.
_______________ think it is too difficult to follow the speaker's complicated ideas
and logic. They want entertainment, not education.
4) Deciding a subject is boring
_______________ decide a lecture is going to be dull and "turn off" the speaker.
_______________ listen closely for information that can be important and useful,
even when a lecture is dull.
5) Wasting thought speed
_______________ use any extra time or pauses in the lecture to reflect on the
speaker's message. They think about what the speaker is saying, summarize the main
points, and think about the next points.
_______________ move along lazily with the speaker even though thinking is faster
than speaking. They daydream and falls behind.
6) Panicking
_______________ become paralyzed when they miss a word or sentence. They think
they can’t understand anything if they don’t understand everything.
_______________ relax and focus on what they do understand. They know
that they don’t need to understand everything.
Sum up the key characteristics of effective listening.
What about you? What can you do to improve your listening skills?
http://www.uefap.com/listen/listfram.htm
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How to be an Effective Listener: You will hear a brief talk on how to listen effectively. As
you listen, fill in the notes below using key words and phrases
The Golden Rules of Listening
Stop talking, you can’t listen if ……………………………………………………………………
Make a special effort to listen carefully when ……………………………………………………
Relax, listening less effective when you’re ………………………………………………………
Make it clear speaker has your …………………………………………………………………...
If you need ………………………………………………………., explain what you are doing
and why.
Try not to let personal prejudices influence……………………………………………………..
Listen with reason and with ………………………………………………………………………
Your aim is to understand, not to ………………………………………………………………….
Be aware of what your speaker ……………………………………………………………………
Listening comprehension & note-taking
To improve your listening, you need to practise:

How to take notes.

Recognising lecture structure: understanding relationships in the lecture - reference;
understanding relations within the sentence/complex sentences; importance
markers, signposts.

Deducing the meaning of unfamiliar words and word groups - guessing.

Recognising implications: information not explicitly stated; recognising the speaker's
attitude. Evaluating the importance of information - selecting information.

Understanding intonation, voice emphasis etc.

