STUDENTS are often asked to listen to tapes or to their teacher talking, but it can be just as useful to encourage them to listen to each other in a more active way. Learning to listen to each other more carefully can build their ability and confidence in real-life situations, in which they need to focus on both listening and speaking. The following activities are a fun way of getting students to concentrate more and to remember information.
Activity One
Ask students to get into pairs to write a dialogue. When student A is speaking, student B should write down what they are saying, and vice versa. When they have finished the conversation, they should check what each other has written and put the two sides of the conversation together. You could then ask students to perform their dialogues again for the rest of the class, or to swap with other pairs.
This activity works best if you give students a theme or role-play.
Activity Two
Ask one student at a time to go to the front of the class. Ask the rest of the class to ask them any questions they like. Try to make a note of some of the answers. When all of the students (or half of the students, if you have a large group) have been interviewed, explain that you are going to hold a quiz about the class. Get the students into small teams and ask them to put their hands up if they know the answer to a question.
Award a point to the first team that answers correctly. This game can be a lot of fun, and it encourages students to listen to each other.
Activity Three
Divide the class into two teams, A and B. Ask one student at a time to come to the front of the class and read aloud a passage which you have chosen, e.g. a story or newspaper article. Then ask them to read it aloud again, but to make some changes. Each time a lie (or change) is read out, the students must stand up. The first team to stand up gets a point. This game requires students to listen carefully and encourages them to remember important information and details.
MANY times listening activities are just that - activities that focus on right or wrong, understood or not. But the building and cultivation of listening skills may be lost in the quest to accomplish the task itself. The following activity is aimed at constructing solid bottom-up skills while developing student self-reliance and confidence. This listening activity is not an activity for accuracy, but a method of true practice and listening experimentation.
During the listening task, students will be asked to listen for one specific element only. This can be names, animals, colors, verbs, nouns or lexical sets. This runs on a sliding scale and should be adjusted as skills develop. One word can be extended to small expressions, questions and answers, or words beginning with a specific letter.
Step One
First, find a listening sample that best suits your class size and level. Next, decide what language item will be focused upon and draw a word web of ideas, themes and other topics that can be free-associated. For example, listening about a flight attendant would create a word web that included - airport, airplane, travel, flying, uniform, intelligent. This is important as it helps to focus the students’ minds, activating their schematic knowledge.
Step Two
First, introduce the listening topic and write it on the board to begin the word web. Have students free associate while you elicit answers and fill in the web.
Step Three
Have students get out a piece of paper and prepare to write down the specific language item targeted. Play the listening two times. Then have students compare what they heard with the word web. This is also the time for students to discuss problems they had, what worked and what didn’t. Then listen once more to provide closure and wrap up all elements discussed.
TELL students they are going to hear a telephone conversation between an American man and woman. Tell them to put their pens down and simply listen. When students are ready, play the recording. Ask students to call out all the names they can remember.
Step Two
Put students into pairs. Write the questions on the board and tell them to guess the answers. After a few moments, review the answers with the class.
Step Three
Play the recording again. Explain they should make notes on what news Anne gives about Dennis, Becky and Kate. Give them a few moments to try to remember any information they can, then play the recording. Ask students if they can remember when each of these things happened?
Step Four
Tell students you will play the recording once more and they must shout ‘Stop!’ when they hear when each thing happened.
Step Five
Give each student a question sheet and allow them time to read the statements and check their answers. Then play the recording as they listen and check. Put students into pairs and give each pair a copy of the recording script. Tell them to practice the conversation with their partner.
