Listening apprehension

[Ever Student]

One of the disadvantage of listening classes is that teacher asks her students to produce language after listening right away. The student should be able to answer correctly the questions once they listen to the teacher, tape or sth else. Such a debilitating action affects students' output. Another problem is that teacher wants students to understand every word which makes further anxiety for learners. How can we reduce a feeling of apprehension?

[Tdol]

Another problem is that teacher wants students to understand every word which makes further anxiety for learners.

I don't know where the quote comes from, but this is inaccurate- what about listening for gist or discrete information?

[Raymott]

And 'listening classes', for comprehension, do not necessarily involve answering in the target language. If they do, then the anxiety of listening can be lessened by omitting this requirement.

[Ever Student]

I don't know where the quote comes from, but this is inaccurate- what about listening for gist or discrete information?

Hi Tdol,
You can refer to Developing Second Language Skills by Chastain. If you first asked every subtle word from your student, they would feel the work overload. On the other hand, listening for gist information is neccessary to learners. Comprehension of the context has a more important role than learning details at first time.

[Tdol]

I'm unimpressed by the quote- none of what the writer is saying needs to be true. Listening doesn't need to be taught in designated listening classes, and just about all classes involve some degree of listening anyway.

When he says One of the disadvantage of listening classes is that the teacher asks her students..., it is a generalisation that would be more accurate if it said if/when the teacher and even then, it assumes that asking students to produce language is debilitating- this would depend on whether the language they are being askedto produce, their level and many other factors.

They don't necessarily have to answer questions and the concept of correctness would depend on the way the listening text is used and there's frequently no need or requirement or pressure to understand every word.

There are many factors at play with listening, as with all language, but this description is based on overgeneralising poor teaching into a one-size-fits-all critique that makes for a weak argument.

If you first asked every subtle word from your student, they would feel the work overload.

Quite probably, but I have never seen this done as an ESL listening exercise- transcription may be used in some specialised courses, but it's not a mainstream activity. Generally, they use cloze/gap fills and other things as ways to test comprehension, though some say that this sort of activity doesn't test comprehension.

There's nothing in the paragraph that is actually true- all of it may be found in some classrooms, but not a word of it needs to be the case. It's a description of poor teaching of listening and not listening classes themselves.

[MASM]

One of the disadvantage of listening classes is that teacher asks her students to produce language after listening right away. The student should be able to answer correctly the questions once they listen to the teacher, tape or sth else. Such a debilitating action affects students' output. Another problem is that teacher wants students to understand every word which makes further anxiety for learners. How can we reduce a feeling of apprehension?

That's not very "student-friendly". I've never experienced it myself as a learner, taking into account that listening is one of the most difficult skills to train.

[Ever Student]

That's not very "student-friendly". I've never experienced it myself as a learner, taking into account that listening is one of the most difficult skills to train.

Yes I agree with you