PROGRAM SUMMARY
Teacher's Notes
CRITICAL
LISTENING
The aim of this video and teaching notes is to provide
an introduction to the concepts of critical listening.
Students will be able to demonstrate skills in:
* identifying the context of a discourse
* identifying the main and supporting ideas of a
discourse
* recognising the speaker’s intent and purpose
* recognising visual cues and signals
* identifying tone and register of a discourse
* recognising the importance of stress, pause, volume
and pitch
* recognising language choices which reflect the
speaker’s viewpoint
Introduction:
Before you begin any discussion of the definition of
critical listening show students the first scene of the
video. Instruct them to make notes about what is
happening in the scene and what the characters,
Jenny and Joe, would like to happen in the scene.
Discussion Questions
Qu. What is Jenny doing while Joe is trying to talk to
her? What clues are we given to suggest that she is
not listening properly? What should she be doing?
Qu. What mistakes does Joe make while he is
speaking to Jenny? Can you make any suggestions
as to how he might successfully ask her out on a
date?
Qu. Who is at fault for not listening critically in this
scene? Explain your answer.
What is Critical Listening?
Duration: 20 min
Years: 8-12
As a member of today’s society you need to develop
skills in critical listening. That is, you must listen for
what is being said (content), why it is being said
(purpose) and how it is being said (techniques to
persuade the audience).
When you listen critically, you discover the speaker’s
real intention. Once you understand the audience
being addressed and the purpose of the speech, you
will be able to make a valued judgment about what is
being said.
Scene 4
A female JOURNALIST , carrying a microphone,
interviews a male POLITICIAN.
JOURNALIST : Mr Jones, can you definitively rule out a
challenge to the Prime Minister at any time?
POLITICIAN : I can only say this – at the present time, the
Prime Minister has my full support, and I will be doing
everything in my power to get this government re-elected.
JOURNALIST : In other words, the leadership race is on!
Discussion Questions
Qu. What cues in the politician’s comment alerted
the journalist to the fact that the ‘leadership race is
on’?
Qu. Give reasons why politicians often avoid making
specific comments about their thoughts and ideas on
particular issues.
Activity
Stimulus material: Collect a televised public speech
of a well known politician.
Show the speech to the class and discuss the
politician’s purpose and audience. As a group they may
be able to decipher the politician’s true intention.
Listening or Hearing?
Hearing is a passive process because it is simply
registering sound. Often we hear something without
really listening to it. That is, we don’t listen critically
to gain an understanding of what the speaker means.
Page 4
Scene 8 - Joe's Front Porch
JOE is reading his book outside the front porch as
before. CYNTHIA comes out of the house, and sits down
next to him – she wants to talk about something.
CYNTHIA : You know, I thought this weekend, we could
have a really big spring-clean, and get rid of all the old
junk we’ve been hoarding for years…
JOE : Mmmm.
CYNTHIA : We could actually have a garage sale…turn it
into some cash.
JOE : Sure.
CYNTHIA : I could sell that old rocking chair… and your
old toys - it’s silly to keep holding on to them. They’ll all
be out of date anyway by the time you produce me some
grand-children…
FADE DOWN CYNTHIA’s voice, and we hear JOE’s
thought-track.
JOE (voice-over) : “I can’t wait to hit the beach .. I wonder
which board I should take out this afternoon? Maybe
Jenny will be there....”
Page 5
Page 6
doesn’t seem any point keeping it all now.
Discussion Questions
JOE : (ALOUD) Yeah – there’s a few special things, but the
rest we could recycle .. I think it’s a great idea!
Scene 10
Super : Respond.
Qu. How do we know that Joe is not listening to his
mother? (He is only registering the sound of her voice
and a few words here and there.)
Qu. Cynthia is well aware of the fact that Joe is not
listening to her. How does she test him out?
JOE is reading his book outside the front porch as
before. CYNTHIA comes out of the house, and sits down
next to him – she wants to talk about something.
