ESL Listening and Vocabulary Journal
Objectives:
 to promote listening fluency using authentic materials selected by the student
 to encourage individualized vocabulary study
 create a list of topic-specific vocabulary for the class to study
 to create small-group discussion materials
 to provide research for oral presentations
Level: intermediate and advanced
Assignment: Students regularly listen to short radio or video segments on an assigned
topic throughout the semester. Allowing students to choose what to listen to or watch
within a broad subject area encourages independent learning and provides more
interesting material for discussion and grading. Emphasize that students need to
choose short segments (2 to 5 minutes), preferably in a medium that allows for
repeated listening, such as podcasts or on-line audio or video. They do not have to
understand every word to create a journal. The goal is to understand the gist of the
information.
Topic: Choose current events, such as an election, or issues that are often in the news
(crime, education, the economy…) for the semester topic. If students are in a cohortmodel program and are all taking the same general education course, the theme can
be chosen from that content area.
Activities:
 Explain and do a model assignment in class, followed by a homework
assignment where all students listen to the same assigned segment. Allow
students to compare homework assignments in class and to ask questions after
the first assignment to ensure they understand what to do. I use the Voice of
America website for easier listening materials for the model assignment(s).
 Students summarize and/or summarize and comment. I prefer the latter as it
encourages critical thinking skills.
 weekly or bi-weekly assignments after that, graded or not
 regular in-class reporting (impromptu, timed presentations in small groups) and
discussion of journals
 Generate class vocabulary study list on www.docs.google.com, a free, webbased document-sharing site. Have each student choose a different word and
set up a table document for them to complete (word, meaning, other word forms,
sample sentence, student name). Give deadlines for new words to be added,
and highlight errors for the students to correct.
 Give regular vocabulary quizzes (dictation, using words in a sentence, cloze)
based on class-generated vocabulary list or on individual student’s vocabulary to
ensure frequent study of vocabulary. Having the students list the vocabulary in
the same way makes it easy for student pair to quiz each other.
 formal presentations based on a journal-related subject
 group surveys in and out of class based on the topic (teach basics of survey
design and administration first)
 group oral presentations on survey results
A selection of news internet sources with audio/video to share with the students:
www.voanews.com - Voice of America, government-sponsored news
www.cnn.com – CNN, commercial network
www.npr.org – National Public Radio, publicly funded radio
www.msnbc.msn.com - MSNBC, commercial network
Joyce Podevyn
Instructions and Example for Listening and Vocabulary Journal Assignment
Your assignment is to listen to news about the assigned subject on a regular basis. You
may listen/watch on-line, on TV or radio to any news program of your choice in English.
It’s best to listen more than once if possible, so tape the program or listen/watch on-line.
Choose segments that are two to five minutes long. It may be hard to find material in the
beginning, but once you get used to listening, you will easily find journal material.
Each time you listen, you will create a journal. You may type or handwrite your journal.
If you type, you must collect your journals in a lightweight binder or folder. If you
handwrite, use examination booklets purchased in the Ohlone College Bookstore, and
use black or blue pen. The maximum per journal is one double-spaced typed or
handwritten page. Always write in your own words. Do not try to write word-for-word
what is said on the program and do not copy from a website. That is plagiarism.
Always list your name and the course on the top left. Always list the information next to
letters A-C below at the top of the page under your title. The title of your journal is:
Journal 1, 2, and so on. Center your title on the first line of the page.
A. Source: Write the url of the website, the name of the TV or radio program and
channel. For example: www.npr.org, CNN 24 hour news, KTVU 6 o’clock news…
B. Title: If available, write the title of the program and/or segment here. For
example: Obama Wins Big in South Carolina, Today’s Election News …
C. Date/Time: Write the date and time of the TV or radio program here, or the date
you accessed the website. For example: January 23, 2007, 7 a.m.
Summary/Response and Vocabulary
Divide your page in half by drawing a vertical line. Put your summary and comments on
the left and the vocabulary on the right. You must list five words and their meaning (in
your words or from the dictionary). In addition, you may list pronunciation symbols, parts
of speech, an example sentence, or additional forms of the word. You may also list one
unknown word per journal. The spelling of this unknown word will probably be incorrect.
Your instructor will provide correct spelling and information if she can. You will not lose
any points for listing an unknown word in addition to the five required words.
Summary
This was an interview with Hillary Clinton.
The interviewer asked questions about the
economy, healthcare, and the upcoming
primaries on February 5th.
Response
Vocabulary (use numbers!)
1. Experience, n. & v.
What you have done or know how to
do.
I don’t have any work experience, but
I’m looking for a job.
2.
3.
I found it interesting that Hillary used the
word “experience” in every answer. She
4.
also talked a lot about New York. I am not
5.
sure why. Maybe she is from New York?
Joyce Podevyn
6. (not required, an unknown word you
couldn’t identify) barak?
Joyce Podevyn