1 1 Girls consistently o….............. boys at school. They tend to do better in tests across all ages. 2 The country’s industrial s… is continuing to grow at a remarkable rate. 3 All articles have to undergo a p review process before being consdiered for publication. 4 Too many countries have a v interest in the country for me to feel optimistic about the war ending any soon. 5 The government has been accused of m the figures. 6 We had over a foot of snow d on us last night. 7 I never planned to become a teacher. I kind of got p… into it by my mum who’s also a teacher! 8 The visa regulations were r a bit last year. 1
2 Helping students with listeningor Recognizing that you may already do a lot to help listening which you take for granted! 2
3 You’re not listening! A quick warmerWhat’s the difference between listening and hearing? What do you do to improve students’ ability to hear? What do you do to improve their listening skills?
4 You’re not listening! You’re not listening!Students do listen! The problem is: They can’t hear words because they don’t know them. They can’t hear words because they can’t distinguish sounds. They can hear the words, but they can’t group words appropriately. They can hear the words (and even expressions) but can’t process meaning fast enough.
5 ‘Doing’ a listening . . . ‘Doing’ a listening . . .Listening activities include: Listening to public announcements Listening to media Listening as a member of a live audience Listening to overheard conversations, etc. In each case, the user may be listening for: Gist Specific information Detailed understanding Implications (from CEFR, p65, CUP)
6 Top-down processing Top-down processing Getting students to predict content: from pictures from the situation based on what they know already
7 The spanner in the works! The spanner in the works!For complex social and psychological reasons, learners are less sure they have grasped the topic being spoken of, the opinion being expressed about it, and the reasons for the speaker wanting to talk about it. They are less sure of the relevance of their own experience in helping them to arrive at an interpretation. On top of all that they are less sure of the forms of the language … for all these reasons learners are less able to bring to bear top down processing in forming an interpretation and hence are more reliant on bottom up processing. Brown quoted in Jenkins, 2001 OUP
8 Is everyone having a starter?The seared salmon on a bed of fennel sounds nice. We should’ve left the car at home. Yesterday the cat talked in the sea.. Do lator has sonned dun ofer by canobac.
9 Hearing, memory and listening Hearing, memory and listeningListening activities include: Listen to public announcements Listening to media Listening as a member of a live audience Listening to overheard conversations, etc. In each case, the user may be listening for: Gist Specific information Detailed understanding Implications
10 Good listeners . . . Know nearly all - if not all - of the words they’re listening to. Process words in chunks Hear the words when they listen to them Understand words / chunks they hear automatically as a result of repeated over-learning
11 Listening and listenershipListening is also part of speaking and interaction. Range of automaticity, related to the frequency / typicality of the exchange (greetings, buying/selling conversations about jobs, etc.) Also chunks. May allow to fill in gaps we don’t hear, but more importantly help process meaning quicker.
12 Some principles We need to teach more of the language they are likely to hear / use and that includes using listening activities as an opportunity to teach language. Teach language in context all the time! And help students recognise / hear words in chunks. Help with problem sounds (working back from the chunk) Make sure words/chunks, exchanges, conversations get recycled
13 Some principles Do listenings more than once. Students just listen at first, but then read and listen. They can then underline new language, etc. Gap chunks / phrases in the listening texts. Elicit, write on the board highlighting features of pronunciation - and drill. Encourage students to read graded readers than come with CDs they can listen to at the same time. Always highlight linking, stress, elision and so on when adding examples on the board.
14 Work in pairs Think of three things I’ve mentioned that:You do already You’d like to start doing more of. You’re unsure about and want to ask about
15 Useful ways of tackling listening texts in class
16 Pre-listening texts Generating appropriate language from the text In a skills-based approach to teaching, pre-text tasks for both readings and listenings are based on the idea of activating schemata. The idea is that if we spark existing knowledge of a subject or of the language that might be connected to it, they’ll then be better able to interpret the text. However, as we’ve already seen, simply activating schemata is a poor substitute for hearing and understanding as much of the language in the text as possible. As such, teachers need to push language more at pre-text stages and teach more language – ideally language as students will hear it spoken in the actual listening!
