The Role of Listening in Language Learning
Listening as a Language Skill
 We have the unique ability to learn from listening. With it comes our ability
to understand the world. This separates us from the other species on Earth. As
babies, we acquire language by listening to the way our parents or family
members talk. We then start to copy the words we hear and this will eventually
develop into speaking in sentences of our first language. This proves how
important the role of listening in language learning is.
Living in a competitive society requires us to learn continuously. As young
individuals, most of our years are spent attending school where there is a need
to listen and comprehend what the teachers say. To prove that we listen to
lectures, we ask questions to clarify points and eventually increase our
knowledge on a variety of subjects.
Listening has an important place in learning. In fact, it is one of the four
macro skills in language acquisition. Other skills, namely reading, speaking,
and writing along with
grammar are essential to developing language proficiency.
Listening as a receptive skill first develops as early as infancy. It awakens
awareness of the language, in fact, of any language.
The Importance of Listening
The role of listening in language learning has been considered the least
understood of all the language skills. But, in a study conducted in 1950, it has
been found that when we communicate, 45% of this comes from listening, 30% from
speaking, 15% from reading and 10% from writing. People develop sound judgment
from their experiences and this can be shared to others in the form of
communication. With the highest percentage of involvement in the exchange of
information, listening has to be considered an English language forerunner. As
humans communicate at about 71% of their waking time, it can be concluded that
listening is utilized in most parts of the day.
Listening plays a vital role in learning, not just languages but any branch
of knowledge. When students attend classes, they are expected to comprehend and
retain information from lectures. In language classrooms, most of these lectures
would range from grammar, pronunciation, word stress, vocabulary, syntax, and
the like. It should be emphasized that comprehension of messages conveyed can be
based on tone of voice, pitch and accent; and it is only possible when we
listen.
Listening is not only utilized as a language skill for academics but is also
considered an essential life skill. Mastering this skill is crucial to
understanding messages we encounter every day. Additionally, it plays a part in
bridging gaps for context meanings as we make use of gestures, facial
expressions and body language when we speak to others.
Listening in Language Learning: Tips for Teachers
We can never deliver the language curriculum when students are poor in
listening. As teachers, we must look for ways to keep students engaged in class,
and that means, to listen. Seeing our students demonstrate that they listen by
use of nods, eye contact and asking of appropriate questions can be a guarantee
we are fulfilling the goals of language teaching. The following are the tips you
can use to help develop students’ listening skill and eventually, language
proficiency.
-
 Start easy with songs and rhymes. Almost everyone likes music. As infants,
we are put to sleep with lullabies. As with children, language learners love to
listen to lines with rhymes. This makes them become familiar with the words,
their pronunciation and intonation. Songs can also be utilized but must be
chosen based on student levels. In class, songs in the language being learned
are played and students are asked to listen. During the activity, they may be
required to listen out for words. This will help the teacher know how many words
the student has identified. After the sound clip, teachers may ask students to
draw conclusions on the meaning or intention of the song based on the words they
have listed. This is learning vocabulary and inference through listening.
-
 Make the class enjoyable with storytelling. Storytelling has been
used for centuries. In fact, this is how ancestors passed information from
one generation to another before paper was made available. Just because
students are not very good in the language yet doesn’t mean you have the
right to bore them to death. Try to spend time reading stories to students.
Make use of gestures and facial expressions as you go along the lines. Use
proper pitch and tone of voice to differentiate characters and events. Doing
this gives students the opportunity to be exposed to the language in a
relaxed and fun classroom environment. After reading the story, ask
questions about the characters, personalities, the actions, and even the
possible ending. This will enhance students’ ability to formulate opinions,
understand the culture, and respond to text which eventually leads to
developing speaking skills.
