An Exploratory Evaluation of Certain Aspects of the Listening Program as a Part of the Study Skills Course at the University of Wyoming

Abstract

In her article on listening, Furness (3) noted that from a historical viewpoint listening was, at one time, the prime medium of communication. The evolution of printing changed the emphasis to reading, and more recent communicative de velopments such as radio, sound motion pictures, and ease of assembly completed the cycle. If lis tening is a part of the learning process, considera tion should be given to classroom implementation. Dow and Irvin (2) contend that reading and lis tening are the basic tools of learning. In 1928, Rankin (8) reported the results of a study which is becoming a classic in the litera ture of listening. Of the time spent by adults in daily communication, forty-two percent was spent in listening, thirty-two percent in speaking, fif teen percent in reading, and eleven percent in writing. At the same time it was shown that eight percent of the classroom emphasis was placed upon listening, ten percent upon speaking, thirty percent upon writing, and fifty-two percent upon reading. According to Rankin, the ability to listen is the most frequently used of the language arts, and the evidence points to a probable need for greater cognizance of oral language in the school situation. Wilt (10) stated in ,1949 that fifty-eight percent of the school day is spent in listening activities. The amount of time spent in listening activities varies, as does the comprehension of materials presented in an oral manner. Comprehension ranges from twenty-five percent to seventy-five percent as reported by Goldstein (4:58-63), Ni chols (7:278), Irvin (5:78), and Lewis (6:2715). | The importance of listening should not be re stricted to an academic situation, according to the Commission on the English Curriculum (1). Informal listening in the social group is a part of daily living, and has a definite impact upon the individual. It is generally agreed by experts in the field that listening, as a communicative skill, can be taught, and some schools have actively partici pated in the augmentation of course work de signed to teach listening. The pioneers in this area include Air University, Maxwell Field, Alabama; Michigan State University; University of Min nesota; Stephens College; and the University of Wyoming.