Extensive Listening Benefits and Empowers Students 1

EXTENSIVE LISTENING BENEFITS AND EMPOWERS STUDENTS

Brittany Ober

American Language Program, Columbia University

Frances Boyd

American Language Program, Columbia University

Abstract

For many listening is the most challenging skill to teach or practice. Extensive

listening (EL) effectively complements in-class listening; EL increases comprehension,

fosters metacognitive awareness, and allows for relaxed, enjoyable practice that garners

confidence.

The authors define and give a brief background of EL. The possible benefits and

drawbacks of implementing EL are discussed, followed by a possible procedure in which

students reflect on their listening abilities and difficulties in stages (planning, monitoring,

solving, and evaluating). Finally, possible sources for EL texts are suggested.

The recent literature and anecdotal support from students illustrate EL as a

worthwhile practice. When teachers instill the habit of EL in students, it leads to greater

fluency, engagement, and empowerment that go beyond the classroom.

Introduction

Listening was once the Cinderella of skills, the forgotten one in English language teaching.

In the past 15-20 years, this has changed as a flurry of research, textbooks, and online

resources has reshaped the listening landscape for many teachers and students. However,

listening still remains the most elusive of language skills: tricky to teach, hard to measure.

(The stream of speech seems to vanish into thin air.)

Extensive Listening Benefits and Empowers Students 2

In this paper, we move beyond the perennial pedagogical debate about teaching versus

testing to explore an out-of-class practiceExtensive Listeningthat complements in-class

listening, develops helpful habits, and empowers students to manage their own learning.

Background

In the classroom, English Language teachers who teach listening tend to focus on critical

listening, or how to listen and what to listen for, by providing a variety of genres,

practicing different question types (main ideas, details, inferences, rhetorical structure), and

interpreting cultural meanings (Boyd, 2005, p. 90). However, class time is limited and, even

with effective listening instruction, many students feel that they need additional

opportunities to improve listening skills. There are several common comprehension

problems. Most frequently, teachers hear from students that the rate of speech in listening

texts is too fast and variable (Renandya and Farrell, 2011). Other problems students

struggle with are unfamiliar accents or vocabulary, such as slang or colloquialisms; still

another issue is difficulty comprehending the grammatical simplifications and shortcuts, and

hearing the connected speech uttered by speakers (Chang, 2012, page 26). As these

features of spoken language differ from those of written language, students sense the gap

between their listening skills and level of comprehension. They sense it in both bi-directional

interactions with fluent speakers (conversation) and unidirectional communications

(listening for information or entertainment), whether through recorded speech encountered

in language lessons or in broadcasts. Clearly, more work can be done to help students

attain the level of listening comprehension they want and need. Sustained exposure to the

target languageabundant aural inputis necessary to show significant improvement in

listening (Chang, 2012). To ensure such exposure, teachers can consider choosing to

implement Extensive Listening as part of their pedagogy.

Definition
Extensive Listening Benefits and Empowers Students 3

Extensive Listening (EL) is a relatively new concept, and many of its foundations come from

Extensive Reading (ER). Renandya and Farrell (2011) explain EL as: all types of listening

activities that allow learners to receive a lot of comprehensible and enjoyable listening

input (p. 56). Chang (2012) notes that, in EL, learners listen to a great deal of

comprehensible material, so that they are able to process the input automatically and take

pleasure in listening (p. 26).

Similar to ER, we define EL as listening that provides students with a lot of input from self-

selected texts that are enjoyable, at or slightly below the listening level. Generally, It is

useful to define EL as a minimum of 15 minutes of sustained listening. This reflects the need

for ample aural input and gives a sense of immersion in the language. Any listening text (or

series of texts) that fulfills the 15-minute length can be used. In addition to the amount of

time, the issue of self-selection is important--even if it is selection from a limited teacher-

approved menu--, as the act of choosing is linked to enjoyment. Finally, the material for

Extensive Listening should not be difficult; rather, it should be on the easy side for students,

as the purpose is consolidation of skills and mastery. The enjoyment and pleasure that

characterizes the practice of EL is thought to be linked to students ability to choose their

own materials, inherent interest in the material itself, and awareness of their own

developing mastery.

Variety of genre is recommended, though not required, for an effective EL curriculum. Any

genreacademic, informal, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, interview, and so oncan be used to

practice EL, depending on the needs and aims of the students. When students are

encouraged to explore the variety of listening material now available on the Internet and

from broadcast and entertainment media, they find it motivating.

