Learning To Listen to Authentic English from Satellite TV.

The transcript of a conference presentation describes, with audience activities, one college instructor's use of videotaped television broadcasts for English-as-a-Second-Language instruction in Taiwan. The method, intended primarily for developing listening skills, makes use of English-language satellite television now widely available. Students use tapes of authentic broadcasts in class and are encouraged to watch the same network in their leisure time. A primary objective is for students to feel comfortable enough with English language listening to undertake it on their own. News broadcasts and music videos have been particularly useful instructional materials. The news stories broadcast on the satellite network are generally of international or general human interest, address varied topics, are authentic, contain varied language, are culturally structured, and because of their nature, often provide additional aids to comprehension. The topics may already be familiar from native-language broadcasts. News stories offer a variety of classroom activities. Music videos are appealing to students and offer many possibilities for listening activities, including use of cloze tests and analyses of lyrics, music, and visual activity. Group questions and handouts used in class and in the presentation are appended. (MSE)