Easy Listening: Lesson and Research Approaches

by Dr. Naheen Madarbakus-Ring

Part 1 (2.00pm-3.15pm)

Title: Using iPads and Voice Memos in Listening Lessons 

    Recent listening approaches have emphasized providing learners with more engagement opportunities when listening. Encouraging learners to interact with the text or with each other provides them with several task approaches to improve their listening comprehension. This workshop aims to outline and demonstrate using iPads and voice memos in practice to understand and improve learners’ second language listening. Using strategy-based instruction, 55 learners chose the input for five practices of their choice before completing listening notes using an iPad and pencil and recording a voice memo (VM) to reflect on their listening. First, a detailed outline presents the strategy-based instruction, the iPad and pencil procedure, and voice memo journal guidelines used. Next, the qualitative VM analysis shows how learners can summarize their listening experience succinctly and give opinions using the prompts. Finally, the workshop concludes by showing the benefits for learners using digital devices to complete their listening practices. This workshop will provide teachers with support in using metacognitive instruction in listening contexts and give learners the practical approaches needed for them to engage with each other and the input when listening. 

Part 2 (3.15pm-4.15pm)

Title: Conducting Qualitative Research in Listening

    As research in second language learning continues to develop, the use of qualitative data becomes more commonplace. However, the time-consuming and potentially overwhelming amount of qualitative data options available makes developing achievable projects within a given time frame more challenging. Understanding how qualitative data can be used helps provide teacher-researchers with valuable insights into their participants’ teaching and learning. This active workshop first defines the methods and analysis used before giving teacher-researchers opportunities to practically apply these approaches to their own research plans.   I will first introduce four data collection methods—surveys, interviews/focus groups, observations, and journals—and outline how these instruments can be used in classroom-based research. Next, I’ll detail three qualitative data analysis methods—narrative analysis, content analysis, and thematic analysis—to show how these approaches can interpret collected data. There will then be an opportunity for teacher-researchers to create and discuss their own research outline proposal plans using these approaches.