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MinisteriodeEducacin
SupervisindeIdiomaExtranjeroDD.EE19y21

DocumentodeapoyoListeningComprehension
Ao2016.

JerryGebhaard, inTeachingEnglish as a Foreign or Second Language (1) states

that Teachers can explore their own teaching throughacyclicprocessof reflecting
andthenactingonknowledgegainedthroughreflection.
The first step in the cycle is to collect descriptive samples of our teaching. This is
followedbyan analysis andappraisalofthesesamples.Thenextstepistoconsider
how the same lesson could be taught differently and to draw up a teaching plan.
Then,byimplementing thenewplan,the cyclereturnstothecollectionofsamplesof
teaching.

According to the author,we caninterprete that the reason forcollectingsamples of

teaching is connectedwith teacher`s own experiencewhichis a meritableaspect to
considerbut,thatitisnotenough.
The following stages she mentions include analyzing the collected sample of
teaching and exploring teachersattitude which motivates and affects the teaching
practice.
So, Is own past learning and teaching experience something that frequently
influencespractise?
Thenextstage shementionsin the explorationcycle isrelatedwiththedecisionsto
takeinourteachingimprovementthroughstatingwhatdoIwanttocontinuetodo?
andWhatsmallchangesdoIwanttomakeinmyteachingbehavior?.

AccordingtoJohnFanselow(2),smallchangescanhavebigconsequences.
Based on the changes teachers decide to make, they can project their work. The
cycle continuesasthesechangesareimplemented,whileyoucancollectsamplesof
teaching through audio or video recordings, observation of other teachers talking
and writing about teaching. We can see our own teaching in the teaching of
others(Fanselow,1987).

It is extremely important to focus on sustaining students motivation. As Jeremy

Harmer (2012) (3) states that learners motivation may be affected (negatively or
positively) by a number offactorssuch as thesocietythey livein,thepeoplearound
them, whether or not they have a definitegoal forlanguagelearning, their learning
experiences, among others. Sustaining motivation can be a difficult goal. In
Harmerswords,thefollowingsuggestionsmayhelpteachersinfullfillingit:

Studentsarefarmorelikelytostaymotivatediftheythinkthattheirteacher
caresaboutthem.
Studentswhosucceedinlanguagelearningarefarmorelikelytoremain
motivatedthanstudentswhoconstantlyfail.
Studentsarefarmorelikelytoremainmotivatediftheythinktheirteacherhas
aprofessionalattitude.
Studentswillalwaysstaymoremotivatedifweinvolvetheminenjoyableand
challengingactivities.
Teachersshouldbesurelearnershavecontroloverwhatishappening,they
shouldhaveagencyandautonomy

Another essential aspect to be taken into consideration when analyzing our own
teachingpractice,isinteraction.

It is a fact that unfortunately some EFL/ESL classes are teachercentered, being

interaction monitored bytheteacher.However, wecanhaveahope whenstudents
areinvolvedininteractingbygeneratingproposals,constructingcommunication.
ThisdocumentproposalistosharetoolstoreachInteractiveclassrooms.

As, Gebhard posits inTeaching English asaForeign orSecondLanguage,Chapter

3, page 53 , there are many closely related factors that can contribute to reach
interactive classrooms, such as reduction in the centrality of the teachers role,an
appreciation for the uniqueness of individuals, chances for students to express
themselves inmeaningfulways,opportunitiesforstudentstonegotiate meaningwith
each other and the teacher,choices,bothin relationto whatstudents say andhow
theysayit.

TeachingStudentstoComprehendSpokenEnglish:

ListeningComprehension

Thereisntanylisteningwithoutsomeonespeaking,
andspeakingwithoutsomebodylisteningisanempty
gesture.(Bowen,Madsen,andHilferty1985)

AccordingtotheBritishEncyclopedia,Listeningistheconsciousprocessingoftheauditory
stimulithathavebeenperceivedthroughhearing.AsstatedbyEdwarddeChazal(4),
studentsneedgoodlisteningskillstointerpretwhatpeoplearesayingindifferentacademic
situations.TheyneedtobeabletounderstandthewholeclassinEnglish.Itcanbeagreat
challenge.Weshouldconsidernotonlyspeedofdelivery,butalsoaccent,intonation,and
wordchoice.Therearealsootherchallengesreallyimportanttotakeintoaccount:

Usesimplewordsandshortsentences

Avoidusingtechnicaltermswhichcanbedifficulttohear,understand,pronounce,andspell.

Usesimplestructures

AvoidusingAbbreviationsandacronyms:

Considerstudentsage,interest,culture.

