1. LISTENING SKILLS April 20 th 2012

2. Today Listen-discussion. NEXT Friday (April 27 th ) Quiz 3 May 1 st (Tuesday) MID –TERM EXAM! Continue listening for main ideas.

3. Listen-discussion Main topic -? Important points/ideas?

4. Listen-discussion Main topic – Acts of kindness, generosity, grace, and courage. Important points/ideas - Speaker is a volunteer firefighter who once went into a burning building to get a woman her shoes. - The woman remembered this and thought it was the greatest act of kindness she experienced. - Do not wait to make a difference in someone’s life.

5. Listen-discussion Discussion: - Have you experienced an act of kindness recently? What was it? - What is the most memorable act of kindness you have ever personally experienced? - What act of kindness would you like to experience today?

6. Main ideas Ideas that are central and important to a piece of dialog (conversation, announcement, lecture, etc.)

7. Listening for main/important ideas Tips: 1. Take notes when you can: - - It’s normal to forget things after you hear them. - Writing can help you remember more easily. - Writing something encourages you to focus on and identify the main ideas (and important details). - - Can help you identify what you do and do not understand.

8. Listening for main/important ideas Tips: 2. Listen for stressed or repeated words/ideas. - Often, a speaker will put stress on certain words or repeat ideas important to the dialog. - May rephrase the important information. - May repeat the important information. - May summarize the information.

9. Listening for main/important ideas The main idea is often given near the beginning of a dialog (the “topic sentence”).

10. Listening for main/important ideas Tips: 3. Use your own knowledge and experience. - Try to make connections between what you are hearing and your own knowledge/experience. i.e., If someone is talking about fishing, and fishing is your hobby, you can use your existing knowledge to help you understand.

11. Listening for main/important ideas Tips: 4. Make predictions about what is coming next. - Try to guess what the speaker(s) will say.

12. A healthy diet - the phrase sounds so "good for you", but does it sometimes make you think of boring tasteless food you probably wouldn't want to eat? It did for me. The truth is that eating healthy doesn't have to be boring or flavorless at all - and the benefits of choosing healthy foods are certainly worth it. The effects of healthy diets are many: more energy, less illness and disease and a longer, more fulfilled life. Even memory and eyesight can be maintained and improved over time with healthy food choices. If you are looking to achieve weight loss, a balanced healthy diet is essential. Eating a balanced diet and not starving your body with super low calorie diets or those depriving you of healthy foods will allow your body to lose weight at a rate that is appropriate for you, while maintaining optimum health.

13. Practice Pre-listening exercise: What time did you wake up in the morning when you were in high school? Do high school students get enough sleep? Do you think starting class early helps students or hurts students? What time is an ideal time for you to start class?

14. Listen Take notes while you listen. What is the context? What is the topic? High school start time and sleep What are the main ideas ? Start class an hour and a half later. Doctors said students need more sleep. Getting up early is difficult Students can’t pay attention in early classes teenagers do not need less sleep than young children

15. Listen What is the context? What is the topic? (How do you know?) What are the main ideas?

16. a. The reporter’s name is Michelle Trudeau. N b. There are 12,000 high school students in Minneapolis. N c. There was a letter from doctors in 1994 suggesting that high schools eliminate early start times because teenagers don’t get enough sleep. I d. The researcher’s office is ironically located in an old high school building. N e. Because of early start times, it was difficult for students to pay attention in morning classes. I f. There is a sleep research center in Rhode Island that is located underground. N g. Research has found that teenagers do not need less sleep than young children. I

17. Listen What is the context? What is the topic? (How do you know?) What are the main ideas?

18. Listen What is the context? What is the topic? (How do you know?) What are the main ideas?

19. This week’s assignment Check the website for links to audio and instructions.