Episode 169. How to teach listening (not just speaking) to ELs

Today I'm diving into a topic I believe is foundational to everything we do in our classrooms: listening. Communication breakdowns are often about what wasn't fully heard. In the first part of the episode, I break down why listening is an active, intentional skill—not passive—and review Joseph DeVito's five stages of listening.Then, in the second part, I focus specifically on our multilingual learners. You’ll learn why listening in English is heavy cognitive work. I will share six concrete strategies for teachers to adapt their instruction (like slowing my rate of speech and extending real wait time) and six ways we can explicitly teach our students how to practice strategic listening skills, such as listening for keywords and practicing prediction.

Here is What You Will Hear in This Episode:

• Why most of us are not the great listeners we think we are, according to research.
• The five critical stages of listening outlined by communication expert Joseph DeVito.
• Why listening in English is "heavy cognitive work" for multilingual learners.
• Six ways you can immediately adjust your teaching to reduce the cognitive load for your students.
• Six explicit strategies to teach your students how to be strategic listeners in a new language.
• Three reflection questions to help you improve communication in your classroom.

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Related episodes:

One EL Strategy, One Shift: How to Support ELs Without Burning Yourself Out

How to Teach Speaking to ELs-Essential Lesson Components for Best Results

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