Integrating Authentic Listening into the Language Classroom : Practical guidance on how to teach real-life listening

Integrating Authentic Listening into the Language Classroom looks at the theory around the need to use authentic listening. It then covers the practical ways teachers can use authentic listening in their classes. Historically, English language teachers have not been trained in how to effectively teach authentic listening. Consequently, they avoid using authentic recordings with their students. In addition, the scripted and graded recordings used to model new language (lexis and grammar) in coursebooks are very different from the spontaneous spoken English students encounter beyond the ELT classroom. We are currently doing our students a huge disservice in not training them to cope with authentic speech. This is what the author seeks to remedy in Integrating Authentic Listening into the Language Classroom. Creating a methodology book like this, which leads the field in terms of providing the theory behind listening to spoken English in addition to practical guidance and useful examples, means readers will benefit from learning the theory behind using authentic listening and then understand the need to integrate authentic listening in their classrooms. It will equip readers with the knowledge and skills to use authentic recordings in the classroom. This will enable new and experienced teachers to give excellent foolproof listening lessons using authentic recordings. They can motivate their students, equipping them to cope with listening to spontaneous spoken English beyond the classroom. The book contains 18 easy-to-digest chapters and aims to be accessible for both new and experienced teachers. It contains tried-and-tested decoding and comprehension activities that work in the ELT classroom. The examples and anecdotes given make the activities relatable to a wide range of teaching contexts. It also contains additional transcripts referred to in the main body of the book, a glossary of key terms, references and an index. This title is part of the Teaching English series, which offers a mixture of methodology and practical ideas for teachers of English as a foreign language. Historically, English language teachers are not trained in how to teach authentic listening effectively. In addition, the scripted and graded audio used to model new language (lexis and grammar) in the coursebooks is very different to the spontaneous language students encounter away from the classroom. Consequently, teachers dont (or cant) use authentic recordings in class and, as a result, their students struggle to follow authentic speech in the real world. Integrating Authentic Listening into the Language Classroom addresses these shortfalls by first identifying what the theory behind authentic listening is and why it is important to integrate it into language teaching. It then moves on to outline key strategies of authentic listening, which are backed up with anecdotes and evidence from the field, before going on to show the practical application of such strategies with concrete and down-to-earth examples and tried-and-tested activities for any language lesson. Integrating Authentic Listening into the Language Classroom provides new and experienced teachers alike with the knowledge and skills to use authentic recordings in the classroom with confidence and to give excellent foolproof listening lessons. They will be able to motivate their students, and equip them with the means to cope with listening to spontaneous spoken English beyond the classroom. It is also a book that can supplement any initial or in-service teacher education course as well as being for teachers at any level who are interested in using authentic listening within their teaching practice effectively. Cover Imprint Contents Introduction Part 1: In theory 1. Exploring listening in the language classroom 2. Common misconceptions and contentious issues 3. A critique of the current approach to teaching listening 4. Myth versus reality 5. The challenges of connected speech 6. The characteristics of formal public spoken English 7. The characteristics of informal spontaneous spoken English 8. Decoding challenges for L2 learners 9. Meaning-building challenges for L2 learners Part 2: In practice 10. Guiding principles behind the integrated approach 11. Laying firm foundations for learners 12. Listening goals 13. Practising listening using written comprehension tasks 14. Practising meaning building with the teacher as a facilitator 15. Practising decoding and increasing automaticity 16. Further uses of authentic recording 17. Using International English recordings 18. Authentic recordings in high-stakes international examinations Appendices Appendix 1. Authentic listening comprehension task types Appendix 2 Transcripts Appendix 3 Glossary Bibliography