QCE521E-Session 1: Assessing Listening

IntroductionIn his article, Nunan (2002) makes the point that

listening is an important yet often neglected skill.

Indeed, if the new examination paper did not call for it, Singapore teachers are not likely to teach it at all. This situation is not likely to change.

Currently, there is not much emphasis on oral communication – despite it already being part of the examinations.

In any event, there is little in terms of resources to facilitate listening activities in the classroom.

Listening in Language Learning Nunan

In relation to the design of materials, Nunan makes the point that student-centred learning can be achieved via the following:

Making instructional goals explicit to the learner

Giving learners a degree of choice

Giving learners opportunities to bring their own background knowledge and experience to the classroom

Encouraging learners to develop a reflective attitude to learning and to develop skills in self-monitoring and self-assessment

Listening in Language Learning Nunan

He advocates making listening activities interactive.

This means that students could form a written response to one side of a conversation that they listen to.

He also encourages nonreciprocal listening tasks and points to the abundance of authentic texts available that may be utilised.

In order for listening tasks to be effective, students must be active and focused listeners.

Students should be exposed to both dialogic and monologic listening tasks.

Paper 3: ListeningThis is a new 45-minute paper introduced as

part of the latest revisions to English Language.

It is divided into five parts.

It is out of a total of 30 marks.

Section A, Part 1In this part, there are a total of six multiple choice

questions and three short listening texts.

Two questions are set for each listening texts.

In the sample paper, the first text is an informal conversation between two friends (M & F), discussion between two radio presenters ( M & F) and short expository piece by a single radio presenter. They will listen to the recordings twice.

In all questions, students are required to listen for key information.

Section A, Part 2Students will listen to six short recordings on a

common topic. They will listen to the recordings twice.

They will have to identify from a list of seven statements (labelled A to G) which speaker said what.

There is one statement the students should discard and not link to any of the speakers.

Again, this tasks involves listening for key information.

Section A, Part 3 In this part, students are required to listen to an short

paragraph-length text in order to note down what is explicitly stated or implied by the speaker.

They are to identify four stated or suggested statements from a list of six (labelled A to F).

No marks will be awarded if they tick more than four statements.

They will listen twice to the recording.

Not only will students have to list what is said explicitly, they must also identify what is strongly suggested.

Section A, Part 4Students now listen to a longer page-length text in

order to note down key information that is missing from a graphic organiser. They will listen to the text twice.

They need to fill in the blanks and through this process identify three main ideas and supporting points.

This section is not as straightforward as the other parts of the paper thus far.

It is largely about listening for information and a mechanical gap filling exercise.

Section B, Part 5Students will listen to an expository text and

complete a fact sheet with missing information.

Unlike the previous section, students are only able to listen to the text once.

They are not required to answer in full sentences.

The task is made difficult by the fact that students do not have the opportunity to revisit the text, but otherwise it is yet again about listening for information.

Task One:Having learnt about the new listening section of

the examination, what relevance do you think Nunan’s article has for Singaporean teachers?

Qualify your position with evidence in a post of approximately 150-200 words in the Listening Discussion Forum created on the TG course site.

Task Two: Explore the video links on the following slides

and choose one video that you believe could be used to teach or assess listening. Explain how you would utilise it in a post of approximately 150-200 words.

Video Links (Monologic)Adora Svitak, What Adults Can Learn from Kids

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-bjOJzB7LY

Adora Svitak, Persuasive Writing Made Easy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyZRDL8nm-A&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PL0DED8CDE4185BE5B

Malala Yousafzai, Best of UN Speech 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCg2FyTiBoI

Birke Baehr, What’s Wrong With Our Food System

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7Id9caYw-Y

Video Links (Dialogic)Rowan Atkinson, Fatal Beatings 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV4gwR8QDKg

Jimmy Kimmel Talks to Kids

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkTb3Y1CDcA

Kids React to “10 Bets You Always Win”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBUDwiHBdH0