Foundations in English Language Teaching

Module 4: Teaching Listening and Speaking

Module 4: Teaching Listening and Speaking

Module Overview

This module focuses on developing the oral/aural skills essential for effective communication in English. We will explore the nature of listening and speaking processes, examine challenges learners face with these skills, and investigate practical approaches for teaching them. You will learn strategies for designing engaging listening activities, techniques for developing fluency and accuracy in speaking, and methods for integrating these skills in meaningful communicative contexts.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

4.1 Understanding Listening in Language Learning

Listening is a complex, active process that involves much more than simply hearing sounds.

The Listening Process

Effective listening involves several cognitive processes:

Types of Listening

Challenges in L2 Listening

Self-Reflection Activity

Think about your own experience listening to a foreign language (or if English is not your first language, listening to English). Which of the challenges listed above do you find most difficult? What strategies have helped you overcome these challenges? How might this insight inform your teaching?

4.2 Approaches to Teaching Listening

Effective listening instruction typically follows a three-phase approach:

Pre-listening Phase

Activities before listening that prepare students and activate relevant knowledge:

While-listening Phase

Activities during listening that guide comprehension and focus attention:

Post-listening Phase

Activities after listening that extend understanding and connect to other skills:

Selecting Listening Materials

Consider these factors when choosing listening texts:

Lesson Planning Activity

Choose a short listening text appropriate for a specific level (e.g., a news report, conversation, podcast excerpt). Design a complete listening lesson following the three-phase approach. Include at least two activities for each phase (pre-listening, while-listening, post-listening), ensuring they are appropriate for your chosen level and text.

4.3 Understanding Speaking in Language Learning

Speaking is a complex productive skill that involves multiple cognitive and physical processes.

The Speaking Process

Producing spoken language involves several stages:

Dimensions of Speaking Proficiency

Types of Speaking Activities

Challenges in L2 Speaking

Case Study Analysis

Consider this scenario: In your intermediate adult class, you have several students who understand English well but rarely speak. When they do speak, their language is often accurate but very hesitant and limited. Based on the information above, what might be causing their reluctance to speak? What specific approaches might help these students develop their speaking skills?

4.4 Approaches to Teaching Speaking

Effective speaking instruction balances controlled practice with communicative activities:

Developing Pronunciation

Balancing Fluency and Accuracy

Different activities emphasize different aspects of speaking:

Types of Speaking Activities

Activity Type Description Examples
Information Gap Students exchange information that only they possess Find the differences, jigsaw tasks, spot the lie
Discussion & Debate Expressing and defending opinions on topics Formal debates, small group discussions, ranking tasks
Role-plays & Simulations Taking on roles in simulated scenarios Job interviews, customer service, travel situations
Presentations Prepared talks on specific topics Mini-presentations, show and tell, instructional talks
Storytelling Creating or retelling narratives Picture stories, personal anecdotes, chain stories
Games & Challenges Playful activities with speaking components 20 Questions, Taboo, Just a Minute, Alibi

Scaffolding Speaking

Providing support structures to help learners succeed:

Activity Design Challenge

Design a 15-20 minute speaking activity for a specific level (beginner, intermediate, or advanced). Your activity should:

  • Have a clear communicative purpose
  • Include appropriate scaffolding for your chosen level
  • Balance fluency and accuracy appropriately
  • Engage all students (not just a few)

Describe the activity, materials needed, procedure, and how you would handle feedback.

