Listening for the Situation
CEFR Level A1Lesson Goals
In this lesson, you will practice listening to short conversations to understand the situation—that is, where the conversation is happening.
How to Understand the Situation
When you listen to a dialogue (a conversation between two or more people), you can find clues to understand where the speakers are.
For example, if you are at the Old Market in Siem Reap and you hear words like "buy," "dollar," or "how much," you can guess the situation is in a shop. Listening for these keywords helps you understand the context quickly.
Key Tip: Listen for Sounds, Not Just Words
Sometimes, the background sounds can give you a clue about the situation, even before you understand the words!
- If you hear plates and forks, the situation might be a restaurant.
- If you hear a bell ringing and many children's voices, it might be a school.
Pay attention to all sounds, not just the speaking.
Practice Dialogues
Listen to the dialogues in the audio player. For each one, use the keywords to choose the correct situation.
-
Dialogue 1
Speaker A: Hello. Can I help you?
Speaker B: Yes, please. I want to buy a t-shirt.
Speaker A: This one is nice. It is twenty dollars.
Speaker B: Okay, I will take it.
What is the situation?
Show Answer
Answer: B) In a shop. The keywords were "buy," "t-shirt," and "dollars."
-
Dialogue 2
Teacher: Good morning, class.
Students: Good morning, teacher.
Teacher: Please open your book to page ten.
What is the situation?
Show Answer
Answer: A) In a classroom. The keywords were "class," "teacher," and "book."
-
Dialogue 3
Waiter: Hello, are you ready to order?
Customer: Yes. I would like the fried rice with chicken, please.
Waiter: And to drink?
Customer: Just a bottle of water, thank you.
What is the situation?
Show Answer
Answer: C) In a restaurant. The keywords were "order," "fried rice," and "drink."
Vocabulary
-
Situation (noun) [ស្ថានភាព]
The place and circumstances where something is happening.
-
Dialogue (noun) [ការសន្ទនា]
A conversation between two or more people.
-
Classroom (noun) [បន្ទប់រៀន]
A room in a school where students are taught.
-
Restaurant (noun) [ភោជនីយដ្ឋាន]
A place where people pay to sit and eat meals.
Your Mission: Final Quiz & Real-World Practice
First, listen to the last two dialogues in the audio and choose the correct situation. Then, try the real-world task!
- Final Quiz Dialogue 1: Where are they?
-
Final Quiz Dialogue 2: Where are they?
Show Quiz Answers
Answers: 1-b, 2-c
- Real-World Hunt: The next time you are in a public place (like a market or cafe), close your eyes for one minute. Listen to a conversation happening nearby (in any language). Based only on the sounds and keywords, try to guess the situation.