10 Listening/Speaking Lessons

Simple ideas for enhancing your lessons

Top 10 List + 1

• 1. Getting YouTube videos to work for you• 2. TOEFL Practice• 3. Finding phrases for (argumentative) speeches• 4. Formal vs. Informal Vocabulary (writing)• 5. Pronunciation Analysis• 6 Find the Idiom/Share the Idiom• 7. Expert/Interest Listening Groups with Channels• 8. American Character Performance• 9. American Dialogue Performance• 10. Student Final Projects ~ Video Goodbyes• 11. Conditionals and Modal Verbs

1. Downloading Youtube Videos

• Install Real Player on your computer• Play with real player, there is a button on the

top for you to download• Use an extension program to convert the

videos if necessary• Don’t be click phobic, be click fearless• Create your own private channel for student

work

2. TOEFL Practice

• Goal: To practice integrated TOEFL task• 1. Find a reading (newspaper)• 2. Find a related listening but hopefully with a different

purpose• 3. students read the reading while taking notes• 4. students listen to the video while taking notes• 5. with a partner, student summarize each story and

discuss the differences• 6. Focus on differences, not your opinion• 7. teacher may provide vocabulary

TOEFL listening

• Reading: Daily Texan 6/10/2009 p. 3• http

://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=105218256&m=105218240

• Vocabulary• An uproar – a large, negative reaction• To dance to China’s tune – to do what China wants• To drag their feet – to find ways not to obey the law or to

obey it very slowly• Another turn of the screw – a way to make more

restrictions

What are the differences?

3. Making an argumentative speech

• 1. Find an argumentative speech• 2. Listen to the speech without taking notes• 3. Listen trying to make an outline• 4. Listen, writing down specific words and phrases

from the speech• 5. Plan your own speech, roughly following your

model’s outline• 6. Use a minimum of 10 phrases in your speech• 7. Practice with a partner. Partner checks off each

phrase you use,

Making an Argumentative Speech (twilight)

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqSF694ZvQc

Phrases for Speeches• Hook: The Twighliters are

gonna kill me• What I’m going to try to do

here is• First of all• So anyways• Now let’s talk about Twighlight

specifically• Now I’m going to start …• But in some ways that’s

precisely the point.

• I mean, look. …• And then there’s …• And at first …• And this is not just any ….• Now this is (pretty much) the …• Of course …. But ….• And despite ….• So that’s what I have to say on

the topic• What I’m trying to say is that …

4. Formal vs. informal language

• 1. Find a video that uses informal speech– Use this one as a model– Have students find their own

• 2. Make a transcript of the speech• 3. Highlight all informal uses of speech• 4. List and discuss• 5. Make a list of formal words that correspond

to the informal ones

Formal vs. Informal Language

• http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sister+salad+wack&search_type=&aq=f

Points of difference• Punctuation and run-ons – it is difficult to understand if thought

groups are not separated in some way• Capitalization• CAPSLOCK = screaming• Capitalize proper nouns• Spelling –hose• U guys r hose• Letters that stand for words – R, Y, U • Pluralize with ‘z’ – spelling• Spelling – what/wut, our/are/, know/no• Your vs. you’re• There, their, and they’re

5. Pronunciation: Analysis of American Pronunciation

• 1. Find a one-two minute monologue• 2. Choose someone who is somewhat similar to you, but not

necessarily completely similar to you– Same sex and basically the same age– Someone whose speaking you admire

• 3. Make a transcript of the monologue.– As spoken, not “correct” English

• 4. Upload video to class website• 5. Go through video carefully, marking linking and glides• 6. …. Reductions and deletions• 7. …. Intonation, pausing, rhythm, specific sounds, voicing, others

…

Pronunciation Analysis

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBHsfHkcFmc

linking

• I know you have a choice • I know you ha va choice• When it comes to your• Whe nit comes to your• There’s lots of choices out there• There’s lo tsof choice zout there• cooking shows are very popular• Cooking show zar very popular

Glides (insert y or w between vowel sounds)

• That you are gonna thank me for• That you ware gonna thank me for• It makes me a wizard in the kitchen• It makes me ya wizard in the kitchen• It turns me into a wizard• It turns me yinto a wizard

Reductions

• There’s a lot of shows• There z^ lot ^(f) shows• But I’ve discovered • But I’ve d^scovered• So I’m gonna amaze you• So I’m g^nna ^maze you

Other things to do with the analysis:

• Mark stressed word• Mark stressed syllables• Mark intonation• Mark voicing changes• Have students memorize and perform or

record the selection after analysis

6. Finding the idiom

• Goal: To reinforce idioms. To show idioms used outside of the textbook.

