Listening for Key Details
CEFR Level A2Lesson Goals
In this lesson, you will practice listening for key details. This means when you hear a description of a person, place, or thing, you can understand the most important facts.
What is 'Listening for Detail'?
Listening for detail is different from listening for the gist. With gist, you want the main topic. With detail, you are listening for specific facts, like a name, a color, a number, or a job.
For example, a tour guide at Angkor Wat might talk for five minutes. If you listen for the gist, you know the topic is "history of the temple." But if you listen for detail, you can answer the question, "When was the temple built?"
Key Strategy: Know Your Target
The best way to listen for details is to read the questions first. Before you listen, look at the questions you need to answer. This helps your brain know what to listen for.
- If the question is "What is his job?", you listen for words like "teacher," "doctor," or "driver."
- If the question is "What color is it?", you listen for words like "red," "blue," or "black."
Knowing your target makes listening much easier!
Practice Activities
Listen to the descriptions in the audio player. Before you listen, read the question to know your target. Then, choose the best answer.
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Describing a Person
Targets: Listen for the man's job and what he looks like.
"My friend's name is John. He is a teacher. He is tall and he has short, black hair. He always wears glasses."Based on the description, which of these is John?
Show Answer
Answer: B). The key details were "teacher," "tall," "short, black hair," and "glasses."
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Describing a Place
Targets: Listen for the name of the cafe and what it is like.
"My favorite cafe is called 'The Quiet Corner'. It is not very big, but it is very comfortable. It has many books and plays soft music. The coffee is also very good."What is true about 'The Quiet Corner' cafe?
Show Answer
Answer: B). The key details were "not very big," "comfortable," "many books," and "soft music."
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Describing a Thing
Targets: Listen for the backpack's color and what is inside it.
"I have a new backpack. It's a large, blue backpack with two pockets. Inside, I always keep my water bottle, my phone, and a pen."Which sentence correctly describes the backpack?
Show Answer
Answer: B). The key details were "large," "blue," and the items inside.
Final Challenge
Listen to this short description of a bicycle. Then, answer the questions below.
- What color is the bicycle?
- What kind of bicycle is it?
- What does it have on the front?
Show Answers
Answers: 1. Red, 2. A mountain bike, 3. A big basket.
Vocabulary
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Key Detail (noun phrase) [ព័ត៌មានលម្អិតសំខាន់ៗ]
An important, specific fact about someone or something.
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Description (noun) [ការពិពណ៌នា]
Words that tell you what a person, object, or event is like.
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Comfortable (adjective) [មានផាសុខភាព]
Something that makes you feel relaxed and physically good.
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Backpack (noun) [កាតាបស្ពាយ]
A bag you carry on your back.
Your Mission
Practice your new skill with these two tasks.
- Describe Your Room: Look around your room. Choose one object (like your phone, a chair, or a lamp). Record your voice on your phone describing it in three sentences. Include its color, size, and one other interesting detail.
- Describe a Person: Think of a friend or family member. Practice saying three sentences that describe them. You can talk about their job, their hair, or what they like to do. Try to say it to a friend in English!