17 Pre-listening texts Generating appropriate language from the text It’s always good to keep a critical eye on pre-listening tasks in coursebooks and consider the degree to which they will actually help generate language as featured in the text. We can: Give pre-listening tasks that encourage output more like the conversations Ss. will hear. Ask students to predict what will be said and how the conversation will develop – rather than just asking for predictions about content. Show exchanges – rather than just sentences – when reformulating students’ ideas and suggestions.
18 Pre-listening texts Generating appropriate language from the text Look at a conversation aimed at Pre-Intermediate / B1 students. Then look at some different pre-listening tasks. Decide: What language each task generates How much of the language generated appears in – or could be reformulated into language from – the audioscript?
19 A: Are you hungry? B: Yeah, a bit. And you? A: Yeah, I am - quite. Do you want to get something to eat, then? B: Yeah, OK. Have you got anywhere in mind? A: Well, there’s a good Turkish place just round the corner. B: Ah, to be honest, I don’t really feel like Turkish. I had a big kebab on my way home last night, so . . . A: Oh, right. OK. B: So if it’s alright with you, I’d rather have something different. Do you know anywhere else good round here? A: Well, there’s an Indonesian place up in Hendon. B: Is it very spicy? I can’t take it if it’s too hot A: It’s not too bad, no, and anyway, there are loads of dishes to choose from, so you’re bound to find something you’ll like. B: Well, if you’re sure. A: And the food was great last time I was there. B: OK. Go on, then. You’ve talked me into it. A: Cool. So shall we walk or do you want to get a cab? B: Let’s just walk. It’s such a lovely evening. It won’t take long, will it? A: No, half an hour at most.
20 Generating appropriate language from the textPre-listening texts Generating appropriate language from the text Work in pairs. Discuss these questions. How often do you eat out? Where do you usually go? Why? What’s your favourite foreign food? Why? In pairs, roleplay a conversation starting: Are you hungry? Yeah, a bit. And you?
21 The questions below come from the listeningThe questions below come from the listening. Put them in the other you expect to hear them – and decide two possible ways each one may be answered. Have you got anywhere in mind? Are you hungry? Shall we walk or do you want to get a cab? Do you want to get something to eat, then? Look at the keywords from the first four lines of the listening. Predict what you think will be said. A: hungry? B: bit / you? A: am /want / get / eat? B: OK / anywhere / mind?
22 Focus on chunks and pronunciation Gapping texts Focus on chunks and pronunciation Apart from fast connected speech, your gaps may also focus on things such as these: traditional grammar Present continuous: Guy's just speaking Reported speech: said he might be … new / key words a lot to pack in they can catch up chunks on her way up to date with Other features and patterns of spoken language Uses of just we should just get started you’ll just have to miss Persuading But if I could sort it out ? What if I made sure … Talking to a group Any other issues with anyone?
23 Gapping texts Focus on chunks and pronunciation You may be able to have a single focus, but more likely it will be a mixture. Because of practicalities of listening and writing answers, you will need to: limit the size of the chunk (e.g. two to four words) limit the number of chunks spread the the chunks evenly over the whole text As well as drawing attention to phonology, when checking the answers to the gapfill, we can: check grammatical concepts. ask questions about the vocabulary. exemplify and vary chunks and patterns.
24 Practice Look at an audioscript. Select a number of gaps. Write your gaps on a piece of paper. Think about: How many gaps you have and where they are. The features of phonology you could emphasise and how you will highlight them What other ways you could exploit the phrases you gapped when you’re going through the answers.
25 Practice Show your partner your gaps. Elicit each ‘gap’. When your partner says the gapped words, drill the group of gapped words and draw attention to any relevant features of pronunciation (greenhouse, garden, jungle). Ask extra questions about some items – or give extra examples. Finally, discuss the language you chose to gap, any differences in what you chose and how you handled the feedback.
