Module 4
Academic Listening
Dr. Atul Aman
VIT Bhopal
Outline
• Listening
• Listening in Academic Contexts
• Listening to audio files of short stories
• News
• TV Clips
• Documentaries
• News Debate
• Motivational Speeches in Global English Accents
Listening
• Listening is done consciously, that involve the analysis and
understanding of the sounds you hear.
• Listening is temporary, as we cannot continuously pay attention to
something for long hours.
• Listening is a psychological (conscious) act.
• It is an active mental process, which involves the use of brain to
draw meaning from words and sentences.
• Listening encompasses interpretation of the message received by
ears.
• Listening is a learned skill.
• It involves the use of more than one senses i.e., eyes, ears, touch
etc. to understand the message completely and accurately.
• We are aware of what the other person is saying and so we listen
to acquire knowledge and receive information.
Listening in Academic Contexts
• Note-taking is a crucial component in Academic
Listening.
• Listening while attending a lecture or a formal talk or
presentation.
• Here, Listening is a one-way process.
• Non interruption of speakers lecture or limitation of
repetitive content delivery is a major concern.
• Listening to information talks (viz., www.
[Link]/talks)
• Select a topic which interests you and assess your
comprehension skills.
Listening in Academic Contexts
• Choice of the right and fruitful content which must be
concise.
• Key information must be the goal.
• Implementation of shortened word forms and note taking
codes, e.g. use arrows ↑ ↓ for the words increase and
decrease, you could write ‘info’ for information etc.
• Looking after the outline of the talk, one can divide the
sections of the subtopics for better clarification.
• Final step must be preparation of the final report on the
basis of the whole talk.
• Further clarification should be done in case of any query.
Listening to audio files of short
stories
• Select a variety of short stories from different genres (fiction, mystery,
science fiction, etc.). Listen to the stories and then summarize the
plot, main characters, and the key message or theme.
• Listen to a short story with missing parts (dialogues, descriptions,
etc.), and try to fill in the gaps based on context and understanding.
News
• Listen to a news report from a reputable source. Summarize the main
points of the story and discuss its significance.
• Compare news reports on the same topic from different sources.
Identify differences in presentation, emphasis, and facts presented.
TV Clips
• Watch a short TV clip or scene from a show. Describe the setting,
characters, and events in the clip.
• Listen to a dialogue-rich TV clip and transcribe the conversation.
Focus on understanding the context and meaning of the conversation.
Documentaries
• Choose a documentary on a topic of interest. Take notes while
listening and then discuss the main takeaways and insights.
• Create a summary or analysis of the documentary's main arguments
and evidence presented.
News Debate
• Listen to a news debate on a current issue. Identify the different
viewpoints presented and the arguments made by each side.
• Formulate your own opinions on the topic based on the debate and
practice expressing your thoughts clearly.
Motivational Speeches
• Listen to a motivational speech. Reflect on the key messages and
advice given by the speaker.
• Practice paraphrasing and summarizing the motivational points to
reinforce your understanding.
• For all of these exercises, consider gradually increasing the complexity
of the content as your listening skills improve. Additionally, try to
listen to content in various accents and speaking styles to enhance
your comprehension in diverse situations.
Thank You !!