Strategies for Improving Listening Skills of University Students

This report analyzes strategies to improve student listening skills within a higher education context, focusing on techniques and teaching methodologies. The report begins by emphasizing the importance of classroom discussions and engagement, highlighting the impact of interesting lectures on student attentiveness. It then assesses five strategies to improve listening skills, including predicting content, signposting language, listening for details, inferring meaning, and active listening. The discussion extends to different learning techniques, such as teacher-centered and student-centered learning styles, along with the VARK model and the use of concept questions. The report also provides recommendations for teachers to enhance their skills, such as incorporating discussions and using visual aids like VARK to make lectures more engaging. The conclusion reiterates the significance of these strategies in boosting student knowledge and overall learning outcomes. The report stresses the importance of active listening, effective teaching styles, and the use of diverse methods like the VARK model to maximize student engagement and comprehension. The report is a valuable resource for educators seeking to enhance student learning experiences.

ANALYSIS AND
DISCUSSION
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
BACKGROUND.............................................................................................................................3
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION...................................................................................................3
1. Assess strategies to improve listening skills of the students...................................................3
2 Techniques of learning.............................................................................................................5
RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9
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INTRODUCTION
The discussions are impacting the learning of an individual. To make the topics
interesting in classroom it is important to have a discussion (Abeywickrama, 2018). It gives a
wider knowledge to students and helps in analysing doubts of others. To help the student learn
and understand topics in a classroom, teachers should have a discussion about it and then give
the understanding of it. This report includes the various skills teachers should have and how can
student's skills can be improved, the various activities to make students understand lectures and
suggestions to improve learning.
BACKGROUND
The students having classroom learning is the general practice in every country. Due to
Covid-19, online lectures on Zoom are conducted and students are given teaching online. There
are various courses and training which are provided to students. Lectures and classes conducted
online are giving students a platform to learn a better way to get education.
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
1. Assess strategies to improve listening skills of the students
The teachers should make lectures interesting for students to increase their ability to
listen. In classroom, students get distracted and concentrate on things which are interesting rather
than doing lectures. Lectures of subjects which are theory makes students to concentrate on other
things. With classes on Zoom, it becomes difficult for students to listen.
The 5 strategies students can use to improve their listening skills are-
 Predicting content- The students should understand content first and then go to the
details of the topic. They should predict what content includes and discuss it with their
teachers. The students should be asked about the understanding of content and each one
should get an opportunity to take part in the discussion (Agrahari, 2016). The
introduction of the topic should have the purpose of content and importance of it so that
students should know why they are learning it. It is important that they should
concentrate when introduction is discussed so they get to know their understanding of the
topic.
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 Signposting language- The lectures which have visual content are more effective than
when students are listening to it. They can relate signs to content and it helps them
remember things (Bowen and Watson, 2017). It is interesting to have classes with visual
representation and signs to explain the topics. During exams it helps the students to
remember content and makes their study effective. They could understand the topic well
and can teach it to others. In classes on Zoom, it is difficult for students to concentrate so
this can help them in listening and it makes the lecture interesting for them. It will also
make class interesting.
 Listening for details- The students concentrate in introduction of content but when
details come they do not concentrate. They can make notes about the lecture as it will
help them when they will study (Knoll and et.al., 2017). Making notes is effective as we
write the details about discussion and it is in our language so it is helpful. When students
listens to the lectures and do not write they will not have details. There are certain things
which teachers discuss in class and is helpful for understanding the topic student should
listen.
 Inferring meaning- The students should understand the topic and should discuss it with
class. It improves communication skills and makes the students knowledgeable when
they discuss (Levak and Son, 2017). It will help students to improve their listening skills
because they will understand the topic and have an interest in it so that they can discuss it
with their teachers. It will help teachers to make classroom learning interesting for
students. The content can be different from the students concept but it will help teacher in
understanding what it can be for a student.
 Active listening- In classroom learning it is important that students listen to the lectures.
They concentrate on topic which are interesting for them and distract others when they
are not interested in the topic. To increase the listening skill of students content should be
interesting, they should be given opportunity to discuss and questions should be asked to
understand the knowledge of students (Costa and Lowery, 2016).
2 Techniques of learning
The term teaching techniques refers to pedagogy and management strategies. The choice
of technique depends on number of considerations such as: educational philosophy, classroom
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demographic, subject that is being taught, etc. With understanding of these factors, various
techniques are explained below-
 Teacher Centered leaning style- This model assumes students as “empty vessels” who
passively receiving knowledge with keeping an end goal of positive results. This model
has presumed that instructing and assessing are two different activities, and teaching is
only one side flow, from teachers (Husmann and O'Loughlin, 2019). This model has
various advantages such as maintained discipline, there is full control over students and
also their activities in order to deliver instructions well.
