Understanding strengths and weaknesses

Reviewing teachers’ strengths and experience is as important as finding out what students need. In this school, the teachers reviewed their prior knowledge and decided to adopt the task-based framework as they got experience in designing task-based modules before. That proved to be a good building block for them to help students develop their skills further.

Use of resources

It is crucial for teachers to create space for new initiatives. Some teachers may have hesitation in starting a listening project as they fear it may create a lot of work such as script writing and recording. The teachers of this school tried to make effective use of existing resources like the NET, audio CDs, etc. to release the burden. They also resorted to secondary school students as their outside resources. These are all strategies to create time and space, making the seemingly difficult task more manageable.

Early planning

Resource limitations may be a major factor to consider before starting a listening project. There are various strategies for developing listening skills and responses to spoken texts. However, some may require extra resources like manpower or IT equipment. It is advisable that teachers plan early to review what they have and what they lack. They can then have more time to decide on what to cover in the project and make necessary arrangements. They should also think big and start small. In fact, teachers can turn it into a long-term plan which may span over a few years. In the beginning, they may choose to work on the weaker areas first and then gradually build up the resources by stages. In this way, the listening project can stand a better chance to succeed and sustain its impact.