I recently gave a poster presentation at the KSU LERC Symposium outlining a proposal for a new Extensive Listening (EL) initiative. While our current Extensive Reading program via Xreading is well-established, there remains a noticeable gap in structured support for listening, with few students actively engaging in listening practice outside of class.
EL encourages learners to consume a massive amount of easily comprehensible and enjoyable target-language listening material over an extended period.
Unlike intensive listening (typically undertaken in class), EL is not about stressful decoding, phonetic transcription, or listening for minute details. Instead, the approach centers on enjoyment through self-selected media and high volume practice. Research shows a number of benefits for learners including the acceleration of vocabulary aquisition and a reduction in anxiety when listening
A potential way to implement this, is for students to choose from a variety of media e,g, BBC Learning English, ELLLO, YouTube, TikTok etc. (TED Talks, podcasts). The plan features two rather simple steps:
- Listening Logs: Students track their weekly listening habits via Moodle or dedicated logs.
- In-Class Listening Circles: Students discuss with classmates what they listened to / watched.
The next steps involve selecting appropriate content at the right level, securing student buy-in (particularly evaluating how AI tools might affect task completion (cheating!)), and working out the best way for students to track their progress.
Not sure if I can get everything in place by the start of the new semester next week, but I’ll give it a go.
