A Multidisciplinary Research Journal - Devanga Arts College

INTRODUCTION:
Listening Skill: The Neglected Yet The Most Needed
Dr. A.M. Kathirkamu
Associate Professor of English
Devanga Arts College, (Autonomous)
Aruppukottai
Listening is usually the first skill which children develop as they begin to acquire the
ability to communicate by means of language, and it remains an important skill throughout life.
Good language learners need to activate non-linguistic knowledge about physical context, topic,
ways in which discourse is organized and so on, in order to understand a spoken message. They
should view listening as an important medium for developing language but also need to be aware
that in order to develop language effectively, they need to practise the language they hear, either
be responding to the spoken message and or by producing some of the language they have heard
in other situations. They also need to develop a range of receptive communication strategies
which will enable them to cope with interactive listening.
Listening, like reading comprehension, is usually defined as a receptive skill comprising
both a physical process and an interpretive, analytical process (Lundsteen, 1979). However, this
definition is often expanded to include critical listening skills (higher-order skills such as
analysis and synthesis) and nonverbal listening (comprehending the meaning of tone of voice,
facial expressions, gestures, and other nonverbal cues.) The expanded definition of listening also
emphasizes the relationship between listening and speaking.
Devine (1986), says, “Listening is best viewed- at least for teaching purposes- as a
composite of separate skills, not as global ability. To help students become more effective
listeners in the classroom (and outside it), they need to be taught discrete skills, such as listening
for main ideas, listening to follow directions, or listening to follow a sequence of events. The
guidelines presented here are suggested for the more-or-less immediate improvement of
classroom listening, but teachers need to start thinking of each separate talk or lecture as one part
of an over-all program for improving study skills in listening”.
9 ISSN 0976-8130
Good language learners are able to use a number of strategies which vary according to
the individuals’ learning styles, the task and the type of listening in which they are engaged.
However, there do seem to be some strategies which are more closely associated with successful
listening than others, particularly prediction, inferring, monitoring and clarifying. To become an