The document provides guidance on how to teach listening skills. It discusses the importance of developing bottom-up and top-down listening approaches. It also outlines various pre-, while-, and post-listening activities teachers can use, including activating schemata, note-taking, dictation, and discussion. The goal is to help students understand the main ideas, specific details, and inferences from what they hear.

1. Angie Melissa Lizcano
Angie Yolima Camacho Hernández
Diana Cristina Oróstegui González
HOW TO
TEACH LISTENING

2. How to teach LISTENING
‘WE HAVE TWO EARS AND ONE
MOUTH SO THAT WE CAN LISTEN
TWICE AS MUCH AS WE SPEAK’
EPICTETUS

3. THE WHY AND HOW OF LISTENING-
MOTIVATIONS AND MECHANICS
We learn to listen and we listen to learn.

4. The primary purposes of Human Listening
• This refers to the general idea of what is being said,
as well as who is speaking to whom and why, and
Listening for GIST
how successful they are in communicating their
point.
Listening for
• When we don't need to understand everything, but
SPECIFIC
only a very specific part.
INFORMATION
Listening in • When we cannot afford to ignore anything because
DETAIL we don t know what kid of information we need.
INFERENTIAL • The type of listening we do when we wish to know
listening how the speaker feels. It may involve inferring.

5. Listening for Gist
• A man speaking to a girl by phone.
• He is asking her for suggestions about movies.

6. Listening for Specific Information
Which are the type of movies she likes:
• Comedy
• Love stories
• Foreign films

7. Listening in Detail
• A man called Kathie
• Asked her favorite kind of movies
• He is making a party tonight
• Kathie doesn´t like action movies because of the
violence.
• She enjoys comedies
• She is not crazy about horror movies
• Love stories are fun to watch
• She likes foreign films

8. Inferential Listening
• Man: Fine. Well, what do you think of horror
movies or love stories?
• Woman: Uh . . . I'm not really crazy
about horror movies, but love stories are
often fun to watch. Oh, and I really like foreign
films, too.

9. WHY LISTENING IS DIFFICULT
• Characteristics of the message
• Characteristics of delivery
• Characteristics of the listener
• Characteristics of the environment

10. How to teach LISTENING
CONTENT
Bottom-up vs. Listening Listening
Top-down texts Sources
Pre-listening While- Post-listening
skills and listening skills skills and
activities and activities activities

11. Bottom-up versus top-down
approaches to listening

12. Bottom-up versus top-down approaches to listening
The bottom-up model
emphasises the decoding of
the smallest units- phonemes
and syllables- to lead us
towards meaning.
The top-down model
emphasises the use of
background knowledge to
predict content.

13. Processing input in the Bottom-up process
Input goes through some stages:
1. Take in speech – hold phonological
representation in working memory
2. Organize the P.R into constituents.
3. Identify each constituent and construct
underlying prepositions.
4. Retain in working memory and purge it from
P.R. Forget the wording and retain meaning.

14. Processing input in the Bottom-up process
The guy I sat next to on the bus this morning on the way
to work was telling me he runs a Thai restaurant in
Chinatown. Apparently it’s very popular at the moment”
• The guy
• I sat next to on the bus
• This morning
• Was telling me
• He runs a Thai restaurant in Chinatown
• Apparently is very popular
• At the moment

15. Processing input in the Bottom-up process
The guy I sat next to on the bus this morning on the way
to work was telling me he runs a Thai restaurant in
Chinatown. Apparently it’s very popular at the moment”
• I was on the bus
• There was a guy next to me
• We talked
• He says he runs a Thai restaurant
• It’s in Chinatown
• It’s very popular now

16. Processing input in the Top-Down process
“I heard on the news there was a big earthquake
in China”
• Where was the earthquake?
• How big was it?
• Did it cause a lot of damage?

