Reciprocal and non-reciprocal listening
As natural users of any language, much of our listening will be reciprocal, that is, part of conversational interaction where we can see, or at least, engage with the speaker. In many ways, reciprocal listening is easier for the listener to control than non-reciprocal listening. If we fail to understand our interlocutor, we can indicate our lack of understanding, which generally triggers some kind of clarification from the speaker, be it in the form of repetition or reformulation.
Many of the the listening resources offered in contemporary coursebooks for foreign language learning almost exclusively involve non-reciprocal listening, that is, where the learner is placed in the situation of eavesdropper or audience, with little possibility for direct intervention in the discourse. In non-reciprocal situations, then, the learner's comprehension has to be mediated through pedagogical tasks and activities
Reflection task 8
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When as a listener you experience a break down in communication in a language that you use proficiently (eg you haven't understood something a speaker has said to you, or you think you might have misunderstood), what do you do? Do you do the same thing in languages you are not so proficient in? When as a speaker you realize your interlocutor may not be following what you've said, particularly when you are using a language your interlocutor is not proficient in, what do you do? |
