Listening techniques every student must acquire

If someone ever asked me what my favorite skill to teach my students is, I would answer “Listening” without  hesitation. Don’t tell Grammar I said that. 

As I believe, one of your primary goals is to help your students develop strong listening skills. 

Listening is a foundational skill that significantly impacts language acquisition and overall proficiency. 

By incorporating effective listening techniques into your teaching, you can equip your students with the tools they need to become more successful language learners and make their lives easier when it comes to real-life situations. 

I would like to share some techniques that every student must acquire for better learning.

Active listening is a communication technique used in counseling, training, and conflict resolution, which requires the listener to completely focus, grasp, react, and retain the information being shared. 

This practice involves giving undivided attention to the speaker, showing empathy, and providing feedback.

As an ESL teacher, I recognize that students learning English often face several listening challenges. 

English is spoken with a wide variety of accents around the world, and students may struggle to comprehend speech that differs from the standard accent they are familiar with. 

Additionally, fast-paced speech can be overwhelming, as students might not have the listening fluency to keep up with native speakers who speak quickly or use slang and idiomatic expressions.

Native speakers often use idiomatic expressions or cultural references that are unfamiliar to learners, making it harder for them to understand the context. 

To help students overcome these obstacles, I incorporate a variety of listening activities and materials in my lessons, encourage exposure to different accents through multimedia resources, and provide clear, contextual explanations for idioms and cultural references. 

Regular practice and supportive feedback are key to improving their listening skills.

As an ESL teacher, understanding and teaching listening subskills is crucial for helping students develop effective listening abilities. 

Listening subskills include a range of specific abilities that contribute to overall listening comprehension. 

Here are the main ones:

This technique involves understanding the overall context without getting bogged down by every single word. 

One of the ways is to use summarization exercises where students listen to a short passage and then summarize the key points in their own words. 

This practice helps them focus on the main message and improves their ability to comprehend spoken language. 

Make sure to let your students know before the listening, that it is ok if they don't understand 100 percent of the audio.

What information? Such as dates, times, locations, or actions. 

This skill is particularly useful for taking notes during lectures or understanding key points in a conversation. 

Incorporate activities like listening to announcements or instructions and asking students to pick out specific details. This practice enhances their ability to concentrate on important information while listening.

This one is a critical subskill in language learning that involves comprehending and interpreting complex information within spoken language. 

This skill is necessary for understanding nuances, attitudes, emotions, and subtleties in conversations or other forms of spoken communication. 

Students learn to detect slight variations in meaning, tone, and context. This could involve understanding sarcasm, irony, or subtle hints that the speaker may imply but not state directly.

Predictive listening involves anticipating what the speaker is going to say next based on the context and prior knowledge. 

Encourage your students to practice this technique by listening to audio recordings and pausing them to predict the next part of the conversation. Or you can use the series of audios with some story. 

People love drama, so choose something gripping. This exercise helps learners stay engaged and prepares them to understand and respond more effectively.

Effective note-taking is a crucial listening skill, especially in lesson settings. 

I usually demonstrate to my students different note-taking methods, such as using keywords, symbols, or abbreviations. 

Afterwards, they may practice taking notes during listening exercises or lectures. 

Good note-taking helps students organize information and provides a reference for later review, promoting active engagement with the material.

This is a MUST. English is a universal language, which means the chances of talking to other people whose English is a second language are very high. 

Use listening materials that feature speakers from different regions to help students become more adaptable and improve their overall comprehension skills.

Understanding accents is a foundation for your students that will help them to feel more comfortable and confident in real- life interactions with foreigners. 

I sometimes take risks and use authentic listening materials such as podcasts, news reports, movies, and songs. 

It is a good idea to use it with higher levels. These materials expose students to natural language use, including idioms, slang, and various speech patterns. 

Authentic materials also provide cultural context, which is essential for understanding language nuances. 

What can we do for reflective listening? Here we may include exercises like repeating or paraphrasing what the speaker has said to confirm understanding. 

This technique ensures that they have correctly understood the message and provides an opportunity for the speaker to clarify any misunderstandings. 

I recommend using role-playing exercises where students practice reflective listening in pairs or small groups.

It sounds trivial, but it actually works. I encourage my students to dedicate time each day to practice listening in various contexts. 

One of the best ways is to watch their favorite TV shows in their original language without subtitles.

 It is important to include a disclaimer like: “If you don't understand every single word, don't get frustrated”. 

For lower levels, I provide access to online resources, language exchange programs, and ESL listening exercises. Consistent practice helps students continually challenge and improve their listening abilities.

Listening is a dynamic and multifaceted skill that requires practice and dedication. 

By focusing on active listening, overcoming common challenges, and developing specific listening subskills like listening for gist, specific information, and detailed comprehension, students can significantly enhance their language proficiency. 

Additionally, incorporating predictive listening, effective note-taking, exposure to different accents, and using authentic materials can boost their listening abilities.

Regular practice and reflective listening exercises ensure that students are not only prepared for academic success but also for real-life situations where effective communication is key. 

Equipping students with these listening techniques will make their language learning journey more successful and enjoyable.