ELT365 · Day 164 — Elision and assimilation
Idea — Elision means sounds drop out (next door → /neks dɔː/). Assimilation means a sound changes to match its neighbour (ten minutes → /tem mɪnɪts/).…
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ELT365 · Day 163 — Why learners miss words: connected speech
Idea — In fast speech, words link, reduce, and disappear. Learners taught vocabulary in isolation cannot recognise those words in the natural stream. Example — “Did…
ReadELT365 · Day 162 — The listen-and-repeat trap
Idea — Drilling isolated sentences builds pronunciation patterns but not real listening. Learners who only ever repeat a model cannot handle unpredictable connected speech. Example —…
ReadELT365 · Day 161 — Dictogloss — the collaborative listening task
Idea — Dictogloss is a reconstruction task: play a text at natural speed, learners note key words, then rebuild the meaning in groups. Grammar emerges from…
ReadELT365 · Day 160 — Note-taking while listening
Idea — Note-taking is a productive sub-skill, not a shortcut. Teach learners to write key words and numbers, not full sentences — full sentences cost them…
ReadELT365 · Day 159 — How accents affect comprehension
Idea — Learners tuned to one accent — often British or American — struggle with Scottish, Irish, Indian, or Australian speakers. Accent exposure is a teaching…
ReadELT365 · Day 158 — Authentic vs graded listening
Idea — Authentic recordings expose learners to real connected speech; graded recordings control load. The right choice depends on level and lesson stage. Example — At…
ReadELT365 · Day 157 — Schema theory in listening
Idea — Schema are mental frameworks built from experience. Learners with relevant cultural schema comprehend far more, even at lower language levels. Example — A learner…
ReadELT365 · Day 156 — Predicting before you listen
Idea — Prediction activates schema, focuses attention, and gives learners a genuine reason to listen. It is the most underused pre-listening technique. Example — Show a…
ReadELT365 · Day 155 — Listening for detail
Idea — Detail tasks ask learners to extract specific information. Set them after the gist task; front-loading detail questions causes panic and learners miss everything. Example…
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