Listening Ideas

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Listen UP!! This may be the most important mode to actually communicate. Here are some ideas to mix into your class. The list is short right now, but we promise to add more soon!

The following descriptions are from ACTFL. Visit the site for examples in English. http://actflproficiencyguidelines2012.org/listening

Listening » Novice

At the Novice level, listeners can understand key words, true aural cognatescognatesWords between languages that have a common origin and are therefore readily understood. For example, the French word “leçon” and the English word “lesson.”, and formulaicformulaicConstituting or containing a verbal formula or set form of words such as “How are you?/Fine, thank you.” “Thanks very much./You’re welcome.” expressions that are highly contextualized and highly predictable, such as those found in introductions and basic courtesies.

Novice-level listeners understand words and phrases from simple questions, statements, and high-frequency commands. They typically require repetition, rephrasingrephrasingTo restate or rewrite in a new, clearer or different way. and/or a slowed rate of speech for comprehension. They rely heavily on extralinguisticextralinguisticNot included in the language itself, such as a visual or contextual clue that supports understanding. support to derive meaning.

Novice-level listeners are most accurate when they are able to recognize speech that they can anticipate. In this way, these listeners tend to recognize rather than truly comprehend. Their listening is largely dependent on factors other than the message itself.

Listening » Intermediate

At the Intermediate level, listeners can understand information conveyed in simple, sentence-length speech on familiar or everyday topics. They are generally able to comprehend one utterance at a time while engaged in face-to-face conversations or in routine listening tasks such as understanding highly contextualized messages, straightforward announcements, or simple instructions and directions. Listeners rely heavily on redundancyredundancyThe repetition of linguistic information., restatement, paraphrasing, and contextual cluescontextual cluesHints within the communication or its context that facilitate the comprehension of unfamiliar words..

Intermediate-level listeners understand speech that conveys basic information. This speech is simple, minimally connected, and contains high-frequency vocabulary.

Intermediate-level listeners are most accurate in their comprehension when getting meaning from simple, straightforward speech. They are able to comprehend messages found in highly familiar everyday contexts. Intermediate listeners require a controlled listening environment where they hear what they may expect to hear.