Listening

Listening is more than merely hearing words. Listening is an active process by which
students receive, construct meaning from, and respond to spoken and or nonverbal
messages (Emmert, 1994). As such, it forms an integral part of the communication
process and should not be separated from the other language arts. Listening
comprehension complements reading comprehension. Verbally clarifying the spoken
message before, during, and after a presentation enhances listening comprehension.
Writing, in turn, clarifies and documents the spoken message.

Teachers can help students become effective listeners by making them aware of the
different kinds of listening, the different purposes for listening, and the qualities of good
listeners. Wolvin and Coakley (1992) identify four different kinds of listening.

*Comprehensive (Informational) Listening---Students listen for the content of the

message.

*Critical (Evaluative) Listening ---Students judge the message

*Appreciative (Aesthetic) Listening---Students listen for enjoyment.

* Therapeutic (Empathetic) Listening---Students listen to support others but not judge

them.

The listening Process

Students do not have an innate understanding of what effective listeners do; therefore,
it is the responsibility of teachers to share that knowledge with them. Perhaps the most
valuable way to teach listening skills is for teachers to model them themselves, creating
an environment, which encourages listening. Teachers can create such an environment by
positive interaction, actively listening to all students and responding in an open and
appropriate manner. Teachers should avoid responding either condescendingly or
sarcastically. As much as possible, they should minimize distractions and interruptions.

It is important for the teacher to provide numerous opportunities for students to

practice listening skills and to become actively engaged in the listening process. The
three phases of the listening process are: pre- listening, during listening, and after
listening.

 Pre- listening

During the pre- listening phase, teachers need to recognize that all students bring
different backgrounds to the listening experience. Beliefs, attitudes, and biases of the
listeners will affect the understanding of the message. In addition to being aware of these
factors, teachers should show students how their backgrounds affect the messages they
receive.

Before listening, students need assistance to activate what they already know about the
ideas they are going to hear. Simply being told the topic is not enough. Pre- listening
activities are required to establish what is already known about the topic, to build
necessary background, and to set purpose(s) for listening. Students need to understand
that the  ... Act of listening requires not just hearing but also thinking, as well as a good
deal of interest and information that both speaker and listener must have in common.
Speaking and listening entail ... three components: the speaker, the listener, and the
meaning to be shared; speaker, listener, and meaning form a unique triangle.

There are several strategies that students and their teachers can use to prepare for a
listening experience. They can:

1.        Activate Existing Knowledge: Students should be encouraged to ask the

question: What do I already know about this topic? From this teachers and
students can determine what information they need in order to get the most from
the message. Students can brainstorm, discuss, read, view films or photos, and
write and share journal entries.
2.        Build Prior Knowledge: Teachers can provide the appropriate
background information including information about the speaker, topic of the
presentation, purpose of the presentation, and the concepts and vocabulary that
are likely to be embedded in the presentation. Teachers may rely upon the oral
interpretation to convey the meanings of unfamiliar words, leaving the discussion
of these words until after the presentation. At this stage, teachers need to point out
the role that oral punctuation, body language, and tone play in an oral
presentation.
3.        Review Standards for listening: Teachers should stress the importance
of the audience's role in a listening situation. There is an interactive relationship
between audience and speaker, each affecting the other. Teachers can outline the
following considerations to students:
o         Students have to be physically prepared for listening. They need
to see and hear the speaker. If notes are to be taken, they should have
paper and pencil at hand.
o         Students need to be attentive. In many cultures, though not all, it
is expected that the listener look directly at the speaker and indicate
attention and interest by body language. The listener should never talk
when a speaker is talking. Listeners should put distractions and problems
aside.
o         "Listen to others as you would have them listen to you."
 
 4.        Establish Purpose: Teachers should encourage students to ask: "Why
am I listening?" "What is my purpose?" Students should be encouraged to
articulate their purpose.
o         Am I listening to understand? Students should approach the
speech with an open mind. If they have strong personal opinions, they
should be encouraged to recognise their own biases.
o         Am I listening to remember? Students should look for the main
ideas and how the speech is organised. They can fill in the secondary
details later.
o         Am I listening to evaluate? Students should ask themselves if the
speaker is qualified and if the message is legitimate. They should be alert
to errors in the speaker's thinking processes, particularly bias, sweeping
generalisations, propaganda devices, and charged words that may attempt
to sway by prejudice or deceit rather than fact.
o         Am I listening to be entertained? Students should listen for those
elements that make for an enjoyable experience (e.g., emotive language,
imagery, mood, humour, presentation skills).
o         Am I listening to support? Students should listen closely to
determine how other individuals are feeling and respond appropriately
(e.g., clarify, paraphrase, sympathise, encourage).

Before a speaker's presentation, teachers also can have students formulate

questions that they predict will be answered during the presentation. If the
questions are not answered, students may pose the questions to the speaker. As
well, students should be encouraged to jot down questions during listening.

An additional strategy is called TQLR. It consists of the following steps:

T -- Tune in
(The listener must tune in to the speaker and the subject, mentally calling up
everything known about the subject and shutting out all distractions.)

Q -- Question
(The listener should mentally formulate questions. What will this speaker say
about this topic? What is the speaker's background? I wonder if the speaker will
talk about...?)

