ENGLISH LISTENING COMPREHENSION

PART BExplain how you would use Randalls ESL Cyber Listening Lab in teaching listening skills among your students. [http://www.esl-lab.com/]. Assume that students have internet access.

IntroductionDeveloping listening skills comes naturally for some students, but with great difficulty for others. Acquiring listening skills can even be frustrating for some students. For some time, listening was regarded as a passive or receptive skill and, consequently, not particularly crucial as a skill area to be taught.

Researchers then began to recognize the importance of listening and its role in comprehensible input (Krashen, 1982), and attention to and adoption of newer comprehension-based methodologies brought the issue to the fore. Listening became a skill to be reckoned with and its key position in communication recognized (Feyten, 1991; Omaggio Hadley, 2001). In the communicative approach to language teaching, this means teachers modeling listening strategies and providing listening practice in authentic situations: those that learners are likely to encounter when they use the language outside the classroom.

Given the importance of listening in language learning and teaching it is essential to give our learners opportunity to develop and improve their listening skills not only in the classroom, but outside the classroom as well.

We have now entered a digital era in which technology is no longer a novelty. Technological advancement has always occurred in the past, but never at this speed. Although technology is not a panacea that can replace language teachers and face-to-face classrooms, it is something that can be used to enhance language learning (Sharma & Barrett, 2007).

Self-access learning centres promote the approach whereby students study independently choosing from among different resources that are available. Listening lends itself to self-access in the same way that reading does. Listening in the real world and listening to authentic texts, however, is obviously more complex. But how can we help our learners become effective listeners and to overcome difficulties in listening comprehension and other barriers to listening?

Why not draw on technology? Learners can use ICT (Information Communication Technology) in developing and improving their language skills, in particular listening comprehension for the following good reasons:a) Current university students have been characterised as the Net Generation (Oblinger & Oblinger, 2005; Barnes, Marateo, & Ferris, 2007; Prensky, 2001) and native speakers of the digital language of computers, video games, and the Internet (Presnky, 2001). Learners today have high expectations when it comes to technology and they expect a language school or programme to offer opportunities to use technology in their courses, for example via a well-equipped self-access centre (Sharma & Barrett, 2007).b) The use of technology outside the language classroom or in the self-access centre can make learners more autonomous. One key feature of using technology in learning is that it allows language practice and study away from the confines of the classroom at your own pace anywhere: a hotel room, the office, an Internet caf, at home or, of course, in the self-access language centre.c) New ICT skills learnt in the classroom (e.g. Internet search skills) can be transferred to real life. Using a range of ICT tools and a web-based environment can give learners exposure to practicing listening regularly, and consequently, become a more effective listener.d) The use of technology via web-based environment can be current, e.g. using a listening activity with todays news from news websites can add a dimension of immediacy to listening practice.e) While listening to digital audio or watching a video clip, learners have the opportunity to pause at will, and listen and read a transcript. Moreover, learners can get instant feedback on what they have done (e.g. you watch a video clip/listen to audio and check answers immediately after watching/listening).f) Learners can access authentic websites, as well as websites for EFL/ESL learners. As learners become used to selecting and evaluating listening materials, they are able to plan out their own use of web-based materials in their own time. This helps them become effective listeners and independent learners.

The Internet: A Goldmine of Listening MaterialsSome years ago the Internet held the promise of access to authentic audio and video. Today that promise has been realized. An unending stream of audio and video lessons, television and radio broadcasts, including news and documentaries, and music videos are now at our fingertips through different sources. In addition to this, a new generation of internet tools are available (Skype, podcasts, online webcasts and conferences, voice boards). Moreover, social networks create multiple opportunities for authentic communication.

Audio and Video The principal benefits of online audio and video start with the range of material in terms of subject matter, accent of the speaker, and length. Some of the activities will only take up a short amount of time, for example listening to the news, whereas others, such as participating in conference calls or listening to TV broadcasts will require learners to set aside quite a lot of time.

Online audio and video news. Online listening activities are divided into those that are specifically scripted for English learners, while others consist of authentic materials which have been specially selected.

Randalls ESL Cyber Listening Lab (www.esl-lab.com) Randalls ESL Cyber Listening Lab has short and long listening activities for beginner-level as well as advanced-level students accompanied by pre-, while and post-listening tasks, transcripts, and cultural video clips. Randall Davis states that the main objective of the site is not to test students listening skills; rather, by doing the variety of pre-listening, listening, and post-listening activities, students can discover ways to learn how to develop their listening skills. He believes that listening and speaking skills must be developed together, and working together with other students in groups and discussing the content of the listening activities help learners improve their overall communication skills by focusing on specific tasks.

Sample Activity : ENGLISH ORAL COMMUNICATION using Randalls ESL Cyber Listening Lab (www.esl-lab.com)

Instructor: _______________________ Office: _________________Office Hours: Mon 8-10 Phone: ________________ Tues 8-noon

COURSE DESCRIPTION:The course is designed to improve advanced EFL students oral communication skills by focusing on:a) listening skills: comprehension of main ideas and important details; understanding of speakers purpose and attitude; understanding spoken data in order to make inferences, form generalization, and draw conclusionb) speaking skills: expressing ideas and opinions clearly; selecting, organizing and presenting information spontaneously; summarizing main ideas from various sourcesc) pronunciation: English sound articulation, stress, rhythm, grouping (pausing, linking, focus) and intonationd) vocabulary expansion: vocabulary-building strategies and idiomatic English e) discourse strategies: using proper forms of language to perform social functions in various contexts TEXTBOOK:Saslow & Aschser. (2006) Summit 1. Longman.

CLASS ACTIVITIES:Class activities include:1. A variety of listening exercises, such as spoken materials on DVDs and Internet websites2. Lectures and discussions on the sound system of American English and features of spoken English 3. Pair work and small group activities on oral communication skills

COURSE REQUIREMANT:1. Online listening assignment Students are required to go to Randalls ESL Cyber Listening Lab (http://www.esl-lab.com) to listen to one online lesson per week and hand in a written report on the listening assignment every week.

2. Reading assignment & Homework There will be reading assignments for every class meeting. Students should finish the assigned readings before class and share their views on the readings with the rest of the class. Homework will take various forms, such as watching a video clip or doing research on a topic. All homework must be done before due days.

2. In-class discussions and activities A considerable amount of class time will be allocated to pair/group discussions and activities. Students must be well-prepared and participate actively in the discussions and activities.

4. Attendance Regular attendance and punctuality is expected from all students.

GRADING Weekly online listening assignment 30% Reading assignments 10% Discussions and activities 10% Quizzes 20% Final Exam 10% Attendance 20%