18/09/2025
Are your students struggling with listening tasks? ESL expert Chiara Bruzzano shares her views on best practices in developing students’ listening skills in this edition of Transformative Teacher by Trinity College London.
The full webinar can be viewed here: https://www.trinitycollege.com/qualifications/teaching-english/transformative-teachers/view-blog/making-listening-work-dos-donts-for-engaging-listening-activities
For those with busy schedules, here is a quick recap of the key takeaways:
Title: 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤: 𝐝𝐨’𝐬, 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬
Presenter: Chiara Bruzzano, PhD, founder and manager of LanguagEd
𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟏: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 (𝟑:𝟓𝟑)
How do we listen in a second language? (4:04) According to theory, we use both ‘bottom-up decoding’, in which we build up our understanding from the most basic sounds; and ‘top-down meaning building’, in which we draw upon our general knowledge to interpret what was said.
What can go wrong when we listen? (5:04) Issues or problems learners face, with examples of both ‘bottom-up’ and ‘top-down’ mistakes.
𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟐: 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝟏𝟎:𝟎𝟖)
Typical format when we teach listening (12:22): The general structure when teaching listening tends to start starting from a ‘pre-listening’ phase, to a ‘while-listening’ phase, concluding with a ‘post-listening’ phase. There are several potential issues (13:41), with a general problem being that there is too much focus on testing, not enough on teaching.
- Other appropriate approaches (18:12) include task completion, skills and systems, interdisciplinary approach, osmosis. The right approach depends on the particular context of the teaching.
𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟑: 𝐃𝐨’𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐭’𝐬 (𝟐𝟔:𝟏𝟎)
Do’s (26:35)
- play the recording multiple times
- allow learners to bring in their own materials
- explain the purpose of listening
- develop ‘bottom-up’ and ‘top-down’ listening exercises
- encourage students to listen in the language outside of the classroom
- use exercises that give the learner an active role
- use group activities
- tackle listening anxiety
- use authentic materials (videos, talks, graphs, etc.).
Dont’s (34:52)
- don’t use excessively long videos (2-4 minutes is a good length)
- don’t take correct answers from texts to represent the learner’s actual comprehension
- don’t overstress the pre-teaching of vocabulary
- don’t forget to give the learner’s time to get acquainted with the material
- don’t be afraid to use subtitles
𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟒: 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 (𝟑𝟕:𝟎𝟎)
- YouGlish (37:37): This is a database of videos which show how any phrase can be pronounced in a variety of different ways. This will help students in their listening to different accents.
Lyrics Training (39:44): This is a database of song videos, in which a ‘fill in the blank’ or a ‘multiple choice’ word game is generated with that song. This helps students develop their listening skills while playing a fun, musical, game.
More simple tools (44:19)
- You can create exercises from Youtube video and make use of different features, like altering the speed, transcript, or starting point. Bookmarker for Youtube.
- ISL Collective can be used to add both bookmarks and questions in a video
- Language Reactor is another Chrome extension that can be used to add an interactive dictionary to videos.
𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟓: 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 (𝟒𝟖:𝟓𝟐)
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𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗘𝗦𝗘 (Graded Exams in Spoken English) is an international spoken English certification system with 12 levels spanning beginner (pre-A1) to advanced (C2).
- All exam requirements are publicly available for free use by teachers and institutions and may be adapted and incorporated into existing curricula.
- Students can obtain official Trinity College London certificates through video-conferenced exams with native-speaking experts.
- Exams available monthly at the public center in Phloen Chit, Bangkok, or in schools with sufficient student numbers.
Contact us for more information
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