L -- Listen
(The listener should organize the information as it is received, anticipating what
the speaker will say next and reacting mentally to everything heard.)

R -- Review
(The listener should go over what has been said, summarize, and evaluate
constantly. Main ideas should be separated from subordinate ones.)
 5.        Use a listening Guide: A guide may provide an overview of the
presentation, its main ideas, questions to be answered while listening, a summary
of the presentation, or an outline. For example, students could use a guide such as
the following during a presentation in class.
 
o         Situation:
Speaker's name:
Date:
Occasion:
o         What is the general subject of this talk?
o         What is the main point or message of this talk?
o         What is the speaker's organizational plan?
o         What transitional expressions (e.g., firstly, secondly, in contrast,
in conclusion) does the speaker use?
o         Does the speaker digress from the main point?
o         Write the speaker's main point in no more than three sentences.
o         What is your personal reaction to the talk?
(Based on Devine, 1982, p. 33)
 

During listening

Students need to understand the implications of rate in the listening process. Nichols
(1948) found that people listen and think at four times the normal conversation rate.
Students have to be encouraged to use the "rate gap" to actively process the message. In
order to use that extra time wisely, there are several things students can be encouraged to
do:

They can run a mental commentary on it; they can doubt it, talk back to it, or extend it.
They can rehearse it in order to remember it; that is, they repeat interesting points back to
themselves. They can formulate questions to ask the speaker ... jot down key words or
key phrases ... They can wonder if what they are listening to is true, or what motives the
speaker has in saying it, or whether the speaker is revealing personal feelings rather than
objective assessments. .

After listening

Students need to act upon what they have heard to clarify meaning and extend their
thinking. Well-planned post- listening activities are just as important as those before and
during. Some examples follow.

·           To begin with, students can ask questions of themselves and the
speaker to clarify their understanding and confirm their assumptions.
 ·           Hook and Evans (1982) suggest that the post-mortem is a very useful
device. Students should talk about what the speaker said, question statements of
opinion, amplify certain remarks, and identify parallel incidents from life and
literature.
·           Students can summarize a speaker's presentation orally, in writing, or
as an outline. In addition to the traditional outline format, students could use time
lines, flow charts, ladders, circles, diagrams, webs, or maps.
·           Students can review their notes and add information that they did not
have an opportunity to record during the speech.
·           Students can analyse and evaluate critically what they have heard.
·           Students can be given opportunities to engage activities in that build on
and develop concepts acquired during an oral presentation. These may include
writing (e.g., response journal, learning log, or composition), reading (e.g., further
research on a topic or a contradictory viewpoint), art or drama (e.g., designing a
cover jacket after a book talk or developing a mock trial concerning the topic
through drama in role).

Assessment Of Listening

 Listening is one of the more difficult aspects of the language arts to assess. It cannot
be easily observed and can be measured only through inference. However, there are both
informal and formal strategies and instruments that teachers can use to help them in their
assessments.

Informal Assessment

The most effective assessment of listening may be teachers' observations and students'
self-assessments. Students initially may not be aware of how well they listen and,
therefore, need teacher guidance.

Self-assessments should be followed with one-on-one discussions about student

progress. Teachers can also videotape students while they are listening and follow up
with discussion.

The following forms can be used or adapted for informal assessments:

  Formal Assessment

More formal listening assessments can be prepared by teachers based on objectives

and perceived needs. Some examples follow.

1.        Excerpts from different genres of literature (e.g., prose, poetry, play)
can be used as follows:
 ·          Prepare a set of ten questions on the excerpt.
·          Set a purpose for the listening activity
(e.g., "Listen to determine the setting of the following passage.").
·          Have students listen to the excerpt (pre-taped or teacher-read).
·          Have students respond in writing to the prepared questions.
·          A score of 70% or better on basic recall and basic inferential
questions indicates that the student has comprehended the passage.

Questions can also be designed to determine if students comprehend critically

and creatively.

2.        Students can paraphrase, summarize, analyse, make notes, complete a

listening guide, or write a response to a spoken or multimedia presentation. The
assessment tasks can be as simple as listing significant ideas and arguments,
answering a series of questions, or identifying connotative meanings of key
words. They can be as challenging as formulating their own questions; identifying
irrelevant details; identifying fallacies, bias, or prejudice; using the information
presented and applying it to a new situation; or judging the effects of various
devices the speaker may use to influence the listener or viewer.
 
