ChineseTake‐In:Interac1veListeningComprehension

ExerciseforBeginningChineseLearners

Wen‐HuaTengDept.ofAsianStudies

TheUniversityofTexasatAus1n

MainReasonsforWeb‐basedListeningComprehensionExercises

•  Listeningcomprehensionskillsaredifficulttodevelopinasynchronousmanner(groupprac1ceduringclass).

•  Web‐basedexercisescancreateaninterac1ve,flexible,anxiety‐freelisteningenvironmentthatcaterstostudents’individualneeds.

•  Userinterfacemakesitpossibleforstudentstolistenformeaning,notsimplyinforma1onorauditorydis1nc1on.

Paper‐and‐pencilexercisesvs.

Web‐basedexercises

Paper‐and‐pencilexercisesvs.

Web‐basedexercises

PaperWeb

Paper‐and‐pencilexercisesvs.

Web‐basedexercises

PaperWeb

•  Convenience

Paper‐and‐pencilexercisesvs.

Web‐basedexercises

PaperWeb

•  Convenience√

Paper‐and‐pencilexercisesvs.

Web‐basedexercises

PaperWeb

•  Convenience√•  Interac1ve

Paper‐and‐pencilexercisesvs.

Web‐basedexercises

PaperWeb

•  Convenience√•  Interac1ve √

Paper‐and‐pencilexercisesvs.

Web‐basedexercises

PaperWeb

•  Convenience√•  Interac1ve √•  EasyRepe11on

Paper‐and‐pencilexercisesvs.

Web‐basedexercises

PaperWeb

•  Convenience√•  Interac1ve √•  EasyRepe11on√

HowtoDesignListeningComprehensionExercises

Listeningforauditorydis1nc1on Listeningforinforma1onListeningformeaning

AListeningModel:frominputtointake

AListeningModel:frominputtointake

inputdecodingintake

AListeningModel:frominputtointake

inputdecodingintakelinguis0c+pragma0c+non‐linguis0c

AListeningModel:frominputtointake

inputdecodingintakelinguis0c+pragma0c+non‐linguis0c

linguis1c

non‐linguis1cpragma1c

AListeningModel:frominputtointake

inputdecodingintakelinguis0c+pragma0c+non‐linguis0cBo6omupTopdown

linguis1c

non‐linguis1cpragma1c

Listeningforauditorydis1nc1onExample：Therewillbey>u thisevening.ComehomeaSerclass.

Accordingtomymother,therewillbe______thisevening.

a.fish(y>u)b.rain(y[u)c.cloud(y>un)

Listeningforauditorydis1nc1onExample：Mr.Wang’sclasshas14students.HowmanystudentsdoesMr.Wanghave?a.  14 b.  40 c.  44

Listeningforauditorydis1nc1onExample：Mr.Wanghas14students;Mr.Huanghas40.HowmanystudentsdoesMr.Huanghave?a.  14 b.  40 c.  44

Listeningforauditorydis1nc1onandinforma1on

Example：Mr.Wang’shas14students;Mr.Huanghas40.Whohasmorestudents?Howmanymore?a.  Mr.Wanghas26moreb.  Mr.Huanghas26more.c.  Theyhavethesamenumberofstudents.

Listeningforinforma1on:Example:Mymothertellsmetofinishmyhomeworkbeforegoingoutwithmyfriends.

Whatdoesmymomaskmetodo?a.Todomyhomeworkb.Todothedishesc.Togooutwithmyfriends

Listeningformeaning/implica1on:Example:Boy:Mom,canIgooutwithmyfriends?Mom:Isyourhomeworkdone?a.  Themothertellshersonthathecannotgooutwith

hisfriend.b.  Themothertellshersontogodohishomework.c.  Themothertellshersonthathecangooutifhe

hasdonehishomework.

Listeningforinforma1on:Examples:Mr.Wanghadtwobeersbeforedinner,and2withdinner.Beforegoingtobed,hewantedtohaveanotherone,buthiswifewouldnotlethim.ASerhiswifewenttobed,hehadanotherone.

HowmanybeersdidMr.Wangdrinkaltogether?

a.4b.5c.6

ListeningforMeaning/Implica1on:Example:Male:CanIdrinkanotherone?Female:Youdrinkanotherone,andwhoisgoingtodrivehome?

•  WhichofthefollowingisNOTimplied?

•  a.Thewomanwouldnotletthemanhaveanotherdrink.•  b.Thewomandoesnotknowhowtodrive.•  c.Thewomanwantstoknowwhothedesignateddriveris.•  d.Themanandthewomancametothepartytogether.

Listeningforinforma1on/auditorydis1nc1onExample:Female:Areyoufreetoday?Male:Yes.Isthereanything?(=Whatdoyouhaveinmind?)

Thewomanasksthemanwhetherhehas______today.

a.  free1meb.  classesc.  loosechange

Listeningforimplica1on/auditorydis1nc1onExample:Male:Areyoufreetoday?Female:Isthereanything?(=Whatdoyouhaveinmind?)

ListeningforMeaning/Implica1on:Example:Female:AreyoufreeSaturdayevening?Therewillbeabirthdaypartyatmyhouse.

Male:Yes,yes,yes(=absolutely).Whosebirthdayisit?•  a.Themanwantstoknowwhosebirthdayitisbeforehe

decideswhetherhewilladendthepartyornot.•  b.Themanisaccep1ngthewoman’sinvita1ontoadance

party.•  c.Thewomanwon’tbefreetogooutwiththemannext

Saturdaybecausetherewillbeapartyatherhouse.•  d.Thewoman’sbirthdaywaslastSaturdayandsheinvited

friendsoverforadanceparty.