26 A: Are you hungry? B: Yeah, a bit. And you? A: Yeah, I am - quite. Do you want to get something to eat, then? B: Yeah, OK. Have you got anywhere in mind? A: Well, there’s a good Turkish place just round the corner. B: Ah, to be honest, I don’t really feel like Turkish. I had a big kebab on my way home last night, so . . . A: Oh, right. OK. B: So if it’s alright with you, I’d rather have something different. Do you know anywhere else good round here? A: Well, there’s an Indonesian place up in Hendon. B: Is it very spicy? I can’t take it if it’s too hot A: It’s not too bad, no, and anyway, there are loads of dishes to choose from, so you’re bound to find something you’ll like. B: Well, if you’re sure. A: And the food was great last time I was there. B: OK. Go on, then. You’ve talked me into it. A: Cool. So shall we walk or do you want to get a cab? B: Let’s just walk. It’s such a lovely evening. It won’t take long, will it? A: No, half an hour at most.
27 Using scripts Purposes and feedbackWe’ve already looked at gapping chunks in audioscripts, but we can also use them to: practise pronunciation encourage students to memorise and recall language adapt conversations in creative ways. Remember it’s important to differentiate between productive pronunciation exercises and receptive pronunciation, which is more to do with raising awareness of the features of connected speech and changing soundscapes, with a view to helping students hear better. Understanding the difference between these different kinds of tasks helps us think about what kind of feedback might be most appropriate.
28 Using scripts Purposes and feedbackDo each of the tasks below with the script we looked at earlier. For each task, decide: The purpose of the task Any problems that might arise How the task could be made simpler – or more challenging What feedback you might give. Listen and mark the script with stressed sounds. Underline any chunk in the text you could often re-use. Practise saying the chunks as fast as you can. Then read out the dialogue in pairs. Read out the dialogue in pairs, but only speak when you’re looking up at each other. In pairs, each remember one role. One one word for each line as a reminder. Then act out the script.
29 Using scripts Purposes and feedbackDo each of the tasks below with the script we looked at earlier. For each task, decide: The purpose of the task Any problems that might arise How the task could be made simpler – or more challenging What feedback you might give. In pairs, mark words in the text that link together. Read out the text in pairs, but refer to real places that you know. Play the recording or read it out while the students whisper along. Tell students to number the lines. Then ask them to practise reading out the text, but when they read a particular line, they must say something different to the script and continue the conversation based on this new line.
30 A: Are you hungry? B: Yeah, a bit. And you? A: Yeah, I am - quite. Do you want to get something to eat, then? B: Yeah, OK. Have you got anywhere in mind? A: Well, there’s a good Turkish place just round the corner. B: Ah, to be honest, I don’t really feel like Turkish. I had a big kebab on my way home last night, so . . . A: Oh, right. OK. B: So if it’s alright with you, I’d rather have something different. Do you know anywhere else good round here? A: Well, there’s an Indonesian place up in Hendon. B: Is it very spicy? I can’t take it if it’s too hot A: It’s not too bad, no, and anyway, there are loads of dishes to choose from, so you’re bound to find something you’ll like. B: Well, if you’re sure. A: And the food was great last time I was there. B: OK. Go on, then. You’ve talked me into it. A: Cool. So shall we walk or do you want to get a cab? B: Let’s just walk. It’s such a lovely evening. It won’t take long, will it? A: No, half an hour at most.
31 Beyond the listening lesson Dictation, dictogloss and grammaringToday there is increased awareness of the many advantages of dictation, namely: it practises bottom-up processing. When students listen and try to write down what they hear, they need to process individual sounds and sound combinations, and then also use lexical, syntactical, discoursal and contextual knowledge. It provides listening practice, but also involves writing, reading and speaking (when students check/compare texts). It can raise awareness of words students are not hearing/noticing when listening - and of any sound-spelling issues. It gives students a chance to notice such features of spoken English as weak forms, linking, elision, etc. It can be used at any level. The focus can be shifted more towards lexis, grammar or texts.