Usevisualchallenges(Powerpointslides,pictures,cards)

Chooseauthenticmaterial

Useawiderangeofresources

Following the same line, Harmer(5)asserts thatmost ofthe listeningthat students

do happens when their teacher is talking. (Comprehensive Input). However, there
are other main sources of listening input: recorded listening (radio programmes,
podcasts, phone messages, film announcement,etc), and live listening, such as
lectures,conversations,plays,etc.

Teachersshouldtake intoaccountthatitis importantto givestudentsthepossibility

to listen more than once so that they give their learners the maximumbenefitfrom
whattheyarehearing.

Generallywefocuson:

Listeningforgeneralcomprehension(Scanlistening)
Listeningforspecificinformation(Skimlistening)

Asithas been stated, listeningis actuallya complex process andsoitsconvenient

to divide the listening activity into stages or steps. We can say that Listening
activities, in general, should consist of some wellstructured pre, while, and
postlistening stages. First of all, the prelistening stage can be said to be a
preparatory work which: ...oughtto make the context explicit, clarify purposesand
establish roles, procedures and goals for listening (6) (Rost,1990:232). Secondly,
Whilelistening activities are task learners do during the time of listening. The
purposeof these activitiesis tohelpstudentstolistenformeaning,inotherwordsto
elicit amessagefromspoken language.Finally,The postlistening stage includes all
the exercises done after listening the script. At this point, teacherscan prepare an
extension of the activities carried out during the previous stages, or work with a
totallyindependentpart ofthe listeningsession. Similarly, Harmer(2012)statesthat
oneimportant strategy isto do aprelisteningactivity,whichshouldberelatedto the
situation or topic of the listening. For instance, predictions, watching pictures,
preteachvocabulary,bymeansofcontextualization.

Nowadays, many listening devices are available to be used in the classroom:,

computers, movildevices, MP3 , smartboards, youtube,Internet pages, songs, TV
Programmes,etc.
INTERNEThasopenedawiderangeofsourcestobeusedinthelisteningprocess.

*PreListening
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/prelisteningactivities

*WhileListening
http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/exams/listeningexams/whileyoulistenexercises

*PostListening
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/listeningactivitiessongs

.
As asserted by Gebhard, listening isnotapassiveskill.Rather,itplacesmany demandson
students. When learners participate in face tofaceortelephoneexchanges,theyneedtobe
receptive toothers,whichincludespayingattentiontoexplanations,questions,andopinions.
Even whentheylistenduringonewayexchanges,forinstance,whilelistening lectures,radio
drama, films, television news,andmusicals,theyareactive(p.143).Thewriterdistinguished
betweenBottonupandTopdownprocessing.

Botton up processing refers to a process of decoding a message that the listener hears
through the analysis of sound, words, and grammar, while topdown processing refers to
using backgroundknowledgetocomprehendthemeaningofamessage.Inadditiontothese
two processes, it is important to consider interactional language (when language is used to
fulfill an interactional communicative function), and transactional functions of language
(which focuses attention on the content of the message, comprehend the content of the
speakersmessage).

Furthermore, Nunan (7) suggests that in the listening process we store meanings,
and not linguistic forms (1991:18) this is the reason why it is important tostarta
listening activity with switching on the brain andactivating thegeneral knowledge
thatweallcarry.
Suggestedlinkstoworkinclass:
https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/skills/listeningskillspractice
https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/skills/listeningskillspractice
YouTube,ITunes
Workcited

(1) GEBHARD,JerryG.(1996):
.The
UniversityofMichigan.
(2) FANSELOW,J.F.(1987):
NewYork:Longman.
(3) HARMER,Jeremy(2012):
PearsonEducationLimited
(4) DECHAZAL,Edward:BritishCouncilwebpage
(5) HARMER,Jeremy:ThePracticeofEnglishLanguageTeaching.Essex:
PearsonEducationLimited,2007.
(6) ROST,M:Introducinglistening.London:Penguin,1994
(7) NUNAN,D:LanguageTeachingMethodology:AtextbookforTeachers,
PrenticeHall,1991,264p.ISBN.

https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/prelisteningactivities
http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/exams/listeningexams/whileyoulistenexercises
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/listeningactivitiessongs
https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/skills/listeningskillspractice
https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/skills/listeningskillspractice

AlfredoDanielNuez
SupervisordeIdiomaExtranjero
DD.EE19y21

ColaboraronenlaelaboracindeestedocumentolasMCIEencambiodefunciones
MartaElyeche(Escuela11DE19)
GisellPeral(Escuela18DE21)