EFS 693B - STANFORD UNIVERSITY
Listening and Communication
EFS 693B - STANFORD UNIVERSITY
Listening and Communication
EFS 693B
Notes: 10 - 2
I. Opening: http://www.theonion.com/content/video/apple_introduces_revolutionary
II. Final assessment, Part 1: Dictation
III. Final presentations
IV. Final assessment Part II: Picture Identification Test
V. Course Review: Check the class notes for more details
A. General model of listening activities
1. Listening for meaning
2. Improving language processing
3. Increasing language knowledge
B. Preparing listening activities
1. Setting objectives
2. Selecting appropriate materials
- Materials with familiar content are
generally better for focusing on language
- Video is usually better than audio
only
3. Determining procedures
C. Listening to dedicated ESL software
1. Examples: www.esl-lab.com; www.englishbaby.com; www.english-trailers.com; www.elllo.org;
2. Adjust the challenge: e.g., summarize content orally/in writing before quiz; hide multiple choice answers; turn volume up/down; pause frequently & reflect; skip pre-listening
3. Use different procedures for different objectives and to change the listening experience: e.g., add dictation; do quiz first; read script first
D. Listening to native speaker media
1. Examples: www.pbs.org/saf; http://ecorner.stanford.edu/; www.cnn.com/studentnews/; http://video.google.com/videocaptioned
2. Look for material with captions and/or transcripts
3. Use different procedures for different objectives and to change the listening experience: e.g., add dictation; read script first; view video with sound off
E. Spend a few moments reflecting after a listening session: keep a journal or log of what you did, when you did it, how you did it, and what you learned
F. Some general techniques (we've covered others besides these)
1. Use "pause" regularly
2. Expand the playbar
3. Load video from an embedded player to a full player when possible
4. Adjust the graphic equalizer (if available) for speech
5. Adjust speed if possible to the best level for you--80%, for example, will allow more time for processing without much distortion
6. Many videos can be downloaded and saved using RealPlayer 11
7. When available, toggle captions on and off as needed, depending on comprehension and objective
8. Note new vocabulary, decide whether it's worth learning, and then review it if it is; link text on a web page in Firefox to a dictionary using http://www.answers.com/main/firefox_plugins.jsp
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Homework:
1) Optional final meeting--please email me to let me know when you would like to get together.
2) Keep practicing your listening forever.