Module 6: Listening

Listening is extremely important in learning a language because most of your students are learning the
language to be able to verbally communicate. Helping your students speak in English is great, but that will not
help them in a conversation unless they can understand what others are saying. Throughout your class, you
will be easing your students into the language by speaking slowly and giving them the chance to decode what
you are trying to say. Once they go out into the world, they will have to comprehend what people are saying no
matter how quickly they speak. In this module, we will discuss many of the strategies that your students will
need to become conversationally fluent in English, including how to decode sounds, how to break down
speech, and how to summarize ideas that others are presenting to them. 

6.1 Repeating what you hear or transcribing

Asking your students to transcribe speech is a great way to get them used to understanding what people are
saying. It is also a great way for you to monitor how well they actually understand speech as opposed to how
much they tell you they understand. It is one thing to be able to get a general idea of what someone is saying
to you; it is another thing entirely to be able to transcribe the speech word for word. In this section, we will
focus on two different types of transcription, both of which will help your students better understand the
language.

6.1.1 Phonetic transcription

Phonetic transcription is a technique whereby an individual breaks down speech into sounds and phonemes,
and transcribes the speech in phonetic symbols, using the symbols that we discussed in the previous module.
We will not repeat the symbols, so feel free to go back and review them. Instead, we will focus on what
phonetic transcription looks like and how it will benefit your students.

What does phonetic transcription look like? 

Phonetic transcription can be a great way for your students to learn to decode sounds from speech, but it is not
a practical activity for them once they have mastered the language. It is extremely helpful but can take time.
Take a look at the following excerpt and what it would look like in phonetic transcription:

Original text: Sometimes, phonetic transcription can be complicated, but once you get the hang of it, it is
actually quite easy. It will also help students get the hang of recognizing sounds, which will make
conversational English much easier.

6.1.2    Phonetic transcription

Now that you have seen what phonetic transcription can look like, let’s take a look at the different types of
phonetic transcription. Some will be helpful to your students and some will not.

Systematic vs. impressionistic transcription

As an expert in phonetic symbols, if you were to listen to speech in another language, you would generally be
able to chart it out based on English phonetic symbols. Obviously, this is not the best way to handle this since
phonetic symbols are going to be different in every language, but you are going to use the knowledge you
have. A phonetics expert would instead use a more universal group of phonetic symbols to transcribe the
speech. This is called impressionistic transcription because although this is still not perfect the transcriber is
charting out the sounds as best as he or she can without knowing the language. Later, experts can take this
impressionistic transcription and revise and modify it to more accurately represent the speech. It would be
much more difficult if the speech were charted out using more specific English phonetic symbols.

Once experts are able to analyze the speech and get a sense for the sounds of the particular language they
are listening to, they are able to revise the transcription into a much more accurate transcription. This is called
a systematic transcription or a transcription that more accurately reflects the phonetic structure of the
language it is breaking down.

As you may have already determined, a systematic transcription is more helpful for your students, although it
could be helpful to have them use their native language to analyze the sounds in an English recording.
However, you are more typically going to ask them to create phonetic transcriptions that more accurately
reflect the phonetic structure of the English language to ensure they are learning.

6.1.3 Phonetic transcription

Phonetic symbols, though explicitly stated, can be left up to some interpretation. Experts will sometimes do
what is called a simple transcription, which makes the phonetic translation as easy to read as possible
without worrying too much about everything being perfect. This kind of shorthand is sometimes appreciated by
experts since they often have to go through massive amounts of text. While this may not be the best type to
start your students with because they may not be ready for such shorthand, it can be helpful once they become
good at transcribing. You should only allow them to take shortcuts once they are doing it to save time, not to
make the text easier to transcribe.

Comparative transcription is relevant when the sounds for different languages match, and you are able to
use a vaguer phoneme to refer to the different versions of the phoneme in different languages. This type of
transcription is not very helpful for your students.

 
Phonemic vs. allophonic transcription

Everything we have been discussing so far in this section has referred to phonemic transcription, which
refers to any transcription where you break down sounds into phonemes. The other option you have with your
transcription is to do an allophonic transcription, which means breaking down the speech into allophones. If
you remember from previous modules, allophones are a phonic rather than phonemic way of breaking down
words. 

6.1.4 Word-for-word transcription

When you would like to have your students practice with words rather than just sounds, you should work with
them on word transcriptions, which are exactly what they sound like. Students listen to a person speaking (or a
recording) and transcribe the speech as it is spoken. Let’s go through the steps you should have your students
take to transcribe speech.

1. Select or provide a text that already has a transcription. There is no way to assess your students unless
you have an answer key. You can either hold onto the correct transcription yourself to assess them or give
it to them so that they can check their work and self-correct. When they are working towards mastery, it is
probably better to give them the transcription, and when you are ready to assess their mastery, it is
probably better to assess them yourself.