CYNTHIA : So I thought this weekend, we could have a
really big spring-clean, and get rid of all the old junk
we’ve been hoarding for years…
Freeze action.
JOE : (V/O - THOUGHT-TRACK)
She’s really saying she accepts that we are no longer kids…
Freeze action.
JOE : (V/O - THOUGHT-TRACK)
This isn’t just about a garage sale,...she’s really telling me
that she’s ready to move on –
Discussion Questions
As we hear JOE’s thought-track, the action freezes.
Super: Internalise
JOE : (V/O - THOUGHT-TRACK)
So Mum is finally ready to get rid of all that old stuff
JOE (ALOUD) : Do you think there’s anything you still
need?
The action freezes. Super : Evaluate
CYNTHIA : Are you listening?
CYNTHIA : Some things – but most of it could go. We
could actually have a garage sale…turn it into some
cash.
JOE continues to daydream. FADE UP CYNTHIA’s voice.
JOE : Yeah, yeah, you want grandchildren, but not yet.
Cynthia pauses and we hear JOE’s thought-track:
JOE: (voice-over) : Gee, Jenny looked so gorgeous
yesterday….
CYNTHIA : (CYNTHIA TESTS HIM OUT)
I just said I think I’ll try and sell you at the garage sale.
Half price for a teenager, who’s only half there. I know – I
could sell your boards – what do you think?
JOE : (V/O - THOUGHT-TRACK)
This is the first time Mum has been willing to let go of the
past!
Super: Ask questions to clarify
JOE : (ALOUD) Don’t you still want some things for
sentimental value?
Qu. What clues does Joe give to show he is now
listening critically to his mother?
Qu. Can you detect the difference in their relationship
once Joe begins to listen, evaluate, judge and respond to
his mother’s comments?
Activity
List the important steps which help you become a critical
listener. Give an example of each, either from the video or
in your own life.
Selective Hearing
Listening involves choice. You choose to listen to certain
things because they are important to you or interest you,
or as a courtesy to someone you respect. You can also,
choose not to listen to other things. This is called
selective hearing, a term you have no doubt heard a
number of times.
CYNTHIA : Well, you could choose a few special things to
keep. But really, you and Kylie have grown up now – there
JOE : Sure, Mum, anything you…What!
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Scene 12 - Joe's Kitchen
Listening for Purpose
Discussion Questions
JOE is reading a book (or watching TV) in the lounge
near the kitchen. We can see CYNTHIA cleaning up the
kitchen in the background.
Qu. Why would the comments of an Olympic Swimmer
persuade an audience to buy breakfast cereal?
Qu. Comment on the narrator’s voice-over in the
advertisement. What is the purpose of using a
sophisticated female voice for the final comment?
There is no response from JOE. CYNTHIA looks over at
him and rolls her eyes.
Critical listening involves hearing what is behind the
words. As a critical listener you are seeking the real
message of the speaker. You are determining the
purpose of what is said and why it is being said. The
purpose of a speaker will vary depending upon the
context of the speech and the audience. The speaker
may wish to explain, to argue, to inform, to evoke an
emotion or to persuade you.
CYNTHIA : (grumbling to herself) Selective hearing …
Persuasion is the sole purpose of advertising.
CYNTHIA : Joe, can you please help with the dishes?
Joe?
The phone rings, and CYNTHIA answers it.
CYNTHIA : (ON PHONE) Hello? Oh hi, Jenny!
As soon as he hears the name “Jenny”, JOE leaps up
instantly from his chair and races over to the phone.
CYNTHIA : (continuing…) Yes… the space-cadet? Yes,
he’s here… I’ll just see if I can raise him - he’s totally
immersed in his homework…
JOE : Coming!…
CYNTHIA : (ON PHONE) … but he seems to have
miraculously recovered his hearing…
JOE glares at her, before taking the phone from
CYNTHIA, and turning away.
