STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING LISTENING SKILLS TO B2 LEVEL LEARNERS
Keywords:
listening skills, B2 level learners, listening comprehension, language teaching strategies, top-down processing, bottom-up processing, authentic materials, task-based learning, second language acquisition, communicative competence.Abstract
This article examines effective strategies for teaching listening skills to learners at the B2 level within the framework of communicative and cognitive language teaching. At this stage, learners are expected to comprehend extended speech, follow complex arguments, and interpret implicit meaning in authentic spoken discourse. The study analyzes the specific challenges faced by B2 learners, including processing speed, lexical density, variation in accents, and the need for inferencing skills. Particular attention is given to the role of top-down and bottom-up processing in listening comprehension and the importance of integrating both mechanisms in instructional practice. The article discusses a range of pedagogical strategies, such as pre-listening schema activation, guided listening tasks, segmentation of input, and post-listening analytical activities. The use of authentic audio materials and task-based learning is also evaluated as a means of developing learners’ ability to cope with real-life listening situations. The findings indicate that systematic and cognitively informed instruction significantly improves listening comprehension, promotes learner autonomy, and enhances overall communicative competence at the B2 level.
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References
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