Tips Teaching Listening

How Can I Teach Listening?

Listening skills can be taught explicitly, through direct instruction and in multiple formats. Some skills can be taught explicitly. Below are links to specific examples to activities where the following skills are taught:

• Relating to similar experiences
• Predicting what will happen next
• Retelling a story in order
• Asking relevant questions (KWL activity referenced below)
• Taking notes
• Analyzing and synthesizing what is read
• Figurative language
• Also, distinguishing fact from opinion

Some informal classroom opportunities to teach listening include:

• Play mime games to demonstrate body language through physical and facial expressions.
• Before an assembly, discuss the who, what and why of the presentation.
• Discuss what listening “looks like.” How do their bodies look when they are listening?
• Play games involving listening for following directions (drawing an unseen object), understanding what is said (you mean?), remembering what is said (telephone operator game), etc.
• Listen to, write and share a poem a day.
• Sequence the events of the day or week and have students draw a timeline to post on their desks.

Tips of Listening Test

Ten Steps to Effective Listening

1. Face the speaker and maintain eye contact.
2. Be attentive.
3. Keep an open mind to what you are hearing.
4. Try to picture what the speaker is saying.
5. Don't interrupt or impose your "solutions" on the speaker.
6. Wait for the speaker to pause to ask clarifying questions.
7. Ask clarifying questions, not challenging questions. Wait until discussion time to raise your point of view.
8. Try to feel and understand what the speaker is feeling.
9. Demonstrate you are paying attention to what is being said by providing feedback through nodding your head or saying "Uh huh."
10. Pay attention to what isn't said to feelings, facial expressions, gestures, posture and other nonverbal cues

Incomplete Dialogue Test

PART V. Directions:  Questions 16 – 30 are incomplete dialogues. Four clauses/sentences, marked (A), (B), (C), or (D), are given beneath each question. You are to choose the one clause/sentence that best completes the dialogue. Then, on your answer sheet, find the number of the question and mark your answer.

16.  Della          : Where can I go to buy for my stuff?

Fina           : There is a shopping mall not far from here. … from the hotel. It arrives every thirty minutes.

1. Just walk straight and then turn right
2. The train will come in an hour
3. You can get there by bus 
4. It takes only a few hours

17.  Fira            : How often do you go to the fitness center?

Lia             : …. I prefer exercising at home.

A.    I always visit it on Friday

B.     I love gym very much

C.     I never come there

D.    I like to jog there

18.  Ali             : Siip Catering. How may I help you today?

Vinka        : We’re having a company party next Monday, and ...

Ali             : OK. How many people do you expect to entertain?

A.    I need to arrange for all the food and drinks.

B.     I have to cancel the meeting for the party.

C.     I’d like to invite about 100 employees.

D.    I want to reserve some tables for you.

19.  Rafika       : How are you going to spend your new year eve?

Bobby       : ...

A.    I plan to have a family gathering in a village.

B.     I’m thinking about celebrating the new year.

C.     I stayed in a hotel some nights ago.

D.    I usually have dinner at home.

20.  Herry                     : Hello. Can I speak to Helen, please?

Receptionist          : Hold on, please. The line is busy. ...

Herry                     : Tell her that I’m going to pick her up at 3 PM.

Receptionist          : OK. May I know your name, please?

A.    You dialed the wrong number.

B.     What can I do for you?

C.     Can I take a message?

D.    Helen is busy.

21.  Delia          : It’s very hot today. How about swimming?

Tia             : Fine. … I’ll wait you at 3 PM.

A.    I’d like that.

B.     I don’t think so.

C.     That’s not good idea.

D.    It’s better to have some drink.

 22.  Mila           : Hey Nila. We’re going to PizzaHouse for lunch. ...

Nila           : I can’t. I’m handling the phones for Ruri. She has an appointment at 11:30.

A.    Do you want to come along?

B.     Do you want me to go there?

C.     Could you buy me some food to eat?

D.    Will you be here to keep the office?

23.  Maya         : Why didn’t you come to Elly’s wedding party last week?

Puspita      : ... We discussed important programs to face the global markets.

A.    I was at the company year end meeting.

B.     I accompanied my wife to watch a box office.

C.     I spent my holiday with my family at the beach.

D.    I joined a writing contest at my friend’s campus.

24.  Sheila        : Did you know the last week meeting result?

Deny         : No. … Weren’t you there, Sheila?

Sheila        : No. I was in London.

A.    I wish I could know the meeting.

B.     I wished I had reported it to you.

C.     If I were there, I will inform you.

D.    If I had been there, I would have known it.

25.  Hilda         : Could you take me to the station after lunch?

Salsa          : Sorry, … I have a doctor’s appointment today.

A.    I have something to do.

B.     The station is near here.

C.     I often visit the station.

D.    The train arrives late.

26.  Nuryanti    : How can I help you sir?

Fikri           : ... You see, it doesn’t work properly.

Nuryanti    : Terribly sorry about that. If you have your receipt, you can exchange it for any   model of equal value.

A.    Do you have the best type of mobile phone?

B.     I’d like to buy a new model of mobile phone.

C.     I’m afraid I need to return this mobile phone.

D.    Why don’t you return that mobile phone?

27.  Salsa          : Where are some of our friends? They’re supposed to join the class now.

Randy       : ...

