On exploring this issue, due to the gadgets and apps accessible to the majority of learners these days, one might expect to hear that, anything related to modern technology -from a podcast to an announcement, or from an interview of their favourite singer to a video on social media or YouTube, could be engaging for learners at B1 level. However, sometimes...
Listening is an important skill for the person who is learning English. Everyone wants to listen to what English speakers are saying at a natural speed and understand it. Everyone wishes to understand English films, TV programmes, music, and announcements.
by ANASTASIA SPYROPOULOU, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
However, listening is a very demanding and...
Fear of listening
Listening appears to be the most feared component of language exams: learners invariably complain that “the listening was difficult,” teachers seem to worry about the listening subtest more than anything else, examination bodies are often asked to explain themselves and justify the format and level of their listening tests...
Theoretical evidence in decision making and lesson planning in B2 listening classes
By Vassiliki Lismani
Listening, along with reading, is categorized as a receptive language skill. Sharing their common fate, listening and reading are also considered secondary skills giving prominence to writing and speaking. Nunan (1997) describes listening in...
A report published in the Daily Mail a couple of decades ago gave reason for a light-hearted investigation. According to the report most foreign students who visited Britain or went there to study failed to understand English in conversations with English people! It was an outrageous claim and I was curious to see whether there was any truth in it. The...
Motivation – The Acid Test: There is one thing the Brits are experts at – and that is not cooking. It is a pity though that Comedy Clubs are not as popular as restaurants, or we would all be ‘Going for an English’ a lot more often. But why should all this matter for an EL teacher? Well, the way I see it, it all has to do with student engagement. For me...
Listening actively is a body, heart and mind workout. It requires attention to self as well as a full immersion into the collective, while aspiring to keep every individual in mind. It demands that we keep our ego at bay and maintain a targeted focus on the other. The hardest part about listening is to minimize our natural tendencies to step in to fix...
Teaching listening skills is one of the most difficult tasks for any EFL teacher. This is because successful listening skills are acquired over time and with lots of practice. It’s frustrating for students because there are no rules as in grammar teaching. Speaking and writing also have very specific exercises that can lead to improved skills. This is not...
The great 20th Century artist Marcel Duchamp came up with an extraordinary notion. He thought that in the past artists had to create something from scratch; yet the industrial era had churned out a multitude of objects, many of which were undoubtedly beautiful by dint of their design. So a sculptor for instance could simply peruse various items, take one...
