LISTENING STRATEGIES:
A few key ideas:
· -It is important to LISTEN
ACTIVELY. You need to engage with the information. Taking notes, asking
questions, rephrasing, etc. can help with this.
· -Students are NOT
expected to understand every single word. Don’t give up, but listen for things you recognize (when in doubt, focus
on verbs). Try to understand the main ideas and ask questions to get to
details/check for understanding when necessary/appropriate. But, try to avoid translating everything into
English in your head or on paper.
· -When possible, read the
questions first to know what to listen for
· -Take notes in either
language. Sometimes it helps to write
what you think you hear so you can go back later and think about it
more—usually you only hear a reading twice on an exam. DON’T try to write down every single word!
· -Check the volume and
eliminate background noise when possible. When listening to your native
language, you can often fill in the parts you don't quite hear. I personally
need the volume much higher when listening to a foreign language than to
English. I can understand a conversation between two people speaking English in
the back of the bus when I am sitting in the front, but often can't quite get
the details of people speaking a foreign language right behind me—especially if
there is background noise.
STRATEGIES:
-You can apply many reading
strategies to listening, such as recognizing cognates, using context to help
you understand, trying to identify the main purpose before you begin,
activating your prior knowledge on the topic before you begin, etc. “Activating
prior knowledge” means actively thinking about what you already know about a
given topic. When learning a language, this includes remembering vocabulary
related to the topic that might come up in the listening activity.
-Use visual cues whenever
possible. Speakers tend to use gestures, facial expressions, etc. that can help
you understand the general context. It can help to see someone's mouth
(telephone is often difficult for many language learners because there are no
visual cues available). When watching a video/TV, the actions and background
visuals can often help you understand the general idea of what is happening.
When completing an audio activity, use the visual cues that accompany the
assignment to help set the context, including any photos, headlines, titles,
introductions, and the assignment itself. Read the questions before you begin
so you can focus your listening. For many of us it is difficult to understand
and retain every piece of information we hear. It can help to know what
specific things to listen for if this information is available.
-Listening during a
conversation/lecture is different than listening to a recorded activity. Often
you need to hear something more than once. During a conversation or lecture,
you may need to ask questions for clarification or request the speaker repeat
something. You can try re-stating what you heard in your own words to see if
you understood the main idea. During a conversation it might not be appropriate
or possible to take notes, so re-stating can help your memory and your
comprehension, with the added benefit of checking to see if you understood.
During a lecture, taking notes is important, but remember, you aren't expected
to write down every word a speaker utters.
Taking
notes effectively is also a skill. See http://www.alma.edu/academics/advising/success_manual/academics for some ideas.
One
method is dividing your paper into three sections: Vocabulary; notes;
questions/doubts
-With a recording, you can stop
the CD as needed and replay sections or the entire recording. Try listening to
the full selection once through without stopping and attempt to understand the
main idea. Then play it again, stopping as needed to respond to activities
and/or fill in details. Take notes in either language. Listen a third time
without stopping to add to your answers and to hear the entire selection in the
context it was intended.
-Sometimes it can help to read
the script while listening. Check with your professor to see if scripts are
available for the audio practice. To use this effectively, listen first WITHOUT
reading and see how much you can understand. Attempt to complete the assignment
WITHOUT looking at the text. If you are still unsure, listen again WHILE you
read the text (reading without listening tests your reading skills, not your
listening skills). When you listen and read at the same time, you begin to associate
sounds with the letter combinations that make them. Often you have some “aha!”
moments where something you heard suddenly makes sense (Aha! That's what
they're saying!). Listen one more time without reading and see how much you
understand now. I NEVER RECOMMEND USING SCRIPTS INSTEAD OF LISTENING—THEY ARE
ONLY EFFECTIVE WHEN USED IN COMBINATION WITH THE LISTENING EXERCISE!
-Try not to feel overwhelmed and
give up. It can be tempting to simply tune out (during an activity, a
conversation, or even during a class lecture). If you feel yourself tempted to
give up, identify that your attention is drifting and force yourself to focus.
Taking notes (or even drawing/doodling) can help. Ask a question. If you aren't
sure how to phrase the question in Spanish, note the issue and be sure to ask
it in English at the end of class (it really helps to write this down so you
don't forget!). HOWEVER, as mentioned above, avoid trying to translate
everything you hear into your native language.
For more ideas see:
http://www.alma.edu/repository/academics/advising/GoodListening.pdf
http://sppo.osu.edu/tlc/listening.cfm
HOW CAN I PRACTICE LISTENING?
Complete all the listening
activities associated with the book (even the ones that aren't assigned)
Attend the conversation tables
find a conversation partner
listen to music and/or the radio
in Spanish
Use the internet. Here are a few
sites:
http://www.practicespanishonline.com/
http://www.laits.utexas.edu/spe/index.html
This site has a variety of listening videos from Beginning to Superior. The transcript is included in Spanish and English.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/
This web site has quite a few free practice options. There are short videos that have transcripts and translations.
Try the “Talk Spanish” options for beginning listening
http://www.learner.org/resources/series151.html
This has a link to Destinos, a video-based language learning program.
http://college.hmco.com/languages/spanish/resources/students/links/index.html
The Houghton Mifflin website has links to a variety of web resources, as well as to tools that accompany their books.
http://www.radiolinguamedia.com/cbs/www/index.html
Has links to podcasts
http://www.elearnspanishlanguage.com/products/audio.html
These are links to products you might buy—Alma College does not endorse these products.
You might like the link to Las
puertas retorcidas, a bilingual audiobook that has a variety of activities, the
transcript, and a translation. What is here is just a sample. It is an example
of the kind of listening activity you might find helpful. If you do, you have a
better idea of what to look for as you search the web for other listening
activities.
On-line TV. TV programs reflect many different aspects of our
culture. Watch free on-line TV channels from around the Spanish-speaking world.
Enjoy news, TV shows, movies, music, entertainment and sports. A fast connection
to the Internet is recommended.
· JumpTV
