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Listening and Reading are known as the ‘receptive skills’ by which the reader or listener receives information.
Approaches to reading and listening
Reading is a ‘receptive skill’ that should be done individually, rather than reading aloud. However, it is important to remember that students read at different speeds and in
very different ways. On the other hand, when considering a listening activity, a tape or a CD takes a certain amount of time to play.
There are two approaches to take for ‘receptive’ skills:
1. Reading and Listening for Gist: Here, students read or listen to gain general and overall understanding of a particular text, story, or tape script. Students are encouraged to devote less attention to the individual meaning of words and phrases. With regard to reading, this idea is also known as skimming. Students may be asked to “quick read” a particular text to answer a general question such as ‘Is this text about the advantages or disadvantages of CCTV surveillance?’
Students must develop a tolerance for guessing. Give students time limits to ensure they skim over. Listening to the entire script of a tape, with the intention of gaining a general understanding of what it is about, can be called “long listening” or “listening for the gist.”
2. Read and listen to specific information: Here, students read or listen to specific information. Students are encouraged to understand specific information or elements of the language in more detail. With regard to reading, this idea is also known as scanning. Students may be asked to read a particular text in detail to answer a specific question such as “What time did the train leave the station?” “Intensive listening” or “listening for details” is where students focus on a small part of the tape script to understand some subtle details.