Listening and learning

Careful listening is an important learning technique. As secondary students you spend a lot of time in a classroom listening to your teachers. Good listeners are generally good learners. Listening is a skill that you can develop. There are some simple strategies that you can use to improve your listening skills.

At the beginning of each lesson make sure you are clear about the focus of the lesson; what is the topic or subject that the teacher is going to talk about?  You may need to ask the teacher for clarification on this, but it is important that you know the focus of the lesson and why it is important. This helps to motivate your listening.

Students sitting in classrooms are often distracted. Remove yourself from situations that could distract you. You may be seated under an air-conditioner or next to a window, in both situations external noise can become a problem.  Don’t sit with students who do not want to listen.  Make sure that you can see the teacher. As second language learners you may often find it difficult to hear some words and phrases. If you can see the teacher and the teacher’s mouth word recognition is easier.

Teachers usually speak to a plan or a set of notes. The notes may be printed, listed on a white board, a smart board or presented electronically. Use the notes to help navigate your listening. Make connections between the notes and what you are listening to. This gives the whole listening experience more meaning. You should also use the teachers’ notes to add your own notes. Additional information that you hear should be attached to the notes provided by the teacher. Recording things helps you to remember and reinforces understanding.

Finally it is important to stay focused. This takes personal discipline. Recognizing the importance of listening and understanding that good listening skills can improve your learning will help you to be more disciplined in classroom listening.