Listen... Do you want to know a secret?

TEACHING THE ART OF LISTENING

 

“Listen…Do you want to know a secret? Do you promise not to tell?

Closer… Let me whisper in your ear…Say the words you long to hear…”  (John Lennon)

 

Listening is not only a skill important music lovers or fluent speakers of a language. Nor is it only for business people and managers trying to broker a deal or improve staff productivity or for couples who’s communication is blocked and need a mediator to provide understanding between two parties in dispute.

 

Listening skills are vital for your learners. Of the 'four skills,' Speaking/pronunciation, reading and writing, listening is by far the most frequently used, but statistically the least formally taught.

Listening and speaking are often taught together, but beginners, especially non-literate ones, should be given more listening than speaking practice. It's important to speak as close to natural speed as possible, although with beginners some slowing is usually necessary.

 

Without reducing your speaking speed, you can make your language easier to comprehend by simplifying your vocabulary, using shorter sentences, and increasing the number and length of pauses in your speech. There are many types of listening activities. Those that don't require learners to produce language in response are easier than those that do. Learners can be asked to physically respond to a command (for example, "please open the door"), select an appropriate picture or object, circle the correct letter or word on a worksheet, draw a route on a map, or fill in a chart as they listen. 

 

It's often more difficult to repeat back what was heard, translate into the native language, take notes, make an outline, or answer comprehension questions. To add morechallenge, learners can continue a story text, solve a problem, perform a similar task with a classmateafter listening to a model (for example, order a cake from a bakery), or participate in real-time conversation.

 

Good listening lessons go beyond the listening task itself with related activities before and after the listening. Here is the basic structure:

 

· Before Listening

Prepare your learners by introducing the topic and finding out what they already know about it. A good way to do this is to have a brainstorming session and some discussion questions related to the topic. Then provide any necessary background information and new vocabulary they will need for the listening activity

· During Listening

Be specific about what students need to listen for. They can listen for selective details or general content, or for an emotional tone such as happy, surprised, or angry. If they are not marking answers or otherwise responding while listening, tell them ahead of time what will be required afterward.

 

· After Listening

Finish with an activity to extend the topic and help students remember new vocabulary. This could be a discussion group, craft project, writing task, game, etc.

 

Helpful listening links:

 

www.esl-lab.com Around 140 listening clips and quizzes for students to access online; categorized into four difficulty levels. (This is truly amazing and time saving teaching resource for all English Language teachers!)

 

www.englishlistening.com Thirty free listening clips categorized into three difficulty levels for students to access online; more available with membership; requires audio software such as RealPlayer (free).

 

Be sure and tell a friend about Paradise TEFL Teacher Training programs. We offer TEFL teacher training for certifications in various SE Asia locations which can be achieved in 30 days or less. Most often it consists of one week of intensive study and lesson planning and three weeks of observed teaching and practice.

 

 

 After certification is complete we help our graduates with job placement in cities and rural areas around the globe. Right now is a good time to become TEFL certified in terms of the demand for English across the world, but is especially high in Asia. 

Whatever plan of action an unemployed educator decides to take, in general, the more advanced certifications a TEFL or TESOL Teacher holds, the more opportunity they possess in terms of their marketability and increased number of employment options. 

For a limited time, Paradise TEFL Certification Program offers these advanced certifications such as TOEFL, IELTS, and TEYL at the SAME PRICE as the basic TEFL/TESOL certification!

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Graduates with these additional certifications have the advantage of substantially increasing their marketability and employment status. Improve your chances of getting a good job with a higher level of pay by enrolling today!