17. Activating Schemata
“I’m going to the dentist this afternoon”
• A setting (the dentist office)
• Participants (the dentist, the patient…)
• Goals ( to have check up or to replace a filling)
• Procedures (injections, drilling…)
• Outcomes (fixing the problem, pain,
discomfort)

18. Top-down process develops
• INFERATION
1. Setting
2. Role and goals
3. Causes of effects
4. Unstated details
5. Anticipate questions

19. Combining top-down & bottom-up processes

20. Listening texts
‘Language is powerful not only because there are competent speakers but because
there are competent listeners’ (Sweden Graphics)

21. Listening texts
What makes a good
listening text?
Authentic versus Pedagogic

22. What makes a good Listening Text?
Interest
Length
Cultural Quality of
accessibility reading
Speech act/
Content Delivery
Discourse Speed
structure
Density Number of
Speakers
Language Level Accent

23. Content
FEATURE QUESTIONS TO ASK
Interest
Will this be interesting for my students?
Cultural accessibility
Will my students understand the context and ideas?
Does it discuss abstract concepts or is it based on
Speech act/ Discourse
everyday transactions?
structure
Does the information come thick and fast or are there
Density moments in which the listener can relax?
Is the majority of the vocabulary and grammar
Language level appropriate for my students?

24. Delivery
FEATURE QUESTIONS TO ASK
Will I need to cut part of the recording because it
1. Length is too long? Is it long enough?
1. Quality of recording Is the recording clear? Will background noise
affect comprehension?
1. Speed
Do the speakers talk too fast for my students?
1. Number of speakers Are there many voices, potentially causing
confusion?
1. Accent
Is the accent familiar? Is comprehensible?

25. Authentic versus Pedagogic
AUTHENTIC SCRIPTED
 Overlaps and interruptions between • Little overlap between speakers.
speakers.
 Normal rate of speech delivery. • Slower (maybe monotonous) delivery.
 Relatively unstructured language. • Structured language, more like written
English.
 Incomplete sentences, with false starts, • Complete sentences.
hesitation, etc.
 Background noise and voices. • No background noise.
 Natural stops and starts that reflect the • Artificial stops and starts that reflect
speaker’s train of thought and the and idealised version of communication
listener’s ongoing response. (in which misunderstandings, false
starts, etc never occur)

26. Authentic versus Pedagogic
Authentic

27. Authentic versus Pedagogic
Pedagogic

28. Listening Sources
‘A wise man listening to a fool will learn more than a fool listening to a wise man’
(Anonymous)

29. Listening Sources
• Teacher Talk
1.
• Student talk
2.
• Guest speakers
3.
• Textbook recordings
4.

30. Listening Sources
• Television, video,
5. DVD and radio
• Songs
6.
• The Internet
7.

31. Pre- While- Post-
Listening Listening Listening

32. Pre- listening
skills and
activities
‘People never listen without a purpose , except perhaps in a language class’
(Gary Buck)

33. PRE-LISTENING ACTIVITIES
Activating Schemata/Predicting
Establishing reasons for listening
Generating Questions
Pre- teaching Vocabulary

34. PRE-LISTENING ACTIVITIES Activating Schemata/Predicting
Brainstorming
Visuals
Realia
Texts and words
Opinions, ideas and facts

35. Brainstorming
GOAL: To generate large numbers
of ideas based on a topic or a
problem.
STAGES
All Whittling the ideas
contributions down to do before
are accepted listening to factual
without passages with one
criticism. main topic.

36. Brainstorming Activities
Students work alone, making notes
From one to many on paper, before sharing the ideas
with the group.

37. Brainstorming Activities
Students in groups make a poster
based on a given topic. A time limit
Poster Display
on this activity tends to keep the
students focused.
Other activity: Brainwalking

38. Visuals
ADVANTAGES
• They are immediate and
evocative.
• Students learn better when
seeing images.
• Visuals can help activate the
schemata relating to any theme
and any type of listening
passage.

39. Visuals
They can be used to help students
Pictures recognise the lesson theme.

40. Visuals

41. Visuals
Guess what’s Students make guesses in groups
happening about what is going on.
Film clips
Intriguing pictures

42. Visuals
Students are given a story told in
Picture Story pictures. Their task is to tell the story
in groups.

43. Visuals
Picture Story

44. Visuals
Students look at a chart, table or
Diagrams graph. This provides a conceptual
framework for their listening.
Venn Diagram
TENNIS FOOTBALL

45. Realia
 It acts as a link between the
world of the classroom and
the outside world.
 It is especially well suited to
listening to anecdotes and
stories.
 Objects in general bring with
them memories and
associations are aspects of
our schemata.

