Getting used to Listening in English

Liz Chiu – English Language Support UnitRoom 319, Centre for Co-Curricular StudiesLevel 3, Sherfield Building

We provide English classes and individual language support to

students and academic staff of Imperial College who need help

with spoken and written English.

Register online:

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/englishlanguagesupport

We have classes for :

Undergraduates, MSc/MRes, PhDs, Academic Staff

PhD English Requirement> follow instructions on our website

English Language Support Unit

South Kensington Campus

Support for PhD students

Support for MSc/MRes students

Support for Undergraduate and Erasmus students

Support for academic staff

Listening and Speaking classes

Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) course

Writing and Presentation clinics

Blackboard Online Materials

New this year: https://bb.imperial.ac.uk/

WRITING READING LISTENING SPEAKING

VOCABULARY

Exercises for self-testing, links to useful sites, custom-made software

Access is given via class registration.

Details on website.

Face to Face Conversation

The main aim of this project is to compile the evidence that exists in support of this theory and then consider arguments which refute it. Once we’ve done that, we need to assess

the ..

Themainaimofthisprojectistocompile theevidencethat…

Once we’ve done that, we cmpile

The main aim of this roje ctis to co

Face to Face: Tell the speaker what you need.

The main aim of this project is to compile the evidence that exists in support of this theory and then consider arguments which refute it. Once we’ve done that, we need to assess

the ..

Themainaimofthisprojectistocompile theevidencethat…

Once we’ve done that, we cmpile

The main aim of this roje ctis to co

Could you speak up, please?

Sorry, could you slow down a little, please?

I didn’t quite catch the last bit. What was that

again?

I’m afraid you’ve lost me

Which English listening situations are new to you?

•Face to face

•Videos

•Lectures

Getting used to Listening at Imperial College

English Lessons / Listening Tests

Prepared for students: • basic vocabulary• slow speech

Listening at Imperial College

Assumes native speaker understanding: • everyday expressions and common phrases• normal speed, i.e. much faster than your English lessons• many accents in International Science

– students, researchers, professors

There’s a difference between:

Listening at Imperial: What are the main differences?

Accents? Speed? Vocabulary?

Formal / Informal

academic / technical

idiomatic phrases

If it’s slow, it’ll be easier.

British / American

Chinese / European

Indian / other varieties

Slow and Fast Speech

(exercise from pronunciation textbook)

Compare these sentences being said twice:1 slowly and carefully 2 at normal speed

You couldn’t give me a lift, could you?

Has he been to see you since Saturday?

I asked her for the best tickets they’d got left.

Do you mind moving along a bit?

English Pronunciation in Use (Advanced), by Martin Hewings, CUP

What’s your listening ‘speed limit’?

Listening Advice: To go faster…

practise listening to people who speak fast

e.g. radio presenters, movie stars

regularly watch a TV series with fast-speaking characters

e.g. ‘House’ ‘Big Bang Theory’

Listen to chat shows (spontaneous speech)

Fundamentals of Pronunciation

Brett Harmony –

English Language Support Unit

12.30 - Tomorrow!

International Science

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/media/speciallecturesarchive/2009onlinelectures

Molecular Cooking is Cooking: Molecular Gastronomy is a Scientific Activity

Distinguished Postgraduate Speaker Lecture 30 November 2009

What’s your ‘time limit’ for listening in English?

20 minutes40 minutes

1 hour2 hours +

Practise listening longer

Listen to things you enjoy - relaxed listeningEnglish music, sport, TV comedy, YouTube

Watch movies you’ve already seen in your own language

Prepare for lectures

Do you get a headache from listening to English for a long time?

Lectures : Formal / Informal LanguageFORMAL informal

of great significance

ensure

familiarise yourself with

resolve

assist

examine

substantial

really important

take a look atmake sure

lend a hand

get used to

sort out

gigantic

Speaking and Writing: Prof Nutt on Drugs (writing)

Categories of harm

There are three main factors that together determine the harm

associated with any drug of potential abuse: the physical

harm to the individual user caused by the drug; the

tendency of the drug to induce dependence; and the

effect of drug use on families, communities, and society.

Lancet 2007; 369: 1047–53Development of a rational scale to assess the harm of drugs of potential misuse Prof David Nutt FMedSci, Leslie A King PhD, William Saulsbury MA and Prof Colin Blakemore FRS

Speaking and Writing: Prof Nutt on Drugs (speaking)

They used three criteria: One is what the drug does to the person who takes it. If it stops you breathing, that’s a serious problem. And then there’s the issue of

how addictive drugs are.

An addictive drug tends to lead people

to use more of it because

they can’t break the habit.

And then the third aspect of drug use, the third harm –

group of harms - come from

the consequences to society

Horizon : Is Alcohol worse than Ecstasy? BBC2 5/2/08 9pm

Compare written and Spoken vocabulary

physical harm to the individual

what the drug does to the person who takes it

tendency to induce dependence

how addictive drugs are

An addictive drug tends to lead people

to use more of it because they can’t break the habit

Lectures: Tips for Listening (useful strategies)

Read before you go• lecture notes• books, websites in English

» learn technical vocabulary

Get there early• Sit at the front, see + hear everything

Ask Questions

Make a recording• note the time when you don’t understand

Discuss and compare notes afterwards

Get Used to Listening in English

Liz’s Listening Motto

Faster

Longer

Deeper

Regular Listening Practice

English Language Support Unit Resources

•Blackboard•Language Lab 2 (Centre for Co-Curricular Studies)•Language Pairs•Listening and Speaking Classes

Online resources for regular practice

•Web video, YouTube, Films, News Channels•Podcasts•BBC iPlayer - TV, Radio

The English Language Support Unit (ELSU) offers

classes and support to students and members of

the College who are not native speakers of

English.

Programmes at South Kensington campus for:• Undergraduate and Erasmus students• MSc and MRes students• PhD researchers• Academic Visitors / Staff

Full details on our webpages

English Language Support Unit