martes, 25 de enero de 2011

A listening companion

A listening companion is part of the Resources for English Language Improvement from the Canadian Collegial Centre for Educational Material Development (CCDMD) and was brought to our attention by Larry Ferlazzo some days ago.

All in all the materials on the site seem far more suitable for advanced students than for lower levels. However, I think that the listening companion of the site, featured here, is well within the grasp of Intermediate 2 students who are preparing for the end-of-year test, as it shows a number of videos where native speakers answer questions about everyday topics. Authentic material is guaranteed here.

The videos can complete with exercises, so that we can test our listening comprehension ability. On top of that, students have the opportunity to answer the same question the speaker is going to deal with, which allows for good oral practice, especially if students can manage to get together to do the tasks.

On the minus side it should be pointed out that no transcripts are available. But do not be discouraged by it. I found the listening activities motivating, realistic and about topics students can easily relate to.