3.        Devine (1982) gives examples of other types of listening assessments.
·          After placing ten details on the chalkboard, the teacher reads a
ten-minute story aloud. After listening to the story, students are asked to
jot down the four or five details that are most important to the outcome.
The responses provide insights into students' listening ability.
·          Students listen to a story and, afterwards, write down three key
qualities of the character and their reasons for selecting these. While
listening to the story a second time, the students listen for and record
details that prove their assertions about the character.
Even though listening is a difficult language strand to evaluate, assessment must
take place to validate its place in a curriculum and to provide feedback to students.
The feedback should be specific, concise, and as meaningful as possible.
Title: Phone me
Instructions: The class will be group into three. Each group will then have
representatives. The facilitator of the activity tells the three representative the
phrase “Call me tonight” a signal to every player to listen attentively because He
will then dictate the number they have to remember. After the Facilitator has
dictated his number, each representative should have raised their flag. Whoever
raises the flag first will have the chance to answer. There will be 4 sets of
number per item that serves as their choices. The choices will be posted on the
board only when the facilitator is done dictating the number.
1) Call me tonight, my number is 307-9991

a) 307-9091

b) 307-9991

c) 307-7901

d) 307-9190

2) Call me tonight, my number is 666-5056

a) 666-5060

b) 668-5460

c) 668-5060

d) 666-5460

3) Call me tonight, my number is 550-6099

a) 554-6909

b) 550-6099

c) 554-6099

d) 550-6909

4) Call me tonight, my number is 398-8880

a) 398-8800

b) 398-8088

c) 398-8080
 d) 398-8880

5) Call me tonight, my number is 792-0110

a) 792-0110

b) 792-1010

c) 792-0110

d) 729-1010
Title: Theft in the Park
Instructions: The telephone conversation will be played by the teacher twice and
students have to listen attentively in order to fill the blanks with the correct answer.

Man: Yes, I'd like to report a ________.

Police Officer: Okay. Can you tell me exactly what happened
Man: Well, I was walking home from work two days ago, enjoying the nature all around
me . . . the birds, the frogs, the flowing stream . . . [Okay, Okay] when this woman
________ me right off my feet, grabbed my stuff, and ran off through the trees. [Hmm]. I
was so __________ by the ordeal that I didn't go after her.
Police Officer: Yeah. Can you describe the woman for me?
Man: Yeah. He was about a hundred and ninety centimeters tall . . .
Police Officer: Wait. You said a woman ________ you.
Man: Well, I'm not really sure. [Hmm]. You see, the person was wearing a white and
blackpolka dot dress, a light red sweater over it, and she . . . or he . . . was wearing a pair
of basketball shoes.
Police Officer: Humm. What else can you tell me?
Man: Okay. Like I said, the person was about 190 centimeters tall, heavy________,
with long wavy hair. She . . . or he . . . was probably in his or her late 30's. I didn't get a
good look at the person's ________, but well ... uh ....
Police Officer: What? Was there something ________?
Man: Well, the person . . . had a beard.
Police Officer: Ah! What was, uh, taken . . . exactly?
Man: Well, just my left shoe. Bizarre, isn't it?
Police Officer: Ah. The "bearded woman" has ________ again!
Man: The "bearded woman"?
Police Officer: Yeah. It's this man who dresses up like a woman and, for some
_________ reason, removes the left shoe from his victims. He's really quite _________,
though, and he usually returns the shoe to the crime scene a couple of days later.
Man: Hey, he can keep my shoe, and I'll just take off my left shoe every time I walk
through the park.

Expected answers are:

1) theft

2) knocked

3) surprised

4) robbed

5) build

6) face

7) else
8) struck

9) unknown

10) harmless
Title: Telephone Conversation
Instruction: Students will be group into three. Each group will have representatives in
front. The teacher will be presenting a telephone conversation. Students must listen
carefully to be able to answer the questions.

Speaker 1: Hello
Speaker 2: May I speak to Mary?
Speaker 1: Oh I’m sorry you called a wrong number.
Speaker 2: What number is this?
Speaker 1: What number are you calling?
Speaker 2: 668-2104
Speaker 1: Oh I’m sorry you dialed wrong. Try again
Speaker 2: Sorry, goodbye.
Speaker 1: Goodbye.

1) The caller wants to talk to Mary.

o Yes
o No
2) Mary isn’t at home
o Yes
o No
3) The person who answered tells the caller he dialed wrong.
o Yes
o No
4) The caller dialed 668-2204.
o Yes
o No
5) The person who answered tells the caller her phone number.
o Yes
o No
6) The caller should have dialed 668-2104
o Yes
o No
Title: Ordering Food in a Restaurant

Instruction: The teacher will group the class into 2. The teacher will name different
kinds of food they can find in a restaurant. Each group will be writing down every recipe
the teacher orders. Whoever lists down most with correct spelling will be the winner.

Expected Answers:
1) Taco salad
2) Wet Burrito
3) Chile Relleno
4) Grilled steak
5) Tequila Shrimp
6) Chopseuy
7) Sotanghon Saute
8) Hawaiian Chicken
9) Beef Teriyaki
10) Pork pepper steak
11) Fish escabeche
12) Irish coffee
13) Blueberry tea
14) Lasagna

15) Tortilla Chorizo Scramble

16) Curried pork Tenderloin
17) Sirloin Pasta Portobello
18) Oranges in grand mariner
19) Rice and red beans
20) Pork tortilla soup
Title: Dear Mom and Dad

Instruction: While listening to the text, the students should fill the blank with the correct
answer or they will have to answer the questions for comprehension check.

Dear Mom and Dad,

This is my fifth day at summer camp. Life in the great outdoors isn't exactly what I
expected, but I'm not starving . . . yet . . . so don't worry about me.

I guess I should tell you about what I do everyday. First, everyone has to get up at 5:30
A.M. They have this silly old rooster named Harry who loves to wake us up. Next, we
have to make our beds and tidy up the cabin before our camp counsellor, Jeff, comes to
inspect the place.

