ABSTRACT
Listening is the natural precursor to speaking; the early stages of language development in a person's first language are dependent on listening. In second language learning, several writers and researchers in the early 1980s suggested that listening had a very important role. One of the strongest arguments for emphasising listening and delaying speaking is based on a particular view of what it means to learn a language. The lessons involved almost as much speaking as listening, because listening was seen as a way to present models that learners immediately copied. Listening activities reduce the stress involved in language learning—a psychological benefit. Listening activities are well suited to independent learning through listening to recordings. Models of Listening were traditionally seen as a passive process by which the listener receives information sent by a speaker. Meaning-focused listening typically emphasises a top-down approach to listening comprehension.
