The Importance of Listening in Language Learning

It has taken many years to bring the language teaching profession around to realizing the importance of listening in second and foreign language learning. As observed by River, long an advocate for listening comprehension, “Speaking does not of itself constitute communication, unless what is said is comprehended by another person… Teaching the comprehension of spoken speech is therefore of primary importance if the communication aim is to be reached. (1966, p. 196-204). The reasons for the nearly total neglect of listening are difficult to access, but as Morley notes, “Perhaps an assumption that listening is a reflect, a little like breathing – listening seldom receives overt teaching attention in one’s native language – has marked the importance and complexity of listening with understanding in a non-native language” (1972, p. vii).

In reality, listening is used far more than any other single language skill in normal daily life. On average, we can expect to listen twice as much as we speak; four times more than we read, and five times more than we write. (Rivers, 1981, Weaver 1972)

Emerging recognition of the importance of Listening in Second/ Foreign Language study

It is easy for us to take listening for granted, often with little conscious awareness of our performance as listeners. Weaver commented on the elusiveness of our listening awareness: “after all, listening is neither so dramatic nor so noisy as talking. The talker is center of attention for listeners. His behavior is overt and vocal, and he hears and notices his own behavior, whereas listening activity often seems like merely being – doing nothing (1972, pp. 12-13)

Much of the language teaching field also has taken listening for granted until relatively recent times. Modern day arguments for listening comprehension began to be voiced in the mid 1960s and early 1970s by Rivers (1966) and others. Newmark and Diller underscored “the need for the systematic development of listening comprehension not only as a foundation for speaking, but also as a skill in its own right….” (1964, p. 20). Belasco expressed his concerns as follow: “I was rudely jolted by the realization that it is possible to develop so-called ‘speaking ability’ and yet be so virtually incompetent in understanding the spoken language… [Students] were learning to audio-comprehend certain specific dialogues and drills, but could not understand [the language] out of the mouths of native speakers” (1971, 0. 4-5). Morley decried the fact that “virtually no specialized textbook materials exist in the area of intermediate and advanced listening” (1972, p. vii), and Blair (1982) observed that special attention to listening just didn’t “sell” until recent times.

Reference

Marianne Celce-Murcia. 2001. Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. Heinle & Heinle Thomson Learning