Teaching of Listening for Academic Purposes

Executive Summary:

The evaluation paper is designed with a view to help in understanding the aspects of teaching listening for academic purposes and the challenges/issues that come across in doing so. The report is divided in three parts,The first part focuses on different features of the language of the lecture which ranges from verbal to non-verbal to listening, speaking, writing and reading and its impact on students, the result of interview with the practitioners  is also shared in this part. In the second part the focus is on reviewing online teaching programs that aim to support the teaching of academic listening skills. In third and last part a sequence of activity is proposed to assist the students to understand and listen a lecture better.

Introduction:

Listening is considered to be most frequently used language modality. Research show that students receive approximately 90%  of their in school information through listening. Given the importance of listening in teaching and language learning it is important that teachers help their students in getting an effective listening (NCLRC 2004)The basic principle of teaching still relates to effective communication which means use of effective verbal, nonverbal and writingtechniques which translate to spoken, reading and writing skills to encourage and support interactiveparticipation in the classroom. This basic principle needs to be visible in any classroom. This in turn means that the teacher is well aware about the class, he/she is aware of the different types of learners that are present in the classroom and he tailors his teaching styles as per the requirement of the students. He understands that he needs to use several techniques and communication tools that can help in reaching to everyone effectively however, there are challenges which he may encounter.

Aim:The aim of the report is to identify issues/challenges in teaching of listening for academic purposes and providing ways to overcome it.

Understanding Listening and its relation to other modes:

The effective techniques to promote listening can range from use of different modes of communication to different languages, technologies etc. Howard Gardner’s notion of Multiple Intelligences is considered to helpful in tailoring and planning lessons for the class (Lauren A. Grudzinski’s Portfolion.d.). The literacy domain (verbal, nonverbal and written) have their own implications for teachers and student, they are discussed briefly below:

Active Listening Skills:

Active listening skills are considered to be very critical domain in the effective classroom teaching.It can be broadly classified under three areas: Skills, Vocabulary and Instructions(Evidence Based Teaching 2012)

Skills: When a learners can receive information in the way that he/she can process it, neglecting all the interferences that might come on the way he/she is said to have that listening skill. A student is said to be an active listener when he does not ask for repetition often, when he responds to a question or query promptly, when he is able to differentiate between word, idiom and phrases, when he is able to comprehend and when he is able to write dictations.

Vocabulary: When a student has active listening skills but has a problem in understanding or comprehending things he/she is said to have a problem with listening vocabulary. Listening vocabulary imparts a person with sufficient words to help him/her comprehend whatever is being said.

Instruction : This means understanding of  implied directions and ability to “read between the lines”.This helps in listening and adjusting individual behavior according to changed or new directions and information.Effective Speaking Skills:

Effective speaking paves way for effecting listening. Researchers have shown that the students whose instructors or teachers use dynamic words or vocally skillful delivery can retain and comprehend lectures more efficiently as compared to students whose teachers are weak presenters. A complex and extensive set verbal and bodily or nonverbal behavior constitutes to produce a speaker delivery. The delivery is considered to be effective when it eliminates all the distractions and it attracts attention by the use of voice and body languages to deliver the message effortlessly (IDEA Paper 1991).

Effective Writing Skills:

In order to make the learning experience of lasting value it is important that student get into writing exercises for which they need to involve themselves personally. In order to encourage student participation in a classroom exercise with simultaneous refinement and expansion of their writing skills, it is important that some pragmatic approaches are applied. The instructor/teacher needs to be very clear on the skills which he/she is trying to develop in the students. The objective and target skills needs to be set before hand to ensure student participation (Teaching Writing skills 2012)

Research Methodology:It consisted of Primary research and secondary research both. In primary research three practitioner with an experience of 10 to 15 years and age of 40-45 years were interviewed. The questionnaire consisted of five closed ended questions to find out the most important issue which the face in teaching listening in their class. The result is analysed in excel and is presented in next section of the report. The secondary research focused on the data and literature which are already available in the web.

If the language of the lecture are not presented or delivered properly it can give rise to many problems and challenges which can act as barrier to effective transmission of knowledge. Some of these challenges that were found as a part of secondary research are:

1. 1.      Fast delivery of lecture : Students might feel that the presenter speaks very fast and the reason for that could be student’s unfamiliarity with the language or fast speech delivery of the lecturer. Recording lectures and asking the presenter to slow a bit can help in getting a better understanding of the lecturer.

1. 2.      Problem with the vocabulary: if the students in the class are not very familiar with the language, this problem might arise. Lecturers in this case use simple words and explain the words wherever necessary. Students need to practice active listening skill in such cases wherein news listening, newspaper reading can help.

1. 3.      Problem with strange idioms: this kind of problem arises with non-native of a particular place. To overcome this problem they can increase their interaction with the natives and lecturers can help in this by explaining such idioms wherever possible and should try to speak in one common language (University of Canberra 2012)

The are some general  issues/challenges that are encountered by lecturers which come as barriers to effective listening from students, some of them with the solution are mentioned below:

1. 1.      Removing distraction: There could be distraction outside the classroom or inside which could be in the form of noise outside or inside. Noise inside the class can arise because of ongoing talks between the students because they are less attentive and less involved in the class. This inside distraction can be avoided by designing activities that invites more participation.Use of visual aids and video during presentation can also help in gaining attention of the class.The outside noise can be avoided by closing windows, doors etc.

