Listening Activity (Beginner Level)

For beginner-level students, teachers should remember to make certain adjustments during a listening activity:

speak a little slower

use simple vocabulary

pause more often and for longer periods of time

use shorter, less complex sentence structure

simplify responses: do not ask for a verbal response ask for physical responses to commands (ie.
pointing to a picture/object, draw what is being described, trace directions on a map, circle the correct
word on a worksheet, complete a chart, etc.)

Activity:

Observe, Listen, Match

An appropriate listening exercise for beginner level students is to identify simple descriptions in speech. The
activity should started by allowing them to see what the listening material will be about by showing them a
series of pictures to look at before the listening part. After describing each picture, have them listen to 4
different sentences while looking at one picture. The goal of the students will be to match the right description
with the right picture. This type of exercise will practice their general comprehension of adjectives and
descriptive vocabulary, and provide an opportunity to for them to practice combining what they hear with what
they observe.
Example 1:

1. The woman is sad.

2. The woman has blonde hair.

3. The woman is reading a magazine.

4. The woman is wearing a hat.

Example 2:

1. The woman is wearing a black shirt.

2. The woman is on the phone.

3. The woman is very upset.

4. The woman is holding a blue and green bag.