32 Beyond the listening lessonDictation, dictogloss and grammaring It’s worth noting the difference between a dictation, which usually focuses on phrases / sentences that can be held in the short-term working memory, and a dictogloss, which focuses on longer stretches of text and involves more grammaring - adding knowledge of grammar to the key verbs and nouns that are heard. In class, it’s good to: First read out your phrases/sentences/text at a relatively fast natural speed, with weak forms, etc. Give students time to complete their notes on their own and to then compare ideas with a partner. Hear the phrases/sentences/text again, this time perhaps said slightly slower. Elicit ideas from the class. Write up the correct version/s on the board, highlighting - and drilling - relevant features of connected speech or problematic sound-spelling issues.
33 2 Dictate a range of sentences based around a particular Practice Look at the activities below. Discuss: When each might be done – and why. What aspects of phonology each one might test If any other lexical, syntactical, discoursal and contextual knowledge might be needed. What problems may have in each case. 1 Dictate the first two lines of a conversation that students are going to listen to later. 2 Dictate a range of sentences based around a particular structural pattern (e.g. How long have you been doing that? How long have you been waiting?) 3 Give students eight key words and then dictate eight sentences, each of which features one of the words. 4 Dictate eight minimal pairs (e.g. vest-best).
34 Practice Look at the activities below. Discuss:When each might be done – and why. What aspects of phonology each one might test If any other lexical, syntactical, discoursal and contextual knowledge might be needed. What problems may have in each case. 5 Dictate a short text of between words based on a topic that has been - or will be - studied. 6 Give students eight key nouns or verbs. Dictate a range of collocations / chunks containing each one. They should be things you have previously covered. Students then write whole sentences for each item. 7 Dictate pairs of sentences that feature different meanings of words. (e.g. The roots go a long way down / We need to get to the root of the problem). 8 Dictate 8-10 sentences covered in class, but before each one, say how many words the sentence contains. Students compare in pairs.
35 Pronunciation in and out of the classroom
36 What I used to do with pron.Drill a model sentence if I was doing that type of lesson Drill the odd difficult word Do the occasional exercise on schwa/word or sentence stress. Generally skip pron exercises in the book
37 Principles that guided my practiceStudents need to do some pron Intelligibility is the basic criteria Phonetic symbols were a faff students didn’t need Pron should be integrated
38 Changing my outlook Moving away from more text based teachingListening / hearing Debates on ELF Writing materials Students request for and response to phonemic symbols My own experience in making more of an effort to teach and use symbols
39 Principles I’m beginning to formulateA focus on spoken English needs to have a consistent focus on pron. Intelligibility to the teacher is too low a standard Mastering pron of words/expressions helps memorising and recall. Mastering pron will improve listening The majority of pron work needs to be on an expression / sentence level or above. Work to help students with individual sounds and students need to see/feel difference between there own production and what’s required. Native speaker-like production is not the endpoint but from my point of view is the model The model needs to be something they will say / hear.
40 Practice More consistent drilling of language (Every class)Listening and reading activities (e.g. gap fills) Dictations Getting students to read out / recall dialogues marked for stress/chunking Using these as opportunities for individual work. Using marking activities to raise awareness At lower levels using revision of language as way to focus on individual sounds Using phonetic script more to highlight problem sounds and show how sounds are made
41 Doubts and difficulties that remainDo I do these things as much as I think I do?! (Rebecca’s whiteboard!!) Lek and others (where to start? / specialism) Multilingual classes (no problems) What happens in other classes / outside the class (lack of practice)
42 Individual/group ways forward: action researchFocussed lesson observation Questionnaires to students Questionnaires to teachers Formulating change Post change journal / questionnaires Re-evaluation of principles
43 Departmental / outside classSpecialist classes / specialist help (mentored learning) Use apps such as Cool Speech Develop our own support software / drills Develop or make available other self-access materials