Effective in-class Intensive Listening instruction is the starting point for students to become

more fluent listeners. Under the guidance of a teacher and in the company of classmates, it
Extensive Listening Benefits and Empowers Students 4

is more efficient to practice comprehension exercises, critical thinking activities, and

listening strategies. A skilled teacher can monitor individual student proficiency and

progress, and provide feedback, encouragement, and suggestions for improvement.

Moreover, that same teacher can engage classmates in helping each other, through

employing communicative activities that boost comprehension and confidence. In addition,

listening in class can provide vocabulary practice, pronunciation modeling, grammatical

examples in authentic speech, or a counterpoint for an argument already discussed. In

class, teachers instruct students how to listen for different tasks (including note-taking from

academic lectures or listening and responding in discussions, among others) or how to

answer different question types accurately.

Effective Extensive Listening acts as a complements to in-class listening instruction (Lai

2015). While in-class listening tends to focus on form, EL should focus more on meaning

and cultural implications. While EL should be pleasurable, it generally will play a supportive

role in L2 listening pedagogy (Siegel, 2014) as long as it is done in conjunction with

practicing listening strategies at home. As a practice, EL is especially effective in guiding

students to attain metacognitive understanding, that is, a clearer understanding of how they

listen and how they can solve their own comprehension problems (Vandergrift 2011). Later,

as students feel more comfortable with EL and master comprehension and metacognitive

analysis, they can also begin to use EL to focus on phonological and/or grammatical forms.

Benefits and Drawbacks of EL

EL provides additional exposure to the target language to develop a skill that bedevils many

students. They often report feeling an acute lack of both practice and mastery. Lai attests

that out-of-class learning, which includes EL, allows for confidence and enjoyment in

learners (2015, p. 287). One reason for this is the ability to control the listening track

independently. For many students, comprehension suffers due to the rate of speech in audio
Extensive Listening Benefits and Empowers Students 5

or video recordings. In class, they may avoid indicating this in order to save face. At home,

students ability to pause and replay at will creates comfort and builds confidence in

listening.

This freedom and agency can also help students to begin noticing the supra-segmental and

segmental features of speech, such as connected speech, discourse markers, and rhythm

and intonation, especially if teachers make these pronunciation features part of their EL

target questions (Stephens, 2011, p. 313). The same concept holds true for grammatical

features of speech. Students have the opportunity to listen for recently-practiced or

reviewed grammatical structures in authentic speech, especially if the teacher makes this

type of focused listening part of the EL assignment and follows up on it in class.

By having students practice EL, the teacher helps to instill the habit of listening in learners.

Field (2010) states that teachers need to get away from the item influence of teaching

(listening simply to answer comprehension questions, whether in textbooks or on tests)

and, in particular, the tendency to test rather than teach listening. In fact, some students

have the ability to answer multiple choice or true/false questions accurately and still have a

limited understanding of the meaning or purpose of the text as a whole. While item-

answering and testing do have their purposes, EL allows students to enjoy the process of

listening for its own sake and to begin to find meaning that moves above and beyond

pedagogical tools.

Like Extensive Reading (ER), habitual engagement in EL can help listeners improve

automaticity of recognition and the chunking of text, in turn fostering listening fluency and

autonomy (Chang, 2012, page 28). This is essential for learners who will, inevitably, one

day move beyond the classroom phase of language learning.

Extensive Listening Benefits and Empowers Students 6

Some possible drawbacks of EL include the teachers ability to hold students accountable

and track progress: do they really complete EL assignments? Tracking work in out-of-class

projects can be time-consuming. However, by assigning EL to pairs or small groups with

follow-up tasks (brief oral reports or retellings, journal reflections, role plays, and so on) a

teacher can make students accountable for each other, relieving teacher burden.

Another possible drawback is teacher workload. In EL, the biggest burden occurs in the

preparation stages. Teachers need to spend time designing assignments and providing

adequate coaching and modeling for EL. For most students, this will be a new type of

assignment. As a result, it might be difficult for them to incorporate it into their own study

habits, especially if they are used to more traditional homework assignments, such as

grammar exercises and take-home essays. Practicing EL may also be new for the teacher,

which makes coaching itself a challenge. In a relatively short time, though, both students

and teachers can adjust to EL and begin to experience its benefits. As the activity becomes

more familiar, the workload for the teacher decreases markedly.

