In teaching listening comprehension we must be careful not to go to extremes, either
by being concerned too exclusively with theories without thinking about their
application to teaching, or by obstinately following frozen routines-opening the
textbook and explaining new words, playing the tape recorder, and asking/answering
questions. It is essential for a teacher to have an overall understanding of what
listening is, why it is difficult for foreign-language learners, and what some solutions
may be. The vital question is how to bridge the gap between an analysis of listening
and actual classroom teaching.