JOE : Hi, Jenny.
Discussion
Joe is determined not to hear his mother ask for help
in the kitchen. He has chosen to ignore her
comments and questions. However, when the phone
rings and he hears Jenny’s name mentioned his
hearing undergoes a miraculous recovery.
Activity
Make a list of well known television advertisements
which use sporting celebrities to endorse their
products. Comment on the persuasive ‘potential’ of
these particular celebrities.
Scene 14
A SWIMMER, dripping wet from the pool, is eating his/her
breakfast next to a swimming pool. He/she pours out a
breakfast cereal from a packet called “Athlete’s Choice”,
with the logo “A winning formula”.
NARRATOR V/O : So what makes Olympic swimmer
Shane O’Donohue so good?
SWIMMER (AS IF ANSWERING QUESTIONS FROM AN
INTERVIEWER) A lot of hard work… Sacrifice. you’ve got
to be dedicated and determined. You need the drive to
succeed…
Slow-motion shots of the swimmer diving into the pool,
swimming, and finally at the edge of the pool, the
SWIMMER holds up his/hand arm in the “victory” salute
after winning the race. Key words are supered across the
screen : hard work.. dedication .. determination… guts…
drive …
SWIMMER (V/O and TO CAMERA) : Your body is like a
machine – you need to look after it for the best results. I
have a specially formulated balanced eating plan to keep
me fit and healthy.
NARRATOR V/O : If its good enough for Shane
O’Donohue, it’s good enough for you. High energy, high
fibre, low fat – no wonder it’s the Athlete’s Choice.
Identifying Main and Supporting Ideas
Listen carefully to the debater in Scene 16 and see if
you can identify the speaker’s main message and
supporting ideas.
Scene 16
A DEBATER takes the podium.
DEBATER : Today, I’m speaking for the topic, “that
advertising should be banned”. And it should! Do you
know why? Because we don’t need it!
Can you imagine life without it? Bliss! The newspaper
would be half the size, and would only contain things you
want to read. You’d be able to watch TV programs right
through without interruptions – you’d even be able to watch
the footie without slogans all over the field.
Advertising is sneaky – it creeps up on you when you don’t
know it.
And its entire purpose is to create desire. Picture this – you
go to the supermarket for a bar of soap. You walk down the
first aisle and your brain is getting competing messages :
“Goclean Yoghurt – you are what you eat”. “Rice-smacks –
do your waistline a favour”… “Corncrisps – give your
bowels a break.”
Page 10
By the time you reach the toiletries aisle, you’ve completely
forgotten what you came for, but you’ve got a trolley full of
products.
And once advertising is in your brain, does it ever leave
you?
You didn’t even know your brain could store so much
useless information. Imagine if you could invent a special
program, (like a Virus-detector on a computer) which
cleaned out all the jingles, and ads out of everyone’s brain.
Think how much extra brain power there would be to fix the
world’s problems – we could tackle poverty, pollution – the
real issues! The world might even be a better place.
Thank you.
Activity
Complete the following table based on the debater’s
speech. (Students may need a transcript of the speech
to follow while watching the video.)
Page 11
Page 12
The tone of voice used by the speaker often conveys a
great deal about what the speaker is saying and why. The
tone is the speaker’s attitude towards his/her subject.
18. The POLITICIAN does a piece to camera as part of a
media conference.
Super : KEN JONES, Minister for the Environment.
Tone
Scenes 18 & 19
POLITICIAN :Cabinet has had no option today, but to
order the culling of koalas on Six-Mile Island. This is an
urgent response called for by the National Parks and
Wildlife service because koala over-population is
causing an ecological crisis. It’s really in the best
interests of the long-term survival of the koala species!
Scene 21
These short pieces are filmed in close-up against the black
cyc. The female actress faces L-R, the male R-L.
FEMALE ACTOR (indifferent) : Carlton won the grand final.