-
 Use scripts for listening activities. Scripts are generally used
to help students who are poor in listening improve faster. Unlike written
words, voices or sounds are quickly forgotten and misunderstood. This is
true when students fail to listen to the entire clip attentively. When
provided with scripts, students will be able to predict the missing words in
a line. With this, students put to practice the principle of coherence they
have learned in
writing classes. Additionally, when given a sheet of paper with many
unfamiliar words, it requires the students to make use of the dictionary to
find meanings. With scripts on hand, hearing words in a clip played by the
teacher will enable students to associate pronunciation with spelling and
meaning, recognize contractions, and even differentiate spelling and
pronunciation of words when spoken by two
non-native speakers. Pairing listening clips with scripts develop
students’ skills in writing, spelling, meaning, and variations in
pronunciation.
-
 Get the most out of popular movies. To learn a foreign language
effectively, one must be exposed to the culture where the target language is
spoken. Since not many students have the chance to live or experience life
in a country where the target language is used, movies can bridge this gap.
When teaching language through movies, students are given the chance to
listen closely to what words the native speakers utter, and how to say them.
Though many would consider film showing a language teaching peripheral,
experts agree that utilizing this medium of communication develops aural
skills. As students view the film, they are given sample situations and
contexts in which a word or an expression is used. This can also be used to
help students associate type of language with gender, race, and social
status. When they get to hear exactly the same line in the absence of a
video, they might start to draw conclusions about the speaker. Making use of
movies in listening classes gives the students the chance to virtually
immerse in the culture where the target language is spoken.
-
 Use
authentic listening clips. The use of audio clips in language classrooms may
be fun when teachers choose the correct materials. Listening gets boring
when a majority of the clips are staged and stilted. Even if it’s just a
simple line like “Excuse me, could you tell me the way to the nearby
library?” the way they are done in staged or stilted clips are very
different from those that are taken from real context. When authentic
listening clips are used, students are given the advantage of getting to
listen to expressions used in real-life situations. Instead of boring
materials obviously made for commercial purposes, teachers can choose from
any authentic listening-viewing materials like news clips, radio ads,
documentaries, TV commercials and even cartoons.
Authentic listening clips are sources of idioms, contractions, and
pronunciation practice that can help students grasp ideas on how to cope
with actual speech with native speakers when the need arises.
Conclusion
Without listening skills, language learning is impossible. This is because
there is no communication where there is no human interaction. Learning to
listen to the target language improves language ability. As students listen,
learners construct meaning and make sense of the words they have heard. The
sound, rhythm, intonation, and stress of the language can only be perfectly
adapted through listening. We practice using our second language by reading,
writing, speaking, and listening. Since the first three skills are to be learned
by the time we are three years old, our early schema can only be through
listening. To understand the nuances in the target language, one must be able to
listen. As we get to understand spoken language, it is easier to improve the
other skills and gain confidence. Other than being the primary form of
communication, listening opens the opportunity to understand the elegance of a
language which is not obviously
present in grammar or reading.
Learning
How to Overcome Test Anxiety
15 Incredible Yet Weird Story Lessons About Wisdom
Myths and Realities on Bilingualism
The Benefits of Being Bilingual
Learning Disabilities: Types and Signs
The Role of Listening in Language Learning
Helping Your Child Develop a Love for Writing
How to Teach Your Kids to Read
The Influence of Music on Children’s Learning
Teachers
5 Reasons to Use Norm Referenced Tests in the Classroom
5 Ways to Use Criterion Referenced Test in the Classroom
Photo Memoir: Writing Assignment
Top 5 Things to Know About Your ESL Students’ Backgrounds
Group Work in College ESL Classrooms
How to Teach Business English in ESL Setting
Benefits of Using Graphic Organizers in the Classroom
How to Use Storytelling in Language Teaching
How to Correct Student Essays
The Most Common Problems in ESL Classrooms
Tips on Teaching ESL Students Vocabulary
Praise: A Great Motivator for Student Achievement
Peer Feedback is a Great Tool in Writing Classes
 |
