Active Listening: The Skill of Note-Taking
CEFR Level B1Lesson Goals
In this lesson, you will learn the essential academic and professional skill of note-taking. You will practice listening for key information and writing it down quickly and effectively.
How to Take Good Notes
The secret to good note-taking is speed. You cannot write full sentences. Instead, you must learn to listen for and write down only the key information.
What to Listen For
Focus your attention on specific details like:
- Names of people and places (e.g., David, Angkor Tours, main office)
- Numbers and Dates (e.g., 092 555 123, 12th century, 4 PM)
- Key Topic Words (e.g., Khmer Empire, marketing meeting)
Use Abbreviations to Be Fast
Use shortened words or symbols to save time. Here are some common examples:
- with ➜ w/
- and ➜ &
- number ➜ # or no.
- important ➜ imp.
- because ➜ b/c
Key Tip: Don't Write Everything!
The biggest mistake learners make is trying to write every word they hear. This is impossible!
The goal is to capture ideas, not words. Your notes are for you, so they don't need to be perfect. As long as you can understand them later, they are good notes. Relax and focus only on the most important pieces of information.
Practice Activities
Get a pen and paper ready. Listen to the talks in the audio player and take notes to capture the key information for each task.
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A Phone Message
Listen to this phone message. Your goal is to write down the caller's name, the company name, and the phone number.
"Hi, this is a message for Mr. Kim. My name is David from Angkor Tours. Please call me back when you have a moment. My phone number is 092 555 123. Thank you."See Example Notes
- Caller: David
- Company: Angkor Tours
- Phone #: 092 555 123
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A Mini-Lecture
Listen to this short history talk. Your goal is to note the main topic, two main examples, and a key date.
"Good morning. Today's topic is the history of the Khmer Empire. We will focus on two major achievements. The first is the construction of Angkor Wat, which was built in the 12th century. The second is the complex water management system they created. This system was essential for agriculture."See Example Notes
- Topic: Khmer Empire History
- 2 big achievements:
- Angkor Wat (12th cent.)
- Water system (for agriculture)
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An Announcement
Listen to this announcement about a meeting. Use your notes to answer the questions below.
"Attention staff. Please note that the weekly marketing meeting has been changed. It is no longer in Conference Room Three. It will now be in the main office at four P.M. today. I repeat, the meeting is in the main office at four P.M."- 1. What meeting was changed?
- 2. What is the new location?
- 3. What is the new time?
Show Answers
Answers: 1. The weekly marketing meeting. 2. The main office. 3. 4 PM today.
Vocabulary
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Note-taking (noun) [ការកត់ត្រា]
The practice of writing down important pieces of information.
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Key Information (noun phrase) [ព័ត៌មានសំខាន់ៗ]
The most important facts or details in a speech or text.
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Abbreviation (noun) [ពាក្យកាត់]
A shortened form of a word or phrase (e.g., 'info' for 'information').
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Achievement (noun) [សមិទ្ធិផល]
Something done successfully, usually with effort or skill.
Your Mission
It's time to test your new skills in the real world!
- The Weather Report Challenge: Find a short English weather report on YouTube (search for "BBC weather" or "CNN weather"). Listen one time and try to note: the city, the temperature, and the general weather (e.g., sunny, rainy, cloudy).
- Summarize from Your Notes: Look at the notes you took for the mini-lecture about the Khmer Empire. Without listening again, try to explain the main points out loud in your own words. This is the first step to becoming a great summarizer!