1-Listening skill

Introduction:
    Listening is an input receptive skill, which means receiving language prevails producing it. Listening is
the process of interpreting messages, interpreting what is said. Producing messages or texts involves
putting them into a form, using individual sounds, syllables, words (which may be linked together),
phrases, clauses, sentences and longer stretches of a text. Meaning is added by intonation, and word and
sentence stress, too. The listener has to be able to decode a lot of elements to get the message.
Listening can be either active or passive. Listening is the first language skill we acquire in our native
language.

It is what is known as a receptive skill, or a passive skill, as it requires us to use our ears and our brains to
comprehend language as it is being spoken to us. It is the first of two natural language skills, which are
required by all natural spoken languages. Listening to class discussion, students are expected to respond
appropriately, to ask the speakers to repeat what they said, or to clarify what they have said. When
listening is more passive, listeners are not expected to respond (e.g. when listening to the news on the
radio or a public announcement) or semi-passive listening to a lecture. On the other hand, listening to
a lecture can be accompanied by an active approach of listeners who ask for repetition, clarification or
providing supportive or contradictory opinions.

Goal:
1-Identifying sounds, word stress, sentence stress and intonation.
2-Recognizing vocabulary, boundaries and reduced forms to get meaning.

kinds of Listening:
1-One-Way Communication

Materials:
 Radio and television programs
 Public address announcements (airports, train/bus stations, stores)
 Speeches and lectures
 Telephone customer service recordings

Procedure:
 Help students identify the listening goal: to obtain specific information; to decide whether to
continue listening; to understand most or all of the message
 Help students outline predictable sequences in which information may be presented: who-what-
when-where (news stories); who-flight number-arriving/departing-gate number (airport
announcements); "for [function], press [number]" (telephone recordings)
 Help students identify key words/phrases to listen for

2-Two-Way Communication
In authentic two-way communication, the listener focuses on the speaker's meaning rather than the
speaker's language. The focus shifts to language only when meaning is not clear. Note the difference
between the teacher as teacher and the teacher as authentic listener in the dialogues in the popup
screens.

Types of Listening
When we engage in listening we are doing so for many different reasons depending upon the goals in
which we are trying to achieve. There are four different types of listening that are essential to know when
deciding what your goal as the listener is. The four types of listening are appreciative, empathic,
comprehensive, and critical. Familiarize yourself with these different types of listening so you can
strengthen and improve your ability to critically think and evaluate what you have heard.

Appreciative Listening
When you listen for appreciation you are listening for enjoyment. Think about the music you listen to. You
usually listen to music because you enjoy it. The same can be said for appreciative listening when
someone is speaking. Some common types of appreciative listening can be found in sermons from places
of worship, from a motivational speech by people we respect or hold in high regard, or even from a
standup comedian who makes us laugh.

Empathic Listening
When you listen empathically you are doing so to show mutual concern. During this type of listening you
are trying to identify with the speaker by understanding the situation in which he/she is discussing. You
are stepping into the other’s shoes to get a better understanding of what it is he/she is talking about.
Usually during this type of listening you want to be fully present in the moment or mindfully listening to
what the speaker is saying. Your goal during this time is to focus on the speaker, not on yourself. You are
trying to understand from the speaker’s perspective.

Comprehensive Listening
If you are watching the news, listening to a lecture, or getting directions from someone, you are listening
to understand or listening to comprehend the message that is being sent. This process is active. In class,
you should be focused, possibly taking notes of the speaker’s main ideas. Identifying the structure of the
speech and evaluating the supports he/she offers as evidence. This is one of the more difficult types of
listening because it requires you to not only concentrate but to actively participate in the process. The
more you practice listening to comprehend, the stronger listener you become.

Critical Listening
. As a critical listener you are listening to all parts of the message, analyzing it, and evaluating what you
heard. When engaging in critical listening, you are also critically thinking. You are making mental
judgments based on what you see, hear, and read. Your goal as a critical listener is to evaluate the
message that is being sent and decide for yourself if the information is valid.