Idea — Checking comprehension means probing understanding of the message. Testing memory means asking what words appeared. The first is teaching; the second is not. Example — ‘What was the speaker’s main argument?’ checks comprehension.…
Idea — Prediction activates schema, sets purpose, and makes listening feel purposeful rather than passive. It is the single most effective pre-listening tool. Example — Title only: ‘Why I stopped eating sugar for a year.’…
Idea — Dictogloss: play a short text at natural speed, twice. Learners note key words (not full sentences). Then reconstruct the text in pairs — in their own words. Example — A 60-word paragraph is…
Idea — Showing the transcript after listening helps learners connect sounds to spelling and see where they were confused. Never show it before — it turns listening into reading. Example — After three listens, learners…
Idea — Video adds visual clues — gesture, facial expression, setting — that support comprehension. It’s not always easier: visual distractors can compete with listening. Example — A learner watches a cooking show. The visuals…
Idea — Graded recordings simplify vocabulary, slow the pace, and clarify pronunciation. They are scaffolding — use them at lower levels and phase them out as learners grow. Example — A coursebook dialogue at A2…
Idea — Authentic recordings are not designed for learners — they’re fast, overlapping, and full of ellipsis. They’re also motivating and honest about what real English sounds like. Example — A native speaker podcast at…
Idea — The recording stops — now learners use what they understood. Speaking, writing, debating, or role-playing based on the audio transfers receptive input to productive output. Example — After a job interview audio, learners…
Idea — Tasks during listening should be light enough to do and listen at the same time. Ticking boxes and ordering pictures work; writing sentences does not. Example — Learners number five events in order…
Idea — A brief pre-task activates schema, pre-teaches blocking vocabulary, and gives learners a reason to listen. Skip it and learners start behind. Example — Show the photo from a news story. Ask: who, where,…