Observation Task 2: Observing a teacher during a Listening Lesson

Reference: Tanner, R. & Green, C. (1998) Tasks for Teacher Education: A Reflective Approach,Unit 6,
Task 3, p.42.

Objective
To think about EFL learners success in listening and to reflect upon ways of improving their
listening skills.

Procedure
You will need a copy of the Observation Table: Teaching Listening

Before the Observation

Arrange to observe a lesson that focuses on listening

During the Observation

Complete the Table: Teaching Listening. Make notes in the appropriate column on:
The kind of preparation the learners do for listening
The time spent on preparing learners to listen
The learners' purpose in listening: was it stated by the teacher?
The type, topic and length of listening text
The number of times learners listened to the same text or part of the text

Example of a completed row of the Observation Table for Listening

No. of
Time spent on Purpose stated Type of text, topic and
Kind of Preparation times text
preparation (Y/N) length
heard

T showed picture of father and

daughter and elicited what they Dialogue between
might be talking about. T gave 5 mins No father and daughter (3 2
true/false questions out before mins)
tape was started.
 Observation Table: For Task 2 Teaching Listening
Section: 3 Number of learners: 37 Date: 15-oct-2017
Length of lesson: 45 min Name of teacher observed: Miss Muna
Language Learning Goals: family members
Materials used: projector/ textbook
Was
Time spent
purpose Type of text, topic and No. of times text
Kind of Preparation on
stated length was heard
preparation
(Y/N)
Introduce the family members 15 min No Story of a girl describing 2
using family tree diagram her family tree

After the Observation:

1 What preparation (i.e. pre-listening activity) did the teacher give the learners before they
listened to the text? Diagram and flash cards.
If they had some preparation, select (a) if they did not, select (b).
a. How did the pre-listening activity aid student understanding? To introduce the new
vocabulary in a clear way using diagram.
b. What pre-listening activity might have been done to help them
understand the target language better?
2 Were the learners engaged in a while-listening activity/activities?
If they were, select (a); if not, select (b).
a. What were the aims of the while-listening activity/activities?
b. What while-listening activity/activities might have helped the learners more to
understand what they were listening to? To complete a diagram of a family tree according
to the story.
3a. Did the learners have a post-listening activity/activities?
If they did, select (a); if not, select (b).
a. What were the aims of the post-listening activity/activities? The students draw their own
family tree and wrote about their families.
b. What post-listening activity/ activities might have helped the learners more to understand
what they had heard?
4a. How many times did the learners listen to the text / recording? 2
b. Would it have increased their understanding if they had been allowed to listen to the
text/recording again? Explain. They will focus in different thing each time which will fill their
understanding gaps.
c. Did the learners hear the whole text at once, or in parts? At once
If so, which was the most helpful? I think listening to the text in parts will give the students
an opportunity to focus more.

Reflection
Think about the advantages and disadvantages of using the model of pre-, while- and post-listening
activities to teach a listening lesson. Write first from the perspective of the teacher and then from the
perspective of the learners.

Some of the disadvantages in my opinion about listening in general that is listening is that in
our first language we rarely have trouble understanding listening. But, in a second language, it
is one of the harder skills to develop. Also some students may get confused in the while-
listening and they cannot complete the task. Moreover, because of that learners will find
difficulties in the post-listening and they need to repetition of the audio or the text and the
other students who find this skill easy for them will get bored and the teacher here will have
difficulties to manage the class since some of the students finished and some of them didnt.
However, speaking about the advantages students may face problems in the while-listening but
Pre-listening tasks aim to deal with this issue: to generate interest, build confidence and to
facilitate comprehension which gives a better undemanding for the student. And if the teacher
planned for the listening mange the time and provide material available and she knows her
class ability and she chose a topic of the class interests of the class this will led to a
successful cla