As an ESL teacher, I always look for effective ways to help my students improve their English listening skills. One of the most helpful strategies, backed by research, is surprisingly simple: listening to the same text twice. A recent study published in TESOL Quarterly by Franz Holzknecht and Luke Harding (2023) shows how this method can significantly improve understanding, especially when learning English as a second language. But why is listening twice so helpful, and how can you use this technique in your learning?


Why Listening Twice Helps

Listening to a recording only once makes it easy to miss details—especially if the speaker has an unfamiliar accent or speaks quickly. The research by Holzknecht and Harding found that when students listened to a text twice, they understood more and felt more confident about their answers. Listening twice allows you to first understand the main idea, and then focus on the details during the second listening. This method is particularly useful in language tests or real-life situations where it’s important to understand everything clearly.


For example, think about a situation where you’re listening to a lecture or a conversation in English. If the speaker has a strong accent or uses vocabulary you’re not familiar with, you might feel overwhelmed and struggle to keep up. Listening twice gives you a second chance to catch those important points that you might have missed the first time. It’s like rewinding a film to rewatch a scene you didn’t fully understand. This approach not only helps you improve your comprehension but also boosts your confidence in your listening abilities.


Lowering Your Anxiety

Listening exercises, especially in a test or classroom setting, can be stressful. You might feel pressured to catch every word the first time, which can make you anxious and affect your understanding. However, the study showed that when students knew they would have a second chance to listen, their anxiety levels dropped significantly. With less stress, students could focus better on what they were hearing, leading to better understanding and remembering of the information.


Anxiety can be a major barrier to effective listening. When you’re anxious, your brain is less able to process information because it’s focused on the stress rather than on understanding the content. By knowing you’ll have a second opportunity to listen, you can relax more during the first listen, allowing your brain to work more effectively. This makes the listening process less about survival and more about truly understanding and learning from the material. Reducing anxiety can be especially helpful in high-stakes situations, like exams, where every point counts.


Focusing on Real Understanding

Another interesting finding from the research was how students’ strategies improved when they knew they could listen twice. Instead of just trying to catch keywords to guess the answers, students were able to think more deeply about what they were hearing. This deeper thinking allowed them to better understand the context and meaning of the text, rather than just focusing on individual words. The second listening gave them the chance to check their initial understanding and improve their overall comprehension.


For instance, during the first listen, you might focus on understanding the general topic or the main idea. You might catch some keywords and phrases, but not fully grasp the details. During the second listen, you can pay attention to how these details fit into the bigger picture. This process helps you develop a more complete understanding of the text, which is crucial for mastering a new language. The ability to listen for both the big picture and the finer details is an important skill in language learning, and listening twice helps you practice and improve this skill.


The Role of Listening Strategies

Holzknecht and Harding’s study also showed that students used better listening strategies when they knew they could listen twice. These strategies are techniques or methods that help you understand what you hear. Listening strategies can include things like predicting what the speaker will say next, paying attention to the tone of voice, or even visualizing what is being described. These strategies are useful because they actively involve you in the listening process, making it easier to understand and remember what you hear. By listening twice, you have more opportunities to use and refine these strategies, which will make you a better listener over time. This is not just about understanding one particular text better—it’s about becoming a more skilled and confident listener overall.


How You Can Use This in Your Learning

Whether you’re preparing for an exam, working on your listening skills for everyday communication, or just trying to improve your English, here are a few tips to make the most of listening twice:

  • Practice Listening Twice: Try this method with your listening exercises. On the first listen, focus on understanding the general idea or main points. On the second listen, pay attention to specific details, vocabulary, and the speaker's tone. Over time, this will help you become more comfortable with different accents and speech patterns.
  • Stay Calm: Remember, it’s okay if you don’t catch everything the first time. Knowing you can listen again can help you stay calm and improve your understanding. This mindset shift is crucial for reducing anxiety and allowing your brain to focus on comprehension rather than just survival.
  • Use Different Strategies: Engage more deeply with the content. Try to predict what might come next, relate the new information to what you already know, and think about the context. These strategies will help you during the second listen and improve your overall listening skills. Each time you listen, you can practice different strategies, helping you to find the ones that work best for you.
  • Adjust to Different Accents: Listening twice can be particularly helpful when dealing with unfamiliar accents. The first listen helps you adjust to the accent and the speaker’s rhythm, while the second listen allows you to catch any details you might have missed.


Final Thoughts

Improving your listening skills takes practice, but sometimes a simple change, like listening to something twice, can make a big difference. By lowering your anxiety and allowing for deeper understanding, this method can help you become more confident and successful in your English learning. As your teacher, I’m here to help you discover and use the strategies that work best for you. So next time we do a listening activity, don’t be surprised if I hit the play button a second time—you might find that it helps you understand more and feel more confident in your English skills.

Remember, progress comes with consistent practice. Reflect on how these strategies help you improve over time, and keep applying them in different situations to see the best results.

Looking forward to our next lesson together! Let’s keep working on those listening skills and explore more ways to make your learning experience as effective as possible.


Reference

Holzknecht, F. and Harding, L., (2023) ‘Repeating the Listening Text: Effects on Listener Performance, Metacognitive Strategy Use, and Anxiety’ TESOL Quarterly, 58(1), pp. 451-478.