A.    They will hold a class-meeting program next week.

B.     They are attending a meeting with the principal.

C.     They played some games in the main hall.

D.    They had to do some work at the library.

28.  Lea            : I’m trying to prepare my test, but the radio is too loud. …

Itha            : That’s okay. No problem.

A.    Do you mind turning down the volume?

B.     Could you turn the volume up?

C.     Will you keep the radio?

D.    Can you fix the radio?

29.  Dedi          : I just got back from the doctor. I’m going to have an operation.

Yanti         : Oh, I’m sorry. ...

A.    I can’t see the doctor.

B.     I think the doctor is fine.

C.     I’m so sorry to hear that.

D.    He can write the prescription.

30.  Indra         : So, have you got a plan this Saturday night?

Nissa         : I think ...

Indra         : Why don’t you try ScottBuffet somewhere downtown? The taste is very good.

A.    I have to accompany my mother to the mall.

B.     I’ll cook some meals for a family gathering.

C.     I’ll just be at home and enjoy some music.

D.    I’m going out for dinner with my family.

Light-hearted Game in Teaching Narrative

This is an idea to help students with their writing of narratives. It gives all the students some essential (and some superfluous) vocabulary.
ProcedureBefore giving the students the title (or first line) of the story, play a game of word association.

• The teacher gives one word and the student on the left must say the first word s/he can think of which is associated with it.
• Then the student on her/his left says the first word which s/he can think of which is associated with the previous word.
• This can be repeated around the class a few times.
• The teacher writes all the words on the board as they appear.
• Eventually you should have 20 or 30 words on the board, the latter ones bearing no relation to the original.
• Here is a typical collection: tree, forest, countryside, city, buildings, offices, work, leisure, holidays, beach, sun, moon, night, dark, black, reggae, music, piano, jazz, etc.
• The teacher then gives the students the first line of the story using some of the vocabulary on the board (e.g., I'll never forget the night I went to my first reggae club while I was on holiday in a strange city).
• The students (individually or in pairs) continue the story, drawing on the vocabulary on the board for ideas.   

Source :  http://www.britishcouncil.org/id/indonesia-education-elt-teaching-activity.htm?mtklink=indonesia-education-elt-teaching-activity

One Way Teaching Pronounciation

This game is a natural follow on from the Homophone dictation and can be used to help the students practise and remember homophones.
Procedure

• Ask 3 volunteers to sit in a chair facing the board ( about 2 to 3 meters away is fine). Each should have a piece of chalk or marker.
• Then tell learners they are going to run up to the board and write two versions of the homophone from the word you read out. The one who is the slowest stays seated and the other two can sit back in their original places.
• Read out any homophone you feel will be easy for the first 3 participants, for example 'one / won'.
• The students should run up and write 'one' and 'won'. The slowest sits back down and the quickest go back to their places. Now 2 other people should come up and the game is repeated.

Note: The game is a competition and should be played in a light-hearted spirit. You don't really want one person losing all of the time so I like to cheat and show the student who is always losing the word so they have a chance of winning.
This game also helps to highlight some sounds which may be particularly difficult for students to hear and write, for example my learners have difficulty when I say the homophone 'heel/heal' / hi:l/ and tend to write 'hill' /hil/ or I may say 'there' and they write 'dare'
Apart from the homophones mentioned in the dictation activity. Here is a further list of homophones I have found particularly useful with my intermediate students.

read / red	steel / steal	tour / tore	rose / rows
weather / whether	mist / missed	hi / high	cereal / serial
scent / cent / sent	bread / bred	dye / die	Board / bored
not / knot	site / sight	higher / hire	mind / mined
sawed / sword	would / wood	break / brake	tire / tyre
heard / herd	some / sum	air / heir	groan / grown
piece / peace	none / nun	allowed / aloud	road / rowed
be / B / bee	root / route	whale / wail	so / sew / sow
he'll / heal / heel	flower / flour	toes / tows	soul / sole
which / witch	bear / bare	deer / dear	bite / byte
here / hear

My Holiday_Great Wall of Koto Gadang

Needless Indonesian people go to China to see the Great Wall. In Bukittinggi, there is Janjang Koto Gadang which is similar to the Chinese Great wall and Sianok canyon scenery is clearly visible too.
Bukittinggi and Agam district, West Sumatra has a new tourist area. The name is something like the wall of China, but Koto Gadang may be prettier because of Sianok canyon scenery and greenery unfolds.
My wife and I had the opportunity to explore the Koto Gadang on Sunday (04/22/2013), along with thousands of residents. New tourist attraction was inaugurated by the Minister of Communication and Information Tifatul Sembiring.
'Great Wall' which is also called the Koto Gadang, connecting Bukittinggi and Agam. When from Bukittinggi, located not far from the tourism spot " Lobang Jepang"
Entering this area, visitors will go through the descent. Then met with panoramic canyon Sianok, rice with beautiful cliffs. Total distance covered to complete the Great Wall is about 1 Km. But impassable terrain is quite challenging, suitable for tracking.
In addition, there is also a suspension bridge and a high rung. Several points were put up posts, for a place to rest while enjoying the view of the river, rice fields, and cliffs. Indeed, strong stamina necessary to explore this place.
"This is expected to boost the region's economy. Hopefully people can also take advantage of these attractions," said Tifatul Sembiring, who is also the son of Bukittinggi.