• 1. Students find and bring videos to class that contain an idiom

• 2. Play video• 3. Students listen for the idiom(s)

Example: The Big Picture Chapter 8

• Pin him down• Get carried away• Up in the air• Fly off the handle• Get a grip• Out of my hands• Be a soft touch• Get a hold of yourself

• Get out of hand• Hit me up for• Pull strings• At the end of my rope• Rein in• String me along• Cut me some slack• Tied to your mother’s

apron strings

Find the idiom (student project?) SNL

• http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=31821026

• Which idiom did you hear?• Sue, get a hold of yourself!• What other idioms might be used here?• Get a grip• Get carried away• Get out of hand

7. Creating (expert) listening groups

1. Students divide up depending on interests or majors2. Students search for and select 1+ channels

– ELP: conversation, drama, romance …– EAP: discipline specific or interest related: biology, TESOL, second

language acquisition, chaos theory

3. Student listen to different videos or the same videos, and discuss together

4. Students take notes on videosInclude technical terms & vocabulary

5. In class (or outside) students meet and discuss the videos they have listened to discuss what they’ve listened to

6. You may wish to tie this into reading or writing activities.

8. American Character Performance

• Goal: Imitate exactly the intonation, rhythm, patters of American speaking in a monologue

• 1. Select a well-known American personality whose communication style you would like to study.– Politician, movie star, TV-personality

• 2. Select someone who is the same sex and approximately the same gender.– Do you select a child if you are an adult

• 3. Select someone who is different from you

• 4. Prepare 2 full minutes of imitation.• 5. Provide a video of your performer• 6. Turn in a ½ page detailed description of who

your character is, and the details about the way they talk and their body language

• 7. Have fun. Exaggerate! Stretch yourself.• 8. Imitate their voice pattern, kind of talk, body

movements, gestures, pitch, intonation, rate of speech, etc.

9. Paired American Performances

• Goal: Imitate exactly the intonation, rhythm, patters of American speaking with a partner in a conversation.

• 1. Find a partner• 2. Find a short (45 seconds – 1 minute) segment

of English conversation by native speakers• 3. Make a transcript to hand in. This should be an

exact transcript with pauses, overlaps, linking, etc.– Use Conversational Analysis transcription system

• 4. Listen at home repeatedly.• 5. Memorize very small bits at a time – like

learning a song.• 6. Work alone on your part OUT LOUD for at

least 20 minutes per day.• 7. Work with your partner for at least 1 hour

on two separate occasions.

• Memorization of Small Chunks Procedure:• 1. Listen to the tape (just one “chunk”) and read the

script. Repeat.• 2. Listen to the tape and read along out loud from

your script.• 3. Without the tape, read out loud from your script.• 4. Without the script, talk along with the tape.• 5. Talk through the chunk together (no script, no

tape).

• Other tips on working together:• Help your partner correct timing, rhythm,

pronunciation, intonation, emphasis, pauses, volume, and laughter

• Make sure to work on pauses• Change roles and see if you can do your

partner’s role.– It will help you do your own role better.

10. Final video project

• Mostly for ELP programs• Students divide into groups• Students should record their experiences in

and around their school• Students can put background music to videos• Videos can be shown at final

receptions/parties, or in class

10. Final Video Projects

• (no links available)

11 (honorable mention): recognize and discuss conditionals and modals

• Find a video with modals and conditionals• Play the video with a cloze exercise, leaving

blanks for all verbs• Repeat playing if necessary• Check answers• Discuss uses of modals and conditionals in real

speech

Life After People (History)

• http://www.thehistorychannel.com.au/tv-shows/lap-default.aspx

The End

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