Listening- a macro skill in language learning

1.5. Strategies for effective teaching of listening
Listening strategies are techniques or activities that contribute directly to the recall of listening input. In the recent days, a number of listening strategies have been formulated to match with every different listening situation and because of this, in teaching listening skills, the language learners are facilitated in getting adjusted to their listening behavior to deal with a variety of situations, types of input, and listening purposes. Listening strategies can be broadly classified as Top-down strategies and Bottom-up strategies. Top-down strategies are listener based; the listener relies on the background knowledge of the topic, the listening context, the text type, and the language and they help the listener to interpret the ideas he has listened. Top-down strategies are for
 listening for the main idea
 predicting
 drawing inference
 summarizing
On the other hand, Bottom-up strategies are text based where the listeners use linguistic knowledge to understand information. Here the listener relies on the language in the message, that is, the combination of sounds, words, and grammar to arrive at the final message. Bottom-up strategies are to
 concentrate on specific details while listening
 recognize word-order patterns.
But listening comprehension is not constrained either to top-down or bottom-up processing, but it should be an interactive, interpretive process where listeners apply both their prior knowledge and linguistic knowledge in understanding messages. Strategic listeners also use metacognitive strategies to plan, monitor, and evaluate their listening. Metacognitive development can be described as conscious development in one’s metacognitive abilities, such as the move to greater knowledge, awareness and control of one’s learning, selecting strategies, monitoring the progress of learning, correcting errors, analyzing the effectiveness of learning strategies, and changing learning behaviors and strategies when necessary [5].The use of metacognitive strategies activates one's thinking and leads to improved performance in learning in general [6]. The metacognitive strategies train the language learner to cope with the demands of listening [7].It is quite evident that metacognitive strategies make their learning more effective, hence, they are able to maximize the information received and thus this can be used to improve their listening skills. Wenden (1998) [8] argues that learners who use their metacognitive abilities seem to have the following advantages over the other.
What's active listening, and why is it important for your career? Active listening is the process by which an individual secures information from another individual or group. It involves paying attention to the conversation, not interrupting, and taking the time to understand what the speaker is discussing. The “active” element involves taking steps to draw out details that might not otherwise be shared.
Active listeners avoid interrupting at all costs, summarize and repeat back what they have heard, and observe body language to give them an extra level of understanding. 
Active listening is a helpful skill for any worker to develop. It helps you truly understand what people are saying in conversations and meetings (and not just what you want to hear, or think you hear). It’s also a particularly useful tool to use during job interviews, since it can help you build a positive rapport with your interviewer. 
Like critical thinking and problem-solving, active listening is a soft skill that’s held in high regard by employers. When interviewing for jobs, using active listening techniques can help show the interviewer how your interpersonal skills can draw people out.
While listening is an integral part of effective communication, few students are taught how to listen effectively. Many students believe that hearing what is said is the same as listening to what is said. In reality, they are distinctly different. ‘Hearing’ is a physical yet passive act involving the process and function of perceiving sound. ‘Listening’ is hearing the sounds with deliberate intention. Therefore, unlike hearing, listening is a skill that improves through conscious effort and practice. Benefits of active listening Expressing your thoughts, feelings and opinions clearly and effectively is part of the communication process. Such expression is complemented by actively listening to and understanding the messages others are trying to get across to you. Indeed, good communication and understanding are made possible by active listening. The way to improve your active listening skills is through practice. You should not allow yourself to become distracted by things that may be going on around you. Try to make a conscious effort to hear not only the words, but to truly hear what the other person is saying. Genuine active listening will:

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  Encourage the speaker to keep talking
  
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  Indicate that you are following the conversation
  
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  Set a comfortable tone
  
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  Signal to the speaker that you are attentive and interested.
  

Although you may not necessarily agree with others, you should come to appreciate the many experiences and perspectives that people can share. Importantly, if a misunderstanding has occurred, active listening will enable communication to be clarified before any further confusion arises. To help you improve your skills, implementation of some active listening strategies will help you to reduce the potential for stress and tension, elicit greater openness, and build rapport with your lecturers, tutors and fellow students. As a consequence, the findings of the study suggest that the two variables that have the most significant effects on students’ listening comprehension skills are “the number of the books at home” and “the number of books read within one month”. Further research on listening comprehension skill may be conducted on a larger scale including public elementary schools and replicating the study on various grades. Integrating interviews with teachers, students and parents into the forthcoming research may bring about not only more comprehensive results, but also more appropriate decisions on the listening skill.