Teaching tip: creating listening texts

Edited by Anna Sobell

Let’s face it, when it comes to listening practice, the more authentic, the better. When your learners are sitting in a business meeting, language won’t be graded, they won’t be able to press pause, rewind or repeat. So, why not prepare your learners as much as possible by creating your own listening texts? You’ll be surprised at how easy it is!

Why bother?

• Course book listening audios will not completely prepare our learners for the reality of operating in the world of business
• In some languages, there are few appropriate published materials, particularly at higher levels
• In most languages, there are few relevant graded materials available, particularly at lower and mid-levels

Benefits:

• Natural – created listening texts often include more natural language than that included in a course book. When we create an audio, it tends to include natural features of discourse such as false starts and reformulation. To a point, background noise may usefully challenge the learner
• Motivating – there’s a sense of achievement for the trainer and the learner when we use something authentic and natural
• Targeted – you can quickly create a listening text for the situation or language you want to practise rather than look around endlessly for something that might not even exist
• Appropriate – audio which is tailor-made for the client is context-appropriate and therefore more useful

What?

The inspiration for creating materials often comes from the realisation that there is a gap in the materials available. You can grade a news report that would otherwise be too challenging.

You need to decide:

1. The intended audience – including interests, needs and the target level
2. The genre (news report, interview, speech, presentation, meeting (e.g. negotiation), announcements, video conferencing etc.
3. The aim of the listening – e.g. listening for gist, listening for detail, inferring meaning, listening for specific language etc. Think of the aim of the lesson and how the audio will fit into the lesson
4. The length. Decide this with your specific learner in mind; their weaknesses, profession, industry and attention span

How?

1. Prepare what you are going to say. If appropriate, write an outline of the script but beware not to over-prepare the script as this will tend to sound unnatural and too ‘produced’.
2. Prepare your technology – technology to create audio (or video) texts has become increasingly accessible, easy to control and of classroom quality. One of the easiest free pieces of audio software is Audacity. You can also use the audio or video recording tools on your smartphone or tablet. You can use an external microphone, but this is not usually necessary.

At Language Services Direct we offer language training for businesses, (insert link to https://www.languageservicesdirect.co.uk/our-services/specialist-training/) focusing on the areas you want to improve in, including conversation and presentations skills, meetings and negotiations. Take a look at our specialist training page.

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Business language courses: using authentic materials

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