1. 2.      Use of signals: in case where it is felt that class is getting distracted, a whistle, duster beat or raised voice can help in getting back the attention of the class. Body language can also send signals that its time to concentrate on class (Demand Media 2012)

1. 3.      Making sure that class is listening : Maintaining a proper pitch and voice modulation can help in this. Designing activities to involve students can also prove very useful.

Result

The result of primary research is shown below:

The teaching material which is chosen for review and comment is an online teaching course module called Universal classes which is developed with the purpose of imparting knowledge to learners to improve and understand listening skills. The students and individuals can do this by self-assessment and by bringing self-improvement. The module is meant for a duration of six months.The link of the website is: http://www.universalclass.com/i/course/listening-skills-101.htm

There are thirteen lessons in the module and each lesson focuses on different aspect of the listening skill. The course very well differentiates hearing and listening.  The first chapter begins with the basics of the listening and tells its importance in every aspect of life whether it’s a student in a classroom or for somebody who is a professional. The next lesson progresses towards introspection with respect to the listening abilities and hence classifies individuals on different types,and then in the next chapter it introduces the concept of Active listening and explains the language of physical attributes as well. The next lesson is dedicated to the three basic models of listening i.e competitive, reflective and attentive. Then comes the three basic listening skills of attention, adjustment and attitude. Barrier to Effective listening is discussed in the next chapter which focuses on different kinds of barrier such as physical barrier, psychological barrier etc. In lesson seven a comparison between good and bad listening habit is discussed with the help of example which in turn helps in getting a clear understanding of the lesson. The next chapter focuses on irritating listening habits which can impact the listening process. Lesson nine is on study of body language which is one the most upcoming topics in the field of listening skills study, in this lesson the focus is on importance of body language, why they are important and what is their relation with listening skills. It also discusses some key gestures and their interpretations. In next lesson i.e lesson tenth, a special emphasis is laid on note-taking which means this lesson helps in discussing how to get most out a particular lecture. The next lesson talks about activities that can help in improving one’s listening skills. In the next lesson the focus is on the way that a learner can share with others to help them become good listeners. Last chapter puts all the above mentioned chapters together. It gives a revisit to all the aspects of effective listening once more and presents the conclusion at the end.

The module  of this online teaching class is very extensive and exhaustive. It gives deep insights to students about the required skills that are needed for effective listening. The basic chapter explains the importance of listening skills in all aspects of life be it classroom or profession. The special focus on understanding the body language and its relation to listening skills adds uniqueness to it. The discussion on key gesture and its interpretation is another value addition which the module offers to its learners. The module not only solely focuses on listening but also included note taking as an important part of effective listening. After completing this module the student will have a complete idea of listening skills, he/she will be judging himself /her on listening skills. He would have a thorough knowledge pertaining to science and arts of listening skills . There would be clarity on what needs to be developed in order to have good listening skills.

Activities to improve listening in a class

One of the most important issues that comes across while attracting students to listen to to the lecture in the class is distraction especially internal distraction and lossof interest in the class. There are series of activities that are proposed which can help in overcoming distractions and hold interest of the class :Questions: Questions are considered to be simplest form of attracting student to make them listen to whatever is being delivered. Questions help in gaining students attention and also helps lecturer understand the mindset, interest of the students.

Brainstorming:Brainstorming can help in holding the class to a particular topic and can encourage their participation as well. The lecture can begin with a particular topic and students can be asked to share their thoughts and views on it which can be later related to the lecture. The main idea of this activity is to note down all the suggestions, idea on that topic and save the critique till the idea generation time gets over.

Think-Pair-Sharing: This can be done by dividing the class in pairs or groups and they can think about a particular scenario or a question and then can generate ideas. Then they can share their ideas in front of the entire class. All value addition can come from the end of the lecturer.

Debate :Debates help in encouraging participation in the classroom without compromising the control of the class.The class can be divided on two parts, each part can put forward their arguments through their leaders or representative. The debate ensures that there is two way thinking on a particular topic and in order to initiate the debate active listening of the lecturer and the counter the opposite site active listening of the opposite party is must.

Short story writing (one or two minutes): This activity can help in getting to know what the students have understood out of the class and it will help students recalling whatever they listened and to answer next question better they will listen more effectively. The story that can be asked to write about could be in the form of the learning from the class, most interesting fact which they liked etc.

Role Plays: For this activity the class can be divided in various groups and each group can be given a designated role and also a concrete task to perform. The role plays should be designed in such a way that they are very much related to the topic of the course (University of Waterloo n.d.)

Rapid rehearsal or revision: A quick revision or rehearsal of the content discussed in the class can bring considerable difference in retaining the attention of the class. A seminar session or a lab session immediately after this can add even more value and will make student listen to the lecture from the beginning itself (Learning and Teaching n.d.)

Use of technology :PowerPointandsmart boards can be very useful in promoting active listening. Students can be invited to present their understanding on a PowerPoint which can be spontaneous and the can be given 10 -15 minutes to prepare (Minds in Bloom 2011)

Use of CD’s and video recordings:A commercial recording or self-recording showing facial expressions can be played in the classroom and the class can be asked to make notes about what they felt and their understanding of the topic. They can be also be asked to give their views on the body language of the speaker. This will have an impact on the understanding of the students and student will be attentive in the class( Demand Media 2012)

Conclusion:The report identifies the issues that are faced while teaching listening to the classes and it also proposes methods and activities that can help in overcoming it.

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