I'm All Ears!
Are you truly "all ears"?
If so, you are allowed entry to this Web page where you can find a multitude of activities geared to hone your listening skills!
The activities focus on:
- improving your extensive listening skills;
- prepraring you for listening exams (SE);
- getting a better understanding of your listening strategies
On behalf of all your teachers of English, good luck!
Marijke, Rianne, and Samira : )
Are you truly all ears?
This activity focuses more on how to listen rather than content. While you listen, there are certain steps you take to help you get a better understanding of the content. Below, you will find three questions to help you do that:
Before Listening: What do I already know? What predictions can I make?
When you're given the title, write down everything you already know about the subject. You could do this in pairs to generate more ideas.
While Listening: What strategies can I use to help me understand what I’m listening to?
What strategies can you think of that help you understand the text better? Some of the strategies you apply to reading could be helpful with listening as well. Practice these strategies while you listen to the fragment. At times, it is helpful and necessary to pause the fragment to actually practice those strategies.
After Listening: Which strategies helped me the most? What will I do next time?
Reflect on which strategies helped you and what was particularly difficult for about the listening task. What could you do to improve these strategies / skills?
Anachronism
Students find a short movie clip or podcast of their own. They are to identify three or four major events and to make a sheet for the class with the events out of order. Then, they will play the clip and challenge the class to put the events in a chronological sequence. If there is access to multiple devices, students can do this kind of activity in pairs.
NYT - mini-docs
Choose two of the eight mini documentaries to watch. Before watching, we recommend you read the backstory to each of the documentaries to form an idea of what you're about to watch. Use the chart provided in the link below to document aspects of the documentary that you find interesting. Click on the link for further information.
8 compelling mini documentaries
Chart for watching documentary
Two predictions, three questions
Students themselves can create questions about what they saw and heard, which they can exchange with a classmate to answer. We give our students a work sheet that looks like this:
The title of today’s episode or film is ______________________________
Write two predictions about this episode based on the title:
1.
2.
While you watch the episode or film, write three questions about this episode for a classmate to answer. After the episode or film, give your paper to a classmate so that he or she can write the answers to your questions.
Question 1:
Answer:
Question 2:
Answer:
Question 3:
Answer:
After watching the episode:
Were your predictions correct? Explain why or why not.
1.
2.
I hear ya!
Listening report
A. Relevant data
- Title of program
- Time and duration of program
- Channel/source
- Subject
B. Keywords
(type or write here the keywords you hear while you are watching/listening)
C. Summary & personal opinion
(write a summary and give your opinion of the item you’ve watched)
Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
During this activity, you are going to practice your speaking skills. In pairs look for a topic you can discuss. Search the web for information on this topic. Create your own podcast by discussing your subject.
Make sure you think about the following:
- What should you podcast be about?
- How long should the podcast be?
- Interview or topic based?
- What category should you be in?
- How to introduce your podcast to listeners?
- How to map out the podcast episode? (e.g. by telling them who's talking and what's coming up)
- How to end the podcast episode?
Your classmates are going to listen to your podcast and write a listening report on your podcast.
Video resource 1: Drinking to Oblivion
Video resource 2: Tips bij een luistertoets (Dutch)
Tips bij een luistertoets (Dutch resource)
NYT - Films + Lesson plans
TED talks
Drinking to Oblivion - Louis Theroux
