Developing Listening Skill At the School Level
By
Moumita Mondal
Abstract
As English is the global language, so to participate in the global competition the students should develop their listening skill in English. It is the vital skill providing the basis for the successful communication. Effective listening skill enhances the ability to learn and adapt new information, knowledge, and skills. There are various techniques and methods in teaching learning process in order to develop the listening skill of students. The teachers should use appropriate techniques and methods for developing the students’ listening skill, so that they can listen and interact safely and securely in classroom and also in their day to day life.
Though there are many obstacles in the way of effective listening, students can overcome those problems with the help of teachers. The students also maintain some strategies by themselves to acquire listening ability and can acquire effective listening skill and be an effective listener.
I. Introduction
English is taught as a second language in our country. The four-fold aim of teaching this subject is to enable the pupil 1) to understand English when spoken, 2) to understand English when written, 3) to speak English, and 4) to write English. This four-fold aim can be achieved by giving the pupils specific practice in the four types of language activities or skills.
Learning of any language is called language skill. “Language skill is demonstrated by the competency in the use of language.” It is more a matter of ‘doing’ than of ‘knowing’. In learning the mother tongue, the first skill that a child acquires is the ability to understand the spoken word: the skill of listening. Next, he tries to reproduce these sound sequences to express his own desires and needs and thereby acquires the skill of speaking. For an illiterate person, these two basic skills constitute his language ability. The abilities to read and write are matters of literacy. But since we want our pupils to be literate in the language, the skills of reading and writing are also included; as basic language skills in the school course. Each skill comprises various elements called ‘sub-skills’. Language is therefore called a ‘Complex Skill’ comprising the four basic language skills, namely:
1) The skill of listening
2) The skill of speaking
3) The skill of reading
4) The skill of writing
II. Interrelationship of Language Skills:
Researchers observed that listening and reading are passive, requiring less exertion on the part of the learner. These skills are called Receptive Skills or Skills of Comprehension, because when listening and reading the person is at the receiving end of the communication channel. While listening we understand the spoken language and we understand the written language while reading. But we cannot produce anything, receive only. But writing and speaking both are active skills. Here the person, being at the transmitting end of the channel, has to take the initiative. These two skills are called Productive Skills or Skills of Expression.
III. Listening Skill:
Listening is accepted as one of the most effective modes of learning. It is the ability to understand what others speak or say. In the words of Brown, “Listening ability lies at the very heart of all growth, from birth through the years of formal education.” If the students acquire listening skill properly, they can easily learn the other skills of language learning. It has been estimated that adults spend almost half their communication time listening. One study showed that college students spent about 53% of their time listening and 16% speaking, but only 14% writing and 17% reading2. It’s not just college students who spend large portions of their time listening either. Another study showed that most employees in North America spend about 60% of their day listening to each other.
IV. Importance of Listening Skill:
An old proverb says: ‘Nature gave us two ears and one mouth, so we can listen twice as much as we speak.’ So listening is an important skill for human beings because it provides us linguistic inputs besides reading. Our knowledge of the world and proficiency of language depends on the quality and quantity of listening inputs.
Developing listening skill is very crucial for developing speaking skill, which in turn helps in effective communication. Listening is essential for acquiring good pronunciation.
Listening is essential for our social life because it is through listening we appreciate other’s speech or message, feel empathy with others and communicate with others by comprehending the message given in verbal codified form, Listening helps in decoding of verbal inputs.
With the technological explosion in today’s world listening and speaking have acquired great significance. In order to survive in today’s world, one needs to be first a good listener and then a speaker. In the age of globalization listening has an important role to play.
VI. Benefits of Effective Listening Skills:
Learning the skill of effective listening benefits personal growth and development in the following ways:
Effective Communication – Clear and concise transmission of information is an important component of effective human interaction. Though the onus is often placed on presenting clear and concise written or spoken directions, the listener also bears a responsibility to hear and understand messages.
Fewer Misunderstandings – Regardless of the clarity of written or spoken messages, the effective listener can prevent misunderstandings and salvage what otherwise might be a mis-communication by practicing active listening skills.
