BUSINESS ENGLISH
Turning the clock back.
Looking again at listening
Rachel Appleby describes a combined approach to teaching listening.
W hen I first began teaching, I
sometimes struggled to balance
my own learning strategies with those
few recently acquired ideas, I’ve been
implementing a few strategies, and using
my trusted business English learners
with whom I worked extensively on
newspaper articles, specifically asked
for help with listening. As they’re
I was supposed to use. Fresh off my (groups and one:ones) to experiment advanced, I used the opportunity
initial teacher-training course, I’d been with! They need to make fast progress, to draw on authentic video from
bewitched by the approach, yet when often have difficulties understanding well-known British news sites, and
it came to my own language learning, native and informal English, and need experiment with some of these micro-
I still liked learning lists of vocabulary confidence to communicate efficiently for listening skills.
with translations. I also liked to read work and social purposes.
audioscripts and listen again, and I By way of illustration, I’ll demonstrate
could then hear things I didn’t know In the traditional classroom, we some of these activities here using a
were there! Sometimes even now, if usually start ‘skills’ lessons by leading film trailer. In fact, as we’re looking at
there’s no-one at home, I find a foreign students into the topic, with questions, transferable skills – from one text to
film, play short sections again and mini-discussions, predicting content, another – it isn’t necessary to use only
again, look words up online, and I and so on. This ‘top-down approach’ business texts with business students.
can pick out some fun phrases. Many draws on the information we/they This one’s the trailer to the latest Bond,
successful speakers of English originally already have, or know (‘schemata’), which premieres on 25 October 2015.
found their way into a language – and before listening/reading; it helps
culture – through songs in this way. prepare students for what’s to come. I’d start with a short discussion on new
As an authentic example, a five-line films, and Bond films in particular. As
But such activities have been frowned preview summary recently helped a first, authentic watch, I’d simply ask
upon in ELT, except I bet I’m not the only me through an Argentinian rom-com students whether they think they’d like
one who finds them beneficial. at a cinema in Spain (no subtitles): to see the film or not, and why, and
I was prepared, although admittedly perhaps who they think the ‘goodies’ and
So why were, or are these activities the plot was fairly predictable, but ‘baddies’ are.
considered a ‘no-no’ in the classroom? Of I understood more than I expected
course, I’m aware that there’s a rationale during the film. Here are a few simple exercise types I’d
behind why we shouldn’t be doing these then do, and which you can do with any
things (e.g. avoiding L1/translation, This top-down approach usually includes text. You’ll need to transcribe (parts of)
focusing on meaning rather than getting a comprehension exercise; and then most the text. (See below for tips.) With many
bogged down in detail), but I don’t think lessons continue with language work, or trailers, there often isn’t a clear story line,
they deserve to be banished altogether. speaking/writing skills. However, I feel it’s so using extracts makes sense.
Recently, however, to my joy and relief, a wasted opportunity not to exploit a text
I’ve noticed some of them making a come- further and focus on those micro-listening 1. Gap non-important words:
back. Although bathed in a somewhat skills students really need: strategies they So ______ going on James? They say
different light, they’re appearing in new can apply to other texts. _______ finished. ________________
course materials and methodology books, think? _______ you’re
as well as on discussion forums. And So I’ve been adding some bottom- _____________________ started.
of course, there’s often a rebel talk at a up, or ‘de-coding’ skills to my classes
conference which tries to dispel myths recently, working at sentence, phrase, The ‘unimportant words’ aren’t related
about standard teaching practices! and even word level. I do this only so much to content, but often cause
once we’ve extracted overall meaning problems. Once students realise they
So, with renewed confidence, based from a text, so that students know don’t necessarily help with meaning, their
on my own learning experiences, and a what they’re working with. One group, tolerance for them increases.
n Volume 24 n Issue 4 www.modernenglishteacher.com 11
BUSINESS ENGLISH
2. Jumble up words in phrases; phases: first, students need to recognise I’ve found my own students’ energy and
students can sometimes re-order the sounds of the language, then make enthusiasm has been enhanced; one even
some without listening, but sounds into words, and then work said she was going to watch a short video
listening again means they’ll focus towards structure, before they can think clip every day all summer. That would be
much more keenly: about meaning, or discourse. a miracle, but it warmed my heart! And
Magnificent, isn’t she. Zero to 60 in 3.2 to feel I now have a right to do this sort of
seconds. A ________________________. Here are some simple exercises you can detailed listening work in class is a breath
[tricks/sleeve/up/few/little/her] do at lower levels: of fresh air; clearly my own learning
Do _______________________________. strategies weren’t so evil after all!
