Two-way communication system fosters collaboration, enables greater inclusion of hearing-impaired students in the classroom
INTEGRATED SYSTEMS EUROPE – AMSTERDAM – February 5, 2019 – Listen Technologies, a leading provider of assistive listening systems for 20 years, announced that Frijsenborg Boarding School, a Danish secondary school that specializes in accommodating students with hearing disabilities, has implemented ListenTALK in 16 classrooms. ListenTALK amplifies student and teacher voices and facilitates collaboration among hearing-impaired students, their classmates and teachers.
Frijsenborg needed to upgrade its amplifying systems and sought help from long-time partner Tonax, a Danish supplier of hearing technology and assistive listening devices. Tonax, in collaboration with distributor Lydrommet Denmark, proposed the ListenTALK two-way communication system featuring a small ergonomic transceiver (combined receiver/transmitter) that makes it easy for groups of two or more people to listen and talk with the push of a button.
ListenTALK can quickly be configured to allow for different groups (e.g., teacher and student, student and student, multiple students and teacher). One unit is used as a teacher’s microphone with an attached headset. The other units are for students – both hearing-impaired and typical-hearing students – to use as senders, receivers or both. The combined amplification of sound directly to the ears of hearing-impaired students with ListenTALK (through a neck loop that transmits to Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids or standard headphones) and classroom sound field system speakers enables hearing-impaired students to clearly hear everything that is being communicated in the classroom and to engage in discussion with teachers and peers.
“ListenTALK is a simple and very effective system that helps our hearing-impaired students hear what is being said in the classroom,” said Rasmus Bejder, a teacher at Frijsenborg Boarding School. “The fact that each ListenTALK unit is simultaneously a sender and a receiver makes it much easier for everybody. We never have the problem of a student forgetting his or her personal receiver. When arriving in the classroom, students can use any unit as their receiver, just by attaching a neck loop.”
Frijsenborg teachers like that a ListenTALK unit can be used as a “teacher” microphone and find it reassuring that they could continue a lesson within minutes (with minimal disruption to class) if a teacher transceiver needed to recharge. Users cite the ability to easily form new groups by pairing units together as another highlight. ListenTALK is flexible and can be used beyond the classroom for field trips, theatrical productions, transportation and campus administration. The system’s plug and play design means it does not require any installation – the ListenTALK units simply store and charge in a tray when they are not being used.
“The mobility of the ListenTALK system is a plus,” added Bejder. “If we want to split up the students in two or three groups during an excursion, we simply transform three units into teacher units and connect a certain number of units to each teacher’s unit. Within a few seconds, we have created more than one group.”
“Listen Technologies is thrilled that Frijsenborg is benefitting from ListenTALK and using the system to help students with hearing impairments hear sound clearly so they are able to fully engage in learning and discussion with their teachers and peers,” said Russ Gentner, CEO of Listen Technologies.
Listen Technologies will be demonstrating ListenTALK at ISE 2019 at booth number 7-C192.
About Listen Technologies
Listen Technologies believes all people deserve to hear the world around them. The company’s assistive listening products equip users with the personalized solutions they need to listen and engage in environments where hearing is difficult, whether they are in a theme park, house of worship, tour group, theaters or other venue. Listen Technologies sets the standard for innovation as it develops products that minimize noise, distance, clashing conversations, hearing loss and other audio challenges. To learn more about how Listen Technologies provides a better way to hear the world, visit www.listentech.com.
Media Contacts:
Carrie Keele
Listen Technologies
801-542-7750
Marybeth (McLean) Roberts
For Listen Technologies
760-294-6958