Active Listening in the EFL/ESL Class

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

Curricular Developer at CCCN

Senior ELT Professor at Universidad Latina

Freelance ELT Consultant for OUP in Central America

For further comments or suggestions, reach me at:

@jonacuso – Twitter

jonacuso@gmail.com – Gmail

Other blogs I often write for my students at the university are:

1. http://bin-02.blogspot.com/

2. http://bin-04.blogspot.com/

3. http://bin-06.blogspot.com/

-      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

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Active Listening in the EFL ESL Class