46. Realia
Using Photos
Activity:
 The teacher brings photos of friends
and family.
 Ss will guess who the people are.
Activity 2:
 Bring in photos of themselves at
different ages.
 Ss make guesses about what type of
person the teacher was at each
stage.

47. Realia
Guides, maps and They can be used as stimuli for
conversations about places and travel
brochures
for features of towns and cities.

48. Texts and words
Students read the transcripts with
Gap-fill exercises
blanked out words or phrases.
It's late in the _________; she's wondering what
clothes to wear.
She'll put on her _________ and ________ her long
blonde hair.
And then she asks me, "Do I ______ alright?"
And I say, "Yes, you _______ wonderful tonight."
From ‘Wonderful Tonight’ by Eric
Clapton.

49. Texts and words
Students read the transcripts with
Gap-fill exercises
blanked out words or phrases.
It's lady in the evening; she's wondering what nose
to wear.
She'll put on her May cup, and washes her long
blonde hair.
And then she asks me, "Do I cook alright?"
And I say, "Yes, you cook wonderful tonight."
Students underline anything that
doesn’t seemright

50. Texts and words
The teacher provides a list of key words from
Key words the passage. The students use these words to
predict what will happen in the text.

51. Opinions, ideas and facts
 With slightly higher-level learners.
 List of quotations to be discussed.
Quotations
 Students will relate the quotations to the
content of the listening.
‘If you think education is expensive, try ignorance’.
‘Good teaching is part preparation and part theatre’.
‘The goal of education is to replace an empty mind with an
open mind.’

52. PRE-LISTENING ACTIVITIES Establishing reasons for listening
Make the purpose
realistic
Make the goal
achievable
Get the students
involved

53. Establishing reasons for listening
From title to The teacher gives the students a title which
question encapsulates the listening passage.
How to look after a rabbit
How do you look after a
rabbit?

54. PRE-LISTENING ACTIVITIES Generating Questions
Higher-order
Questions
Lower-order
Questions
Display Questions

55. Generating questions
Higher-order questions: Do you play
touches on any contemporary
issues?
Lower-order questions: Who does
Macbeth kill first?
Display questions:
Teacher: What time is it,
The teacher is asking
Denise? for a correct form
Student: Two- thirty rather than for any
Teacher: Very good, Denise! thought.

56. PRE-LISTENING ACTIVITIES Pre- teaching Vocabulary
Pre- teach words that are
essential to the meaning of the
passage or to the completion of
the set task.
Pre-teaching words may also
give students confidence as well
as potentially useful information
about the topic.

57. While- listening
skills and
activities
‘No man ever listened himself out of a job’ (Calvin Coolidge)

58. WHILE-LISTENING ACTIVITIES Listening for GIST
Listening for DETAIL
Inferring
Participating actively
Note-taking
Dictation
Listen and Do

59. Listening for GIST
Listening for the main idea.
What? Who? Why?

60. Listening for DETAIL
Bingo Times, dates, Spot the
numbers. difference
A story told twice Mixed focus Hoarse whisperers

61. Inferring
Pause and Not her, not Twelve
predict him questions

62. Participating actively
listen and interrupted
describe storytelling
truth or lie Information
transfer

63. Note-taking
Choose only
Use titles and
important Paraphrase
subtitles
information
Use Use symbols
Use spaces
abreviations and numbers
Use emphatic
Use diagrams
markers
Techniques

64. Note-taking
guide note- phone
taking messages
hidden picture chart summary
Note-taking activities

65. Dictation
1.
How long
should the
text be? 2.
6.
Are there any
How will I deal
unknown words?
with punctuation
If so, how and
(having taught the
when will I deal
term first)?
with them?
DICTATION
5.
3.
How will I know
Waht speed
when my students
should I
are ready to
speak at?
continue?
4.
Where will I
pause?

