13 LEARNING TO LISTEN
i. BACK TO BACK
1. Learners work in pairs. Each partner must not have seen the other’s home
before.
2. Partners sit back to back.
3. Partner A describes his/her living room in as much detail as possible.
Partner B draws a floor plan of Partner A’s living room trying to capture
the room as accurately as possible from the description.
4. After 5 minutes, leader calls time.
Partner A is not yet allowed to see the drawing.
Roles are reversed and the 5 minutes given for the second drawing.
5. On the call of time, partners may see the completed drawing and give each
other a score out of 10 for accuracy. Scores are reported to the leader.
A variation or addition is for the learners in the group to try and draw
the leader’s living room from the description. In this case, leader sits at
a distance from the group, not back to back, so leader cannot see the
drawings till they are complete.
ii. THE EMPTY CHAIR
It is important the leader is the first to answer questions asked of
the ‘empty’ chair. Firstly to model the procedure. Secondly to establish
the level of trust required.
1. The group sits in a circle. Next to the leader is an empty chair.
2. The leader explains that someone he/she knows well is sitting in the
empty chair. This can be his/her father, mother, son, daughter, cousin,
friend, etc. Do not populate the chair with anyone present.
3. The learners can ask the person in the empty chair ‘any’ questions they
want. They must ask the question in the 2nd person – Do you…? Have
you…? When did you…? Would you like to…? Do you think…?
4. The questions are answered by the leader as if they were being answered by
the person in the empty chair.
5. Volunteers from the learners are now invited to sit next to the empty chair
and answer on behalf of the occupant of the empty chair, having explained
who is now sitting there.
iii. SOUND MAPS
Students work individually. Without speaking to each other, for a
period of 3 or4 minutes, students are encouraged to listen carefully to the
sounds around them. These may include ticking clocks; birds or other
animals; the wind and its effect on trees, doors or windows; traffic;
people talking or moving outside the room.
As they hear each sound, students locate the direction of the sound and
either write it or draw it onto their paper, placing it in the appropriate
position to show where the sound came from.
At the end of the listening time, students are encouraged to talk as a
group about the sounds they heard, what might have made those sounds and
where they were.
14 HOW WELL CAN YOU RECALL?
Materials: Find half a dozen newspaper articles that have ‘packed’
opening sentences. Examples, that can be used, follow. Cut out and keep
these opening sentences. Enough lined paper for numbers of teams of 2 or
3 players. Time for game: not more than 5-7 minutes per game.
1. Teams of 2 or 3 form. Make sure each team has at least one player who can
write quickly.
2. Inform the team that you are going to read the opening sentence from a
newspaper article twice and only twice. After you’re second reading, they
must write down as many questions as they can to test the other teams’
knowledge of what’s in each article. (one article per game.)
3. You read the opening sentence twice.
4. Teams have 5 minutes to write down as many questions as possible.
The answer to each question must have only 1 or 2 words.
5. Leader collects in the questions, then asks the questions.
Teams must write down the answers immediately.
6. When all questions have been asked, the team who has the most correct
answers is the winner.
Story Examples
A 3-month-old kitten, named Lucky, had a narrow escape when she jumped
50 feet from a second floor balcony in her home in Nelson Street, got
tangled in a rose bush, picked herself up, shook herself down, then walked
away without a single scratch or even a bruise on her little white nose.
Thirteen-year-old Tommy Buckett of Nelson Road, Whitstable, got the shock
of his life this morning when he discovered a three-inch tarantula that
probably got into his house in the middle of a bunch of bananas his mum
bought for £1 at Sainsbury’s hiding under his bunk bed.
15 WHO AND HOW OFTEN?
Materials: A4 or A5 lined paper; pencils/pens.
Preparation: none
Time: usually not less than 10 minutes, often longer
This activity needs to be carried out with sensitivity.
1. On the left hand side of the white/blackboard write up the frequency
adverbs listed below in large letters.
2. On the right hand side of the white/blackboard scatter the names of the
persons in the group. Leader should include his/her name.
