ELT365 · Day 169 — Note-taking while listening

Idea — Note-taking is a sub-skill, not a natural reflex. Teach learners to write key words, not full sentences, and to keep listening even while writing.

Example — A learner who writes ‘The meeting is on Thursday at three o’clock in the afternoon’ in full misses the next two sentences.

Try — Play 60 seconds of a talk. Ask learners to take notes using key words only. Then compare notes in pairs.

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