EFS 693A - STANFORD UNIVERSITY

Listening Comprehension

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EFS 693A

Listening Comprehension

Notes Week 1.2

I. Test review

II. 3 keys to improving listening.

A. Learning to comprehend more effectively

§       Getting the meaning

§       Retaining important points (notes & memory)

§       Interpreting and integrating

B. Improving processing

§       Handling faster speech

§       Accommodating a range of accents

§       Making processing more automatic

C. Increasing language knowledge

§       Sound system

§       Vocabulary (words and phrases)

§       Grammar

§       Discourse

III. Dictation practice

IV. Website for listening practice

Randall’s Cyber Listening Lab – www.esl-lab.com. A non-commercial site developed by Randall Davis. Includes over 140 exercises divided into groups such as general listening, academic listening, long conversations with video, and short exercises. Some are quite engaging (see for example “A Great Car Deal”). Exercises are also divided into easy, medium, difficult, and very difficult. Lessons have pre- and post-listening exercises, the latter including quizzes and text completion. Transcripts include glossed vocabulary.

Homework: Go to www.esl-lab.com

Try at least three exercises there at different levels (easy, medium, difficult) and come to class Tuesday prepared to discuss your experience, specifically, how easy/difficult, interesting, and useful each exercise was.