Listening Strategies

Listening Strategies

Quarter 2 - Week 1

January 11, 2021

Open Ended

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Listening Strategies

Quarter 2 - Week 1

January 11, 2021

Listening, though often underrated, is one of the most essential skills we use in our day-to-day communication. When done right, it enables us to completely understand matters we hear and come up with appropriate feedback when needed. Whether we listen for a specific idea or an array of more complex concepts and details, it is vital that we know how to employ ways that can help us listen effectively.

Poll

Have you tried listening to at least one of the materials listed below? Put a check to mark the ones which you have experienced listening to.

• radio-based news programs and commercials

• lesson recordings

• audio books

• OPM songs

• recorded speeches

While listening is a usual skill that we often use as individuals, there are times when we need to use techniques or activities that will help us listen more effectively and focus on the main objective of a specific listening task. These techniques which contribute directly to the comprehension and recall of a listening input are called listening strategies. 

There are numerous listening strategies one may use or apply. They may depend on factors like the topic, type of listening material to be used and the purpose of listening, among others.

When listening based on purpose, familiarity with the topic and levels of difficulty, one may employ strategies which can be classified by the way the listener processes the input. Experts categorize these strategies as either TOP-DOWN or BOTTOM-UP listening strategies. 

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Top-down listening strategies are considered listener-based strategies. In these strategies, the listener uses background knowledge to make sense of what he/she is listening to. This means that he/she already knows a fair amount of information about the topic and he/she is able to relate a story or information into a previously established schema or prior knowledge. 

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Bottom-up listening strategies, on the other hand, are considered text-based strategies. When using these strategies, the listener attempts to make sense of the language sound by sound or word by word, with less use of background knowledge. The listener relies on the language in the message (e.g. sounds, words and grammar) that creates the meaning.

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To get a clearer grasp of the two categories, imagine the following situations

#1: While having your recess, your classmate tells you a story about a recent vacation, which was an exciting one. You attentively listen and give reactions at appropriate moments, perhaps to show that you can relate to what is being told.

#2: That same day, a friend calls to invite you to a celebration at his/her house the following weekend. As you have never been to his/her house before, he/she gives you directions. You listen carefully and pay attention to these specific details.

Multiple Choice

What listening strategy did you use for Scenario #1?

• Top-Down

• Bottom-Up

Multiple Choice

What listening strategy did you use for Scenario #2?

• Top-Down

• Bottom-Up

Were you able to figure out the difference in the two scenarios? How you listened to the vacation story could be characterized as top-down listening since you made use of background knowledge in understanding the meaning of the message.

In contrast, when listening to directions going to a friend’s place, comprehension is achieved by dividing and decoding the words and the sound signals bit by bit. This is an example

of bottom-up listening. 

Open Ended

Do you have any questions?