At the institutional level, teachers will want to consider how EL --a practice that encourages

long-term skill and habit building-- fits in with short-term student learning objectives. As

the majority of EL work is done out of class, the teacher can implement EL assignments

that are completed in steps or in a series of weeks over the course of the semester. This

approach will not detract from institutional listening goals (which usually focus on critical

listening); instead, it will further develop students progress and listening fluency. Another

alternative is for teachers, again complementing in-class listening, to assign stand-alone EL

assignments that correspond to the themes of the course and the particular needs of the

students. Over time, if other instructors and administrators perceive the benefits, EL might

conceivably spread throughout a language program, turning a possible drawback into an

approved practice with acknowledged language-learning benefits.

Extensive Listening Benefits and Empowers Students 7

Finally, the issue of access to listening resources may be a drawback in some environments.

Though a wealth of Internet resources exists, some students may not have computers or

other electronic devices at home nor access to public computers with reliable Internet

connectivity. In some universities, certain sites may be blocked. In China, for example,

some resources that are common elsewhere, such as YouTube, are not available. However,

if EL is tailored to the specific needs and realities of the learners, such limitations can be

overcome.

Procedure

Combining IL + EL from the start As mentioned, when a teacher incorporates EL into the

syllabus as out-of-classroom work, it is crucial to continue teaching critical listening in class.

The length of in-class listening texts available in many textbooks does not exceed 5 minutes

so as not to take away from valuable instruction time; in contrast, when students complete

EL at home, they have the luxury of taking their time to work through a text at their own

pace. As student level increases, the length of EL can correspondingly increase.

Preparing students before EL Before students begin EL, it is useful to discuss the

research, goals, student learning objectives, the teachers experience, and the students

attitudes toward listening. They should also receive training or experience teacher modeling

of how to use EL effectively. For instance, it is important to understand that EL is generally

used for top-down, rather than bottom-up, comprehension. Siegel (2014) found that

modeling listening is rare but suggests that teachers model the types of listening strategies

that promote better comprehension before unleashing students to engage in self-directed

practice. Similarly, Vandergrift (2011) urges teachers to model the mental processes that

bolster comprehension and analysis of a listening text (p. 11). The use of teacher modeling
Extensive Listening Benefits and Empowers Students 8

will help students move beyond comprehension in the classroom to the use of strategies for

real-world navigation of meaning.

Practicing EL in single and/or serial assignments EL is done outside of class. It can be

assigned in isolated instances as the teacher sees fit or as part of an ongoing project.

However, implementing an established EL project will increase listening fluency because of

the projects structure; weekly assignments as part of a semester-long project tend to be

remembered and fulfilled, especially if they are followed up in class.

Reflecting on progress in listening Vandergrift identifies four metacognitive listening

processesplanning for the task, monitoring comprehension, solving comprehension

problems, and evaluating approach and outcomes (Vandergrift 2011, p. 106). Though

usually completed in steps, these metacognitive stages constantly interact during the

listening process and transform EL from merely aural input into a motivational experience

that helps learners gain greater control over their listening processes and become more

autonomous learners (Vandergrift, 2011, p. 141). Teachers need to model or guide

metacognitive reflection when EL is introduced in a class.

During the planning stage, students can make predictions about the text based on its theme

and genre, or they can consider any difficulties they anticipate. For example, if a listening is

about the medical field, it will probably contain specialized vocabulary. Acknowledging that

they will encounter unfamiliar lexical items helps to prepare students for the initial listening.

Its also helpful to anticipate discourse: how many speakers will you hear? Will the text be

question-and-answer, lecture, tips, or another format?

The monitoring stage should first involve checking if the predictions students have made are

correct. If the predictions were off, what caused this, and how can students reorient
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themselves before the second listening? Then, students can compare their notes to see

what else they have comprehended. Also, students can use notes to answer comprehension

questions set by the teacher. This stage can also be more open-ended; students can listen

and take notes or give a brief summary after listening.

Students can solve comprehension problems by using listening strategies. They can ask

themselves: what do I want to listen for when I listen again? What was difficult for me?

They can go back and listen to the track again with a transcript, or they may answer

comprehension questions that they missed by choosing the best available answer based on

the information they did manage to catch. They can also choose to focus on different

informationproper names and dates, for examplethat they did not catch during the first

listening.

After listening, students can evaluate whether their expectations matched their results,

what made the listening challenging, what they did well, and what they can carry forward in

future listening assignments.

Following up EL in class Follow-up activities after embarking on EL help solidify gains.

Students can practice EL individually or they can listen and then discuss what they heard in

pairs or in small groups. EL can be aided by the use of listening journals, which can provide

the opportunity for metacognitive reflection (Vandergrift, 2011; Galloway, 2014). Listening

journals are just one way students can document their progress with EL, but it is important

for students to reflect on the listening process after EL to see what insights they can glean

from their own experience as well as that of classmates.

