Tasks to Do While Listening

Are you looking for inspiration for classroom activities that use listening skills? The follow list from Improving ESL Learners' Listening Skills: At the Workplace and Beyond by Carol Van Duzer includes nine responses to listening that a tutor can use as listening comprehension checks:

1. Doing: the listener responds physically such as in Total Physical Response;
2. Choosing: the listener selects from alternatives such as pictures, objects, texts, or actions;
3. Transferring: the listener transforms the message such as drawing a route on map, or filling in a chart;
4. Answering: the listener answers about the text;
5. Condensing: the listener takes notes or makes an outline;
6. Extending: the listener goes beyond the text by continuing the story or solving a problem;
7. Duplicating: the listener simply repeats or translates the message;
8. Modeling: the listener performs a similar task, e.g., gives instructions to a coworker after listening to a model or;
9. Conversing: the listener is an active participant in a face-to-face conversation.

Looking for something for students to listen to? Try these:

Randall’s ESL Listening Lab
Conversations about everyday topics, divided by level
http://www.esl-lab.com/

Ello
Videos of English learners answering conversational questions as well as lessons to go with the videos
http://www.elllo.org/video/index.htm