(1) “Improving your listening skills: How to not die in a lecture class” workshop
The first guest talk “Improving your listening: How to not die in a lecture class” workshop, hosted by Ms. Janet Beth Randall was held successfully on 17th October 2023. This event not only marked a significant achievement, but also inaugurated our “Beyond Words” guest talk series.
During the workshop, students had the opportunity to collaborate with other participants by filling in the listening diagnosis questionnaire, from which they identified the specific obstacles in listening. To address these challenges, Ms. Janet Beth offered valuable guidance on enhancing listening skills through metacognitive, perceptual, and social strategies. Moreover, students further practised various strategies and engaged in discussions about their experiences in the breakout rooms.
The listening strategies imparted by Ms. Janet Beth equipped our students to extract maximum value from their lecture experiences. This workshop facilitated their breakthrough in overcoming listening barriers and propelled students to reach new heights in their lecture!
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(2) “Effective Note-taking Techniques for Active Listening” workshop
On the 18th of October, the writing centre hosted the second guest talk of the “Beyond Words” guest talk series, where we welcomed Mr. Kerry Pusey to share with us some effective note-taking techniques for active listening.
Mr. Kerry Pusey has extensive experience in teaching English for academic purposes within university settings. He introduced both the ‘bottom-up techniques’ for recording information in intensive talks, and the ‘top-down method’ for taking notes in hierarchies and chronologies.
During the session, UM students actively engaged in practising these skills and shared their reflections in the process of note-taking. The feedback was very positive, and many participants expressed their eagerness to apply these techniques in their studies.
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(3) “Listening in English for Effective Intercultural Communication” workshop
On 19th of October, the third guest talk “Listening in English for Effective Intercultural Communication” hosted by Mr. John Cordell Leih was held successfully, which concluded the “Beyond Words” guest talk series. Mr. John Cordell Leih is a professor at San Jose State University. He builds many curriculums to strengthen intercultural communication competence for college students.
The workshop provided a dynamic exploration of cultural nuances in listening dialogues, from which participants gained the strategies to enhance their effectiveness as the roles of both speaker and listener. During this session, students immersed themselves in the art of tactful interruption and honed their ability to ask for further clarification. Practical, collaborative, communicative exercises allowed participants to understand these techniques in real-time scenarios.
From this workshop, participants were equipped with cultural communication awareness, practical listening strategies, and the confidence to navigate intercultural interactions.
