Second Language Listening

As an essential part of communicative competence, listening is a skill which deserves equal treatment with the other basic skills of speaking, reading, and writing. Second Language Listening combines up-to-date listening theory with case studies of actual pedagogical practice. The authors describe current models of listening theory and exemplify each with a textbook task. They address the role of technology in teaching listening, questioning techniques, and testing. Second Language Listening is designed to be used with both pre-service and in-service teachers who are involved in the teaching of listening or the design of pedagogic materials for listening.

This reader-friendly text, firmly grounded in listening theories and supported by recent research findings, offers a comprehensive treatment of concepts and knowledge related to teaching second language (L2) listening, with a particular emphasis on metacognition. The metacognitive approach, aimed at developing learner listening in a holistic manner, is unique and groundbreaking. The book is focused on the language learner throughout; all theoretical perspectives, research insights, and pedagogical principles in the book are presented and discussed in relation to the learner. The pedagogical model─a combination of the tried-and-tested sequence of listening lessons and activities that show learners how to activate processes of skilled listeners ─ provides teachers with a sound framework for students’ L2 listening development to take place inside and outside the classroom. The text includes many practical ideas for listening tasks that have been used successfully in various language learning contexts.

Testing second language listening proficiency validly and reliably has always posed a challenge. In the days before the widespread availability of recorded material, tests were reliant upon the voice of the examiner. Each test administration was a unique phonetic event, with enormous variations of delivery between examiners and even within the performance of a single examiner on different occasions. The presentation was read-aloud, and the texts chosen were often those that had been written to be read (including literary extracts). The resulting input to test takers bore little resemblance to natural connected speech.

This book seeks to help teachers teach listening in a more principled way by presenting what is known from research, exploring teachers' beliefs and practices, examining textbook materials, and offering practical activities for improving second language listening.

This book seeks to help teachers teach listening in a more principled way by presenting what is known from research, exploring teachers' beliefs and practices, examining textbook materials, and offering practical activities for improving second language listening.

This volume was conceived as a "best practices" resource for teachers of ESL listening courses. It was written to help ensure that teachers of listening are not perpetuating the myths of teaching listening.

Explains listening processes and the characteristics of spoken language Focuses on practical task design, using authentic listening texts Shows how to integrate listening with other skills Emphasizes the importance of visual information and input in second language listening Discusses the potential role of new media, such as the Internet Includes listening resources that learners can use independently, as well as in a classroom setting

This volume examines the nature of second language listening proficiency and how it can be assessed. The book highlights the need for test developers to provide a clear explication of the ability constructs which underpin the tests they offer in the public domain. This is increasingly necessary if claims about the validity of test score interpretation and use are to be supported both logically and with empirical evidence. It operationalises a comprehensive test validation framework which adopts a socio-cognitive perspective. The framework embraces six core components, examining and then analysing Cambridge ESOL listening tasks from the following perspectives: Test Taker; Cognitive Validity; Context Validity; Scoring Validity; Criterion-related Validity; and Consequential Validity.