TheChallengesofDesigningListeningComprehensionExercisesforBeginners

•  ForStudents:•  Limitedvocabulary•  Limitedgrammarknowledge

•  ForTeachers:•  Howtogobeyondauditorydis1nc1onandrequirestudentstolistenforinforma1on&meaning

Theprincipleandtheapproach•  Simplelinguis1cstructurescanbeemployedtoexpresscomplicateddailyexperiences.

•  Crea1vityisthekey.

•  Advantages:•  Listeningmaterialsaremoreinteres1ngandcanmo1vatestudentstolisten.

•  Studentsmayrealizetheirownpoten1altousethelanguageinvariousscenarios.

•  Learners’backgroundknowledge(theirunderstandingabouttheworldaroundthem)canhelpthemachievelisteningformeanings.

•  Backgroundknowledgefillsthegapbetweenuderancesandhelpslearnersmakeinferencesorinterpreta1on.

•  Advantages:•  Listeningmaterialsaremorerealis1c.•  Truecomprehensiontakesplace.

•  Thecomprehensioncanbeimplicitandgoesbeyondthelearners’vocabularyinventory.

•  Op1onstocheckcomprehensionmustbegiveninEnglish(orlearners’na1velanguage).

•  Advantage:•  Mul1ple‐choiceques1onsallowstudentstoachieveself‐evalua1oninanasynchronousmanner.

hdp://www.laits.utexas.edu/chinese_take_in/

ThedesignofChineseTake‐In•  Content•  Thereare30units;eachunithas10scenarios.•  Vocabulary(clickandlisten)foreachunitisprovided.

•  Contentiscreatedbasedonthelisteningmodel.

•  Mul1ple‐choiceitemsaregiveninEnglish.•  Scriptsinbothtradi1onalandsimplifiedcharactersareprovided.

ThedesignofChineseTake‐In•  Interface•  Userscangotoanyunitfromanypagewithonlyoneclick

•  Feedback(correctorincorrect)isprovidedaSerachoicehasbeenmade.

•  ScriptsareonlyavailableaSerachoicehasbeenmade.

•  EachpagehasarandomlyprogrammedphotographfromChina,TaiwanorHongKong.

UsabilityTes1ng:

•  Nineteenstudentswhohadnotseenthewebsitepar1cipated.

•  Theyansweredques1onsabouttheeaseofnaviga1on,theaesthe1caspects,thequalityofaudios,userinterface,etc.

UserFeedback

•  Thirtystudentswhohadactuallyusedthewebsitepar1cipated.

•  Theyansweredques1onsdesignedtoassessthewebsite’svalueandusefulnessasalearningtool.

•  Theyofferedtheircomments.

Learningoutcome•  Twogroupsofstudentstookthesamelisteningtests.

•  Onegrouptookthetestsinsummer,2009,whenChineseTake‐Inwass1llindevelopment.

•  Theothergrouptookthetestsinfall,2009,whenChineseTake‐Inwasavailableforprac1cing.

•  Test#1（9ques1ons)

•  SummerGroup:Averagenumberofmistakeswas4.6.

•  FallGroup:Averagenumberofmistakeswas2.3.

•  Test#2（12ques1ons)

•  SummerGroup:Averagenumberofmistakeswas4.3.

•  FallGroup:Averagenumberofmistakeswas2.8.

2010TheUniversityofTexasIITAPAwardTopHonorforDis1nc1oninInstruc1onalApproachhdp://www.laits.utexas.edu/chinese_take_in/

CurrentProject#1:PitchPerfectPinyin

•  Atwo‐partwebsite•  PartOne(learning):Pinyininforma1onand12unitsofclick‐and‐listenprac1ces

•  PartTwo(exercises):Fivetypesofinterac1veexercises

CurrentProject#2:AChinesevocabularyflashcardproject

•  Alearner‐designedlearningtool•  Wordssearchedbylesson,pinyinandEnglishdefini1ons

•  Tradi1onalandsimplifiedcharactersareprovided

•  Audiorecordingisprovidedforeachword.•  Availableformobilelearning(iPhone&Android)

CurrentProject#3:SocialMediaandCFLPedagogy

Transformingaclassroomintoalearningcommunity•  HomeworkBlog•  ClassBlog•  ForumDiscussions•  WikiCollabora1veProject•  FacebookGroup

HomeworkBlogStudentspostwridenhomeworkandhomeworkrevisionsaccordingtofeedbackfromtheinstructor.Studentspostweeklyaudiorecordingsandreceivefeedbackandevalua1ons.

ClassBlogBoththeinstructorandthestudentscancreatethreads.Thepos1ngscanbeineitherChinese,Englishorboth.Ques1onsaboutthecoursematerialsareposted.Commentsandopinionsareshared.

ForumDiscussionTheinstructorcreatesthediscussiontopics.Topicsarerelatedtolearning,e.g.individuallearningstrategiesandexperiences.Studentssharetheiropinionsandgiveeachotherfeedback.AlldiscussionsareconductedinEnglish.

WikiCollabora7veProjectTheclassisdividedintofourgroups.Eachgrouphasaleaderwhocreatesawikipageforthegroup.Theyareassignedacase.Membersineachgroupexchangeideasontheirgroupwikipageabouthowtheywouldpresenttheircase.Eachgroupgivesapresenta1oninclass.

FacebookTheinstructorcreatesagroupandinvitesstudentstojoin.Studentssharetheirlives,ques1ons,opinions,informa1ontheyfound,etc,withtheirclassmates.Theinstructorandstudentsusethe‘message’func1ontocommunicatewitheachother.Theinstructorusesthethe‘chatroom’toconduct‘virtualofficehour’toanswerstudents’ques1onsbeforeeachtest.