A Framework for Teaching Receptive Skills: PDP

PRE STAGE
The text (the audio/video/written
material that Ss will listen to/watch/read)
is not introduced yet.

PRE Learners develop interest in the topic and

desire to listen/watch/read the text. They
get prepared to listen/watch/read by
activating their background knowledge of
the topic; by getting familiar with essential
vocabulary or concepts they will encounter;
DURING and by predicting the content of the text.

Teachers provide an opportunity for

students to get ready to listen/watch/read.
They may present visuals, the name of the
POST text, etc., and elicit ideas from students.
They may explain a limited amount of
essential vocabulary or concepts; or offer
an opportunity for students to get familiar
with these through an independent
activity.

DURING STAGE
The text is played/read multiple times. All of the activities in this stage are focused on the
text and require learners to extract information and meaning directly from the text.

Learners do a series of interactive tasks while listening/reading. Every time they listen/read,
they strive to complete a specific task at the same time. By doing these tasks, learners extract
information and meaning from the text. After the task, leaners compare and discuss/debate
their results, depending mainly on themselves and on peers to check comprehension and
reach deeper understanding of the text.

Teachers establish the purpose for listening/reading, model the skills and strategies needed
for a given activity (checking predictions, guessing & inferring, focusing on main ideas or on
specific words…), and check comprehension of instructions before each task. The teacher
designs a series of activities to help learners move from the left side of the following chart
towards the right side of the chart. Typically this involves three tasks: an early superficial
task, a later more complete task, and a final task involving the most complete/deep
understanding.

© 2018 The World Learning SIT Best Practices in TESOL Certificate Course, Quito, Ecuador Course Book
49
 Getting the gist/main idea Getting the details
Partial comprehension (More) complete comprehension
Superficial understanding Deep understanding
Identifying literal meaning Interpreting implied meaning

While students listen/read, the teacher observes progress on the task, decides if more
repetitions/time is needed, and refocuses students´ attention to the task and the text when
necessary.

POST STAGE
The text is an inspiration but is not the main focus.

Learners use the information or ideas from the text to do something new, using other skills
(speaking, writing). They have the opportunity to personalize their learning, be creative, and
use ideas from outside the text.

Teachers encourage students to make connections and find personal meaning in

listening/reading in English. The teacher may also make connections with productive skills
lessons (for example, using this stage as a segue into a productive skills lesson on a related
topic).

Tips for Listening Lessons

1. Pre-teach vocabulary that is essential to the completion of tasks—be selective.
2. Make sure students know that you do not expect them to understand every word.
3. Encourage and reassure the students before and after listening.
4. Give achievable and clear tasks.
5. Check understanding of instructions.
6. Play the audio as many times as needed until they can (at least partially) achieve the task.
7. If you think students have understood as much as possible, declare victory and move on.
8. Give your students time to process and become more confident in what they heard before
they answer. This can often be achieved by asking students to check their answers in pairs.
9. Raise students’ awareness of the sentence level features of pronunciation (linking,
blending, reduction). They will thus be better able to make sense of what they hear.
10. Expose your students to a wide variety of accents.

© 2018 The World Learning SIT Best Practices in TESOL Certificate Course, Quito, Ecuador Course Book
50