2. Have the students listen to the speech once. If you are delivering the speech, read it through once,
instructing them not to write anything yet but only to listen. If the students have a recording, instruct
them to listen to it on their own once through before they do anything.
3. Have your students transcribe the speech line by line. It would be more helpful if they have a recording
of the speech so that they are able to go back and listen again when they need to. However, you may
want to simply speak the text when your students have progressed to the point where they are strong
enough to handle it. Here are some tips that might help them:
o If you have the opportunity, use a digital recording so that it is easier for the students to go back
and forth and keep track of their progress.
o Have the students write their transcriptions by hand to have a closer connection to the words they
are writing. Also, handwriting the transcriptions means they will not have access to grammar and
spelling software that will help them along the way but ultimately hurt their learning.
o Allow the students to use a dictionary whenever they need to. Not only will this provide a
reference piece to help them, but it will also give the students practice looking up words in a
dictionary.
o Do not limit the number of times your students can rewind or listen to parts of the recording
again. Even native English speakers would have trouble transcribing a piece word for word
without listening to it more than once.
o Encourage your students to transcribe the piece word for word, but then look through their
transcription to fix errors in grammar and usage even when those errors were made by the
original speaker. This will give the students practice transcribing the piece and also give them the
opportunity to practice their revision skills and access their knowledge of grammar.

6.1.4 Word-for-word transcription

1. Have your students carefully check their answers (as we said before, they may be at the point where
you can assess them instead) against the correct transcription. Have your students look at where they
struggled and where they excelled, and try to determine their strengths and weaknesses so that they
can use the activity as a learning experience.
2. Transcriptions are not something you can do every day since they are pretty exhaustive, but you should
try to do them every so often until your students have demonstrated proficiency. Also make sure that
you are using it as a learning experience and have your students continually reflect on their
performance to make sure that it is worthwhile.
How is transcribing text helpful?

As we have already discussed, transcribing text can be extremely helpful to your students for the following
reasons:

 It helps students work on mastering the sounds of English. Students need to be able to get used to
understanding English only from sound, and this is a direct way to give them practice with that.
 It gives students practice writing the language, and if you ask them to fix any errors in their own
transcription and the original text, they have the opportunity to display their knowledge of grammar and
practice revising it.
 Because this activity is meticulous, it forces students to really delve into the text and pay attention to
every detail rather than just summarizing what is being said.
 This directly prepares students for conversational English, although it takes out the part where they
respond. This is the first step towards being able to hold a cogent conversation in English.
 This is a great way to give students the opportunity to work independently. They are able to take the
time to struggle with the language without fear of peer ridicule. Completing this activity will also give
them a sense of accomplishment that they probably would not get from a more teacher-directed
activity.

6.2 Paraphrase what you hear

People tend to think that paraphrasing someone is easier than quoting them directly, but that just isn’t true. To
effectively paraphrase, you need to understand what the person has said enough to put their words into your
own words. That is why this is a great skill for your students to practice; it will test their ability to listen to
someone speak, process the words, and then rewrite them in their own words. In many ways, this task is much
more difficult than transcription. Since paraphrasing is such a difficult skill for your students to master, let’s take
a closer look at how you can help them develop their skills.

6.2.1 Teaching students to paraphrase

There are many different ways that you can teach your students to paraphrase more effectively, and it is
definitely an important skill to practice with them.

1. Start out slowly and informally. Have your students pair up (or get into small groups) and practice
paraphrasing. You can even have them start in their native language if you want to practice the
process. Give the students a simple question, such as “What did you do this weekend?” Have the
students interview each other and then try to paraphrase what their partner tells them. This helps them
work on both speaking and listening skills.
2. Do it with them. When you are starting to teach the skill and process of paraphrasing, model the activity
by participating in it with them. Start by asking a student a question and then paraphrasing his or her
answer for the class. Then do the same thing, but ask the class to help you paraphrase. By initiating the
process together, you will make your students feel more comfortable, and you will show them how it
should be done.
3. As you are modelling the process with the students, help them understand how to paraphrase better by
introducing four strategies they can use:
o Reword: The student replaces words with synonyms whenever he or she can.
o Rearrange: The student rearranges a sentence so that it sounds different but conveys the
same message. You will have to model this for them directly.
o Accept: Let the students know they will not be able to change every word (nor should they), so
they need to learn to make decisions on what needs to be changed and what should stay the
same.
o Recheck: Have the students read over the paraphrased version they have written and evaluate
it based on how accurate it is to the original message of the speech. If you have the students
working together, have the student who delivered the speech check the student who
paraphrased for accuracy. You can also use this as an assessment tool and evaluate it yourself.

6.2.3 How paraphrasing helps students

We have already hinted at all the ways paraphrasing can help your students master the English language, but
we should take some time to explicitly review the benefits of this activity.

