Listening: Listening for Gist A2 - Lesson 2: Identifying the Speaker's Main Purpose (e.g., asking for information, giving instructions) in simple scenarios

🎧Listening for Gist: A2 - Speaker's Purpose

Learning Objectives: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Understand that speakers have a reason or purpose when they talk.
• Identify the main purpose of a speaker in a short, simple dialogue.
• Recognize clues (like question words or command verbs) that show the speaker's purpose.
• Feel more confident understanding why someone is talking in a basic conversation.

Key Concepts: Why Are They Talking?

When people speak, they always have a purpose or a goal. Understanding this purpose helps you understand the main idea (the "gist"). Hover over (or tap) the cards to see common purposes.

To Ask for Information

Using question words like What?, Where?, When?, How? Example: "What time is it?"

To Give Information

Telling someone facts or details. Example: "The market is open now."

To Give an Instruction

Telling someone what to do, often starting with a verb. Example: "Please open your book."

✍️ Practice Activities

Activity 1: What's the Purpose?

Read the sentence. What is the speaker's main purpose?

1. A person says: "My name is Dara." What is their purpose?

To ask for information

To give information

To thank someone

2. A person says: "Don't touch that!" What is their purpose?

To give an instruction

To greet someone

To ask for information

Activity 2: Listen and Choose the Purpose

Click "Listen" to hear a short sentence. Then, choose the speaker's main purpose.

1.

To give information

To give an instruction

To ask for information

2.

To greet someone

To give an instruction

To ask for information

3.

To thank someone

To give information

To greet someone

🚀 Listening Strategies

• Listen for question words (What, Where, When, How, etc.) to identify when someone is asking for information.
• Listen for action words (verbs) at the start of sentences (e.g., Open, Close, Read) to hear instructions.
• The speaker's tone of voice can also be a clue. Is it a question? A command? A friendly greeting?
• Think about the situation. Where are the speakers? Who are they? This helps predict their purpose.

Summary: In this lesson, you practiced identifying a speaker's main purpose. By listening for clues like question words, command verbs, and tone of voice, you can better understand why someone is talking and what they want to achieve.