Listening Activities

I try to bring a listening activity to 1 out of every 2 or 3 English classes for variation and a more fun way to practice. Songs are a good idea, but I'd suggest making sure you have a song that practices the grammar or conversation skill covered that day. Also, finding a listening activity with a script is really good so that the students can look over what they heard and then go over new vocabulary on their own.

To do these activities, you need some sort of MP3 player and portable speakers. I have speakers that cost $40 in Chile so they're probably much cheaper in the U.S. and they're perfect for classes.

For the songs, put the lyrics in a word document and put blanks in the place of about 7-15 words depending on the length of the song and the student's level. BE SURE that you have the correct lyrics. Speaking from experience, it's very embarrassing and can seem unprofessional to have a wrong word typed there.

I also don't know where I'd be without itunes podcasts because there are so many great ESL tools there that are free. When you have more advanced students, you don't even need to search for ESL materials--just find your favorite podcast and go to the website because most of them have scripts you can download. Some are free and others, like NPR podcasts, charge for scripts.

I continually use the British Council's podcasts because you can download the audio and the script that comes with grammar activities plus supplemental materials. There's a wide range of topics so you can use them for all ages. Go here to check them out.

A couple tips for choosing songs for students:

1. be careful with slang incorrect grammar and make sure you're OK with detailed questions about each word.

2. make sure the singer of the song has a clear voice and that he/she annunciates. also, make sure they pronounce the words similar to how one would speaking. I've had trouble with Fiona Apple because while she has a very clear voice, she tends to drag out some syllables which confuses students.

3. make sure your students are interested in these activities. i have some that beg for songs every class because it's fun, but it can also be very frustrating if the song is too hard and the lyrics don't make sense.

Today, I'm using the Red Hot Chili Peppers' song If to go along with a lesson on the second conditional. While Anthony Kiedis doesn't have the clearest voice, most Chileans love the band and are very familiar with their songs so it's just a plus that this song is not only good, but grammatically correct ;)

There are also plenty of free short (5 minutes or less) video podcasts that are great if you're OK with bringing your laptop to class.

I'll update this page with more listening links once I sort through my saved files.

Happy teaching!