Listening: Listening for Gist & Detail (Advanced) C1 - Lesson 2: Following Complex Interactions in Group Discussions and Debates

C1 Listening: Understanding Nuance and Certainty CEFR Level C1 Lesson Goals At the C1 level, comprehension goes beyond the literal. In this lesson, you will learn to detect a speaker's hidden attitudes, opinions, and degree of certainty by analyzing their subtle word choices. 1. Listening for Connotation (A Word's Feeling) Words have a literal dictionary meaning ( denotation ) and an emotional feeling ( connotation ). A skilled listener can hear the difference and understand the speaker's true attitude. Neutral/Positive Word Negative Word Analysis of Connotation "He is very confident ." "He is very arrogant ." Both mean he believes in himself, but 'arrogant' implies he feels superior to others. "She is curious ." "She is nosy ." 'Curious' is positive, but 'nosy' implies she wants to know private information. "Her plan is ambitious ." "Her plan is unrealistic ." 'Ambitious' is positive, but 'unrealistic…