Listening: Listening for Gist A1 - Lesson 2: Identifying if a Speaker is Happy/Sad (from tone in simple sentences)

Listening for Gist A1: Identifying if a Speaker is Happy/Sad

Lesson 2: Understanding Tone in Simple Sentences

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Welcome! Sometimes, how a person speaks is more important than the words they use. Today, we will practice listening for the gist¹ of a speaker's feeling. We will learn to identify if their tone of voice² sounds happy³ or sad⁴.

1. How to Listen for Tone

Listen for these simple clues in a person's voice:

• A happy voice often sounds higher, a little faster, and goes up and down.
• A sad voice often sounds lower, slower, and is very flat (it does not go up and down).

2. Practice: Same Words, Different Feelings

Let's practice with one sentence. The words are the same, but the feeling is different. Your main audio will say it two times. First happy, then sad.

"I am going to the market."

Can you hear the difference between the happy tone and the sad tone?

3. Practice Talks: Happy or Sad?

Listen to these short sentences in the main lesson audio. Is the speaker happy or sad?

Talk 1: "I see my friend."

Talk 2: "Oh no. I lost my pen."

Talk 3: "Wow, a new bicycle!"

Click to Show Answers

Answers: Talk 1 is Happy. Talk 2 is Sad. Talk 3 is Happy.

Final Quiz: What is the Feeling?

Listen to two more short sentences in the main audio and choose the correct feeling for each one.

1. Talk 1: "It is raining again."

   Feeling? (a) Happy, (b) Sad

2. Talk 2: "We can go to the river today."

   Feeling? (a) Happy, (b) Sad

Click to Show Answers

Answers: 1-b (The speaker sounds slow and low). 2-a (The speaker sounds higher and excited).

Homework Task

1. Practice Tones: Say the word "Hello" two times. First, say it with a big, happy smile. Second, say it with a sad face. Can you hear how your voice changes?

2. Music Gist: Listen to an English song. You don't need to understand the words. Just listen to the music and the singer's voice. Is it a happy song or a sad song?

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Gist (noun) - Khmer: សេចក្តីសង្ខេប - The main point or idea. ↩
2. Tone of Voice (noun phrase) - Khmer: សំនៀង - The way a person's voice sounds, which shows their feeling. ↩
3. Happy (adjective) - Khmer: សប្បាយចិត្ត - Feeling or showing pleasure or contentment. ↩
4. Sad (adjective) - Khmer: កើតទុក្ខ - Feeling or showing sorrow or unhappiness. ↩