From The Spanish Classroom

To acquire a second language is it very important… to be a good listener.

“Active listening is a valuable technique that requires the listener to thoroughly absorb, understand, respond, and retain what’s being said”.  – Centre of creative leadership.

Becoming an Active Listener

• Pay Attention. Give the speaker your undivided attention and acknowledge the message.
• Show That You’re Listening. Use your own body language and gestures to show that you are engaged.
• Provide Feedback.
• Respond Appropriately.

Prepare yourself for the message:

• Limit distractions. Move away from distractions so that you can pay full attention to the other person. Take note of the person’s tone of voice and body language as well.
• Pay attention to what’s being said, not what you want to say. Set a goal of being able to repeat the last sentence the teacher says. This keeps your attention on each statement.
• Be okay with silence. You don’t have to always reply or have a comment. A break in dialogue can give you a chance to collect your thoughts.
• Encourage the teacher to clarify ideas and offer more examples.
• Restate the key points you heard and ask whether they’re accurate. “Let me see whether I understand you correctly…” is an easy way to clarify any confusion.

If you are listening:

• Look at the person that is presenting.
• Avoid any distractions (close your books, notes, and put away any other objects that can make you lose the focus on the presentation).
• Be ready to answer some questions that the student that is presenting has prepared for the class.

If you are presenting:

• Prepare some questions about the project for the class.
• Try to speak clear and loud enough.
• Bring some visual materials to make it more attractive for the class.

In conclusion, concentrate on what’s being said and think about what the speaker is saying rather than about what to say next.

Almost every week the Spanish students can present an oral project about the different topics that they have been learning: The house, family, weather, the city, food, clothing, animals, and much more. This is a great opportunity to put their communication skills into practice and make the lessons fun, useful and interactive.

Javier Vidal

Spanish Teacher