Overview

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This course will help non-native English speakers improve their listening and note-taking skills for the purpose of listening to academic lectures. You will learn techniques for improving your understanding and skills for taking more effective notes, and you will get lots of practice in using these. If you're planning to attend college classes in English, then this class is for you. Upon completing this course, you will be able to: 1. Understand and follow a lecture 2. Take better lecture notes 3. Discuss courses with classmates and professors 4. Give an effective academic presentation Please note that the free version of this class gives you access to all of the instructional videos and handouts. The peer feedback and quizzes are only available in the paid version.

Syllabus

Introduction to Academic Listening and Course Orientation

In this introductory module, you will become familiar with the purpose and structure of the course and meet the instructors who will guide your learning. You will also explore why listening is a critical skill for academic success and how effective listening helps students understand lectures, connect ideas, and retain important information. By the end of this module, you will understand the importance of academic listening and how developing strong listening and note-taking skills can help you succeed in university-level courses. You will also learn about expectations for participation and respectful communication within this global learning community.

What is Academic Listening and Why is It Important?

In this module, you will begin developing the core skills needed for academic listening and effective note-taking. You will explore what academic listening is, why it can be challenging, and how it supports your success in university-level courses. You will also be introduced to practical note-taking strategies, including the Cornell Method, and learn how to organize information clearly while listening to lectures. Through guided practice, you will develop techniques to take notes more efficiently using symbols and abbreviations. By the end of this module, you will have multiple opportunities to practice listening to academic content and applying structured note-taking methods to improve both speed and accuracy.

Identifying Topic and Purpose

In this lesson, you will learn strategies to become a more effective listener. You will focus on how to identify the most important information in a lecture and recognize what may be less important. You will also learn that effective listening is not limited to what happens during the lecture—it begins before the class and continues after the lecture through review and reflection.

Identifying Main Ideas and Details

In the previous module, you learned how to listen effectively to the beginning of a lecture. In this module, you will focus on listening to the main body of a lecture. You will learn how to identify main ideas and supporting details, recognize cues that signal important information, and organize these ideas clearly in your notes. You will also practice applying these skills while listening to lectures, including those that use charts and graphs. By the end of this module, you will be better able to capture key information from lectures and structure your notes for improved understanding and review.

Identifying Stance and Speaker Attitude

In this final module, you will build on your listening and note-taking skills by learning how to interpret a speaker’s stance and attitude in academic lectures. You will explore how tone, diction, and paralanguage (such as stress and intonation) influence meaning. You will also learn strategies for understanding lectures when the content is unfamiliar or difficult. Finally, you will be introduced to different types of arguments and learn how to evaluate them, helping you better understand how ideas are presented and supported in academic settings. By the end of this module, you will be able to listen more critically, interpret meaning more accurately, and take more effective notes.