Possible Sources for EL

Extensive Listening Benefits and Empowers Students 10

A variety of genres is generally available to practice EL. With a wealth of online archives and

resources, quality listening texts can be chosen for virtually any level. Lai (2015) found that

learners positively rated the use of technology in at-home language learning, and that the

use of technology correlated with greater confidence. Such findings indicate that websites

with a wealth of listening texts would be useful to and appreciated by learners (p. 291).

Teachers may want to suggest listening texts from these resources that use different

accents so that learners are exposed to a wide range of English speakers voices. Some of

the resources we suggest to students in our classes (CEFR levels B1-C1) are included in the

appendix below.

Conclusion

Anecdotally, the feedback from students clearly supports the use of EL in English language

instruction. After working through EL projects in class, the authors students provided

overwhelmingly positive feedback that reflected the literature on EL. Some said they felt

more comfortable listening to English speakers with different accents or listened to news

reports at home and raised issues from the reports in class discussions and conversations;

others began to notice supra-segmental features of pronunciation or began to make and

study weekly vocabulary lists of words they encountered in listening texts; still others noted

that their ability to comprehend and take more comprehensive notes was fostered by

practicing EL consistently.

Incorporating Extensive Listening into a curriculum poses some challenges; yet, its

benefitsespecially greater listening fluency and confidence both in critical listening and in

live conversationclearly outweigh these potential drawbacks. In contrast to in-class

listening, EL allows for lengthy, relaxed, out-of-class practice and helps students gain the

additional exposure to aural English they so desperately need and want. By asking students

to reflect on their metacognitive processes during listening, the gains made through EL
Extensive Listening Benefits and Empowers Students 11

increase, are retained, and can easily be applied to in-class tasks. Frequent, effective

practice of EL empowers students to become better listeners that is, both more fluent and

more aware. They are then able to take this skill and confidence into the future in order to

become even more strategic and more effective at listening.

Appendix I: Resources for EL

Voice of America Issues in the News: http://www.voanews.com/archive/issues-in-

the-news/latest/672/1452.html (current events)

NPR.org: Pop Culture Happy Hour:

http://www.npr.org/sections/monkeysee/129472378/pop-culture-happy-hour/ (pop

culture)

TED.org: http://www.ted.com/talks (academic lectures). A TED app allows the

teacher to archive favorite talks.

Storycorps Podcast: http://storycorps.org/podcast/ (social and cultural issues,

personal essays)

Audible: http://www.audible.com (Amazons audio book service)

Netflix: http://netflix.com (online streaming films)

References

Boyd, Frances A. (2006). Critical listening. ANUPI Conference Proceedings: Towards Greater

Professionalization in Language Teaching, 3:87-99.

Chang, Anna C-S. (2012). Gains to L2 learners from extensive listening: listening

development, vocabulary acquisition and perceptions of the intervention. Hong Kong Journal
Extensive Listening Benefits and Empowers Students 12

of Applied Linguistics, 14/1: 2547.

Chang, Anna C-S and Sonia Millett. (2014). The effect of extensive listening on developing

L2 listening fluency: some hard evidence. ELT journal, 68(1), 31.

Cross, Jeremy. (2015). Metacognition in L2 listening: clarifying instructional theory and

practice. TESOL Quarterly, 49/4: 883-892.

Field, J. (2010-07-01). Listening in the language classroom. ELT journal, 64(3), 331-

333.doi:10.1093/elt/ccq026

Galloway, N. (2014-10-01). Using listening journals to raise awareness of global Englishes

in ELT. ELT Journal, 68(4), 386.

Lai, Chun, Weimin Zhu and Gang Gong. (2015). Understanding the quality of out-of-class

English learning. TESOL Quarterly, 49/2: 278-308.

Renandya, Willy A. and Thomas S. C. Farrell. (2011). Teacher, the tape is too fast!

Extensive listening in ELT. ELT Journal, 65(1), 52.

Siegel, J. (2014). Exploring L2 listening instruction: examinations of practice. ELT Journal,

68/1: 22-30.

Stephens, Meredith. (2011). The primacy of extensive listening. ELT Journal, 65/3: 311-13.
Extensive Listening Benefits and Empowers Students 13

Vandergrift, Larry and Christine C. M. Goh. (2011). Teaching and Learning Second

Language Listening: Metacognition in Action. Routledge.