[MUSIC] Welcome back to the game show where everyone is a winner. My name is Articulate, and producers have informed me that it is time to change the game. While listening presents many challenges and obstacles for learners and instructors, this translates to many opportunities as well. And so without further ado, let's play the game that demonstrates all the opportunities that learners and teachers can grab a hold of. Let's play- >> What Makes Listening Easy. >> We are welcoming back our three guest panelists from game one. Elizabeth, Jimmy and Iva. How you all doing? Looks like Jimmy got himself a tan from all the time spent in sunny Hawaii. And Iva, how are those twins? Woah, she is a proud mama. You can tell, don't worry. Jessica will just do fine with the twins. Go ahead, all right. Elizabeth, looking brilliant as always. I hear we gave you a trip to, where was it? Beautiful New Zealand. Wonderful, the kiwi accent is one of my favorites. And I am certain you learned all kinds of regionalisms while you are there. >> Kia Ora to everyone here, I sure did. >> Okay, so while it is important to understand the challengers that listeners face, it is also important to understand how to overcome those problems. Now that all three of you have gained valuable language learning experience, we're going to pose some questions to you. The producers once again have informed me that this will be a collaborative experience. So I'll ask the question to the entire group, accompanied by a small video clip. Then you can confer and finally give me your answers. Understood? Great, let's begin. And by the way, any resemblance to people in this video have to guest panelist is strictly coincidental. Here's my first question. Imagine you a language learner among a group of native language speakers, you are in a group of friends and one of the group members tells a joke. Everyone laughs except you, because you don't know what was said. What would be an appropriate language learner strategy? A, laugh with everyone. B, ask the joke teller to repeat the joke, risking social isolation. C, take notes of the key vocabulary words in a notebook. D, pull your closest friend from the group aside and ask him or her to explain the joke privately to you. Let's give them one minute to confer and give our audience the same question in our live poll. All right, the audience has selected. Now, how about you guests what do you think? I'll need your answer now. >> We'll decided that all these might be appropriate for different reasons. But for language learning purposes answers B, C, and D might provide opportunities to improved your language skill. [SOUND] >> That is correct! And I'm giving everyone a bonus point for recognizing that even answer A, laughing with everyone, may be a strategy that has benefits in certain circumstances. Iva, it looks like you have a comment about that. >> I do, Art. You see, while we didn't choose A as language learner goal, and maybe an important sociocultural goal to simply, well play along. Researchers in listening have often suggested that good listeners navigate not only language goals, but also have an awareness of timing and audience. And often suspend their own interests at least for all time. While it can be a good skill to ask for clarification, take notes or request that a group member elaborate, no one interrupts every time for the purposes of learning a language. >> Wow, that is amazingly insightful, Iva. You aren't even wearing glasses, my heavens! All right, now on to our second question. Imagine you are listening to a lecture in a different language. But you quickly realize that the teacher who is speaking is using terminology that you don't understand. Difficult vocabulary, difficult structures, difficult everything. What do you do? A, interrupt the teacher every 10 seconds. B, drop the class immediately. C, complain to all of your classmates. Or D, hide your incompetence by making insulting comments about the teacher behind his or her back. [LAUGH] We'll stop for a poll question while you're conferring. All right, what is your answer? >> None of these answers, Art. >> None? You can´t do that, can you? >> We sure can. You see, listening to a lecture that is a bit beyond your ability is a common listening challenge. But there are listening strategies that can certainly help you out. >> Well what would you suggest? >> Well for starters, learners can record difficult lectures. Repeating an oral presentation such as a lecture can be extremely helpful for students. It is becoming more and more common to bring in recording devices so that learners can capture all the information that they missed on a second or even a third try. >> And don't forget visual input. For language learners, giving as much visual information is important. So sitting up front and center can be an extremely useful technique. While some teachers may not use gestures very much, some researchers have shown that even watching someone's mouth and eyes can help increase listening comprehension dramatically. >> Along with recording and visual input, another strategy I like to use is note taking. I prefer the Cornell note taking method. It's a fabulous strategy that allows me not only time to read my notes, but reflect on them later so that I can crystallize my thoughts. >> Cornell notes? Visual imput? Wow, I didn't realize how smart you guys were. >> Didn't really give us much of a chance last time did you? >> Touche, my moose loving companion. And now on to our final question and well, I think I'm just going to forget the script here. You guys seem so smart, I really have an actual question. So Jimmy, you mentioned the importance of looking at someone's face and eyes to help you understand what they are saying. And Iva, you mentioned that it is important to take notes. But if I, for example am asking for directions to the post office, how in the world can I watch someone's face and take notes? That's a great question Mr. Tequila. Glad to see you are finally listening to us. The truth is that proficient language learners have a wide range of strategies and go back and forth between strategies based on both situation and personal preference. So good listeners basically have a whole list of strategies they choose from. >> Not really a list no, that makes it sound like they just kind of pick randomly. Listeners choose strategies that fit a situation and makes split second decisions on what strategy they will employ for that situation. There's almost an intuitive feeling that good listeners have that allow them to choose what strategies will give them the most success. >> Wow, my wife tells me I have absolutely no intuitive feel for conversation at all. Is it something that can be learned? Is it something that could be taught or some people just better at it? >> That is a great question, and not easily answered. But I think you're getting ahead of yourself a bit. Maybe that might be in a future video. >> I think you're right Jimmy. Well, I think that's all we have for today's show. Learners truly more power to be in charge of their own learning than they think. >> Yep, and it is obvious that we are the ones in charge now, so see you next time on- >> What Makes Listening Easy. >> That was great you guys, that was so beautifully done. I love your hat! >> [LAUGH] [MUSIC]