nn Get students to count the number
[me/one/or/thing/more]
of words they hear in a phrase/ Sources of video materials
What _____________________________?
sentence; this is a starting point for Film trailers are available on YouTube: short,
[in/have/do/you/mind]
finding word boundaries. Follow this fun and exciting, and usually include natural
Maybe disappear. spoken English
by showing them the phrases, to mark
the beginnings and endings of words, BBC videos are up-to-date, current, and often
3. Extract chunks; students match relevant across borders; clear BBC English,
and let them listen again, e.g. Do /
these with how the phrases unless interviewing locals!
you / knowwhatit’scalled? This visual
sound: https://www.youtube.com/user/bbcnews
support can be very helpful.
a. Do one more thing for me. BBC one-minute world news
b. What do you think? nn Use audio as a short extract
c. What do you have in mind? dictation, either as it is (if short), References
or – after a regular coursebook type Field J (2014) Doing versus knowing:
i. /'wɒt də ju æv ın 'maınd/
comprehension activity – choose coursebook materials and the adult L2 listener.
i. /də 'wön mO:' θıŋ fə mi/ Modern English Teacher 23 (4) 17–20.
two or three very short extracts: play
i. /wɒt də 'ju θıŋk/ Roberts R, Buchanan H, Pathare E (2015)
beginnings of phrases and ask students
Navigate B1+ level. Oxford: Oxford University
if they can remember what comes
This site can help with phonetics Press.
next (which, if chosen well, can help
(http://eltdicts.uk.oup.com/PhonList_ Krantz C & Norton J (2015) Navigate B1 level.
develop students’ prediction skills).
form.htm), but as it transcribes words Oxford: Oxford University Press.
individually, not how they’re said in Roberts R (2012) Decoding skills: a neglected
Where possible at low levels, I still part of listening comprehension? [online]
context, you’ll need to tweak them.
try to use authentic material which Available at: http://oupeltglobalblog.
is ‘accessible’ (in terms of speed, com/2012/05/17/decoding-skills-a-neglected-
4. Phrase halves: split phrases into part-of-listening-comprehension/
language complexity and topic) as this
two, jumble up the second halves,
encourages students to watch/listen
and get students to pair them up:
outside class. I also make a point of
Useful links
Convert a video to mp3: www.onlinevideo
a. I don’t stop … …you so long? adapting the task, not the text.
converter.com/video-converter#. You can then
b. What took … … across me so copy this to a site where you can slow down the
many times. Incidentally, don’t forget to address speed to facilitate transcribing, or help lower
c. You came … … to think about it. difficult lexis before working on sub-skills, level students understand a fast text: http://
e.g. with a short glossary, or vocabulary otranscribe.com (Thanks to Keith M. Graham,
MET 24/3 for this link!)
The above include a phrasal verb activity; this saves students significant time
(come across – find by chance), and effort, and helps stay focused.
and typical phrases used in spoken
English. Again, students may be able These activities can be done with any
to match some without listening, but audio text, although can take time to
it’s only by listening again and hearing prepare, especially if authentic. However,
these phrases together that learners’ the benefits are significant. In one lesson,
ears are really sharpened. Having to I don’t do more than one or two sub-skills
do something with such colloquial listening activities as it’s intensive. (Online,
phrases (here, matching halves) helps students can work at their own pace.) Rachel Appleby has taught English
for International House and the British
consolidate them in the students’ minds. Council in Spain, Portugal, Slovakia,
Raising tolerance for words students and Hungary, where she now lives.
Such activities work upwards from B1+, cannot pick out immediately, familiarising Since 1993 she has focused mostly on
at which point learners are more able them with typical phrases used in spoken teaching English to in-company students,
and, more recently, to University students.
to work towards discovering meaning English, as well as how these can be She now also works at ELTE University
at sentence and paragraph level. At said in fast speech, and helping them in Budapest. Rachel is also a CELTA and
lower levels (A2, B1), however, other anticipate what word(s) might come business English teacher trainer. She is
kinds of decoding work are important. next, engenders confidence to listen co-author of OUP’s Business one:one She
also co-wrote two levels of the new edition
According to John Field (2014), current to authentic texts more often, and can of International Express (2014).
models of listening fall into five distinct ultimately promote independent learning.
12 www.modernenglishteacher.com n Volume 24 n Issue 4
