Teach listening in
Tieng Anh 11
Principles behind the
teaching of listening

Principle 1: The tape recorder is just as important as the tape
Principle 2: Preparation is vital
Principle 3: Once will not be enough

Principle 4: Students should be encouraged to respond to the content of a listening, not just to the language
Principle 5: Different listening stages demand different listening tasks
Principle 6: Good teachers exploit listening texts to the full.

Stages in a listening lesson
Before-you-listen stage
While-you-listen stage
After-you-listen stage
Before you listen
The teacher (T) establishes a context and introduces the topic of a text. Ss are required to guess what they are going to listen to. T writes the Ss’ guesses on the board. Ss are asked to listen to the text to check if things they guess are correct or not.
Open prediction
Pre-questions
T writes a few questions on the board. These questions should focus on the main ideas of the text. T gives students a few minutes to guess the answers to the questions. It doesn’t matter if Ss can’t guess correctly.
Before you listen
True/false prediction
T writes 5 – 10 statements about the main points of a text. Half of the statements are true, and the other half are false. Ss are asked to work in pairs and decide if the statements are true or false. T writes the students’ guesses on the board. Ss are asked to listen to the text to check the answers.
Network
T writes the network on the board. Ss are required to work individually to find ideas related to the topic of the network and then compare their answers in pairs or groups. T collects the ideas from students.
While you listen
Grid completion
T draws a grid on the board. This grid will contain the main information of the text. Ss are asked to listen to the text and fill in the gaps with information heard. Then they are asked to write the information in the grid on the board.
Multiple choice
T prepares questions about the ideas in the listening text. For each question, there are three or four options for students (Ss) to choose from.
While you listen
T prepares some simple pictures to describe a story or a text, and sticks them on the board randomly. Ss listen to the text and arrange the pictures in the correct order.
Ordering pictures
Gap-fill
T writes a short paragraph with several blanks in it. The blanks can be lexical or grammatical items or both. Ss listen and fill each blank with information they hear.
While you listen
Ordering statements/events
T writes about 6 to 8 statements on the main points of a text but the statements are jumbled. Ss listen to the text to find out the order of the statements.
T writes some true and some deliberately false statements about the text on the blackboard. Then Ss listen to the text to find out which are correct.
True/false statements
Comprehension questions
These are the questions related to the main ideas of a text to check students’ comprehension. Ss listen and answer questions from T or from the textbook.
While you listen
After you listen
Ss write letters, postcards, messages, diaries, etc. based on the listening text or to extend it.
Short written texts
Retelling the story
Ss retell the story in groups, using their own word or using some provided cues.
Discussion
Ss discuss similar or related issues based on prompt questions or pictures.
Role play
Ss continue the story or situation by assuming the roles of people in the texts.
Summarizing
Ss summarize the whole text or pre-selected part orally or in writing.
After you listen
Designing a listening test
Some reminders on the listening passage
Length
Lexical density
Use of words
Grammatical patterns
Designing a listening test
Some common types of listening tasks
Matching
Gap-filling
True/False statements
Short answers
Multiple choice questions
Answer the questions
Table/graph completing