Improved Relationships – Relationships are damaged by misunderstandings that can lead to unsatisfactory business transactions as well as hurt feelings in personal relationships. Excellent listening practices tell others that they are important, special, and what they have to say is valued. That is very attractive and contributes to strong relationships.
Personal Growth – A student learns and grows by listening and understanding other viewpoints, differing ideas, and exploring conflicting viewpoints. Learning the skill of active and effective listening not only adds a tool to the personal development portfolio, but equips one to continue growing with tools for exploring new ideas.
VII. Barriers to Listening:
Listening is not easy and there are a number of obstacles that stand in the way of effective listening, both within outside the workplace. These barriers may be categorized as follows.
1. Physiological Barriers: - some people may have genuine hearing problems or deficiencies that prevent them from listening properly. It can be treated. Some people may have problem in processing information or retaining information in the memory.
2. Cultural Barriers: - Accents can be barriers to listening, since they interfere with the ability to understand the meaning of words that are pronounced differently. The problem of different accents arises not only between cultures, but also within a culture. For example, in a country like India where there is enormous cultural diversity, accents may differ even between regions states.
3. Gender Barriers: - communication research has shown that gender can be barrier to listening. Studies have revealed that men and women listen very differently and for different purposes. Women are more likely to listen for the emotion behind a speaker’s words, when men listen more for the facts and the content.
4. Bad Listening Habits: - Most people are very average listeners who have developed poor listening habits that are hard to say and that act as barriers to listening. For example, some people have the habits of “faking” attention, or trying to look like a listeners, in order to impress the speaker and to assure him that they are paying attention. Others may tend to listen to each and every fact and, as a result, miss out the main point.
VIII. Different Techniques of Developing the Listening Abilities:
Listening is a psychological process. It can therefore be improved by regular practice. Listening is very helpful skill. Active listening is really an extension of the Golden Rule. Here are some of the techniques to improve listening skill-
Rehearsal of the Distinguishing Capacity: For giving the students a rehearsal of training for developing the capacity of distinguishing or differentiating one word from another, the teacher may ask them to first of all group the following words into two three cases and then point out if these are similar or different,
Class One Class Two
Ice Eyes
Week Weak
Sit Seat
Sell Sale
Rehearsal of their Understanding Capacity: The students may be given the following two columns ‘A’ and ‘B’ of words and asking them to decide whether the word in column ‘B’ is the same (or approximately the same) in meaning as the word in column ‘A’; opposite (or approximately the opposite) in meaning; or whether the two words are only different. Circe ‘S’ for same, ‘O’ for opposite and ‘D’ for different.
Column ‘A’ Column ‘B’
1. Sweet Sour
2. Big Angry
3. Danger Peril
4. Help Hinder
5. Love Hate
Rehearsal of Stress on sounds: Stress on sounds can also be rehearsed in the same way. The teacher may ask students to arrange similar sounds in columns. Example- Arrange the similar sounds together in two or more columns: We, But, Pet, Me, Wet, Cut.
Column A Column B Column C
We Pet But
Me Wet Cut
By Asking ‘Yes’, ‘No’ Question: For judging the listening skill of pupils, the teacher may show them a picture and then ask them a few questions about the picture which they are to answer only by ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
Taking the Help of a Passage: The teacher may select a passage from the text book and reads it aloud. Thereafter, he asks them a few questions. If the reading of the teacher has been followed by pupils by listening it attentively, they would be able to answer the questions asked. Afterwards, they may be asked to read the selected passage themselves for their own comprehension.
Dictation: One of the common listening exercises which has been practiced continually in schools is dictation. One of the positive features of dictation is that it involves the learner, who becomes actively involved with the language.
IX. Conclusion:
In conclusion, it should be said that listening competence is a complex skill that needs to be developed by practice. Teachers should provide their learners with opportunities to reflect on their listening processes and practices. The role of the teacher is very important, as the teacher not only guides the students through the process of listening, but also motivates them and puts them in control of their learning. Students must maintain some tips to improve their listening skill. They must maintain eye contact with the teacher and keep their mind open. They must minimize external and internal distractions, focus solely on what the teacher is saying and must respond appropriately to the teacher. In this way students can acquire effective listening skill and be an effective listener.
