Listening in the Language Classroom: Strategies for Teaching Young Learners

Listening in the Language Classroom: Strategies for Teaching Young Learners

Learning Objectives

At the end of the lesson you will be able to differentiate between listening and hearing. At the end of the lesson you will understand the impact of hearing loss on language acquisition. At the end of the lesson you will recognize the variety of sounds young learners are exposed to and how they relate to language learning. At the end of the lesson you will be able to identify the three main learning channels and how they apply to teaching listening. At the end of the lesson you will understand how listening serves as a foundation for developing other language skills. At the end of the lesson you will be aware of strategies to support children with different learning preferences. At the end of the lesson you will know how to develop listening skills that prepare children for reading. At the end of the lesson you will be familiar with classroom techniques and activities to enhance listening skills.

What do you already know about teaching listening to young learners?

Introduction to the teaching of listening to young learners

This chapter focuses on the importance of teaching listening skills to young learners in the language classroom.

Understanding the difference between listening and hearing

Listening: The active process of receiving, attending to, and understanding auditory stimuli. Hearing: The physiological process of perceiving sound.

The importance of listening as a foundational language skill

Listening is not passive but an active skill that lays the groundwork for speaking, reading, and writing.

Background of teaching listening and the three learning channels

The distinction between hearing and listening is clarified, noting the impact of hearing loss on a child's ability to participate in language learning. The chapter discusses the various sounds children are exposed to and how these sounds are connected to language topics. It highlights the three main learning channels—auditory, visual, and tactile—and the necessity of using these to cater to individual learning preferences.

Development of listening skills and their role in reading readiness

The chapter emphasizes that listening is not passive but an active skill that lays the groundwork for speaking, reading, and writing. It outlines how listening skills are crucial for developing phonological awareness and preparing children for reading.

Classroom techniques and activities for teaching listening

Finally, the chapter provides a range of classroom techniques and activities aimed at enhancing young learners' listening skills in both ESL and EFL contexts.

Definition List

Listening: The active process of receiving, attending to, and understanding auditory stimuli. Hearing: The physiological process of perceiving sound. Learning channels: Preferred methods through which learners receive and process information, such as auditory, visual, and tactile styles. Phonological awareness: The recognition of the range of sounds within words, which is essential for developing reading skills. Listening comprehension: The ability to understand spoken language within a context, such as following a story. Listening capacity: An informal measure of one's ability to comprehend spoken language in storytelling or reading aloud contexts.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.