Teaching Listening

Listening should not be considered a passive language skill because it involves active engagement and processing of the language input. It requires the learner to actively focus and comprehend the spoken language, making connections between words, phrases, and context. Listening also involves decoding and interpreting the meaning, which requires cognitive effort and attention. Therefore, it is incorrect to view listening as a passive skill where the learner is merely receiving language input without any active involvement.

Doing multiple "listens" during listening activities helps students make initial assumptions about the content they are listening to and then verify those assumptions. By listening to the material multiple times, students can catch details they may have missed on the first listen and gain a better understanding of the overall message. This process allows them to refine their initial assumptions and ensure that they have correctly understood the information being presented. Therefore, the statement that multiple "listens" are necessary for students to make initial assumptions and verify them is true.

Listening comprehension is dependent on both a top-down and bottom-up processing. Top-down processing involves using prior knowledge, context, and expectations to understand the overall meaning and structure of the input. This helps in making predictions and filling in gaps in understanding. On the other hand, bottom-up processing involves analyzing individual sounds, words, and grammatical structures to decode the input and understand its details. Both processes work together to facilitate comprehension by combining the overall meaning with the specific details of the input.

Pre-listening activities are designed to prepare students for the listening task by activating their prior knowledge and generating interest. By providing a list of new vocabulary and expressions found in the text, students can familiarize themselves with the language they are about to encounter. However, the main goal of pre-listening is to create expectations about the content of the listening text. This helps students anticipate the topic, main ideas, and specific information they may encounter, enabling them to focus their attention and comprehension skills during the listening task.

Intensive listening activities focus on enhancing bottom-up processing skills, which involve understanding the individual components of language, such as sounds, words, and grammar. Through these activities, learners can improve their ability to decipher and comprehend spoken language by paying attention to details and analyzing the linguistic features. This approach helps learners develop their listening skills by strengthening their ability to process language at a more fundamental level, leading to improved overall comprehension.

The statement is false because it suggests that authentic listening texts are only appropriate for upper levels of proficiency and not for lower levels. However, this is not true as authentic listening texts can be beneficial for learners at all levels. While beginners may find simplified texts more accessible, exposing them to authentic materials can also help develop their listening skills and expose them to real-life language use. Therefore, authentic listening texts can be suitable and beneficial for learners at different proficiency levels.

The teacher should not divide the listening text into segments and have the students listen to each segment one by one to facilitate listening during while-listening activities.

Post-listening activities should aim to provide further practice on the same topic outside class. This means that after listening to a text or audio, the activities should focus on reinforcing and expanding upon the listening skills and knowledge gained during the class. It could involve tasks such as discussing the topic with a partner, writing a summary or reflection, or researching more information related to the topic. Therefore, the correct answer is False, as the activities should aim to provide further practice rather than just listening practice.