Then, we have breakfast around 6:30 A.M. After that, we have some free time, so I've
been going down to the nearby stream to fish for a couple of hours. But yesterday, the
only thing I caught was an old shoe and a tree branch. Great catch, huh? Then when I was
trying to swat a mosquito buzzing around my head, I slipped and fell in the stream and
lost my fishing pole. That ended my fishing career.

Well, in the afternoon, there are different activities we can choose from like archery,
horseback riding, and hiking. I thought archery would be the sport for me until I shot an
arrow through Jeff's pant leg. As you can imagine, I haven't been invited back since.

In the evening, everyone is assigned a different chore to get dinner ready. Yesterday, I
was in charge of cooking the hotdogs, but I accidentally dropped them in the fire, so we
had to settle for beans instead. The other kids are always razzing me about it.

At night, we sit around a campfire in front of the cabin, sing songs, and tell ghost stories.
That's usually fun, but one night while trying to find more sticks for the fire, I got all
turned around and got lost. After about an hour of wandering aimlessly in the forest, I
finally found my way back, but no one seemed to have realized what had happened,
thinking that I just had gone to bed. A bear or wolf could have eaten me and no one
would have known it. I was so beat I just crashed . . . out like a light.

Well, today is another day and tomorrow I go home . . . and not a bit too soon. I've
learned that camping is just not for me.

Love,

Brad
1. What does Brad have to do before he eats breakfast?

A. Clean his sleeping quarters

B. go down to the stream to get some water

C. feed the rooster and the other animals

2. What happened to Brad when he went fishing?

A. A tree branch fell on him.

B. He lost his fishing pole.

C. He slipped and lost one of his shoes.

3. What did he eat for dinner?

A. Steak

B. hotdogs

C. beans

4. What was Brad doing when he got lost in the forest?

A. He was running away from a bear.

B. He was searching for wood.

C. He was wondering around looking for the cabin.

5.How did Brad like summer camp?

A. He had a great time.

B. It was okay.

C. He didn't have fun.

Name of Game: Telephone
Target Students: High School
Duration: 5-30 minutes
Number of Students: Groups of 6 or more
English Skills: Listening
Objective: Groups should pass a message to each member of their group by whispering.

1. Divide class into groups of 6 or more, and arrange each group in a straight line or row.

2. Ask for a volunteer listener from each group. Take them outside of the classroom and
give them a message (one sentence or more, depending on student level).

3. Open the door, and let the students run to the first member of their group to whisper
the message.

4. Each member passes the message, by whispering, to their neighbor.

5. When the message reaches the end, the last person should run to the board and write
the message that they heard. 

The winner could be determined in various ways: first team to pass a legible, complete
message (even if it's wrong), first team to finish, first team with a message closest to the
original.

- Ask the last student to repeat the message to YOU, and write it on the board yourself.
This is a good way to practice pronunciation, and to determine which sounds students
have trouble with.

This game could take up 5 minutes or 30, depending on how much time you have and
how interested the kids are. I've used it with high schoolers in Korea and they loved it.
We spent over half the class on this activity.
Name of Game: Word Challenge

Target Students: High School

Duration: 15-30 minutes

Number of Students: Teams of 4-10

English Skills: Listening, Speaking and Spelling

Objective: 
One team says a word and the other tries to spell it
1. Have students get into teams of 4-10 people
2. One person from each team does rocks, paper, scissors
3. Winner says a word and opponent tries to write the word correctly
4. If they get it right, their team gets a point
5. If they get it wrong, the person who said the word can write it out for a point for
their team
6. Have another person from each team play 'Word Challenge'

 Make an 'arena' in the middle of the class for two students to face off

Students will start to look up difficult words to stump the other team. Remember to to a
follow-up assignment for words used, such as teaching the class the meanings and having
students make sentences with the new words.

 
Name of Game: Running Dictation

Target Students: 
Elementary School, Middle School, High School, Adults

Duration: 15-30 minutes
Number of Students: Pairs or small groups

English Skills: Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing

Objective: 

Remember words and phrases and dictate them to your partner

1. Break students up into groups of 3-4, or pairs for small classes
2. Put one sentence on a piece of paper for each team
3. One leader from each team goes to the board and tries to remember their sentence
4. The leader returns to their group and dictates the sentence while team members
write it down
5. First team to finish correctly gets a point
6. Change words/sentences and switch leaders

 Use pictures for children who can't spell and have them draw the picture instead
of writing the words
 Use multiple sentences for more advanced students
 Place
sentences around the room and have each group member do one each.
 Groups have to put the sentences into the right order before turning in the paper

Make each team's paper different so students don't simply listen to other teams. Leaders
are not allowed to take their paper, write down anything, or yell across the room. They
are allowed to return to board to look at their paper as many times as they like. Use words
from class to reinforce learned vocabulary and grammar structures.
Name of Game: Country Dash

Target Students:  High school

Duration:  5-15 minutes

Number of Students: Groups of 2-3

English Skills: Listening, Vocabulary

Objective: 

