Frequently Asked Questions based on Listening and Speaking Skills

Query

Reply

What are listening and speaking skills?

Good communication skills improve and raise the self-

esteem of a student; CBSE essentially desires that the students acquire proficiency in it by the time they leave the portals of the school. In the present day global

markets, the speaking and listening are considered to be the essential skills of real life. Effective spoken communication (speaking skill) requires being able to express your ideas and views clearly, confidently and concisely in speech, tailoring your content and style to the audience and promoting free-flowing communication. Whereas listening skills are ways to help you listen to something more effectively and be

able to comprehend the message being communicated.

Why is listening important?

Listening is important to a child's development. Even

before s/he can speak, a child responds to sounds around him/her- mother’s voice, another baby’s cry. Listening skills are extremely important for academic development. Listening to others speech is an important part of communication, speech, and language development.

What are the different types of

listening?

There are four basic types of listening skills. These are:

• Inactive listening, where you hear the words but your mind is far off and no communication takes place
• Selective listening where you hear only what you

want to hear.

• Active listening, where you listen closely to

content and intent and;

• Reflective listening, which is active listening

when you also work to clarify what the speaker is saying and make sure there is mutual understanding.

What is the difference between hearing and listening?

Hearing is the act of perceiving sound and receiving

sound waves or vibrations through your ear. Listening is the act of hearing a sound and understanding what

you hear.

Hearing is a skill where you use your ears only. It is one of the five senses. Listening uses different senses, like

the sense of hearing, seeing, or sense of touch.

Listening is a skill that lets the sound you hear go through your brain to process the meaning of it. It is a form of a communication technique that lets you understand, interpret and put meaning to what you hear. Listening can build a better relationship with

others, while hearing is just merely receiving sounds

through your ears.

What are Speaking Skills and what is its

importance?

Communication is a two-way process. Good listening

skills are part of good communication; you need to understand what the other person is saying to you as

well as to say what you want.

Communication often includes non-verbal clues such as tone of voice, facial expression, gestures, and body posture. Good communication includes being observant

and focusing on the other person.

When will testing of speaking and

listening skills be conducted?

It has to be a continuous process as a classroom activity.

But these skills will be tested both in SA I and SA II

Does testing of speaking and listening

help the average students?

Yes s/he will gain more confidence.

Will there be any separate timetable and

specific syllabus for testing of speaking and listening testing of speaking and listening for classes IX and XI?

No it has to be done as part of scholastic transaction.

Will testing of speaking and listening be a part of SAI and SAII?

Yes for both

Do we have to record the candidates’

performance?

Yes it is mandatory. CBSE can ask for evidence of assessment.

How can the students of class IX

improve their testing of speaking and listening skills?

By continuous practice in and outside the classrooms.

What would be the criteria to assess

speaking?

The criteria are given in the teacher’s manual and in the

curriculum.

How to improve listening comprehension?

Students can practice with suitable passages and

worksheets focused at various objectives of listening.

What are the barriers of effective

communication?

There are typically 7 barriers to effective

communication. The first is physical barriers. Each person needs his or her own space. The second is perceptual barriers, or how we each see the situation. Third, emotional barriers include fear, mistrust and suspicion. Fourth, are the cultural barriers. Fifth are language barriers. Sixth are gender barriers. Finally, interpersonal barriers are when people distance themselves from one another.

What are the performance descriptors?

What is the rationale to use them?

These are statements and phrases which are used to

describe the performance of a student. If these are

specified the assessment becomes objective and fair.

What would be the test formats of

classes IX and XI?

Please see the CBSE Circular No. Academic-27

uploaded on the CBSE Academic Website dated 29th

April 2013 (No 27)

How to use sound recorders for

speaking and listening skills?

The sound recorders come with instruction manuals.

Kindly refer to them before starting using one.