Listening: Listening for Gist & Detail B2 - Lesson 3: Identifying a Speaker's Viewpoint and Justifications

🎯Listening: B2 - Identifying Viewpoints & Reasons

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

• Identify a speaker's main opinion or viewpoint on a topic.
• Recognize phrases that signal opinions and justifications.
• Identify the key reasons a speaker provides to support their viewpoint.
• Distinguish between a main viewpoint and the arguments supporting it.

Hello B2 learners! When people speak, they often share their viewpoint (their opinion or what they believe). To make their opinion convincing, they provide justifications (reasons or evidence to support why they think that way). Listening for both the main viewpoint and its supporting reasons is key to fully understanding arguments, discussions, and presentations.

How to Identify Viewpoints and Reasons

Speakers use specific "signal words" to introduce their opinions and the reasons behind them. Click the cards to learn more.

Identifying a Viewpoint

Identifying a Viewpoint: This is the speaker's main opinion or belief. Listen for opinion-marking phrases like "I think...", "In my opinion...", or evaluative words like "good," "bad," "important."

Identifying a Justification

Identifying a Justification: This is the reason or evidence that supports the viewpoint. Listen for signal words like "because," "since," "for example," or "the reason is...".

Signal Words

Signal Words: These phrases guide the listener.
For Opinions: "I feel that...", "It seems to me...".
For Justifications: "For instance...", "As a result...".

✍️ Interactive Activities

Activity 1: What's the Signal?

Read the sentence below. Which word best signals a reason or justification?

"I believe public transport is essential, ________ it reduces traffic and pollution."

Which word best fits the blank?

however

also

because

Activity 2: Analyze an Opinion

Listen to this short talk about living in a big city. The speaker will state their opinion and give reasons for it.

Listen to the talk:

Analyze the speaker's argument:

1. What is the speaker's main viewpoint about living in a big city?

It has more disadvantages than advantages.

It is too expensive for most people.

It has more advantages than disadvantages.

2. What are the two main reasons (justifications) the speaker gives to support their viewpoint?

🚀 Strategies for Identifying Viewpoints & Reasons

• Listen for Opinion Phrases: Pay attention to phrases like "I think," "I believe," "In my view," and evaluative words like "good," "bad," or "important."
• Ask "Why?": After you hear an opinion, ask yourself, "Why does the speaker think that?" The answer will be their justification.
• Listen for Signal Words: Words like "because," "since," and "for example" are strong clues that a reason or justification is coming next.
• Separate the "What" from the "Why": The "What" is the viewpoint (what they think). The "Why" is the justification (why they think it).

Summary: This lesson focused on the B2 skill of identifying a speaker's viewpoint and the justifications they provide. A proficient listener can distinguish between a main opinion and the reasons or evidence used to support it. By paying attention to signal words and the structure of an argument, you can understand not just what a person thinks, but why they think it, leading to deeper comprehension.