 Learn geography by moving the right continent

1. Prepare 5 flashcard - Africa, Asia, North America, South America, and Europe
2. Clear desks to side of room or go outside if possible
3. Select 5 students to hold up flashcards
4. Teacher calls out a country and students move to the continent where they think
the country is
5. Students who go to the wrong continent sit down
6. Last student left wins
7. Rotate flashcard-holders and play again

 Stick flashcards to convenient objects so all students can play

 Have the last 5-10 students win and give them all a small prize
 Use nationality and/or language in addition to country
 Change continents to categories like verb, adjective, noun

Use easy countries at first so less advanced students don't get discouraged. Teach students
the information and play it again. Seems to work best at the end of a lesson.
Name of Game: Bingo Trivia

Target Students:  High School

Duration:  20-25 minutes

Number of Students: At least 6

English Skills:  Listening, Speaking

Objective: 

 Review class material by playing bingo style trivia

1. Draw a bingo grid on a piece of paper
2. Fill the squares with 'W', 'Q', '+s', and '-s'
3. Draw the same grid on the board without the letters
4. Divide students into groups and decide which team goes first
5. One team decides how many points they want to use and chooses a square on the
board
6. 'W'= give them a word to spell
7. 'Q'= question from the lesson's story
8. '+s'= automatically get the amount of points they bet
9. '-s'= automatically lose the amount of points they bet
10. Team with the most points wins

 Use different categories for 'W' and 'Q'

 Use more than 2 categories
 Make up new categories, such as toungue twisters (thanks Jaine!)
 For large classes, have one person in each group be the leader and give them a
complete grid with questions
 Have students come up with their own questions and ask each other
 If a team can't answer correctly, give the questioning team a chance

Use eeny-meeny-miney-moe to see who goes first and teach it to the kids to use when
they play in small groups.
Name of Game: Clap/Don't Clap

Target Students:  All Levels

 
Duration: 5-10 Minutes

Number of Students:  Any number

English Skills: Vocabulary Building, Listening

Objective: 

 Review vocabulary words by category

1. Choose a category, such as animals, sports, etc.
2. Call out a vocabulary word that fits the theme (ie 'cat' for animals)
3. Students clap if you call out a word that fits the category
4. Once they are in a comfortable rhythm, say a word that is not in the category

5. Share a laugh when someone claps in the wrong place 

 Use flashcards for younger learners

If you are using flashcards, one trick is to place the flashcards on chairs and stand behind
them. Then, move behind each flashcard as you say it. Trick the kids by standing behind
a flashcard and calling out a different word.

Be creative and come up with ways to try and trick the class into clapping at the wrong
time but be careful about students feeling hurt if they keep making a mistake.

Name of Game: Three Kingdoms

Target Students:  Middle School, High School

Duration:  20-25 minutes

Number of Students: Groups of 3-5

English Skills: Speaking and Listening

Objective: 

 Make questions with Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How
1. Place a number of cards with the words "Who," "What," "Where," "When,"
"Why," and "How" face down
2. Among the cards is a "China" card
3. Divide the class into three groups and designate them as one of the ancient
Korean kingdoms: Shilla, Baekje, and Goguryeo
4. All "kingdoms" start with 100 points
5. Groups take turns flipping over and one card at a time and make a question with
the word
6. For every correct question they make, they get two "Army" cards, which have a
power of ten
7. For every third correct question, they get a "Castle" card which grants 50 bonus
points. (Ask: "Who do you want to attack?)
8. After making a correct question, groups can choose to continue taking Army
cards OR they can choose to use up their army cards to attack another group and
destroy their points
9. However, whoever turns over a "China" card will cause ALL groups to lose one
Castle (-50 points) and ALL their Army cards!

 Make smaller groups and include other "kingdoms" such as Gaya and Mahan
 If you are teaching in other countries change names
o For example, if you are teaching in China, you can change the "Kingdom"
names to states or dynasties in Chinese history and have the "Huns" or
;quot;Mongols" as the killer card
 Include other question words, not just the standard who, what, where, when, why,
and how
 Put grammar or trivia questions on cards
 Assign each group a "capital city" as a starter castle and city names or specific
castle names to "castle cards," this way you can also "Who do you want to
attack?" and "Where do you want to attack?" or "What do you want to attack?"

Name of Game: The Hot Seat

Target Students: All levels

Duration: 45 minutes

Number of Students: Any

English Skills:  Listening
 
Objective: 

 Communicate words without saying them

1. Break class into 4 or less teams
2. Place a 'hot seat' in front of the class and facing away from the board
3. Each team selects a leader
4. One team is up at a time and their leader sits in the hot seat
5. Write ten words on the board so the leader can't see them
6. Number the words 1-10
7. Each team member is assigned a word or words on the board
8. Some team members may have more than one word
9. Team members take turns communicating their word to the leader without
saying the word with no spelling, writing, or drawing allowed
10. Team members can say 'pass' if their word is too difficult
11. Each team has 1 minute to get as many words as possible
12. The team with the most points at the end wins

 Use simple words like animals or days of the week for weaker students
 Use the word 'pass' as one of the words on the board to challenge strong students

This game can be challenging to explain so preparing directions in the student's native
language can be helpful.
Beginner Dialogue: Today's Special
By Kenneth Beare, About.com Guide

Today's Special

(in a restaurant)

Waiter: Good afternoon, how can I help you today?