MALE ACTOR (incredulous) : Carlton won the grand final.
19. The ANIMAL LIBERATIONIST speaks to an unseen
interviewer off camera as part of a news interview.
: would you feel if the
ANIMAL LIBERATIONISTHow
government said to you, “Sorry guys, you’re breeding too
successfully, there are just too many of you, so we’re
going to shoot you till we think you’re at the right number
again”. Because that’s exactly what they’re doing –
shooting these beautiful furry cuddly friends, which
many regard as our national symbol!
TOPIC: That Advertising should be Banned
________________________________________________________________________
Discussion Question
Main Message
Supporting Ideas
Example
_
_ _the
____
_ _ _ _ _ _ give
_ _ politician
_ _ _ _the
_ _ _ _ _ does
_ _ _ _reasons
_ _ _What
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Qu.
for
eg. Ban Advertising. You need only read
Newspapers
culling of the Koalas?
what you want to read. would be
Qu. The animal liberationist appeals to our emotions
half the size.
through his choice of language. List the emotive
________________________________________________________________________
words he uses to support his purpose, which is to
shock the audience into supporting his viewpoint.
Listening for Choice of Language
Often speakers will choose words very carefully to
make their comments memorable to the listener.
Speakers, also, change the way they speak and their
choice of language to suit different purposes and
different audiences.
We know that bias can influence the way a particular
issue is reported in the media.
Activity
Imagine you have the opportunity to address the
student body at your school on the issue of uniform.
Write and/or present two speeches - one in favour of
uniform and the other against uniform. ( Choose your
words carefully keeping in mind your purpose and
the audience for each speech.)
FEMALE ACTOR (dejected) : Carlton won the grand final.
MALE ACTOR (elated) :Carlton won the grand final.
Discussion Ideas
At the end of each spoken sentence, stop the video and
discuss the tone. Ask the students to explain the clues on
which they based their judgment of the tone. e.g. pitch,
volume, body language, facial expression.
Activity
Ask each student to rehearse the following line of dialogue
using one of the listed emotions.
Line: Why is it always me?
Emotion / Tone: suspicion; indifference; interest; anger;
ecstatic; scorn;
Each student is to present their line to the class, who
must guess the chosen tone. Discuss the clues given to
the audience by the speaker.
Page 13
Page 14
Pitch and Volume
Activity
Pitch refers to the deepness or highness of a sound.
A speaker can use pitch to attract attention to what
is being said or voices may go up and down as a
result of emotion. Volume refers to the loudness or
softness of what is being heard. Changes in volume
can help us to understand whether the speaker is
angry or friendly, happy or sad.
Using a similar approach to that taken in the video,
choose a line of dialogue and experiment with
volume. Discuss the difference volume makes to the
meaning of the line.
Scene 30
These short pieces are filmed in close-up against the
black cyc. The female actress faces L-R, the male R-L.
The volume gets progressively louder in each example.
MALE ACTOR (soft – whispering) : Someone’s let the
dog out!”
Body Language
To a critical listener, our bodies can tell a great deal
more than our mouths. Through body language we
give an overall impression about who we are and how
we are feeling depending upon the situation and the
people around us. Therefore, as a listener we must
consciously watch for the visual clues to help us
interpret what is said.
Page 15
Those other jobs were just to support me while I studied.
I’m really keen to show you what I can do.
Discussion Question
Qu. Describe the body language of the interviewee. What
does it tell us about his confidence and self-esteem?
Qu. The body language of the interviewer changes
throughout the interview. Describe these changes. What
does her body language tell us about what she is
thinking?
Scene 33 & 34
33. The PRESENTER continues.
Presenter : Watch the difference in body-language in the
second example.
Scene 32
F E M A L E A C T O R ( N o r m a l loudness – m a tter of fact) :
S o m e o n e ’s let the dog out!”
F E M A L E A C T O R ( louder – panicking) : Som e o n e ’s let
the dog out!”
