What Is the Difference Between Pre-Listening, While-Listening and Post-Listening Activities? Set Up One Activity to Test Each of These Stages
Introduction
Listening is a fundamental skill in language acquisition. To develop effective listening skills, it is crucial to engage learners in structured stages: pre-listening, while-listening, and post-listening. Each stage plays a distinct role in preparing learners, facilitating comprehension, and encouraging reflection or application.
1. Pre-Listening Activities
Purpose: To activate background knowledge, introduce vocabulary, and set a context for the listening task. These activities prepare students mentally for what they are going to hear.
Example Activity:
Title: Predict the Story
Show students a picture related to an audio story (e.g., a picnic scene). Ask questions like: What do you think is happening? Who are the characters? What might they say? This primes students for the upcoming content.
2. While-Listening Activities
Purpose: To help students focus on the actual content and process key information. Activities in this stage guide students’ attention and aid comprehension during listening.
Example Activity:
Title: Listen and Tick
Give students a worksheet with multiple-choice questions or statements based on the audio. As they listen, they tick the correct options. This keeps them engaged and ensures active listening.
3. Post-Listening Activities
Purpose: To reinforce what was learned, promote discussion, and connect listening with speaking, reading, or writing skills.
Example Activity:
Title: Retell the Story
After listening to a story, students work in pairs to retell it in their own words. They can also act it out or write a summary. This helps solidify understanding and encourages use of new vocabulary.
Conclusion
A well-structured listening lesson incorporates all three stages. Pre-listening prepares learners, while-listening ensures focus, and post-listening fosters deeper learning. Together, these activities support a holistic approach to developing listening skills in the English language classroom.