Part One: Discussion
With a partner or group, discuss the following: What does this quote mean to you?
What is important is not just what you're listening to, but what you are listening for.
Part Two: Listening For Gist
One of the most important skills students need for an academic lecture class is the ability to listen for gist and recognize main ideas. Listening for gist is a similar concept to skimming through a text—the focus is on central ideas, not on specific details and facts. In terms of being an effective listener, taking note of facts and details will be of little use if you have missed the central idea of the lecture.
Exercise
You will hear excerpts from the middle of four lectures. Listen for gist and use the information you hear to identify the central idea of each talk. Please open the exercise to continue.