 Student Centered learning style- This process gives equal role to both parts of
classroom those are teachers and students, though, authority figure is still teacher. There
is no separation between instructing and assessment. In this method, students are on
continuous check during the process of learning. This method is very beneficial for a
successful learning process as it includes two way learning process and hence, it
improves participation of students.
 VARK- It is proven that successful learning always consists of four modalities :
1. V: It refers to visual depiction of information, for instance, charts, diagrams, maps, etc. It
is generally believed that students understand better with the help visual data, as it is
imprinted in their minds.
2. A: Aural- in this technique it is believed that heard information is better understood than
other sources of information.
3. R:Read, some students better perceive the information, when they are in written form.
4. K:live experience better make a student understand and this method is referred to as
Kinesthetic.
It is well documented that a successful learning program includes all four components,
because leaning ability varies person to person.
 Concept questions- This is a process of asking questions students based on concepts, as
if there is better understanding of concept than questions that need analytics, that can also
be solved easily. This type of style of learning is very useful for subjects that have a
number of concepts and there is no scope of mugging up. This model is useful for
developing analytical ability in students.
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 Use of intonation and pauses- It relates with the way something is said. There are three
areas in intonation: tone, stress and pause. These components of intonation improves
perception of what is actually delivered. Students understand better what is actually
important (with component of stress), tone helps them to understand the actual meaning
(interrogative, imperative or some other tone) and pauses helps them to actually get the
sentence better.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The students are attentive in class when teachers help them in learning. The
recommendations to improve teachers skills are-
 The classroom learning is important for students as they get the knowledge from teachers.
In teachers centred learning style, information is shared by teachers and they get to listen
but when they are not able to discuss it with teachers it is not increasing their knowledge.
They could concentrate on things which are interesting to them.
 It increases the learning of students when they discuss content with teachers. The teachers
should ask students about the understanding of topics and then give them content because
it is important to understand student's knowledge about the topic.
 When classes are conducting on Zoom, it is interesting for teachers to use VARK as it
makes students concentrate. These classes are conducting where students listens to
teachers and do not discuss but when teachers use different approaches students listen
and remembers it. It increases their concentration.
 The student should understand concept of the topic and relate it to the lectures. When
there are subjects which are not interesting teachers should teach the concept to students
and make them understand it as concepts are important for learning. The knowledge of
concept can help them to learn.
 It is good when teachers use signs to make students understand as it helps them in
understanding concepts. They can use it to teach content which is interesting and will
make them learn.
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CONCLUSION
The strategies teachers use to make the lectures interesting for students should be
followed in every subject. They are important to make students increase their knowledge as
teachers can make class interesting. There are various strategies like predicting content,
signposting language, listening for details, etc. to improve listening skills of students. It helps
teachers to make students understand when they listen and discuss about the lecture. They should
identify various techniques of learning so that it can make classes interesting. The classroom
leaning should include discussion as teacher should understand that it is helping students and
increasing their knowledge. They should make students understand concept as it is important that
they get learning from the lecture. The teacher should give them opportunity to discuss as it
helps students to increase their communication and increases their learning when they
concentrate well.
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REFERENCES
Books and Jounals
Abeywickrama, P., 2018. Techniques for Assessing Listening. The TESOL Encyclopedia of
English Language Teaching. pp.1-6.
Agrahari, R., 2016. The nature of educational reform and change: From teacher-centered to
student-centered learning. Educational Quest-An International Journal of Education and
Applied Social Sciences. 7(2). pp.133-139.
Bowen, J.A. and Watson, C.E., 2017. Teaching naked techniques: A practical guide to designing
better classes. John Wiley & Sons.
Costa, A. and Lowery, L.F., 2016. Techniques for teaching thinking. Routledge.
Husmann, P.R. and O'Loughlin, V.D., 2019. Another nail in the coffin for learning styles?
Disparities among undergraduate anatomy students’ study strategies, class performance,
and reported VARK learning styles. Anatomical sciences education. 12(1). pp.6-19.
Knoll, A.R. And et.al., 2017. Learning style, judgements of learning, and learning of verbal and
visual information. British Journal of Psychology. 108(3). pp.544-563.
Levak, N. and Son, J.B., 2017. Facilitating second language learners' listening comprehension
with Second Life and Skype. ReCALL: the Journal of EUROCALL. 29(2). p.200.
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