Listening skills: skimming - listening to obtain gist; scanning - listening to obtain
specific information; selective extraction of relevant points to summarise text;
learning various ways of making sense of the words you hear.
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How can listening help your language skills?
How long did it take you to learn your mother tongue the way you speak it today?
What are some of the ways you picked it up?
How can the same thing be done with a foreign language?
Can listening in a foreign language help develop your other skills?
Read the excerpt below. What is the point? Are you surprised?
Excerpts from
New study may revolutionize language learning
January 27, 2009
(PhysOrg.com) -- The teaching of languages could be revolutionised following ground-breaking
research by Victoria University, New Zealand, PhD graduate Paul Sulzberger. Dr Sulzberger has
found that the best way to learn a language is through frequent exposure to its sound patterns--even
if you haven't a clue what it all means.
"Our ability to learn new words is directly related to how often we have been exposed to the
particular combinations of the sounds which make up the words. If you want to learn Spanish, for
example, frequently listening to a Spanish language radio station on the internet will dramatically
boost your ability to pick up the language and learn new words."
Dr Sulzberger's research challenges existing language learning theory. His main hypothesis is that
simply listening to a new language sets up the structures in the brain required to learn the words.
"Neural tissue required to learn and understand a new language will develop automatically from
simple exposure to the language—which is how babies learn their first language," Dr Sulzberger
says.
Dr Sulzberger looked for ways people could develop these structures to make the learning process
easier. His finding was simple: extensive exposure to the language, something made easier by
globalisation and new technology. "It is easier to learn languages these days because they are so
accessible now. You can go home and watch the news in French on the internet."
Provided by Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
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II. BEST PARKS: VISUALIZING WHEN YOU LISTEN
One helpful way to focus on what you are listening to is to visualize what you are hearing.
This turns words into images and helps you avoid the tendency to translate into your mother
tongue, which slows you down and becomes a barrier to comprehension. Images are also often
easier to remember than words.
http://www.elllo.org/english/Games/G058-Park.htm
I. Think of a park you like. In your mind’s eye, visualize the areas you like best. What can
you do in these areas?
II. Listen to Todd introducing his talk. What is he going to talk about?
III. Now listen to Todd describing the different areas in the park. As you listen, draw the
images which come to mind. Keep it simple, no one expects you to be Leonardo Da Vinci!
Make your drawing here:
I
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V. Now listen again and label the parts of your drawing with the words and expressions
Todd uses.
V. With your partner, use your drawings and labels to describe Todd’s park. Help each
other complete your drawings.
1) Definition of expressions. Listen and take notes on the definitions. (audio notes)
1.
ban …………………………………………………………………………………….
2.
local school kids ………………………………………………………………………
3.
senior citizens …………………………………………………………………………
4.
produce ……………………………………………………………………………….
5.
educational tool ………………………………………………………………………
6.
fog …………………………………………………………………………………….
7.
generate ………………………………………………………………………………
8.
thatched houses………………………………………………………………………..
9.
ancient dwellings………………………………………………………………………
2) Vocabulary Check
Fill in the gaps with the words listed below. Then listen to check your answers
thatched • banned • produce
generate • dwellings
1. All businesses need to
revenue to survive.
2. You can buy apples and carrots in the
3. Smoking is
department.
in all public places.
4. People lived in cave
thousands of years ago.
5. England has many houses with
roofs.
3) Comprehension Quiz: Answer the questions below.
1) The park is good for running because _____ .
a) there are lots of inclines
b) there is a seniors club
c) the trials are soft to run on
2) The word 'tool' is used to show how people ______ .
a) fix things
b) build a thatched roof
c) teach kids about fog
3) Who helps farm the garden?
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a) local farmers
b) elderly people
c) parents of local kids
4) What do the guides do?
a) Show people the dirt trails
b) Show how to grow produce
c) Talk about the dwellings
5) What is suggested you do near the flowers?
a) Talk to the seniors
b) Read a book
c) Take a photo
6) What has the speaker never done at the park?
a) Have a barbecue
b) Walk on the grass
c) Seen the lake make fog
4) Questions.
You will hear 5 questions about your area. Write out the questions as you hear them.
Then discuss each with your partner.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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You will now tell your partner about your favourite park or place to go to relax. First draw
the place here:
Now describe your favourite place to your partner. Use the following expressions:
Today I'm going to talk about one of my favourite places. It's a park and it's …(location)
Now one thing I love about this park is it ‘s …...
Another nice thing about the park, is that it has
The park is also really
The best thing about the park though is that
Lastly, one thing you can do at the park is you can
And lastly if you just want to come and relax, one beautiful thing they have at the park is
And that's it. That's my favourite place.
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Assignment for next week:
Part One: Reading:
Study the following text carefully. Think of an example for every types of listening described.
Be ready to discuss the text next week.
Types of listening
Here are six types of listening, starting
with basic discrimination of sounds and
ending in deep communication.
Discriminative listening: Discriminative
listening is the most basic type of
listening, whereby the difference between
difference sounds is identified. If you
cannot hear differences, then you cannot
make sense of the meaning that is
expressed by such differences.
We learn to discriminate between sounds
within our own language early, and later
are unable to discriminate between the
phonemes of other languages. This is one
reason why a person from one country
finds it difficult to speak another
