Listening comprehension is a crucial skill for mastering Chinese, and it plays an especially important role in the IB Chinese B SL exam. In this exam, students are tested on their ability to understand spoken Chinese in various contexts.
1. Focused Listening vs. Extensive Listening
Focused listening focuses on details like vocabulary and pronunciation, ideal for precise content such as news reports or academic presentations. An example is the 《实用汉语听力课本》(Practical Chinese Listening Textbook), which is perfect for young learners. Extensive listening involves listening to large amounts of content to grasp the general meaning, improving comprehension and fluency. Watching a Chinese TV drama like “家有儿女“(Home with Kids) or listening to a podcast helps adapt to different speeds and accents. Both methods accelerate Chinese listening improvement.
2. Techniques for Extensive Listening
Steps and Techniques for Extensive Listening
- Diversify Content: Listen to a wide variety of materials to expand your vocabulary and get used to different topics.
- Avoid Subtitles: Try not to rely on subtitles. The goal is to understand the general meaning, not word-for-word translation.
- Daily Practice: Dedicate 15–30 minutes every day to extensive listening. Consistency is key to long-term improvement.
- Make Listening a Habit: Incorporate listening practice into your daily routine. Listen while commuting, exercising, or doing household chores.
In the IB Chinese B SL exam, the technique of “extensive listening” emphasizes understanding the general meaning of a passage by focusing on key words rather than attempting to understand every single word.
Let’s take a look at the example shown in the image below. In this listening passage, key words such as “time” (时间), “family dinner” (年夜饭), and “red envelopes” (红包) can help the listener grasp the main idea. These key words can be identified by analyzing the questions. By focusing on these central concepts, students can understand the overall theme of the passage, even if they don’t fully understand every word or phrase.
3. Techniques for Focused Listening
In the next step, let’s focus on “intensive listening”, which involves paying close attention to every detail of the audio to fully understand the content.
Steps and Techniques for Focused Listening
- First Listen: Listen to the material again and try to get the general idea of the whole text. Dictate the sentences before and after the key words in Chinese to summarize the main points.
- Second Listen: Listen again while following along with the transcript, analyzing the details and correcting your initial understanding.
- Repeated Listening: Keep listening to the same content until you can capture every detail.
For example, if the listening passage discusses the Chinese Spring Festival, intensive listening would involve identifying and understanding words or phrases like “团圆” (reunion), “好运” (good luck), and “舞龙舞狮” (dragon and lion dances). By listening attentively to how these terms are used in context, students can gain a deeper understanding of the cultural significance of the festival
By combining focused and extensive listening, you can improve your skills for the IB Chinese B SL exam. Focused listening hones detail, while extensive listening builds fluency. Consistent practice will prepare you for the exam and enhance your listening ability.
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