1. C OMPREHENSION OF A CADEMIC L ECTURES

2. Learning Objectives Evaluate listening & note-taking abilities Evaluate ability to note numbers Reflect on areas of strength & weakness Develop strategies to improve listening & note-taking

3. Pre-Coursework EvaluationPre-Coursework Evaluation 1 Looking at Lecture TranscriptsLooking at Lecture Transcripts 2 Note-taking BasicsNote-taking Basics 3 Learn to Listen & Listen to Learn - Overview

4. How listening to academic lectures differs from everyday listening Languagemay be more formal may use subject-specific vocab Interaction-unidirectional -listeners – no control -speaker – no feedback -speaker “holds the floor” continuously Expectations- take notes; retain info. for later use

5. What to do in order to comprehend an academic lecture more efficiently.  Be aware …  Add information…  Predict…  Evaluate…

6. Be aware of the parts of language that convey meaning:  vocab  stress  rhythm  intonation  body language

7. Add information that the lecturer expects you to add  Don’t attempt to record word for word what the lecturer says  Use other sources:  your own knowledge of the subject- matter  your own world experience  Reinterpret lecturer’s words (in ways that make sense to you)

8. Make predictions while listening  Predict what? content content organization of lecture organization of lecture  Why? To overcome “noise (internal & external) To overcome “noise (internal & external) To gain time to process info and take notes To gain time to process info and take notes

9. Evaluate constantly – decide how ideas relate & what’s important.  Why?  So you know what to pay attention to (and possibly take notes on)  So you can better retain the information

10. Looking at Lecture Transcripts Objectives:  Increase awareness of how lectures are formatted  Increase ability to predict information: – content (and) – organizational direction of a lecture

11. How is the language in lectures different from that which you find in magazines or books? Lecture Excerpt There are more words. The sentences seem to go on and on. The speaker uses words like “all right” and “hmmmmm.” There is more repetition. There’s no punctuation. The speaker sometimes goes off the topic. It seems more informal. Magazine Excerpt There are fewer words. There are clear beginnings and endings to sentences. Words like “all right” and “hmmmm” aren’t used. The ideas are presented more succinctly. There is punctuation. The speaker stays on the topic. It seems more formal. Possible Answers - Exercise, p. 8

12. Recognizing Cues When taking notes, it is important to recognize two major differences between the language used in lectures and that found in writing:  the introduction of new ideas  a change of topic,  the conclusion of an idea  the intended organization of the lecture Lecturers also use more:  paraphrasing,  repetition  exemplification  Lecturers use verbal and nonverbal cues to indicate:

13. Getting the Main Ideas Using Context & Prediction To understand the main ideas, you do not need to catch every word…You can use logic, your knowledge of the subject, and your understanding of lecture cues to make good guesses about information that you might have missed. Try doing the exercise on p. 16 of Learn to Listen; Listen to Learn

14. Answers to Group Activity p. 16-18 1.The “players” change. 2.You’re out to win something. 3.Everybody has his or her own style. 4.You can change your style. 5.There are rules.

15. Predicting Content and Lecture Direction  Do the exercise on p. 18 of Learn to Listen; Listen to Learn by Roni S. Lebauer Predicting content and lecture direction helps you to organize your notes in advance and to listen more selectively and efficiently. Predicting does not mean knowing the correct answer; it means making an educated guess.

16. NOTE-TAKING BASICS – Noting Key Words  Do the exercise on p. 23 Learn to Listen; Listen to Learn by Roni S. Lebauer  Note as much information as possible in the fewest words.  Omit words that are not important  Write down only those words that carry meaning  Develop your own symbols and abbreviations.  The important thing is that you understand your notes and are able to read them a day, a week, or a year later.

17. Visually Representing Relationships  See examples on p. 24 of Learn to Listen; Listen to Learn by Roni S. Lebauer  Do the exercise on p. 25  Use the space on your paper to show relationships and the relative importance of information  Indentation is another way to show the relationships between pieces of information and their relative importance.

18. 8 Dos and DON’Ts for Improving Lecture Comprehension and Note-Taking 1.DO note key words. 2.DO use abbreviations and symbols. 3.DO evaluate as you listen. Decide what is important and what is not. 4.DO Use the space on your paper to organize information and visually represent the relationship between ideas. 5.DO be an active listener. Predict lecture content and organization. 6.DO make gueessees if you miss information. Remember that lecturers usually repeat and paraphrase information. 7.DO listen for the lecturer’s main points and for the general organizational framework 1.DON’T note every word. 2.DON’T write everything down. 3.DON’T note indiscriminately. 4.DON’T take notes as if you were writing a composition. 5.DON’T be a passive listener. 6.DON’T give up if you miss information. 7.DON’T lose sight of the forest for the trees. (Don’t listen for details before getting the larger picture.) 8. DON’T forget about your notes when you leave the lecture.

19. Q UESTIONS ?