Listening for Specific Information A1: Listening for Key Words in Short Instructions
Welcome! In this lesson, we will practice listening for the most important words in short instructions1. An instruction tells you what to do.
1. How to Listen for Key Words
When you hear an instruction, listen for two key words2:
- The Action word (a verb3), which tells you what to *do*. Examples: open, close, write.
- The Thing word (a noun4), which tells you what object to use. Examples: book, door, name.
For example, if a tour guide says, "Take a photo," the key words are "Take" (the action) and "photo" (the thing).
2. Practice 1: A Classroom Instruction
Listen to this instruction from a teacher. What are the two key words (the action and the thing)?
"Please write your name."
What are the key words?
- A) Please / your
- B) write / name
- C) your / name
Click to Show Answer
Answer: B) write / name. "Write" is the action (verb), and "name" is the thing (noun).
3. Practice 2: A Tourist Instruction
Imagine you are working at a guesthouse in Siem Reap. Listen to this instruction. What are the key words?
"Please close the door."
What are the key words?
- A) please / the
- B) the / door
- C) close / door
Click to Show Answer
Answer: C) close / door. "Close" is the action, and "door" is the thing.
4. Practice 3: An Instruction at Home
Listen to this instruction from a parent to a child.
"Eat your rice."
What are the action and the thing?
- A) eat / rice
- B) your / rice
- C) eat / your
Click to Show Answer
Answer: A) eat / rice. "Eat" is the action, and "rice" is the thing.
Final Quiz: Find the Key Words
Listen to two short instructions and identify the key words (action + thing).
-
Instruction 1: (Listen to the audio)
Question: What are the key words?
-
Instruction 2: (Listen to the audio)
Question: What are the key words?
Click to Show Answers
Answers: 1. take / photo. | 2. touch / statue.
Homework Task
1. "Simon Says" Game: Play a game with a friend. Give simple, two-word instructions in English like "Touch your nose," "Point to the window," and "Open the book." This is a fun way to practice listening for verbs and nouns.
2. Follow a Recipe: Find a very simple recipe online, like how to make fried rice. Look at the instructions (e.g., "Cut the onion," "Add the rice"). What are the key action words (verbs)?
Vocabulary Glossary
- Instruction (noun) - Khmer: ការណែនាំ - A direction or order that tells you how to do something. ↩
- Key Word (noun) - Khmer: ពាក្យគន្លឹះ - An important word that gives you the main meaning. ↩
- Verb (noun) - Khmer: កិរិយាស័ព្ទ - A word that describes an action (e.g., open, eat, write). ↩
- Noun (noun) - Khmer: នាម - A word for a person, place, or thing (e.g., teacher, school, book). ↩