Tips on Developing Listening Comprehension in ELs

This is Part 2 of a 2-part post on teaching listening comprehension to English learners, so let’s get started! In Part 1 I gave an overview of how to develop listening comprehension in ELs. Read Part 1 blog post here.

Now let’s get a little more specific.

Tips on how to effectively incorporate active listening comprehension into ESL lessons:

  1. Model Active Listening – The best way for your students to learn about active listening is for them to observe it in action! Show them what it looks like by modeling the behavior yourself. Explain why it’s important and demonstrate how using it can help them become better communicators.
  2. Use Visuals – Incorporate visuals into your lessons. Show different types of language cues and body language associated with active listening. Have fun with this by creating worksheets or game-based activities. This makes the material more enjoyable for your students to engage with.
  3. Role Play – Have students practice active listening through role-playing scenarios in pairs or small groups. Have students act out different conversations and practice taking turns talking and actively listening to one another. Give appropriate feedback when needed.
  4. Focus On Smaller Speaking Goals – Encourage all of your ESL learners to focus on smaller goals when they’re speaking or actively engaged in dialogue with others. Make sure students use content words correctly to form complete sentences without mistakes whenever possible. This will give them something concrete they can work towards while they practice their speaking skills.
  5. Assess & Celebrate Growth – Encourage and acknowledge any growth that your students show in their understanding of active listening comprehension. Celebrating these small successes will help keep them motivated and excited about learning more about language communication in general!
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Helping ELs Improve Listening Comprehension

When it comes to helping ESL students improve their listening comprehension skills, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Teachers should tailor activities according to each student’s level of proficiency in the language. That said, there are several strategies that work well for most learners. These include having students practice repeating words or phrases after hearing them. Provide ample opportunities for active listening by engaging students in conversations. Break down large chunks of information into smaller bits. Additionally, it helps if teachers give clear instructions when assigning tasks (e.g., “point at the word you heard”). This ensures that there are no misunderstandings about what was said.

In conclusion, teachers should focus on utilizing creative teaching methods when introducing ESL learners to new sounds and words. Methods such as multimedia projects combined with classic activities like role plays can help ensure that lessons are both enjoyable and effective. Getting students engaged in the material while improving their understanding of grammar structure and pronunciation alike is what it is all about!

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