Being a good listener is imperative as a language teacher. If you’re going to correct and guide your students towards greater fluency, you have to stay aware of what they’re saying, and how they’re saying it. You need to  listen to their pronunciation, grammar, and syntax—actively evaluate their language and search for the right teaching opportunities.

But a good teacher doesn’t  listen from an evaluative state of mind only.  Based on my experience, I believe there are two  types of listening that a teacher must keep in balance in order to give their students the highest quality learning experience: exertive listening and receptive listening. 

Let’s take a look.

Exertive listening

This is a correction-oriented type of listening. When listening in this way, the teacher is categorizing, evaluating and scanning a student’s language for areas that need attention. 

In our everyday lives this type of listening is most commonly experienced when you’re trying to understand a difficult concept or trying to decide whether you agree or disagree with  someone’s ideas. It is a quality of listening that requires effort and focuses on precision, logic and linearity. And most importantly, in teaching a language, it is interested in the accuracy of a student’s language over their human desire to communicate and be understood.

I call this method of listening exertive because as a listener you are always exerting an effort – imposing an evaluation on what you’re hearing.

Receptive listening

It is listening without the intent to evaluate or judge what is being said, but only with the desire to understand your student. When we practice receptive listening, we are more interested in communication and expression over correct language usage.

Opportune moments

There have been moments in class, when a student and I start discussing a subject that they are absolutely passionate about. Suddenly, their inhibitions disappear, they let go and they just start speaking. They go on and on, and if I listen and encourage them to keep going—asking questions, inciting elaboration—stoking the fire of their enthusiasm without searching for corrections and adjustments, something magical happens. And it’s a joy to watch them speak.

On the other hand, if I were to remain in a state of critical, exertive listening, I would stop them in their tracks, interrupt and correct them. I’ve done it, and I’ve watched the fire of my student’s enthusiasm fizzle out—an opportunity lost.

In these moments, the best thing you can do as a teacher is listen. Hear your student and be interested in understanding what they are trying to express. Whether the English is correct or not, practicing receptive listening will allow them to experience the joy of unhindered expression in another language. Done at the right moment, the confidence such an experience provides is worth more than any correction you could offer.

Striking a balance

This is not to say, that one way of listening is better than the other. The key is to strike the appropriate balance. It’s a fine line.

Allowing students to speak unhindered can build confidence, break through mental blocks, and increase motivation. Just think of those times you’ve had a few drinks and spoken a second language better than you knew you could. It can be powerful. 

Receptive listening, used correctly, can facilitate such experiences (without the need for alcohol). But done too frequently, it can hinder a student’s progress by allowing them to get sloppy with their language usage.

On the other hand, making corrections, and assertively guiding students towards proper English is one of the main roles of a teacher. It’s how students make the most consistent progress. Finding the right balance between exertive and receptive listening takes a sensitive, skilled, and experienced teacher,  one that can recognize what their students require and what the moment demands.

A teacher needs to be a pro listener

It’s undeniable—the ability to listen plays a crucial role in language education. It’s what separates the great teachers from the good ones, and if you want to improve your teaching game, you’ve got to become a professional listener who can balance exertive and receptive listening. 

As teachers, the tendency is to get carried away with over-correcting and listening in a purely evaluative way. You want to do a good job and give your students the best possible experience. But purely exertive listening can be exhausting for both you and the student.

The key is to listen, not only to your students’ language, but to their needs as well. If you can do this, then you will be able to adapt and respond appropriately to the moment and the individual student in front of you.

Happy Teaching!