4.5 Common Challenges and Solutions

Both listening and speaking instruction present specific challenges that require thoughtful solutions:

Listening Challenges and Solutions

Challenge Solution
Students find authentic materials too difficult Grade the task, not the text; provide more scaffolding; use shorter segments; pre-teach key vocabulary
Students want to understand every word Teach listening strategies; emphasize gist listening; build confidence with easier tasks first
Limited exposure to different accents Gradually introduce variety; use videos with visual support; provide accent awareness activities
Students struggle with connected speech Explicit teaching of linking, reduction, etc.; dictation activities; focused listening for specific features
Difficulty maintaining attention Use shorter texts; provide engaging tasks; vary listening formats; include visual support

Speaking Challenges and Solutions

Challenge Solution
Students are reluctant to speak Create a supportive atmosphere; use pair work before full-class speaking; provide preparation time
Uneven participation (some dominate, others silent) Use structured turn-taking; assign roles; implement think-pair-share; use small groups
L1 use during activities Set clear expectations; create English-only zones; provide necessary language support
Students focus too much on accuracy and hesitate Designate fluency-focused activities where mistakes don't matter; build confidence gradually
Pronunciation issues affect comprehensibility Focus on high-priority features that affect understanding; provide targeted practice; use recording/feedback

Research by Nation & Newton (2009) found that students who practiced listening before speaking performed better in conversation tasks, highlighting the importance of integrated skills instruction.

Reflection Question

What is the biggest challenge your students face (or that you anticipate they would face) with listening or speaking? What specific strategies from this section might help address this challenge? Is there another approach not mentioned here that you've found effective?

4.6 Integrating Listening and Speaking

Listening and speaking naturally complement each other and are often integrated in real-life communication. Effective instruction recognizes this connection:

Benefits of Integration

Integrated Activity Types

Sample Integrated Lesson: Asking for Directions

  1. Warm-up (5 min): Show a map and ask students about their experiences finding their way in unfamiliar places.
  2. Pre-listening (10 min): Teach key direction phrases and vocabulary. Have students predict what phrases might appear in conversations about directions.
  3. Listening Activity (15 min):
    • Play a recording of someone asking for and giving directions.
    • Students complete a map by drawing the route described.
    • Check comprehension by comparing maps.
  4. Speaking Practice (15 min):
    • Controlled practice: Students practice key phrases in pairs.
    • Semi-controlled practice: Using map prompts, students take turns asking for and giving directions.
  5. Communicative Task (10 min): Students move around the classroom asking for directions to hidden objects, following the directions given by classmates.
  6. Reflection & Extension: Students discuss challenges they faced and strategies they used. For homework, they record themselves giving directions to a local landmark.

Integrated Lesson Planning

Design a 45-60 minute integrated listening and speaking lesson on a topic of your choice. Your lesson should include:

  • A clear language focus (functions, vocabulary, or structures)
  • Both listening and speaking components that build on each other
  • A progression from more controlled to more communicative activities
  • Appropriate support for your target learners

Outline the stages of your lesson, key activities, and approximate timing.

4.7 Module Summary and Key Takeaways

4.8 Assessment and Reflection

Quiz: Check Your Understanding

1. Which of the following is an example of extensive listening?

  • a) Listening to a TED Talk for general understanding and enjoyment.
  • b) Filling in blanks from a listening transcript.
  • c) Identifying specific words in an audio clip.
  • d) Analyzing the pronunciation of certain sounds in a recording.

2. Why should teachers balance fluency and accuracy activities in speaking instruction?

  • a) So students can focus exclusively on grammar.
  • b) To help students communicate naturally while also improving correctness.
  • c) To prevent students from learning pronunciation.
  • d) Because fluency is more important than accuracy.

3. Which is an example of a communicative speaking activity?

  • a) Memorizing a dialogue script.
  • b) A role-play where students order food in a restaurant.
  • c) Repeating sentences after the teacher.
  • d) Filling in the blanks in a grammar worksheet.

4. What is the primary purpose of pre-listening activities?

  • a) To test students' vocabulary knowledge.
  • b) To prepare students by activating relevant knowledge and setting context.
  • c) To practice grammar rules.
  • d) To assess listening comprehension.

Reflection Journal Prompt

Based on what you've learned in this module, identify one specific technique or approach for teaching listening or speaking that you find particularly valuable. Why does this approach appeal to you, and how might you implement it in your teaching context? What challenges might you face, and how would you address them?

4.9 Additional Resources & Further Exploration

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