2.2 Hearing in the Classroom

[Niko]

More than just speaking loudly

In the English classroom, hearing plays a major role in learning. It goes without saying; a teachers voice must be clear and loud enough for all students to hear. Furthermore, noise distractions need to removed or minimised where possible.

Common noise distractions include:

• Outside traffic
• Other students speaking in the classroom
• Background noise from air-conditioners

Hearing in the classroom is more than just ensuring all students can hear the teacher with minimal noise distractions.

The teacher needs to use effective hearing strategies geared towards the students' needs.

Effective Hearing Strategies:

1. Background music
2. Listening to dialogs and songs
3. Pronunciation and intonation drills

1. Background music

Hearing can lead to powerful subconscious learning - a great way to improve one's skill with minimal effort. Whilst students undertake a task, it can be useful to play background music.

Particulary with children classes, after a while students start to sing along with the song without realising it. What the students are doing is learning new vocabulary, grammar structures and pronunciation all at once.

2. Listening to dialogs and songs

Good student texts such as the New Interchange Series include short dialogs where students must listen to key points in order to answer questions.

Learning through music is a fun way for students to learn English. From popular songs as "Hotel California" by the Eagles for the more advanced students, to the ABC song for toddlers, music should be considered in any lesson plan.

Whilst students will not understand 100% of what is being played, they do learn the important skill of listening to keypoints and drawing their own conclusions to word and phrase meanings.

3. Pronunciation and intonation drills

Children are able to learn pronunciation and intonation of words with remarkable ease and accuracy. Adults however find it very difficult to mimic the sounds of native English speakers.

An adult English student can have perfect grammar, yet be received as a non-native English speaker due to pronuciation and intonation flaws.