Listening to Lectures

Taking notes in class is not just about paying attention in class. It is an active way of conceptualizing materials as you take them in. By writing something in your own words, you're able to actively learn concepts, as well as commit them to memory. If you’re struggling to understand your professors’ lectures because they speak quickly or you're new to studying in English, try using the following process for listening to lectures.

  • Learn about the lecture. Read the lecture title, the name of the lecturer, and the short description.

    Review your syllabus. Identify key concepts and words to look out for during the lecture.

    Predict. Based on these materials, what do you think the lecture will be about? Take a moment to consider your expectations based on what you already know.

    Research background information. What is the speaker’s main area of expertise? What history can you find on the topic in a quick internet search?

    Make sure you understand the keywords. Look up more information about any keywords in the title and description that you think will be important to understanding the lecture.

  • Consider your viewing conditions. Set yourself up early, at least 10 minutes in advance. Can you hear and see well?

    Listen for what you can understand. A lot of information will be given in the lecture and you should listen for what you are able to take from it. Do not get discouraged if you feel like you’ve missed something; learning from lectures is a process.

    Take notes. Write down basic ideas and any details you want to look up later. Don’t try to copy down everything that is written on slides, you will spend too much time and miss what the lecturer is saying. Frequently, important information will be said rather than shown.

    Stay focused. You only get one chance to listen to the lecture so work hard to stay focused on it. If you’re viewing online from home, close doors and silence your phone. Resist all distractions!

  • If you have access to a recorded video of the lecture, listen a second time and repeat steps 6-8. Warning: do not try to understand every word, and do not pause the recording to catch up on every moment — this would be too exhausting and time-consuming. Ideally if you have completed steps 1-8 well, you will not need to repeat.

  • Notice your thoughts. What are you still thinking about after the lecture? What ideas did you take from it? Did anything surprise you? If you could ask the lecturer one question what would it be? Spend 10 minutes writing to capture these reflections.

    Fill in the gaps. Were there important people or facts you didn’t know, or concepts you didn’t understand? Write a list of them. You may want to do some research or discuss the lecture with others in order to fill in the gaps.

*Note on transcripts and captions: Speakers naturally emphasize and repeat important information, and you will sharpen your skills by listening in for these clues. If you have access to a transcript, consider waiting until you have completed the listening process to read it. As for captions, they can be very helpful and depending on your language level you may or may not need them. If you are unsure, try listening without them for the first round.