Ep. 22: SLAyyy Listening Comprehension with a Series

Gaslight

We explore the common challenges of using TV series in class: the major investment of time and prep, the difficulty of finding content that is both engaging and linguistically appropriate, and the eternal struggle over which subtitles to use.

Gatekeep

We unpack research showing how to make video work for listening proficiency, based on Zakar & Zippo (2023).

• The Study: Researchers had third-semester German students watch short (~3 min) episodes of a learner telenovela weekly. They watched with no captions after reviewing vocabulary and comprehension questions.
• Key Findings: This simple, consistent routine led to significant growth in listening proficiency, more than in the control group. The study confirms that goi ...