Listening Comprehension Flashcards
What are some of the reasons that listening comprehension has received more attention in second language teaching in the last 25 years?
Listening comprehension was referred to as the ‘forgotten skill’. It is NOT a passive skill - the listener is comprehending, there is a lot going on in the brain. Listening is necessary for speaking - you must understand what the speaker is saying in order to communicate. We spend more time on listening than anything else, it is necessary just to get through the day. It is very important for academic success - students need to understand verbal directions, and what the teacher stays.
What does bottom-up / top-down mean?
Bottom up happens when you listen to sounds, the sounds combine to words, the words to phrases, and you hear grammatical elements in the language. Beginning learners focus on the content words, the grammar words are unstressed, but they need to understand the function words.
Top-down happens when there is background knowledge, and expectations. The physical, visual, what you know, what you expect, pulling from the top-down for comprehension. Pre-listening gives students an expectation of what they are going to hear.
Supply more top-down to relieve some of the burden, so that students can focus on bottom up - focus more on function words and grammar.
What is transactional and interactional mean in relation to listening comprehension?
Transactional is a purpose for listening that is informational. Some examples of transactional listening would be the news, radio, TV, lecture (this is the purpose we will be emphasizing in the course). Interactional is a purpose for listening that is conversation based; turn-taking is a factor of interactional listening.
What is unidirectional and bidirectional?
Unidirectional is a mode of listening - it includes lecture, radio, tv, a meeting. There is no interaction, just listening. Bidirectional is a mode of listening that happens when in conversation - listening and speaking happens at the same time. Auto directional is when you talk to yourself.
What does task-based listening mean? Give some examples of task-based listening.
Task-based listening is an activity that requires learners to listen and complete a task based on what they hear. It links back to what happens when children acquire their first language. Some examples of task-based listening activities would be reading a short story, and having students draw a picture of it.
What is TPR? Why was it developed?
Total Physical Response is a type of way to teach listening comprehension. The student is not forced to speak in the early stages. It was developed to mimic first language acquisition.
What is meant by pre-listening?
Any good listening activity will have a strong pre-listening activity. It is what the students do before they begin the listening activity that will help them prepare for what’s to come.
Why should pre-listening activities be precede by listening activities
Pre-listening gives students an expectation of what they are going to hear.
What is an example of a pre-listening activity?
Some examples of pre-listening activities would be to go over key vocabulary or making predictions.
What are some examples of listening activities that can be characterized as task-based, transactional, and unidirectional? How do these activities meet these 3 criteria?
A picture dictation activity meets these three requirements. First, it is transactional because the student just listens and hears information.. Second, it is uni-directional again, because he is just listening and does not respond. Finally, it is task-based, because he is listening and then completing a task based on what he hears.
Some other activities that meet these three requirements are: listen and follow a procedure or perform a task, or listen and fill a grid.
What are visuals useful in the teaching of listening comprehension?
Visuals add to redundancy, allowing students to take information in more than one way.
What is the role of pausing (v. slower speech) in listening comprehension instruction?
pausing takes place when students are listening. You can slow down, but you don’t want to slow down too much, it is better to pause. Pausing gives students time to comprehend what they just heard. Can get into groups to discuss and get a better understanding.
How does repetition affect L2 learners’ listening comprehension?
Redundancy / Repetition gives students more of a chance to build their comprehension skills.
What is the meaning of ‘information transfer’?
Information transfer is taking in language through one skill and transferring it to another skill, such as listening to lecture and writing notes on the lecture.
What are some examples of listening activities that involve information transfer?
Dictogloss - listening and writing (taking notes) in a dictogloss a short passage is read a few times, and then notes are taken after the second time or so.
Paused listening - listening and speaking. during paused listening students listen to a video or something then discuss it.
