TEACHING LISTENING

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1. PEDAGOGICAL RESEARCH
   1. The importance of listening in language learning can be overestimated; through reception, we internalize linguistic information without which we could not produce language at all. In pedagogical research, listening comprehension first hit the spotlight during the 1970´s during a work based on Total Physical Response (TPR). There were some significant findings during this time, for instance: 1. The importance of input in second language acquisition 2. Convert input into intake 3. Aspects such as task, interlocutor, text can affect the listening comprehension
2. WHAT MAKES LISTENING DIFFICULT?
   1. Second language learners (SLL) need to pay special attention to some key factors that can influence the processing of speech or even block their ability for comprehension. These are the main instances that account for it:
      1. 1. CLUSTERING: Speech is usually broken down into smaller units of information such as phrases. It is important to train students to pick manageable clusters of words for comprehension; rather than trying to retain overly long sentences or trying to grasp every word in an utterance.
      2. 2. REDUNDANCY: It is frequent to have rephrasing, repetitions, explanations or insertions during a conversation that help to grasp meaning. Not necessarily every sentence carry new information. SLL must learn how to deal with it to understand the purpose of utterances.
      3. 3. REDUCED FORMS: Reduced forms may come in phonological, morphological, syntactic or pragmatic form that can pose significant difficulties for comprehension. Lots of exposure is required to overcome this stumbling block in listening comprehension.
      4. 4. PERFORMANCE VARIABLES: Spoken everyday language may seem gibberish in written form. Grammatical and phonetical formal or standard rules are not always present in spoken language. SLL must train themselves for meaning in the midst of distracting variables.
      5. 5. COLLOQUIAL LANGUAGE: SLL exposed to standard written English deal with a lot of difficulty when processing idioms, slang, reduced forms and shared cultural knowledge.
      6. 6. RATE OF DELIVERY: At the early stages of exposure all SLL think all native speakers speak too fast. SLL will need to develop language comprehension delivered at various rates.
      7. 7. STRESS, RHYTHM & INTONATION: prosodic and intonation patterns are very significant for interpretation and straightforward comprehension of the message being delivered.
      8. 8. INTERACTION: Listening comprehension is subject to all rules of interactions such as negotiation, clarification, attending signals or turn-taking. SLL must learn how to negotiate meaning in a chain of listening and responding.
3. TYPES OF CLASSROOM LISTENING PERFORMANCE
   1. 1. Reactive: It is all about repetition and very little meaningful production.
   2. 2. Intensive (Bottom-up): Focuses on grammatical and lexical components (intonation, stress, phonemes). Includes choral repetition and individual drill.
   3. 3. Responsive: Elicits immediate response and appropriate reply (asking questions, giving commands, checking comprehension)
   4. 4. Selective: It pretends to scan material selectively, find relevant information and filter it from distracting information.
   5. 5. Extensive (Top-down): It is intended to comprehend the message for a purpose.
   6. 6. Interactive: It covers all of the above. Students participate in discussions, debate conversations, and roleplays. Authentic communication interchange.