M A L E A C T O R ( loudest – telling the world) : Som e o n e ’s
let the dog out!”
JOHN is going for an interview with DELLA, the
Interviewer. JOHN’s body-language shows he is
nervous, fidgety, with rounded shoulders not facing the
INTERVIEWER. He is not confident, hides his face,
crosses his arms, doesn’t look her in the eyes, or face
her. We can see that DELLA is turned off - her bodylanguage shows crossed arms, leaning back, etc.
34. As per the previous scene, DELLA interviews JOHN.
This time JOHN’s body-language shows he is confident,
open, straight-backed and directly facing DELLA. He uses
hand gestures, and smiles. We can see DELLA is
interested – she leans forward, and faces JOHN, and is
interested in what he has to say.
DELLA : Good morning, John, isn’t it?
DELLA : Good morning, JOHN, isn’t it?
Discussion
Stop the video at the end of Scene 30 and discuss
the difference emphasis on the line ‘Someone’s let
the dog out!’ in each situation. How has the volume
affected the meaning of the line. Give specific
analysis for each example.
eg. Who is saying the line?
What volume is used?
Where is this character?
What are the circumstances?
What is his/her purpose?
Is the volume appropriate for their situation?
JOHN : Yes, good morning.
JOHN : Yes, er, good morning
DELLA : I’m Della Hunting, Project Manager – please
take a seat.
JOHN : Thanks
DELLA : So, you’ve been delivering pizzas, and washing
dishes at a restaurant. What makes you think you would
be good at computer programming?
JOHN : Well, I’m really good with computers.. I’ve been
studying programming part-time, and I topped the class.
DELLA : I’m Della Hunting, Project Manager. Please - take a
seat.
JOHN : Thanks
DELLA : So, you’ve been working delivering pizzas, and
washing up dirty dishes at a restaurant. So what makes you
think you would be good at computer programming?”
JOHN : Well, I’m really good with computers.. I’ve been
studying programming part-time, and I topped the class.
Those other jobs were just to support me while I studied.
I’m really keen to show you what I can do
Page 16
DELLA nods appreciatively – she is thinking of giving him
the job.
Discussion Question
Page 17
37. Joe's Kitchen
JOE is sitting next to the phone, psyching himself up to
ask Jenny out. He role-plays it, with PATRICK
encouraging him.
JENNY (voice-over) : Hello – anybody there – Joe is that
you?
Role-play. In pairs role play an interview situation.
Begin with a frozen moment indicating the status of
each character. (Remember your body language must
show your status to the audience.) Improvise a scene
where the status is reversed. End the scene with a
frozen moment which mirrors the beginning scene but
the characters are reversed. During the scene you
must concentrate on the gradual change (reversal) in
status and how your body language indicates this
change to the audience.
Present role-play to the class.
The telephone rings, and JOE picks it up.
Activity
JOE : Jenny – I’d like you to come to the movies with me.
"Jenny, I’d like you - to come to the movies with me.”
"Jenny, I’d like you to come - to the movies with me.”
“Jenny, I’d like you to come to the movies - with me.”
Qu. The second interview has a very different outcome.
Comment on the changes in the body language of
both the interviewee and the interviewer. What is the
predicted outcome of this interview.
Page 18
PATRICK : Jenny, I think Joe is trying to tell you
something…..
JENNY : (Interrupting) What?
Supers: •
Don’t interrupt or make noises
PATRICK : … and you’re not hearing him.
JENNY : (Interrupting again) What?
PATRICK : Interrupting is a sign you are not listening,
Jenny.
JENNY : What do you mean?
JOE hurriedly puts down the phone without answering it
– he’s not quite ready to ask Jenny out.
Activity
Stop the video at the end of each line of dialogue.
Students are to write the line indicating the pause
with a ‘-’ and the emphasis by underlining the word/s.
Write down the meaning of each line created through
the pause and emphasis.