Jennifer: I'd like a table for one, please.

Waiter: Right this way. (walks to table) Here you are.

Jennifer: Thank you. Can I have a menu?

Waiter: (hands a menu) Here you are. My name's Alan and I'm your waiter today. Would
you like to hear today's specials?
Jennifer: Certainly.

Waiter: Well, we have a wonderful mushroom soup to start off with. Today's main
course is fish and chips.
Jennifer: Fish and chips? Is the fish fresh?

Waiter: Certainly, madam. Fresh off the docks this morning.

Jennifer: Alright, I'd like the fish and chips.

Waiter: Would you like to have a starter?

Jennifer: hmmm, I'm not sure.

Waiter: Our salads are excellent, madam.

Jennifer: I'd like a green salad.

Waiter: Very good. Would you like something to drink?

Jennifer: Oh, I'd like some mineral water, please.

Waiter: OK. So that's a green salad, fish and chips and mineral water.
Jennifer: Yes, that's right.

Waiter: Thank you and enjoy your lunch.

Jennifer: Thank you.

COMPREHENSION QUIZ

1. Who is Jennifer having lunch with?

A. Tim
B. Alan
 C. Nobody

2. What is today's special?

A. Vegetable soup
B. Fish and Chips
C. Green salad

3. Jennifer is _________

A. going to have a starter and a main course.

B. going to have only a starter.
C. going to have a main course.

4. Is the fish fresh?

A. Yes
B. No
C. Doesn't say

5. What is Jennifer going to have to drink?

A. Nothing
B. Wine
C. Mineral water

Name of Game: I Went to the Market

Target Students: All levels (tougher category for higher level)

Duration: 10-20 minutes

Number of Students: Any

English Skills: Listening and Speaking

 
Objective: 

 Use memory to reinforce past-tense structure and focus on correct use of articles
1. Divide class into groups and select one group to help demonstrate rules
2. Teacher starts by saying, "I went to the market and I bought an apple."
3. Student next to the teacher follows by saying, "I went to the market and I
bought an apple and some eggs."
4. The next student continues by saying, "I went to the market and I bought an
apple, some eggs, and a potato."
5. Play continues with each student repeating what previous members said and
adding one item to the shopping list

 I went to the electronics store and I bought...

 When I go on vacation I will take...
 Next year, when my friend and I go skiing in France, we must remember to take...

This game allows students to demonstrate the range of vocabulary that they know, or
simply to use what you have been teaching them recently. They should be good listeners
in order for them not to be eliminated. Once the word is given it cannot be repeated.
Good game to practice all kinds of verb tenses.

Title: The Basketball Player

Instructions: Listen to the record of a conversation between a basketball player and an
interviewer. Be able to answer the questions. The conversation should only be played
once.

Interviewer: Hello, What's your name?

Player: My name is Eric.

Interviewer: Hi, Eric. How old are you?

Player: I am thirteen years old.

Interviewer: Okay, are you on a basketball team?

Player: Yes, I am.

Interviewer: What's your team's name?

Player: Its name is the Colts.

Interviewer: Is that a school team?

Player: Yes, it is.

Interviewer: How many games did your team play last season?

Player: We played about 24 games.

Interviewer: Where did your team finish in the standings?

Player: We finished in second place over all.

Interviewer: Did you play in any tournaments?

Player: Yes, we went to three tournaments.

Interviewer: Which tournaments?

Player: We went to one in Redcliffe, one in Medicine Hat and one in Seven Persons.

Interviewer: And how did you do?

Player: We won two out of the three tournaments.

Interviewer: Oh, that's very good! What do you like best about playing basketball?

Player: I like it when I score three point shots in practice, because I can usually never... I
usually can't ever make those.

Interviewer: Okay, and who was your coach this season.

Player: My coach was my dad.

Interviewer: Aha! And are you going to play again next season?

Player: Yes, I plan on playing again next season.

Interviewer: Okay, thanks a lot Eric.

Questions:

What is the player's name?

How old is the player?

What’s the name of the player’s team?

How many games did the Colts play last season?

Did the player’s team go to any tournament?

How many tournaments did the player’s team win?

Who was the player’s coach?

Does the player plan to play again next year?

Title: The Basketball Player

Instructions: Listen to the record of a conversation between a basketball player and an
interviewer. Be able to answer the questions. The conversation should only be played
once.

Interviewer: Hello, What's your name?

Player: My name is Eric.

Interviewer: Hi, Eric. How old are you?

Player: I am thirteen years old.

Interviewer: Okay, are you on a basketball team?

Player: Yes, I am.

Interviewer: What's your team's name?

Player: Its name is the Colts.

Interviewer: Is that a school team?

Player: Yes, it is.

Interviewer: How many games did your team play last season?

Player: We played about 24 games.

Interviewer: Where did your team finish in the standings?

Player: We finished in second place over all.

Interviewer: Did you play in any tournaments?

Player: Yes, we went to three tournaments.

Interviewer: Which tournaments?

Player: We went to one in Redcliffe, one in Medicine Hat and one in Seven Persons.

