Listen to Learn By: Alexandre Papa

Listening to a foreign language before speaking it will help students acquire it more easily

Background Young children listen for months before speaking first language Plunging right into foreign language causes: ➡ Unnecessary anxiety which causes delay ➡ An understanding that speaking is more important than listening

Why don’t teachers do this now? No laid out method Listening skills are assumed to be acquired naturally Listening is often viewed as passive only

Theory Listening should be first and foremost skill One cannot output language correctly until they can input language correctly Students hearing themselves before authentic language is heard is considered a handicap

Research Immediate oral practice is not recommended for developing aural and oral competence Listening comprehension & language acquisition are strongly related In order to decode a student must achieve recognition knowledge first

Examples Listening to audio conversations at the beginning of class Reading text outloud to students and have them follow along Asking children to translate what they hear and read into English Watching familiar film clips with only Spanish audio & no subtitles

Source Yun Kul, Cheung. "The Importance of Teaching Listening in the EFL Classroom." (2010): Web. 21 Apr