learning to listen joann miller, macmillan publishers...

Learning to Listen JoAnn Miller, Macmillan Publishers

Activities

SpaceandTime:[Anylevel—canbedoneinSpanishforbeginners]1.Closeyoureyesandtrytofeelwhereyouarejustbylistening.Howbigistheroom?Howmanypeopleareintheroom?Howmanypeoplearesittingwithintouchingdistance?And…howdoyouknow?Howdoesyourlisteningtellyou.2.Howdoesyourlisteningchangedependingontheplace.Bringphotosofdifferentsituations.Ask:whatwouldyoubelisteningtoineachsituation?Howwouldyoulisten?Carefully?Payingattentionclosely?Distracted?Silence[Anylevel]Beginclass(orstopduringclass,orifthestudentsgetrowdy)andaskfortwominutesofsilence.Doitalsobeforeexamssostudentscanfocus.Mixer[LowIntermediate+]1.Havestudentslistentothesoundsaroundthemforaminute.2.Thentheywritedownthesoundstheyheard.3.Theythinkaboutthemandorganizethemintoalogicalsequence.4.Thentheywrite(create)astory.5.Theycommunicatetheirstorybytellingittotheclassoragroup.Savoring[1and2:anylevel;3-LowIntermediate+]1.Bringdifferentsoundeffectstoclass.Playthemandaskstudentstoidentifythem.(Seebibliography).2.Havestudentsrecorddifferentsounds(ontheirphones)attheirhousesoronthewaytoschool.Otherstudentstrytoguesswhatthesoundis.3.AskstudentstogotheFreeSFXsitementionedinthebibliography.Ingroupstheydownloadvarioussoundsandcombinethemintoastory.Theyplayittotheclass,whothentrytotellthestory(eitherorallyorwritten).ListeningPositions[Intermediate+]Afterdiscussingthethreepairsoflisteningpositions(activevs.passive),criticalvs.empathetic,reductivevs.expansive),givethematopictotalkabout.Theystarttheconversationwithoneofthesixpossiblepositions(e.g.,theystartbeingveryempathetic),thenwhenyouyell“switch”theychangetotheoppositeposition(e.g.,inthiscasecritical).Dotheactivitytwomoretimes,eitherwiththesameconversationtopicoranotherone,sostudentscanpracticeallthreepairsofpositions.RASA[Anylevel]AfterdiscussingRASAandelicitingwaystoexpresseachstepofaconversation(R-Receive,A-Appreciate,S-Summarize,andA-Ask),askstudentstotalkaboutexperiencestheyhavehad(topicdependingonstudentlevel).TheyhavetodoallfourstepsRASAastheylistentotheirpartnertellabouttheexperience.