Speaking and listening are neglected areas in second language acquisition/ learning. You want to propose that they should be included in the formal syllabus of classes 6 to 8. Write a proposal to your principal in about 250 words. Your proposal should include: (i) Rationale for inclusion (ii) What should be the course content? (iii)How should the skills be taught? (Pre, While, Post phase) Refer to the relevant units when you answer the question.
Ans – Different kinds of listening activities like listening and following a route, listening to a telephone call and writing a message, listening to a sports commentary and completing a chart, listening to instructions and marking a ground plan and jigsaw listening will be introduced to you in this section.
There are two kinds of listening situations in which we find ourselves:
● Interactive, and
● Non-interactive
Interactive listening situations include face-to-face conversations and telephone calls, in which we are alternately listening and speaking, and in which we have a chance to ask for clarification, repetition, or slower speech from our conversation partner. Some non-interactive listening situations are listening to the Radio, TV, films, lectures, or sermons. In such situations we usually don’t have the opportunity to ask for clarification, slower speech or repetition.
There are listening comprehension activities where a learner may be required to listen and not make an overt response or make a minimum non-verbal response. For example, the teacher may tell a story giving practice to learners in extensive listening where they listen to large chunks of spoken language. Alternatively they may use a set of pictures which illustrate different parts of the story, asking learners to put them in a sequential order. This
would be a non-verbal response.
