Chapter 6

Chapter 6 teaches some about the listening process.  In listening, "Students learn best when they already know something about the subject matter and can draw from this prior knowledge" (Diaz-Rico, pg. 146)  According to another source, "Prior knowledge activation reminds learners of what they already know.  Activating prior knowledge readies the mind to accept and retain new information"  (http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/et650_online/mapps/Strats.html).  As a teacher, getting students to truly listen is a difficult process.  Often we want to teach them new information that quite possibly they have never learned before.  It is impossible to teach something completely new if a student has absolutely no prior knowledge of what you are talking about.  If a teacher does not tap into prior knowledge, then the student begins to stop listening with glazed eyes thinking about lunch time.  Teaching new information is particularly difficult with English language learners.  Sometimes prior knowledge can simply be an understanding of vocabulary used to explain new concepts.  Yet English learners do not have the prior knowledge of certain vocabulary because it comes in a language they are only beginning to learn.  There is also a possibility that all examples used in explaining new ideas come from a dominant American culture leaving out the English language learners points of reference to understand these ideas.  As teachers we need to find ways of reaching students ears by reaching their prior knowledge so that great learning can take place in our classrooms.

Alyssa Barnard wrote, "Listening is an essential skill for all students to acquire.  The ability to listen and speak makes academic success possible."  Another aspect of listening is that it develops a person's speaking skills.  Without good speaking skills, writing becomes very difficult for any student.  For an English language learner listening develops their ability to learn to speak the English language in a more effective way.  Listening will help English Language learners become better speakers and writers.  This is why it is essential that I as a teacher tap into their prior knowledge of subjects so that I will be worth listening to.  Dorine Finks also agreed by writing, "I must assist the listener to draw upon background knowledge and experiences to help connect the listener to what is being said."  Prior knowledge can be looked at like building the house of knowledge on a rock.  It is a solid foundation to which a student can build bigger and greater learning discoveries on.  If we do not activate prior knowledge we might be building student learning on quicksand and no matter how spectacular the high rise of learning is, it will only sink in that quick sand leaving you or I as a teacher with a lesson which wastes both the students' and our time.