3. Invite group members to create one sentence for each of the frequency
adverbs using a different group member’s name each time.
4. Explain to group that only positive comments are allowed.
5. Allow around 5 – 7 minutes for the task.
6. Circle a group member’s name on the board and invite group member’s to
read out their comments. When the comments have been heard erase the group
member’s name from the board.
7. Comments about the leader should be left to last.
Frequency adverbs
usually – sometimes – never – hardly ever – often – regularly –
frequently - rarely – seldom – occasionally – from time to time – normally
- now and then – once in a blue moon
16 THAT’S MINE!
1. The Leader asks members of the group to find an object from their pockets
or from their bags.
2. Each member must drop the object into the Leader’s box or bag without
anybody seeing what the object is. The Leader must add his/her own object.
3. Everyone sits round a table.
4. The Leader takes one object out of the bag at a time and shows the object
to the group. This includes the Leader.
5. As each object is revealed, each Player must note down the name of the
person to whom the object belongs.
6. When all objects have been revealed, the Leader holds each object up, one
at a time, and asks the owner to reveal him/herself.
7. Players get 1 point every time they have correctly identified the owner on
an object.
8. Objects are returned to their rightful owners.
17 CHANGE THE LYRICS
Materials 1. Recording of a popular song that is well-known to the learners.
2. Photo-copies of the original lyrics, or project them on the OHP,
Or write them up on the whiteboard.
1. Make sure the learners can see and follow the lyrics while listening to a
recording of the song. A tape recording is best because it is easy to move
forwards and backwards amongst the lyrics.
2. Invite the learners to help you rewrite the lyrics so that they are amusing
but not offensive. This may take a few sessions because the lyrics must fit
the tune exactly.
3. Once the group is satisfied with the new lyrics, don’t waste them.
Sing them!
Suggestions: Imagine - Yesterday - - Bohemian Rhapsody
(Lyrics easily obtainable via Google)
18 BEHIND THE SONG
Materials: The lyrics of a song that lends itself to the activity.
A recording of the song to play to the group.
1. Divide the class into groups with around 4 learners each.
2. Play the class a song, preferably one they know and like.
(Bohemian Rhapsody is ideal; the head bangers love it!)
3. Do not allow the class to sing along.
4. Explain they will be able to sing along AFTER they devise
a short story explaining the ‘story’ of the song.
Only if they produce entertaining stories will they be allowed to sing
along with the recording.
5. Set 150 to 200 words as the length of each story.
Make sure each group has an efficient scribe.
6. Collect in the stories. Read them out. Enjoy them.
7. Then sing your heads off!
19 REINCARNATED
Materials: A5 lined paper; pens/pencils
Preparation: none
Most people are fascinated by the idea of reincarnation.
This fascination is used here to provoke the imagination.
This is a powerful activity; conduct with sensitivity.
1. Leader briefly explains the idea of reincarnation.
2. Leader explains that everyone in the group, including him/herself, has been
reincarnated into a new life. Their new life can take any form – animal,
plant, object.
3. Everyone is given 5 minutes to think about their new life and scribble down
notes on what it is like. Be insistent the full 5 minutes is taken in
silence, or with background muzak.
4. Leader then invites group members to describe their new lives; or leader
may choose to let group members explain to other group members what their
new lives are like.
5. Activity concludes with Leader describing his/her new life.
20 MY FAVOURITE ROOM
Materials: A4 blank paper; one sheet for each group member
A pile of coloured pencils
1. Group members, including Leader, are given a sheet of blank paper.
2. Members are instructed to draw their favourite room – not their real
favourite room, though they can base the new room on this – but the one
they would like to have; no expense spared. Members may label the room, if
they wish.
3. Members have access to the coloured pencils.
4. Allow around 10 minutes for the drawing.
5. Leader then takes in the drawings, shuffles them, and lays them face down
on the table.
6. Each member, one at a time, picks up a drawing, shows it to the group, and
then describes the room in as much detail as possible.
