Authentic Materials for In-class Listening Comprehension Activity



This morning I received the message below on the Latino Partnership list-serv. Aside from the important content of the e-mail message, I immediately thought about the potential to use the message as the basis of an in-class listening comprehension activity for our students.

Here are some ideas:
  • Read the message and have students take down the information on a telephone message pad for the social services or educational setting where they are doing their own community service learning work. Would they know to whom the message should go?
  • Read the message aloud and have students fill out a form that you prepare ahead of time that asks them to list specific information from the message.
  • Prepare various scenarios (real or fictitous) about issues that Mexican nationals are facing, and ask students to decide if they should contact the Cónsul del Departamento de Protección en el Consulado General de México en Chicago, or not.

Students will find this challenging, I'm sure. To begin with, I doubt that they understand the personnel and duties of a Consulate. We have also seen throughout this semester that even advanced students have real problems understanding spoken numbers, letters and names. Finally, the last suggested listening comprehension activity requires that students both process the language and do critical thinking at the same time.

If you use this in your class, please leave a comment here or contact me (arabbott@illinois.edu) to let me know how it goes!

"Soy la Cónsul del Departamento de Protección en el Consulado General de México en Chicago. La labor de protección incluye orientar a los nacionales Mexicanos en el área que cubrimos (Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana) sobre asuntos migratorios, penales, laborales, civiles, entre otros. El número directo del Departamento de Protección es 312-7382023 de Lunes a Viernes de 8 a 5pm vía telefónica y en persona hasta la 1pm. En una emergencia pueden comunicarse fuera de horario al 18887555511.

"Estoy a sus órdenes para cualquier pregunta adicional.

"Atentamente,

"Ioana Navarrete Pellicer

"Cónsul de Protección

"Consulado General de México

"204 S. Ashland Ave.

"Chicago, IL 60607

"312-7382023"

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