 When you use oral text for this activity, it helps your students improve their ability to listen to and
comprehend English. As we stated before, they need to be able to recognize the sounds they are hearing,
identify the meaning of what they are hearing, and then turn that information into something new.
Students need to be able to not only translate the language but also what is actually being said to re-
create it.
 This activity also works on other skills even if they are not the focus. When you have your students read
a text to each other, you also practice all of the skills involved in reading out loud, including decoding,
pronunciation, and reading comprehension.
  Learning how to paraphrase naturally will help your students when they begin developing their
conversational English. As they become more comfortable with the language, they will need to be able to
take in what people are saying, process it, and respond appropriately. While this activity does not require
the students to respond appropriately, it definitely helps them with the rest of the conversation.
 If you choose to have your students paraphrase with written text, then it does not really help them
practice their listening skills, but it certainly would help them improve their reading skills.
 Paraphrasing text helps students make connections with their own knowledge. This happens in a few
different ways:
o Students make connections to their native language or cognates that helps them understand
and relay the information that is given to them.
o Students connect to what is being said on a personal level and are able to paraphrase the
speech because they feel personally invested in it.
o The activity takes on a much more interesting and less monotonous feel because you are no
longer asking the students to simply echo back what they have heard; you are asking them to
comprehend and create something of their own with it.

6.3 Conversational English

The next step from having your students listen to someone speak and paraphrase their words is to have them
respond to the speech with an appropriate reaction. Whereas paraphrasing requires your students to be able
to take someone else’s speech and put it into their own words, conversational English requires them to quickly
comprehend what someone says, decide how to respond, and then determine how to respond in English. The
immediacy of a conversation makes this one of the true tests of your students’ fluency and what they have
learned thus far. To ensure that your students are prepared for conversational English, make sure they
understand each of the following concepts (some we have already discussed):

 Verb conjugation: To effectively communicate during a conversation, your students will need to know
the basics of verb conjugation, especially when it refers to tense. The difference between “I ran to the
store” and “I run to the store” may only be a difference of one letter, but it significantly changes the
sentence. Students do not have to be experts at this yet, but they should understand the basics so that
they can participate in a conversation without confusion. 

 Using pronouns properly: Pronoun use is very important in conversational usage, as it is a typical

 How conversational English varies from formal English: Your students may be fluent in formal
English, but if you haven’t discussed such words as “gonna” with them, they might find themselves very
confused in a conversation. Few people speak with perfect English or even scrutinize spoken English
the same way that they scrutinize written English. While you don’t need to teach your students all the
slang that they might hear, it would be helpful if you could give them some information on the slang
words that have been generally accepted in oral English.   

 Understanding English idioms: While these cultural sayings will not pop up in every conversation that
your students have in English, you should try to give them some instruction in some of the idioms that
are most commonly used. Since idioms are so cultural, we will leave it to you to decide which are the
most relevant in your region or country.

 How English differs from their language: This will require individualized instruction, but it will be
worth it. Try to provide extra practice and instruction with your students to help them understand some
of the specific differences in grammar and structure between English and their native language.
Students who speak Spanish, for example, will have to get used to the fact that the adjective typically
comes before the noun in English. With specialized instructions in these nuances, you can help your
students be prepared for things that are most likely to trip them up during a conversation.

6.4 Using what you hear to present new ideas

The next important step to take with your students is to help them learn and/or practice how to take what they
are hearing and use it to present new ideas. While conversational English is great because it requires your
students to reply to speakers with appropriate and cogent responses, it is time for them to start presenting ideas
of their own. In this section, we will discuss where this will come in handy as well as how to help them practice
this skill.

 In a school or business setting, it will be very helpful for students to be able to synthesize what they
hear in English and generate new knowledge from it. This is extremely relevant since most of your
students are likely learning English so that they can attend an English-speaking school or get/maintain
a job where speaking English will help them advance. In a classroom, students will have to be prepared
to listen to English lectures and then do something to synthesize the knowledge they have learned. In
 business, workers will have to be prepared to listen to what their boss is telling them and then create
something that fits the requirements. You can help them practice this skill by giving them more
assignments and projects that mimic ones they would see in an English-speaking classroom or
workplace.

 This skill will definitely improve their conversational English. Keeping this skill in mind, students will be
able to carry on a conversation that is give-and-take rather than simply answering and responding to
questions that are asked of them. You can help your students practice this by extending your lessons in
conversational English to account for this need.

 If a student is creating something completely new, such as an invention, an innovation, or an idea, then
it would be very difficult for them to express their ideas if they only have the ability to respond to
questions in English. Students need the tools to extend the mastery of the English language and speak
about things they have not heard anyone else say. This takes a great understanding of the basic
framework of the language, which you have hopefully provided. 

 Students need to be prepared to speak “off-the-cuff,” without a language safety net. To truly
demonstrate fluency and mastery of the English language, they need to be able to improvise with the
language and understand it much the same way that they understand their native language. With the
right amount of commitment from both you and your students, you will be able to get them to this
point. It will just take patience, preparation, and follow-through.