Active Listening in the
EFL/ESL Class:
5 tips for better listening in language learning
Oftentimes I’ve been asked the very same question by
different generations of students at the university: “Teacher, what can I do to
improve my listening skills?” The good thing about the question is that my
pupils are aware of the importance of becoming better listeners. Yet the
problem is that learners tend to make the same mistakes repeatedly and are
negatively affecting their listening potential.
Do we really listen? Not really.
Based on Seth S. Horowitz (2012), an auditory neuroscientist at Brown
University, “the difference between the sense of hearing and the skill of
listening is attention.” The students’ problem is that they hear a lot, but
they can’t focus to listen attentively. Barbara Bray (2012) labels this skill
as “active listening.” And this is exactly what students need to develop.
How can students learn to listen actively
and attentively? In language learning, a well-developed and
robust ear is a must, not only for pronunciation training but also in public
speaking and content courses, as well as in real life. This “robust” ear can be
developed by working and implementing five basic tips, which are the ones I share
with my English-learning students.
Tip 1< LISTENING FOR
UNDERSTANDING: Students have the wrong idea that they
have to comprehend every single word uttered by a speaker (professors,
partners, etc.), and this is not true. Communication is based on the
understanding of a message, not of individual words. Students need to learn to
extract “the global meaning” of an explanation in class, or a listening task. Vocabulary
can be dealt differently in some other occasion to benefit listening. Listening
for understanding is the first key towards attentive listening.
Tip 2< CLARIFICATION: Whether it’s a cultural condition, or
not, many students are afraid of asking for clarification. And they forget that
a good language teacher does not complain because students ask, but s/he simply
explains again. Clarification is necessary since a second explanation or repetition
can be the difference between understanding or remaining with a gap in one’s
learning. So, if we are listening for understanding, and something is not clear
to us, it’s always a good idea to ask the speaker to clarify for us. This behavior
also reflects one’s search for attentive listening and that one is interested
in the topic being discussed.
Tip 3< BODY LANGUAGE: At times students tend to forget that
communication is not only verbal; they forget that we also communicate
nonverbally. Body language is also important in becoming a good listener since what
is being said is usually accompanied with facial gestures and hand movements.
Decoding these gestures can definitely enhance people’s understanding of the
message that is being conveyed. By asking for repetition when necessary and by
reading people’s body movements, we also develop our attentive listening to
turn into a better decoder of messages.
Tip 4< OPEN-MINDEDNESS: To become a good
listener, the student needs to be curious, and that’s why being open-minded is
a must. While listening, we become receptive for new ideas and different points
of view other speakers are willing to share with us. And it’s also necessary
not to be biased, because prejudice will somehow diminish your listening
potential. As it can be seen, open-mindedness is another key element in
becoming focused and attentive listeners.
Tip 5< THE ENVIRONMENT: A crucial element in
developing one’s listening skill is your surroundings. In today’s world, there
are plenty of distractors that hinder one’s listening potential. For that
reason, one has to stop what one is doing. Text-messaging with friends in
class, listening to your music by having your earphones on, or surfing the Web
in your phone or other device affect your listening. Noise is another element
to take into account. If practicing your listening, it is always a good idea to
look for a quiet place where you can minimize background noise. This will allow
you to focus and listen attentively.
As it can be seen, good listening skills don’t just
depend on listening
per se. There are external elements that need to be considered and improved to
be a much attentive, active listener. What you have been provided here is just
a collection of tips I give my students at the university. However, there are
more extensive lists of recommendations to explore and practice.
Please, explore these two collections of tips that can
also help your students become better listeners.
· Kay
Lindahl’s Top
Ten Powerful Listening Practices
· Barbara
Bray’s 10 Tips for Active Listening
ETo fully
develop and comprehend this teaching issue, it’s advisable to research and
expand these areas:
1
|
Steps to
effective learning
|
2
|
The art of
listening
|
3
|
Hearing vs.
listening
|
4
|
Learning to
listen
|
5
|
Listening
training skills
|
Professor
Jonathan Acuña-Solano
ELT
Instructor & Trainer based in Costa Rica
Freelance ELT Consultant for OUP in Central America
For
further comments or suggestions, reach me at:
@jonacuso – Twitter
Other blogs I often write for my students at the
university are:
-
Bray, Barbara (2012)
10
Tips for Active Listening. Rethinking Learning. Published at http://barbarabray.net/2012/01/10/10-tips-for-active-listening/
-
Horowitz, Seth S.
(2012) The Science and Art of Listening. The New York Times: Nov 9, 2012. Published at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/opinion/sunday/why-listening-is-so-much-more-than-hearing.html?_r=2
-
Lindahl, Kay (2009) Top
Ten Powerful Listening Practices. The Listening Center. Published at http://www.sacredlistening.com/tlc_topten.htm
Download a copy of
this article here.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Hi Jonathan,
Great tips, thanks. I've been doing quite a bit of active listening activities this month and I've found that by giving the students a few key expressions like 'really' 'now way' 'get out of here' 'what are you talking about' and 'sorry, you're boring me' just for fun really gets them listening to each other. Even if they can be rude to each other sometimes.
Great tips though, I'll try those next week.
Thanks
Barry
Don't also forget listening for pleasure! It's often overlooked by teachers because there are no obvious short-term results but it is nonetheless incredibly useful and can yield great results. http://tinyurl.com/a5ka2zc