Supers: •
Try to see the speaker’s point of view
PATRICK : Look, if Joe wanted to ask a girl out, do you think
he’d come straight out and say it?
JENNY : No, he’s a bit shy. He’d probably try to ask her in a
more round-about way… like maybe mention a movie he’d
like to see..
PATRICK : But only if he thought she was listening… and
only if he thought she’d say yes?
Pause and Emphasis
The use of pauses, and changing emphasis on
different words can, also, alter meaning. Pause and
emphasis can be used to great effect by the speaker.
They may indicate that something important has been
said or is about to be said. Through pause and
emphasis the audience may interpret the speaker’s
intention in different ways.
Scene 36 & 37
36. PATRICK is talking to JOE. The examples are jumpcut.
PATRICK (TO JOE) :
"You can do it – just ask her out to the movies!”
“You can do it – just ask her out to the movies!”
“You can do it – just ask her out to the movies!”
“You can do it – just ask her out to the movies!”
Effective Listening Skills
As a critical listener, you must listen for purpose,
meaning and tone. The keys to becoming an effective
listener are
* Listen without interrupting or making noises;
* Understanding the speaker’s point of view;
* Facing the speaker;
* Keeping your hands free (unless you are making
notes);
* Giving the speaker your full attention;
* Asking questions to clarify meaning;
Scene 39
JENNY is walking down a path with PATRICK.
JENNY : Probably … …
PATRICK : So she’d need to send him the right signals…
JENNY : Yeah, right.
PATRICK : Here – say I’m JOE, OK? And you’re a girl he
might like to ask out… Look at me…
Supers: •
Face the speaker
JENNY : (Interested) Like this?
·
·
Keep your hands free
Give the speaker your full attention
Page 19
Page 20
PATRICK : Great! Get rid of that stuff in your hands – look
at me. OK, Jenny, there’s something I’d like to ask you.
Come on, show me you’re listening…
Presenter
Richard Morecroft
Cast
Alana Mcbride
Ben Connolly
Beverly Lorenzo
Grant Chisolm
Arthur Angel
David Lyall
Sandy Ireland
Jane Malone
Andrew O'keefe
Ask questions to clarify meaning
JENNY : Yes, Joe, what is it?
PATRICK : I was wondering if you’d like to come to the
movies with me?
JENNY : I’d love to.…Patrick, I mean, Joe!
They both laugh.
Discussion Question
Qu. List all the skills which will help you become an
effective listener. Explain why each of these skills are
important in the process of critical listening.
CREDITS
Producer/Scriptwriter
Cathy Miller
Director/Script Editor
Greg Woodland
Director of Photography
Joel Peterson
Sound Recordist
Steve Best
Camera Assistant
Hugh Miller
Production Manager
Barbara Peters
Conclusion
Jenny and Joe finally get together. Jenny has learned
how to listen effectively and Joe is able to speak with
a clear purpose through the use of pause, emphasis,
volume, pitch and language.
Remember, through critical listening you will
successfully interpret the meaning, intention and
techniques used by any speaker. Look carefully at
the visual cues given by a speaker and you will
quickly be able to judge the truth behind the words.
******************************
Page 21
Consultant/Teachers notes
Erla McMaster
Copyright
and Orders:
Editor
Phil Sheppard
CLASSROOM VIDEO (1999)
Classroom Video
1/1 Vuko Place
Warriewood NSW 2102
Online Editor
Ph: (02) 9913 8700
Fax: (02) 9913 8077
Canada:
Ph: (604) 523 6677
Fax: (604) 523 6688
UK:
Ph: 01454 324222
Fax: 01454 325222
USA:
Ph: 1 800 665 4121
Fax: 1 800 665 2909
New Zealand:
Combined Phone and Fax:
ACN 002 009 618
09 478 4540
Roddy Balle
Sound
Konrad Skirlis
Executive Producer
John Davis