7. Members may then guess to whom the room belongs.
8. The room’s owner then declares himself.
9. Activity continues until all the drawings have been described.
10. Leader should then collect and keep the drawings. It is not permissible
to destroy or throw away the drawings in front of their owners.
21 WHAT IF.....?
Learners work in small groups (threes or fours).
The leader reminds the learners that they have a limited amount
of time (2-3 minutes) for this activity.
The leader provides learners with a prompt idea (see examples below)
which learners are encouraged to develop - however extreme or bizarre their
ideas may be.
The learner conducts a brief plenary session (again, only a few minutes)
during which each group explains their most extreme ideas.
WHAT IF...
we decided to drive on the right instead of the left
the moon was made of cheese
water was poisonous
all the grass disappeared overnight
all our roads turned to rivers
students had to pay to come to school
parents could choose the sex, height, eye-colour, etc. of their children.
people from Earth colonised Mars
you were able to take over this school
you woke up a boy/girl tomorrow morning
22 QUICK READING ACTIVITIES
Select a storybook your group are likely to be interested in.
If possible, select a book the group are not familiar with. These
activities are designed to explore the text at several levels. They should
be carried out quickly and only continued while the interest level of the
group is high. Then move on to another activity but it’s best not to do
more than three of these activities in any one session with your group.
1. Read out a sentence pausing to invite the group to predict the next word.
Continue the sentence, then pause again to invite the group to predict the
next word, and so on.
2. Read out half the sentence and invite the group to complete the sentence.
The group should try to predict the remainder of the sentence as accurately
as possible.
3. Read out a sentence two or three times. Then select a word at a time and
invite group to suggest an alternative word that fits the sentence. For
example: The girl ran quickly down the road. First invite alternatives for
quickly, and then for street.
4. Read out a short sentence backwards and invite the group to work out the
correct order of the sentence.
5. Read out a short sentence but jumble up the words. Invite the group to work
out the correct order of the sentence.
6. Read out two sentences but run the first sentence into the second sentence.
Invite the group to suggest where the full stop should be.
7. Discuss with the group the meaning of the word paragraph, and why writing
needs paragraphs. Then read short paragraphs from the story. After each
paragraph, invite the group to suggest what the key sentence/idea of the
paragraph is.
8. Discuss with the group the meaning of the words noun, verb and adjective.
Read a sentence at a time and invite the group to recognise and name the
nouns, verbs and adjectives. You can also read the sentence fairly slowly,
stopping at words and inviting the group to decide whether each word is a
noun, adjective or paragraph.
9. Ask the group to choose a number: 3, 4, or 5. Then read a sentence stopping
at every 3rd, 4th, 5th word according to the group’s choice of number.
Challenge the group to spell each word correctly and give 2 points for
every correct spelling. Continue with about six or seven sentence in this
way.
10. Finger vowels Learners say ‘A’ and thrust their thumb into the air. Then
the index finger for ‘E’. The middle finger for ‘I. Fourth finger for ‘O’.
Little finger or ‘pinkie’ for ‘U’. Play vowel games with words in a
sentence so that learners learn to identify vowels very quickly by signing
them with the appropriate finger/fingers. Try eagle!
23 BRAIN-STORMING - THOUGHT-SHOWERING
This activity gives learners practice in ‘brain-storming’ which is often
called ‘thought-showering’ nowadays. It can be used to generate lots of
ideas in a short time with no pressure to organise or evaluate the ideas.
The leader should remind the group that there are no ‘right’ answers. All
contributions will be received positively. The leader should scribble down
the ideas put forward since the group may wish to evaluate, organise and
discuss them after the brain-storming session.
Set a time limit for each topic. Set a target for the number of topics to
be suggested. Brain-storming can be used in a variety of settings, and for
a variety of purposes. Here are a number of suggestions to get you going:
SUGGEST
1. TEN GOOD THINGS ABOUT: (a) keeping a pet; (b) learning to read; (c)
learning to speak a foreign language; (d) being a girl; (e) being a boy;
(f) being a teacher.
2. TEN WAYS TO USE A: (a) brick; (b) paper-clip; (c) mirror; (d) toilet
roll; (e) penny; (f) computer; (g) a woolly jumper.
