Strategies to Improve Listening Skills for Higher Education Students

This report examines the importance of listening skills in higher education, especially in the context of increasing online learning environments. It delves into strategies students can employ to improve their listening abilities, such as asking open-ended questions, being fully present, picking up key ...Read More

Study Skills for Higher
Education

Abstract
The Education system has changed drastically as it is shifting towards e-learning,
wherein teaching is implemented remotely by using digital platforms. E- learning and online
classes poses a challenge to teachers and students over new technology access, it keeps busy
students with worksheets, lectures and assignment. For understanding such lectures, it is
significant for students to have effective listening skills. There are various strategies adopt by
students in order to improve their listening skills. The teachers also assist students so that they
can understand their lectures, assignments in a proper manner.

Table of Contents
Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
Evaluate some strategies that students can use to improve their listening ability.......................4
How can teachers help students understand their lectures?........................................................5
Analysis and discussion..............................................................................................................6
Recommendations ...........................................................................................................................6
Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
In today's scenario, the use of online applications has increased in providing lectures,
presentations and study material to the students. One of the essential factor that is required for
students in order to understand such lectures is Listening skills. It is the ability of a person to
properly receive & interpret the message given to them (Babayiğit and Shapiro, 2020). It is
important for students to be a active listener as it help them in better understanding and make
work more productive that results into positive results. It is analysed that the active listening
allow students to better understand their assignments, develop effective notes and raise their
attention as well. The report will cover the strategies that improve listening skills of students. In
addition to this, there is discussion about how can teachers assist students to understand their
lectures along with some recommendations.
Evaluate some strategies that students can use to improve their listening ability
According to Michael Linsin, 2020, it is analysed that the use of online classes is
increasing rapidly by using various applications such as Zoom. This application allow teachers to
provide lectures, assignment and worksheets to the students by making group of it. In addition to
this, Zoom applications help in giving video sessions just as same the class room lecture to the
students. In order to understand the lectures and making work more productive, it is important
for the students to be active listener. For this, it is significant to improve the listening skills by
adopting some strategies that is given below:
Ask open questions: It is determine that open questions are designed for more thoughtful
response and to promote longer the concept. In order to improve listening, students can ask open
ended question to their lecturers as it help them to engage with proper discussion and also
generate discussion of student towards the particular topic and concept (Cook and Grant-Davis,
2020). Moreover, it also assist students to get the interest of speaker which in turn help in
developing positive mind set and gaining better results in an effective manner .
Be fully in the moment: It is important for the students to be fully present at that
moment and emphasis on the classes and lecturers provided to them. Taking the classes with an
open mind set help students to properly listen what their teachers speak. It is analysed that an
active listening not only focus on the attention of words but also emphasis on the facial
expressions, body language, voice tone and many more.

Pick up the key points: It is determine that many students have facing issues on what
someone is saying mainly if it is of long time lecture. In that case, students can try to pick key
points within the class and after the lecture is finished, they can ask the points which is not
understood by them. This develop the interest of speaker or teacher also that students making
efforts to understand the concepts and topics in an effective manner.
Practice active listening: There are many students who can think that they remain shut
and answer if someone is talking to them only. For improving listening skills, it is suggested to
students to focus on what lecturers is saying (Cottrell, 2019). Pretending that the test is going on
about how much they heard and understand help in improving listening skills and also make the
learning more productive for the students. Along with this, it help students to enhance their
listening and gain positive results that help in gaining better opportunities and development in
the future.
How can teachers help students understand their lectures?
According to MrHooker, 2020, it is determine that it is important for the teachers to assist
their students to make them understand about the particular concept or topic that has been taught
in the online classroom by the help of Zoom application. The strategies that can be adopt by
teachers is given below:
Combine visual elements with presentation: It is determine that if the students have a
lectures face to watch, then it wave their attention rapidly to another thing. Adding the images,
text, quotes in the presentation attract students and engaged them for longer time. In addition ton
this, it also help student to actively listen teachers and gain better results in an appropriate
manner.
Encourage a sense of community: The presence of students will be increased when each
and every participants show their face through web cam (El Soufi and See, 2019). Giving them
instruction to turn their video mode on as a part of participation engage students and also gain
the attention towards the classes.
Break tasks into pieces: It is analysed that rather then giving the online class of long
hours, the teachers ca make it of 40 to 50 min class and then providing breaks to students. This
assist students to better understand the topic and listen properly in online classes as well.
Taking feedback from students: Another strategy that can be adopt by teachers in order
to help prudent understand their lecturers is taking feedback after the session is over (Tseng and