66. Dictation
interactive Dictogloss picture
dictation dictation
running translation- Translate
dictation
Dictation activities

67. Listen and Do
Simon says last one is out stand up if
change chairs if grab the word

68. Post- listening
skills and
activities
‘Listen a hundred times; ponder a thousand times; speak once’
(Turkish proverb)

69.  Reflecting
 Checking and
summarising
 Discussion
 Creative responses
 Critical responses
Post- listening activities

70. Reflecting
If there is any problem we must look at:
• Pronunciation (can-can´t)
• Unknown vocabulary
• Speed of speech (whaddayathinkaboutit)
• Syntax
• World knowledge (acronym, name or
place)

71. Checking and Summarising
Techniques:
Take it in turns Note comparison

72. Discussion
Techniques:
Personalise Pros and cons

73. Creative Responses
Techniques:
• Genre transfer
• Write on
• Sound effect story

74. Critical Responses
QUESTION EXAMPLES FURTHER COMMENT
Do I believe the speaker? Don’t walk under that How do I know this is
leader! It’ll bring you bad true?
luck What evidence is there?
Do I trust the speaker? I didn´t do it! No body How is the utterance
saw me do it! You can´t influenced by the
prove anything! speaker’s motives?
Could the speaker have Weapons of mass The way they say things
said it differently? If so, destruction have not yet can conceal or distort the
how? Would this have been found message. Words come
changed the meaning? with connotations.
Skilled speakers know
this and may exploit it

75. LISTENING
ACTIVITIES

76. Purposes of the activity
1. To develop imaginative skills.
2. To promote discussions among students.
3. To focus students on the contextual, lexical and grammatical
aspects of the lyrics.
4. To relate students’ thoughts to world issues.
5. To allow students to compare a song and a poem.
6. To encourage students to explore further on the theme and
write creatively.

77. Pre- Listening Activity
 Give out the lyrics of the song with some
lines missing. Ask students to predict
what these lines are and write them.
 Compare the answers with a partner or
tell the whole class why they have these
answers.

78. While-listening activity
1. Play the song and ask
students to write down the
missing parts of the lyrics.
Compare the lyrics with their
previous answers.
2. Play another music video of ‘Imagine’ (A perfect
circle – Imagine)
(Remind the students that there may be some scenes
which make them sick or uncomfortable.)

79. Post-listening activity
3. Ask students to choose one scene from the music video which can best
represent their feeling when they listen to the song/ which impresses
them most (e.g. wars, protests, starvation, injured children, the Pope,
space programme, luxury cars, etc.) Explain their answers. (Variation:
Show pictures of world issues from magazines, newspapers or other
websites while students are listening to the song.)
4. Play the song again (with or without
video). Ask students to write down
some impressive verses from the lyrics
and their feelings on the double-entry
journal.

80. Post-listening activity
5. Show students the poem ‘Imagine’ by Mike Murphy.
(Worksheet 2).
6. Ask students to write down some impressive verses from
the poem and their feelings on the double-entry journal.
7. Ask students to compare the two journals. Which (the
song or the poem) do they like most and why?
Ask students to try to sing the poem when the teacher plays
the music of ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon.

81. Post-listening activity
8. Ask students to write a review or a reflection on the song
or the poem. What are their dreams? Are they the same as
the song writer’s or the poet’s? (Variation: Ask students to
rewrite one or two stanzas (or more) of the song lyrics and
sing aloud.)

82. • Anderson, A and Lynch, T (1988)
Listening, Oxford University Press.
• Brown, G (1990) Listening to Spoken
English (2nd edition) Longman.
• Harmer, Jeremy (2008). How to teach
listening. Pearson Education Limited.
FURTHER • Rixon, S (1986) Developing listening
skills, ELT.
READING • Rost, M (2002) Teaching and
Researching Listening, Pearson
Education.
• Ur, P. (1984) Teaching Listening
Comprehension, Cambridge University
Press.
• White, G (1998) Listening, Oxford
University Press