language perfectly, as they are unable
distinguish the subtle sounds that are
required in that language.
Likewise, a person who cannot hear the
subtleties of emotional variation in
another person's voice will be less likely
to be able to discern the emotions the
other person is experiencing.
Listening is a visual as well as auditory
act, as we communicate much through
body language. We thus also need to be
able to discriminate between muscle and
skeletal movements that signify different
meanings.
Comprehension listening: The next step
beyond discriminating between different
sound and sights is to make sense of them.
To comprehend the meaning requires first
having a lexicon of words at our fingertips
and also all rules of grammar and syntax
by which we can understand what others
are saying.
The same is true, of course, for the visual
components of communication, and an
understanding of body language helps us
understand what the other person is
really meaning.
In communication, some words are more
important and some less so, and
comprehension often benefits from
extraction of key facts and items from a
long spiel.
Comprehension listening is also known
as content listening, informative listening
and full listening.
Critical listening: Critical listening is
listening in order to evaluate and judge,
forming opinion about what is being said.
Judgment includes assessing strengths
and weaknesses, agreement and approval.
This form of listening requires significant
real-time cognitive effort as the listener
analyzes what is being said, relating it to
existing knowledge and rules, whilst
simultaneously listening to the ongoing
words from the speaker.
Biased listening: Biased listening happens
when the person hears only what they
want to hear, typically misinterpreting
what the other person says based on the
stereotypes and other biases that they
have. Such biased listening is often very
evaluative in nature.
Evaluative listening: In evaluative
listening, or critical listening, we make
judgments about what the other person is
saying. We seek to assess the truth of
what is being said. We also judge what
they say against our values, assessing
them as good or bad, worthy or unworthy.
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Evaluative listening is particularly
pertinent when the other person is trying
to persuade us, perhaps to change our
behavior and maybe even to change our
beliefs. Within this, we also discriminate
between subtleties of language and
comprehend the inner meaning of what is
said. Typically also we weigh up the pros
and cons of an argument, determining
whether it makes sense logically as well
as whether it is helpful to us. Evaluative
listening is also called critical,
judgmental or interpretive listening.
Appreciative listening: In appreciative
listening, we seek certain information
which will appreciate, for example that
which helps meet our needs and goals. We
use appreciative listening when we are
listening to good music, poetry or maybe
even the stirring words of a great leader.
Sympathetic listening: In sympathetic
listening we care about the other person
and show this concern in the way we pay
close attention and express our sorrow for
their ills and happiness at their joys.
Empathetic listening: When we listen
empathetically, we go beyond sympathy to
seek a truer understand how others are
feeling. This requires excellent
discrimination and close attention to the
nuances of emotional signals. When we
are being truly empathetic, we actually
feel what they are feeling.
In order to get others to expose these
deep parts of themselves to us, we also
need to demonstrate our empathy in our
demeanor towards them, asking
sensitively and in a way that encourages
self-disclosure.
Therapeutic listening: In therapeutic
listening, the listener has a purpose of not
only empathizing with the speaker but
also to use this deep connection in order to
help the speaker understand, change or
develop in some way.
This not only happens when you go to see
a therapist but also in many social
situations, where friends and family seek
to both diagnose problems from listening
and also to help the speaker cure
themselves, perhaps by some cathartic
process. This also happens in work
situations, where managers, HR people,
trainers and coaches seek to help
employees learn and develop.
Dialogic listening: The word 'dialogue'
stems from the Greek words 'dia',
meaning 'through' and 'logos' meaning
'words'. Thus dialogic listening mean
learning through conversation and an
engaged interchange of ideas and
information in which we actively seek to
learn more about the person and how they
think. Dialogic listening is sometimes
known as 'relational listening'.
Relationship listening: Sometimes the
most important factor in listening is in
order to develop or sustain a relationship.
This is why lovers talk for hours and
attend closely to what each other has to
say when the same words from someone
else would seem to be rather boring.
Relationship listening is also important in
areas such as negotiation and sales, where
it is helpful if the other person likes you
and trusts you.
Adapted from
http://changingminds.org/techniques/list
ening/types_listening.htm
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Part Two: Visualizing as you listen
a. Choose one of the audio files below. Click on HIDE TEXT. This is important because we want
to visualize images, NOT WORDS. If you want to, you can go back and read the script later.
b. As you listen, try to visualize what is being describe.
c. Draw simple images of what you hear.
d. Listen again and label the parts of your drawing with the words and expressions used.
e. Listen to the audio notes and take notes on the vocabulary and expressions explained. Or if you
choose Mexico city, listen to the audio quiz and do the exercises.
f. Be ready in the next in-class session when you describe the passage to a partner.
g. Click on: Video Response What do you like most about your hometown?
Listen and do the comprehension exercises.
g. For the next in-class session: Be ready to tell your partner about one of the following:
a) advantages and disadvantages of living on a farm
b) tips on what to do for tourists visiting your country
c) your hometown.
a) 994 Farm Life http://www.elllo.org/english/0951/T994-Monica-Farm.htm
Todd and Monica discuss the allure of life on the farm.
b) 993 Kiwi Adventure http://www.elllo.org/english/0951/T993-MonicaNZTips.htm
Monica gives some tips on what to do when visiting her country.
c) 975 Mexico City http://www.elllo.org/english/0951/T975-Katia-Mexico.htm
Katia talks to Enam about the biggest city in Mexico and her hometown.
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