19
continued
Activity types Purposes
Materials
compares this message with the original. Other listen
and repeat games ask the learners to repeat something
only if it is true. Listening to
physically ‘settle’ or calm pupils
Sets of three words which contains
matching pair Songs and rhymes
Rhyming stories
2. Listen and
discriminate
The listeners’ attention is often focused on
pronunciation features such as listening for words which
rhyme, or selecting phrases which have the same
rhythmic pattern. This is especially useful when
using songs and rhymes or stories which have rhyming
sequences. Use Find the Pair or Odd-Man Out type
activities.
Listening for detail to discriminate
between sounds and rhythmic patterns
Providing ear- training to improve
pronunciation Listening to
physically ‘settle’ or calm pupils
Listening to encourage mental
activity and problem-solving
Sets of three words which contains
matching pair Songs and rhymes
Rhyming stories
3. Listen and perform
actions follow instructions
This kind of activity TPR is used with instructions
Being a Robot, action songs, rhymes, or games
such as Blind Man’s Buff or What’s the Time Mr. Wolf?
Asking learners to trace a route on a plan or map is
quite difficult and should not be used if the children
find this difficult in their mother tongue.
Listening for enjoyment
Listening to improve memory and
concentration span Listening to the use
of prepositional phrases, e.g. on the
left-right; or discourse markers,
e.g. first, then, next; and action verb, e.g.
put, fold, turn Action songs and
rhymes Plans or maps
instructions for games, e.g. origami
paper-folding
continued
20
continued Activity types
Purposes Materials
Listening to ;stir’ pupils make them
more lively, relieve boredom, etc.
4. Listen and draw
color
Picture dictation is often used to help children focus
on key nouns and on adjectives used to describe
their color, size, shape, and so on. The whole picture
can be drawn, or a picture which has missing items can
be added to as children listen.
Listening to develop concentration on
specific items, e.g. specific verbs
actions.
Listening to consolidate
understanding of concepts and new
vocabulary, e.g. round, square, large,
small, blue, yellow
Listening to physically ‘settle’ or
calm pupils. Short, spoken
descriptions which can be
accomplished by drawing which
pupils finish or color it
5. Listen and Predict
This kind of activity has already been referred to and
is particularly useful in drawing on pupils’ previous
learning. Listening to increase
motivation and concentration
Listening to activate schemata or previous
knowledge Knowing out which
words or concepts pupils already know
Listening to encourage mental
activity and problem-solving
Solving and answer sessions based on,
e.g. general knowledge, pictures
or the cover of a book or a story
Predict content or key words from a
picture Draw a word or
mind maps about a topic
Complete a quiz to draw attention to
what pupils already know
6. Listen and guess
This kind of listening is often based on the
description of something whose identity the children
Listening for detail to pick out key
vocabulary used to describe, e.g. parts
of an animal’s body Short, spoken
descriptions which can be accompanied
by a selection of items for pupils to
eliminate
continued
21
continued Activity types
Purposes Materials
have to guess.
Listening to encourage mental
activity and problem-solving
7. Listen and label
This activity is used with drawings, maps or diagrams
where the learners are asked to listen to a description of
an animal, person, or place in order to label key parts.
Listening to develop reading and writing
skills or to develop concepts physically
settle Listening to pupils
Listening to encourage mental
activity and problem-solving
Written labels provided for pupils
or written words on the blackboard for
pupils to copy
8. Listen and match
This usually involves matching pictures to spoken
words and is common in games such as Bingo. Older
children can be involved in activities which ask them to
match pictures or written statements to other written
text, such as speech bubbles taken from dialogues or
stories Listening to
consolidate new vocabulary and
structures Listening to
encourage mental activity and
problem-solving Listening to settle
pupils Bingo cards
Worksheets on which children draw
a line to connect a picture with the
correct words or written labels or
speech bubbles to match with pictures
9. Listen and sequence
As described earlier, this activity is usually based on
pictures or written phrases which are rearranged into
the correct order while listening to a story or set of
instructions. Listening to improve
memory and concentration span
Listening to consolidate new
vocabulary and structures
Listening to physically settle
pupils Listening to
encourage mental Pictures or written
statement Worksheets with
boxes in which children number the
order of details listened to
continued
