Section 2: Developing Effective Listening Strategies:

Activity 2: Inferencing

PRE LISTENING ACTIVITY:

Activity One showed us how, when we hear part of a conversation or sentence, we are able to guess, or predict, what we didn't hear. There are other strategies that also help our listening comprehension, as well.

When we listen we make inferences, we get ideas about things that are not directly stated. A lot of the information we get when we listen comes from not only from what is said, but the situation it is said in, the needs of the speakers, how it is said, what is said (or not said), what gestures are used when things are said, etc.

Inferring means that the relationship between two pieces of information may not be directly stated, but instead has to be figured out by the listener, from clues. We have to listen not only for what is said, but how it is said, where and when it is said, and why it is said. Often, this information is not directly stated.

An example of this might be a conversation with your professor. If you ask your professor a question after class, and you see that she (or he) is gathering their notes and looking towards the clock as they listen, you might infer that your professor is in a hurry to leave, and possibly doesn’t have time to answer your question.

Or, as another example, if your professor spends half of a class period discussing the requirements for the final paper, even if the professor never directly says, "This is a very important assignment, please follow the requirements carefully", you should be able to infer this information.

Finally, people can say things one way and mean something else. If you are sitting in a lecture hall, and another student asks you if someone is sitting in the seat next to you, you can infer that they want to sit in that seat, and probably not that they are just curious about who is sitting next to you.

Think about any examples you can come up with. What do people do or say that means something more than just what they say?

LISTENING TASK:

For this task you will listen to a famous speech of your choice. Based on what you hear, and what you read about the speech, you will be asked to infer some information.

You will need Real Player -- if you do not have RealPlayer, click here to download it.

Step 1. On the Internet, go to http://www.history.com/media.do. Click on the tab for "Great Speeches" and then on "Find More" (underneath the main video screen), and browse until you find a speech that interests you. (Some of the speakers have accents that are not American, so you may possibly want to be careful whom you choose. Be aware, though, that professors at UH have a variety of accents, so it may be very good practice to listen to all types of English pronunciation.)

Step 2. Once you have selected and clicked on a speech, scroll down the page and read the short summary of the topic and of the speaker. Look up any challenging vocabulary or concepts.

Step 3. Click here to download an "inferencing" worksheet as a word processing document in rich text format, then open the file and print a copy of the worksheet.

Step 4. Listen to the speech you selected. While listening, ask yourself questions like the following:

• What is the speaker’s opinion?
• What is the main purpose of the speech?
• How does the speaker feel?
• Did they state this directly? Why or Why not?
• Does the speaker use a different intonation or word stress to make a point?
• What other clues do I use to infer information?
• What other information can I infer from what is said? Or what is not said?

Fill out the inferencing worksheet. You may want to listen more than once to fill out the sheet fully.

Step 5. Listen to the speech again. Listen closely for examples of what you have already inferred. Write down a phrase or two that is said, then write down what you can infer from that phrase. What extra information can you get from the way it is said, why it is said, or how it is said?

Step 6. Listen to the speech again. Focus on what you have already inferred. Do your inferences still make sense?

Step 7. Listen to as many additional speeches as you would like. Focus on trying to note what is directly said, what can be inferred, and why. The more practice you have with this the more inferences you will be able to make. Use the questions in Step 4 to help you.

SELF ASSESSMENT:

Keep track of your successes in a journal. Save your worksheets to track your progress. Is your listening comprehension improving? Do you feel more comfortable listening when you are actively listening for the meaning (from what is directly and indirectly said) ? As you become more experienced with listening for inferences are your observations becoming more specific or clear?

SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER USE:

• Try using this strategy in your lectures. Can you infer information from the way your professor says something? Does your professor use gestures or intonation to add more meaning to what is being said? Look over your handouts and notes. Can you infer information from the information you have been given? Does paying attention to inferencing help you understand your lectures better?
• A lot of inferencing comes from actions and gestures. Spend some time observing your classes. Can you observe any actions that help you infer meaning? Think of the example of the professor looking at the clock. What other examples can you observe of actions and gestures that help you infer meaning? Keep notes about these. What is done? What is meant by this action?
• Notice how you use this strategy in your first language. What do you say (or not say) that means something else?
• Work with a partner on one of the speeches, compare your information and inferences. What was different? What was the same?
• Use the Helpful Internet Links provided at the end of this section to find more listening resources to practice your inferencing skills.

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