Learning to Listen The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said.
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Test Taking Strategies Listening Techniques For Comprehension Lecture Read Listen &Take Notes Skill Builders Listening To Lectures
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Listening To Group Discussions Main Idea / Main Topic Pragmatic understanding Speaker’s Tone Idiomatic expressions
Test Taking Strategies
Adjust the volume on your headset
Make sure that you hear the recording clearly
You cannot adjust the volume once the testing begins
The people on the screen tell you if there is a conversation, lecture or discussion
Look at the images of maps , charts, drawings etc. but don’t get distracted.
Listening Techniques
Focus on the speaker
Avoid getting distracted by the surrounding, speaker’s style & delivery
Concentrate on the message, not on the image
Listen to the pre-recorded audiotapes
Have a feel of all the lecture topics
For Comprehension
Focus on the content & flow of the talk
Anticipate what the speaker is going to say to stay focused
Stay active –ask questions like what is the main idea
Lecture
The lectures are always delivered in an organized manner. Get used to it
Summarize all the important points
Focus on the key words-nouns & verbs
Read Listen and take notes
Read the question as you listen to them
You can control how fast or slow you go through the test
But be sure to keep track of the time
Hear each recording & read all the answer choices before answering
Take notes in the same manner in which the information is given
Skill Builders
Go to places where English is spoken
Build your concentration
Tune in to BBC radio, Listen to a book on tape Start with 5 min sessions
Summarize information
The more you listen the better you will understand Converse in English
Note the main idea and the supporting details
Listen to different speaking styles
Get habituated to the native speaker’s accent
Listening to Lectures
Know the organizational pattern in Lectures
Verbal clues help in better understanding
Main idea clues – “ Now I’ll like to talk about…”,“Let’s turn our attention to…”
Supporting details- for example, like, but , however ,in addition , others, such as, specifically, several ways
Listening to Group Discussions
Discussions are not structured
Participants may interrupt each other Some comments are more valuable than others
Track each person’s position
The final comment by the tutor will tell which comment is accepted Summarize on paper Main idea may be a combination of everyone’s viewpoint
Main Idea/Main Topic
Main idea
What the speaker wants to say It is a general statement , brings together all the points
Main topic
It is the subject of the lecture or conversation The focus of the lecture Will have details, explanations & examples
Pragmatic Understanding
Purpose of the speech or conversation Is the speaker complaining, apologizing, making suggestions? Formal or casual Is the voice calm or emotional? What does the tone tell? Listen for changes in topic or side comments The speaker returns to the main topic after these digressions Is the speaker certain about the information? The tone can indicate the degree of certainty
Speaker’s Tone
Speaker’s implication may not be based on explicit details Tone is used rather than words to convey meaning Words like –supposedly, sure, interesting, excuse me, can have dozens of meaning Listen to how someone speaks Consider the attitude – is he/she expressing joy, anger, disbelief etc
Idiomatic Expressions Idiomatic expressions have unusual grammatical structures
All of a sudden Boil down Catch up Drop off Find out Get down Have on
Jump in Make up your mind Put off Show up Sleep on it Take place Used to + v
I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen . Ernest Hemingway (1898 - 1961)