EFS 693B - STANFORD UNIVERSITY

Listening and Communication

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EFS 693B
Notes: 5 - 1 
 

I. Opening News: ONN http://www.theonion.com/content/video/study_most_children_strongly

II. Project discussion (in groups).
       1) What material are you using?
       2) Why did you pick that? What are your objectives?
       3) Give an example of a procedure you're using
            - Why do you think it's effective?
            - How might you use the same material to meet the same or a different objective?

III. Remember the 3 keys to improving listening (note: all  listening involves "processing": here, we use the term to refer to processing focused on language form as well as meaning).

A. Learning to comprehend more effectively
 -   Getting the meaning
 -   Retaining important points (notes & memory)
 -   Interpreting and integrating

B. Improving processing (of sounds, words, sentences and discourse)
 -   Comprehending faster speech: linking & reductions
 -   Comprehending a range of accents
 -   Making processing more automatic: improving accuracy, speed, and capacity

C. Increasing language knowledge
 -   Sound system
 -   Vocabulary (words and phrases)
 -   Grammar
 -   Discourse

IV. Listening to news
    A. Why?
    B. What?
        -   Use stories on new or familiar topics to practice getting meaning
        -   Use stories on familiar topics for processing practice and building vocabulary
    C. How?
        -   TV news (recorded if possible)
        -   Radio news (when it's all that's available)
        -   Online video
        -   Online audio
        -   Get stories with transcripts and/or supporting readings if possible

V. PBS Online News Hour: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/. A standard listening lesson format:
    A. Pre-listening: The title is DNA's 50th Anniversary: What is DNA?  What do you know about its discovery?
    B. While listening: Pause occasionally (more often if you're having trouble) and try to recall what you  know up to that point; jot down a note of the time for interesting or difficult parts
    C. Post-listening: What do you remember? What should you do next?
        - Listen again to the full story for comprehension
        - Listen to selected parts for comprehension
        - Look at the transcript for comprehension help or to focus on vocabulary building
        - Try a written or oral dictation of a segment, or some other task to support processing of the language forms

Example from the archives: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/science/jan-june03/dna_04-25.html.

VI. Technical training: how to get more control of the media player (in a PC).

1. Load  the video using the Windows Media Player option

2. Right click on the video screen and select "properties"

3. Copy the URL into a new browser

4. Hit enter, and it should load into the regular Windows Media Player, giving you the full playbar (if expanded) and allowing access to speed control and the graphic equalizer (set to speech)

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Homework:
1. Go to the Online News Hour: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/. Look at the archives under "recent programs" and find one there from before mid-2007 (after that Flash is used in place of Windows media format.  Follow the instructions in V and VI and listen to at least 5 minutes of one of the stories at slow speed (70 or 80%, even 50%) and then at normal speed. Did slowing it down seem to help your comprehension? Were you able to notice new words, reductions and linkings, more easily? Did you follow the pre-listening, while listening, and post-listening recommendations?
2. Continue work on your independent project: another 2 hours minimum this week: make a plan!