Word stress in a sentence can also influence the meaning of a sentence. In Session 7, we discussed how stressing one word in a sentence can change the meaning of a sentence.

Statement Potential Meaning
HE told them my name. I do not know why he told them my name. I did not think he knew who I was.
He told THEM my name. Why did they want it? I wonder what will happen as a result.
He told them MY name. He did not give them your name or the name of another person.
He told them my NAME. Not my address or telephone number.

In addition to hearing individual sounds, it is important to be able to discriminate between different types of intonation patterns to truly understand the meaning of a sentence. Learners need to know if they are being asked a question or are simply listening to a statement.

3. Listening for Comprehension: Understanding the Main Idea

Comprehension is more than just understanding individual words and phrases. Real comprehension also involves understanding the main idea, and having the ability to understand "inferred" information or information not stated directly in speech. (Consider the phrase, "Do you have the time?" Although it is technically a question that requires a yes or no response, it is commonly used as a substitute for "What time is it?" "What time is it?" is the implied meaning of the question.)

Being able to look at the larger picture, despite gaps or problems that exist at the word or phrase level, is essential. ESL learners need to know enough vocabulary in order to successfully fill in the gaps and understand the main idea, but it is not necessary for learners to understand every word in a conversation. Sometimes, learners may comprehend individual words but may not understand the meaning because they are too busy analyzing words without linking them to the larger context.