Interviewer: And how did you do?

Player: We won two out of the three tournaments.

Interviewer: Oh, that's very good! What do you like best about playing basketball?

Player: I like it when I score three point shots in practice, because I can usually never... I
usually can't ever make those.

Interviewer: Okay, and who was your coach this season.

Player: My coach was my dad.

Interviewer: Aha! And are you going to play again next season?

Player: Yes, I plan on playing again next season.

Interviewer: Okay, thanks a lot Eric.

Questions:

What is the player's name?

How old is the player?

What’s the name of the player’s team?

How many games did the Colts play last season?

Did the player’s team go to any tournament?

How many tournaments did the player’s team win?

Who was the player’s coach?

Does the player plan to play again next year?

Title: Nice to meet you!

Instruction: The first time the conversation will be played, students will have to
comprehend to be able to get into details. The second time they will have to complete the
text. The second part will only be executed when comprehension has been done.

Teacher: Oh, hi. What was your name again. I can't keep straight all the students' names
this being the second day of school.

Student: It's okay. I have a hard time remembering names myself.

Teacher: How, uh, Karen, right?

Student: No, it's Nancy. My mom's name is Karen.

Teacher: Nancy. Okay. I think I heard you were from England.

Student: Well, I was born there, but my parents are American. I grew up in France.

Teacher: Oh, a world traveler!

Student: But then we moved here when I was nine.

Teacher: So, what does your father do now?

Student: Well, he's a college professor, and he is in Scotland at the moment.

Teacher: How interesting. What does he teach?

Student: Oh, I haven't a clue. Nah, just joking. He teaches chemistry.

Teacher: Oh, chemistry, and uh, what about your mother?

Student: She works full time at home.

Teacher: Oh, and what, does she have her own business or something?

Student: Nah, she takes care of me.

Teacher: Well, being a Homemaker can be a real hard, but rewarding job.

Student: I think so too.

Questions:
1. Where does this conversation most likely take place?
A. at a park
B. at a school
C. at a birthday party
D. at a music recital

2. What is the girl's name?

A. Kathy
B. Karen
C. Nancy
D. Nanny

3. Where does the girl probably live now?

A. in Scotland
B. in France
C. in England
D. in the United States

4. What does the girl's father do for a living?

A. He is a travel agent.
B. He is a professor.
C. He is computer programmer.
D. He is a French teacher.

5. What is one thing NOT mentioned about the girl's family?

A. why her parents lived in England for several years
B. where her mother works at the present time
C. where the girl grew up
D. how old the girl was when she moved to her present location

Text completion:
Teacher: Oh, hi. What was your name again. I can't keep straight all the students' names
this being the (1) day of school.

Student: It's okay. I have a (2) time remembering names myself.

Teacher: How, uh, Karen, right?

Student: No, it's Nancy. My mom's name is Karen.

Teacher: Nancy. Okay. I think I (3) you were from England.

Student: Well, I was (4) there, but my parents are American. I grew up in
France.

Teacher: Oh, a world traveller!

Student: But then we (5) here when I was nine.

Teacher: So, what does your father do now?

Student: Well, he's a (6) professor, and he is in Scotland at the moment.

Teacher: How (7) ! What does he teach?

Student: He teaches chemistry.

Teacher: Oh, chemistry, and uh, what about your mother?

Student: She works full time at home.

Teacher: Oh, and what, does she have her own (8) or something?

Student: Nah, she takes care of me.

Teacher: Well, being a homemaker can be a real hard, but (9) job.

Student: I (10) so too.

Title of the Game: Meeting New People

Intructions:

Group the class into 3 each group. The goal of each group is to win by memorizing
the names dictated by the teacher. The group will only be allowed to write when the
teacher is done mentioning the names. It’s up to the students to strategize to be the
winner.

 Boys Names: Aaron, Adam, Andrew, Brandon, Brian, Chad, Charles,

Christopher, Daniel, David, Derek, Dustin, Eric, Jacob, John, Joseph, Joshua,
Justin, Kevin, Mark, Matthew, Michael, Nathan, Paul, Richard, Robert, Ryan,
Scott, Shawn, Stephen, Thomas, Timothy, Travis, William

 Girls Names: Amanda, Amber, Amy, Andrea, Angela, April, Ashley, Christina,
Courtney, Crystal, Danielle, Emily, Erica, Erin, Heather Jamie, Jennifer, Jessica,
Julie, Katherine, Katie, Kelly, Kimberly, Kristin, Laura, Lauren, Lisa, Maria,
Mary, Megan, Melissa, Michelle, Nicole, Rachel, Sara (Sarah), Shannon,
Stephanie, Tara, Tiffany
Let's begin with the first of the Listening games. Do not provide any explanation on
listening before playing the game. The experience of the game should not be influenced
by the input. You do not want the effect of the experience to be diluted.

Here's the listening game.

Listening Game: The most influential experience

1. Divide the group of people in two by counting off into twos. The group should have
even-numbered people. If the group is odd-numbered, then ask the last person whose
number is 'one' to be the observer. Take all the 'ones' outside the room. (This listening
game will work well when you have a co-facilitator.)

