While assessing Language acquisition, one of the most difficult skill to assess is listening. This presentation explores methods that can be used to assess listening - intensive, responsive, selective and extensive. This also looks at some tasks that can be used to assess listening. The presentation is based on the book published by Brown on Language Assessment Principles and Classroom Practice published by Longman. The presentation was created by Shama Kalam Siddiqui for presentation and talk at Ateneo De Manila University for a Masters in English and Literature Teaching Program.

1. Assessing Listening
Brown, D. (2004). Language Assessment
Principles and Classroom Practice. Longman

2. What is the role of listening
in a language class?

3. Is it possible to truly assess a
student’s listening skills?

4. Types of Listening Performance
★ Intensive
★ Responsive
★ Selective
★ Extensive

5. Types of Listening Performance
★ Intensive
○ Phonemes, words, intonation,
discourse markers
★ Responsive
○ short text - short response
○ Question, greeting, command,
comprehension check
★ Selective
○ scanning for certain
information
○ names, numbers, directions,
etc.
★ Extensive
○ gist, main idea, inferences

6. Sample 1: Recognising phonological & morphological
elements

7. ● Sample 2: Paraphrase recognition

8. ● Sample 2: Paraphrase recognition
In this activity, you will hear a short statement which will be said once. Listen
carefully in order to understand what the speaker says. After you hear the
statement, read the four sentences in each set. Decide which sentence is closest in
meaning to the statement you hear. Write the letter of your answer in the blank
before each number.
_____1. A. Norma entered the wrong classroom at first, but finally found the right
one.
B. Norma was late for class because of heavy traffic.
C. Norma missed the class.
D. Norma had some trouble finding the classroom, but she
arrived on time.

9. ● Sample 3: Paraphrase recognition

10. Sample 4
Information
Transfer➢ Aurally processed
information must be
transferred to a visual
representation
➢ For example, labelling
a diagram, completing
a form, showing routes
on a map

11. Information Transfer -
Chart Filling
➢ Used for greater
authenticity.
➢ Artefacts of daily life are
used.
➢ For example: charts, grids,
timetables etc.

12. How can you tell if an adult is
proficient in “listening?”
Micro and Macro Skills

13. BPO/Business Needs Active
Listening

14. Micro- Skills of Listening
➢ Notice differences in the sounds of English
➢ Retain chunks of language
➢ Stressed and Unstressed, Rhythmic Structure, Intonation
- role in signalling information
➢ Reduced forms, Rate of Delivery, Pauses, Errors,
Corrections etc
➢ Grammar, sentence constituents
➢ Recognise cohesive devices

15. *Look at the form below.
* You will hear a man calling a computer supplier.
HILLS PC SUPPLIES
Customer Services
Telephone Message
Caller’s Name: James Firth
Client: Allen and Brown, Ltd
Item(s) Ordered : …………...
Order No./date: HPCO2345/12-3-02
Notes: Order was delivered late by the …….
And was supplied without ……..
Action: Call to apologise and discuss ………..

16. Think about some tasks that
assess micro listening skills.

17. Macro Skills
➢ Communication based on situations
➢ Infer situations using real life knowledge
➢ From events, ideas - relations to main idea, supporting idea, new
information, given information, generalization, and exemplification.
➢ Difference between literal and implied meanings
➢ Non-verbal clues to decipher meaning
➢ Listening strategies - detecting keywords, guessing from context, appealing
for help and signalling comprehension or lack thereof.

18. Think about some tasks that
assess macro listening skills.

19. What makes
listening hard?
Teaching, Learning, Assessing
1. Clustering
2. Redundancy
3. Reduced Forms
4. Performance Variables
5. Colloquial Language
6. Rate of Delivery
7. Stress Rhythm and Intonation
8. Interaction

20. Tasks I use to
assess listening
● Note -Taking
● Editing
● Interpretative Tasks
● Retelling
● Interactive Listening

21. Can we observe listening
competency?

22. We spend more time listening than
speaking
Why do we have more tests measuring speaking
than listening?

23. “No Test is Completely
Authentic”
Do you agree or disagree?