Сейтбембетова Жаркинай Сагындыковна- учитель английского языка школа-гимназии № 1 имени К. Мухамеджанова, г. Кызылорда, Казахстан,

Teaching Listening Comprehension .

Most language programs neglect listening comprehension. It is generally treated as incidental treated as incidental to speaking, rather than as a foundation for it. Classroom exercises are mainly speaking exercises in which the student hears an audio stimulus and then immediately imitates it or make some other oral response. When students listen to and participate in exercises with partial sentences, backward build-up, pattern practice, and pronunciation drills they are hearing unnatural speech. As important as these exercises may be for developing skill in speaking, the question may well be asked, “ When do the students hear the language as it is actually spoken?”

Texts, guides, and courses of study frequently contain texts for evaluating progress in listening comprehension, but rarely do they contain specific learning materials designed for the systematic development of this skill. Until such materials become available, teachers who wish to do more with listening comprehension can adapt present materials for this purpose.

The present vogue in learning instruction is centered around memorized texts and exercises. Within the exercises approach the teacher can take the following steps to emphasize listening comprehension:

1.Present the texts, in the foreign language, using simple language. Explain the meaning of some of the new words and expressions that will appear in the text through information, visual aids, use of synonyms, paraphrasing, etc. The idea, at this point is not to teach the exact meaning of every new linguistic element in the texts, but rather to convey the general idea of the content in story form. Further, in order to provide additional listening comprehension practice, embellish the story by making up facts about the characters which are not in the texts, using only previously learned vocabulary.

2. Go through the text again , without stopping, to give students a feel for how the entire story sounds at a normal rate of speed. The ask the students to do such lexico-grammatical tasks as: a) choose the right sentence which gives the main idea of the text; b) choose the right answers to questions; c) complete the sentences.

3. Have a “ programmed” ( in the sense of ‘ programmed learning’) true- false activity based on the text in order to insure comprehension. The teacher presents one or two lines of the text, followed by a question or a statement. The students make a written ’yes’ or ‘no’ response. The teacher checks the students answers, by a show of hands, and then immediately provides the students with the correct response. Thus, the teacher is also receiving feedback regarding the students comprehension. If a number of students have difficulty with the item, the teacher may wish to reread the lines of the text that illustrates the correct response or take other task to insure comprehension.

4. Repeat the entire text again at normal rate of speed (live or tape recording) without interruption. This time have the students listen to it with their eyes closed. Having eyes closed helps eliminate distractions, increases listening concentration, and adds variety to the classroom activities.

5. Try to have a role playing activity on the given text. Assign roles from the text to individual students or rows of students. Phrase questions in the foreign language to which students will make ‘yes’ or ‘no’ , or short responses, according to their assigned roles. Then have the students play themselves or other people, such as famous personalities, using the same technique. This provides further listening practice with the same linguistic elements. The change in roles and the corresponding changes in answers provide variety and prevent boredom.

6. Have students hear the entire text again with their eyes closed, without interruption, but this time at slightly faster than normal rate of speed. To make this presentation of the text challenging, inform students that it will be at a faster speed and that it will be followed by a listening comprehension test. It will be even better if still another tape can be used of the same test but with voices unfamiliar to the students.

7. Give a listening comprehension test.

At this point , periodically, recombination listening comprehension practice can be given, using new words and expressions from other courses of study, motion pictures or any type of recorded materials which contain for the most part, language elements previously learned by the students.

Suggestions made in this paper are aimed at having students spend more of their time listening to natural speech and authentic models of the foreign language. They underline the need for the systematic development of listening comprehension not only as a foundation for speaking but also as a skill in its own right.

The text “ The Gift”

1. Listen to the text “The Gift” ( after O. Henry)

Delia wanted to buy a present for her husband on Christmas but she had no enough money for that. She counted her money. She had only one dollar and eighty-seven cents. She sat down on the sofa and burst into tears. There were only two things of which the family was very proud: Jim’s gold watch and Delia’s hair. She had beautiful hair. She went to the mirror and let down her hair. It fell to its full length, below her knees.Delia put on her jacket and her hat and went down the stairs to the street. She decided to sell her hair. She got twenty dollars and her hair was cut off.Then she went to the shop to buy a present for Jim. It was a platinum chain for Jim’s watch.When Jim came home from his work and saw Delia, there was an expression on his face which frightened her.‘You’ve cut off your hair’, said Jim slowly. He took a package from his coat pocket and gave it to Delia. There were combs which she had wanted for so long. She knew they were expensive.‘ My hair grows very fast, Jim,’ said. Then she gave him her present.‘Isn’t it beautiful, Jim?’ she asked then. Jim sat down on the sofa and smiled. ‘ Del,’he said, ‘ let’s put our presents away for a while. I sold the watch to buy your combs.’

II. Repeat the following words and expressions after the announcer then read them:

to count – считать

to burst into tears – расплакаться

full length - всядлина

to be proud of - гордиться

to cut off - отрезать

platinum chain - цепочкаизплатины

there was an expression on his face – наеголицебыловыражение

to frighten - напугать

package - сверток

coms – гребень

III. Choose the most appropriate variant of the sentence that corresponds to the main idea of the text.

The text is about:

a) two real lovers.

b) Christmas presents

c) two young people who were very poor.

IV. Choose the right answers.

1. Why did Delia burst into tears?

a) Because she had no money to buy a present for her husband.

b) Because she had nothing to eat.

c) Because she had no news dress to wear on holiday.

2. What were two things the family were proud of?

a) Jim’s clock and Delia’s comb.

b) Jim’s watch and Delia’s hair.

c) Jim’s watch and Delia’s brush.

3. How did Delia’s get the money for the present?

a) She asked her friend to borrow the money.

b) She found the money in the street.

c) She got the money for her hair.

4. What did Delia buy for her husband?

a) She bought a platinum chain for Jim’s clock.

b) She bought a platinum chain for Jim’s watch.

c) She bought a gold chain for Jim’s watch.

5. Why did Jim decide to put their Christmas presents away for a while?

a) Because Jim didn’t like his present.

b) Because Delia Didn’t like her present.

c) Because he had no watch and Delia had no long hair.

V. Complete the sentences.

VI. Do the comprehension test. Agree (+) or disagree (-) with the following statements.

a) Delia burst into tears she had no money.

b) Jim was Delia’s brother.

c) Delia was proud of her watch.

d) Jim was proud of his hair.

e) Delia sold her hair and got twenty dollars.

f) She bought a platinum chain for Jim.

g) There was an expression of happiness on Jim’s face when he saw Delia

h) Jim bought flowers for Delia on Christmas.

i) They decided to put their presents away for a while.

VII. Answer the questions.

Can you see that Jim and Delia were real lovers?

Can you it prove it ?

YIII. Write down short summary of the text

Literature:

1.Е.П. Кириллова, Б.Т. Лазарева «Хрестоматия по методике преподавания английского языка.» М. «Просвещения» 1991г.

2. Т.К. Сигал «Аудирование для школьников» 7-8 классы М. Айрис 2004г.

3.Patricia Wilcox Peterson : «Developing Writing».

( Writing Skills Practice Book for Beginners/ Intermediate Students of English as a Foreign Language)

Washington D.C. 20547