2. The co-facilitator steps out of the room with the 'ones', while you stay in the room with
the 'twos'

3. Instructions to the 'ones': "Take a few moments and reflect on an incident which had a
dramatic influence in your life. It should fit into the category of 'life changing'.

"After a while you'll go back to the room. There you'll find your colleagues sitting in
different parts of the room with an empty chair in front of them. You can take the empty
chair before anybody you choose.

"Once you are seated begin to tell that person the 'one most influential event' in your life.
After you have finished, your partner will summarise what you told her."

4. Room arrangement with the 'twos' during this listening game: Get the twos to spread
out in the room (not huddle around one area of theroom) and sit on a chair. Other than
their own chair they should have an empty chair facing them. Have the 'twos' sit on one
of the pair of chairs.

5. Instructions for the 'twos':"After a while the ones will come into the room and each one
will occupy one of the empty chairs. So that means each one of you will have one
colleague sitting infront of you.

"They will begin to tell you about an experience that they have had in their lives. Your
task is to ignore them as unobtrusivley as possible. Your body language will involve
sitting back, not meeting their eyes, twiddling with something in your hand like pen or a
pencil and possibly doodling.

"You'll continue this 'non-listening' behaviour until the trainer gives you a signal like
knocking on the table with a marker. (Set a signal with the 'twos' that is mutually
agreeable to you and them. It should be something audible above the din as well as
unobtrusive.)
" As soon as you hear the sound transform your body language to one of listening. Lean
forward, meet the speaker's eyes, stop twiddling and doodling. Once your partner has
finished relating her piece, summarise to her what you heard."

Now play this listening game exactly as per your instructions above. You'll find that
when the 'ones' walk in there is a momentary hesitation in choosing a partner. Then they
briskly walk up and sit down infront of one person.

Some behaviours that you will notice in this listening game.

Some of them start to speak immediately, inspite of the fact their partners are not
listening. Out of these some will stop talking on noticing that they are not being heard,
while others will plough on. The ones who stop speaking, you'll notice will either look
offended or will try and attract the attention of the listeners.

Some of them will just sit down and wait for the listeners to look up and start listening.

There's also a certain tension you'll sense because of the non-listening behaviour. The
listeners you'll find are squirming in their seats because they have to keep themselves
from listening to their partners. They can partially hear the speakers relating 'life
changing' experiences, their voices heavy with emotion and they are not expected to
listen.

As the listening game reaches this point and you give the prearranged signal, there's a
marked change in the emotional content of the room. There's interaction, good listening
behaviour from the listeners and almost a relieved continuation of the conversation by
the speakers.

Some other behaviours you will notice in the room during this listening game: Anger
among some of the speakers, so much so that they refuse to speak. Disinterest among
the speakers, who are now completing the activity very mechanically. Sometimes there
are instances of weeping as the speakers are very hurt by the listeners' behaviour.
Consequently the listeners are trying their best to gain control of the situation once again.

Debrief of Listening game:

Before you begin the debrief ask the listeners and speakers to sit in a row facing each
other, the listeners in one row and the speakers in the other.

1. First ask the listeners to repond to the following questions:

How do you feel? What are you learning?

2. You'll hear about all the behaviour and feelings that you noticed while the game was in
progress.

3. While the speakers want to share too, try and contain them till it's their turn to respond
to the debrief questions.

4. Once again you will hear about the observations that you made earlier.

5. You'll also sense amazement and hear sheepish laughter at the discoveries they have
made about themselves.

6. They will express learnings like :

 'I realise that I have done this with quite a few people and when it happened to me
I did not like it at all. I have decided that I will never ignore people again.'
 'I felt lousy not being able to listen to my partner especially when she was sharing
something so important.'

7. Some of the other learnings that you need to gently bring home to them

 It is not everytime people have something earthshattering to share. Yet whatever

they do want to share is important to them and so worth listening to.
 It is also insensitive for speakers to go ahead and share whatever they want to
even if the listener is not paying attention to them. It would be more fruitful
if speakers listen to the body language of the listeners and deal with that first,
sensitively of course. They need to take time to find out what's keeping the
listener from listening.
 Not listening (either to the verbal message or the non-verbal message) is the
malaise that has affected society. This malaise has resulted in
competing relationships rather than in collaborative synergistic relationships.
Title: Adjective game:

1. Everybody is going to take turns - go round robin - in saying theirnames preceded by

adjectives for themselves. The condition is that the adjectives will begin with the same
letter as their first names. For instance if I am a participant, when it is my turn to
introduce myself, I would say 'lovely Leena'.

2. Add a twist to the game. From the second person onwards, the introduction will be
preceded by the repeating the introduction of the first person. For instance if the person
before me introduced herself as 'Pretty Pia', I will introduce myself as 'pretty Pia', 'lovely
Leena'. Clarifying further, if there were four people ahead of me, I would introduce
myself after I have repeated their introductions of themselves. This might look like
'beautiful Betty', 'gorgeous Gina', 'pretty Pia' 'lovely Leena'.

3. Complicate the game further. The introductions will take place while all participants
are clapping. The clapping continues till all participants have introduced themselves. This
forces participants to listen carefully while enjoying themselves.

Let's look at the second of the icebreakers