Yeh, 2019). Conducting interactive session associated with the online class help in clarifying the
concept to students and also improve their listening skills as they need to answer if the question
asked by teachers.
All this strategies will assist students to gain better understanding of topic and also
improve their listening skills in an effective manner.
Analysis and discussion
From the above study, it has been analysed that the rate of using online applications and
digital platforms is increased day to day by the higher schools so that they can provide classes,
sessions and assignments to students at their place or home easily (Kumar, 2019). It is analysed
that there are various challenges faced by teachers as well as students in order to overcome with
the new technology. At online class, the interest and attention of students is getting down and to
improve their listening skills, it is determine that there are various strategies like practice active
listening, making key points and many more.
In addition to this, it is said that students are required to understand the concept which
have been taught to them and can be achieved only after a person is active listener. Along with
this, it is stated that teachers can also help students for better understanding of concept by
making use of effective presentation, taking feedbacks or by encourage a sense of community as
well (Sin, Tavares and Amaral, 2019). All such strategies help student to gain productive results
and improve their skills in an appropriate manner.
It has already been discussed that students will required to adopt strategies to improve their
listening skills which is important for them to gain better results and opportunities in coming
future. It will also enhancing the performance level of students and leads to attainment of
positive results.
Recommendations
 In the present case, it is suggested to the students to improve their listening skills in order
to better understand the concept give through online classes via Zoom. For this, they are
required to be active listener and making key points in a proper manner (Parsons, 2019).
Along with this, it is recommended to students to ask open ended question after the
online session is over. This will help in declining the level of confusion and enhance the
ability of student too gain positive results.

 It is recommended to the teachers to take feedback and conduct a interactive session after
the class is over. It will help in gaining the attention of students and also develop a good
understanding of concept. Along with this, it is suggested that making use of attractive
images, quotes will help in grabbing the attention of student and also giving breaks is also
a beneficial concept (Pérez-Segura, 2020). Moreover, the teachers can give the
instruction to student to enable their web cam at specific time as it poses student to
actively listen teachers and also enhance their listening skills effectively.
Conclusion
From the above study, it has been concluded that the use of online applications and
digital platforms in educational sector is increased rapidly. In addition to this, to improve the
listening skills plays vital role for the students in order to understand the lectures given to them
through online applications such as Zoom and many more. There are various strategies that help
students to improve their listening skills such as developing key points, practice active listening,
be focus on the particular moment and so on. It is significant for the teachers to assist students to
improve their listening skills that can be develop by using strategies such as taking feedback,
proper managing and so on.

REFERENCES
Books & Journal
Babayiğit, S. and Shapiro, L., 2020. Component skills that underpin listening comprehension and
reading comprehension in learners with English as first and additional language. Journal
of Research in Reading, 43(1), pp.78-97.
Cook, K. C. and Grant-Davis, K., 2020. Online education: Global questions, local answers.
Routledge.
Cottrell, S., 2019. The study skills handbook. Macmillan International Higher Education.
El Soufi, N. and See, B. H., 2019. Does explicit teaching of critical thinking improve critical
thinking skills of english language learners in higher education? a critical review of causal
evidence. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 60, pp.140-162.
Kumar, P., and et. al., 2019. Online business education research: Systematic analysis and a
conceptual model. The International Journal of Management Education, 17(1), pp.26-35.
Parsons, ans et. al., 2019. US teachers’ perceptions of online professional development. Teaching
and Teacher Education: An International Journal of Research and Studies, 82(1), pp.33-
42.
Pérez-Segura, and et. al., 2020. The effect of personalized feedback on listening and reading
skills in the learning of EFL. Computer Assisted Language Learning, pp.1-23.
Sin, C., Tavares, O. and Amaral, A., 2019. Accepting employability as a purpose of higher
education? Academics’ perceptions and practices. Studies in Higher Education, 44(6),
pp.920-931.
Tseng, H., Yi, X. and Yeh, H. T., 2019. Learning-related soft skills among online business
students in higher education: Grade level and managerial role differences in self-
regulation, motivation, and social skill. Computers in Human Behavior, 95, pp.179-186.
Yu, M. L., Brown, T. and Thyer, L., 2019. The association between undergraduate occupational
therapy students’ listening and interpersonal skills and performance on practice education
placements. Scandinavian journal of occupational therapy, 26(4), pp.273-282.