3. TEN WORDS THAT RHYME WITH: (a) mud; (b) sheep; (c) jump; (d) fish; (e)
orange.
4. TEN SONGS THAT CONTAIN THE WORD: (a) baby; (b) boy; (c) girl; (d) love.
5. TEN THING TO DO ON A: (a) warm, sunny afternoon; (b) wet, cold, windy
afternoon.
6. TEN DIFFERENT: (a) fruits; (b) TV soaps; (c) players for
Arsenal/Manchester United/ Chelsea.
7. TEN DIFFERENT BIRTHDAY PRESENTS FOR: (a) mums; (b) dads; (c) sisters; (d)
brothers; (e) boyfriends; (f) girlfriends.
8. TEN THINGS YOU FIND IN THE: (a) kitchen; (b) living room: (c) bedroom;
(d) bathroom.
9. TEN WAYS THAT secondary school is different from junior school.
10. TEN REASONS WHY a good education is very important for everyone.
The next stage (which is sometimes appropriate) is to evaluate the ideas
generated by a brainstorming. This is done without identifying who
suggested the ideas being rejected. One possible method of evaluation is
to use “traffic lights” (RED for “no”, ORANGE for “maybe”, GREEN for
“yes”). Another method is to pick a “top three” from the suggestions
stormed, then to consider “reasons why”, “reasons why not”, “who”, “when”,
“what will it cost” .... or whatever.
24 WORD BUILDER
This is a variation on a game that has appeared in a number of newspapers
(in various guises) and has been used to fill many a “wet playtime”.
The leader writes a word on the board (or simply tells the learners).
A word of about 8 or 9 letters is adequate. (Choose longer words to make
the task easier.)
Learners use the letters contained in the word to form as many new words as
they can. Learners may not use a letter twice unless it occurs twice in the
original word. (Optional rule = words must contain at least 3 letters.)
Some learners may find it helpful to write the letters on bits of paper
and physically re-arrange these.
Learners should be encouraged to use a dictionary to check spellings of
which they are uncertain. Or the leader can be used as a dictionary
and/or reference book.
The game continues for a set amount of time. (Anything from 2 or 3
minutes up to 10 minutes)
Learners could be challenged to write a sentence (or a whole story)
using only the words from their list.
25 WORD BUILDER – SPECIAL
WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENT FROM “WORDBUILDER”?
One or more of the following rules also applies.
• All words must BEGIN with a particular letter (specified by the teacher)
• All words must CONTAIN a particular letter (specified by the teacher)
• All words must END with a particular letter (specified by the teacher)
• All words must be listed in ALPHABETICAL ORDER
• All words must BEGIN with a VOWEL
• All words must END with a VOWEL
• All words must have a connection to a particular THEME (for example:
animals, holidays, sport)
26 WHO? – WHEN? – WHERE? – WHY? – WHAT? – HOW?
Take 6 playing cards, the larger the better. Cover the value on each card
with a sticky white label. On each card print one of these: Who? When?
Where? Why? What? How?
1. Read the text you wish to explore to your group. Then shuffle the cards.
Draw one card at a time and turn it face up. Invite the group, or pairs, or
individuals to answer the question about the text that is prompted by the
question word on the card. This method can, of course, be used to explore
any kind of text: fact, fiction, narrative, scientific, newspaper article.
2. Using the question cards is especially effective to help students explore
poetry. Even ‘difficult’ poems become accessible when analysed using the
question words.
3. Reverse the process above by inviting your students to respond to each
question word either by a sentence, a given number of sentences, or a short
paragraph. You can also set the kind of text you require, e.g. each of the
responses is to be a line in the poem.
4. Shuffle the cards but after students have responded to each question word,
put the card back in the ‘pack’, reshuffle and draw again. The responses
will quickly become complex and challenging.
5. You might also get your students to make their personal set of 6 cards, or
ask them to create a small cardboard cube and write a question word on each
face of what is now a die they can use to analyse or generate ideas.
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