Listening: Listening for Specific Information A2 - Lesson 2: Answering Wh- Questions about Short Stories or Descriptions
🎯 Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Identify what kind of information Wh- question words (Who, What, Where, When, Why) are asking for.
- Listen to short, simple English stories or descriptions and find the answers to Wh- questions.
- Extract specific details about people, things, places, times, and simple reasons.
- Feel more confident understanding details in simple English narratives.
💡 Key Concepts: Finding the Details - Who, What, Where, When, Why?
Hello A2 learners! When we listen to a story or a description, we often want to find out specific details. Special question words called Wh- questions help us do this. They usually start with "Wh-" (or "H" for "How").
Let's look at some common Wh- question words and what they ask for:
- Who? asks about a person. (Example: Who is your teacher?)
- What? asks about a thing or an action. (Example: What is this? What are you doing?)
- Where? asks about a place. (Example: Where do you live?)
- When? asks about a time or date. (Example: When is your birthday?)
- Why? asks for a reason. (Example: Why are you happy?)
When you hear a Wh- question, listen carefully for the answer in the story or description!
🇰🇭 Cambodian Context: Asking and Answering in Daily Life
Sua s'dei! In Cambodia, you ask and answer questions like these all the time in Khmer. For example, if you want to know about someone's family in Battambang, you might ask "អ្នកណាខ្លះនៅក្នុងគ្រួសាររបស់អ្នក?" (Neak na khlas nov knong kruosa robos neak? - Who is in your family?).
Learning to understand and answer these Wh- questions in English will help you have better conversations. If a tourist asks, "Where is the market?", you'll know they are asking for a place. This lesson will help you practice listening for the answers to these important detail questions in English.
🎧 Pre-Listening Activity: Wh- Word Match
Match the Wh- question word to the kind of information it asks for. (This would be an interactive match on your platform.)
Question Words: Who, What, Where, When, Why
Information Type: Person, Thing/Action, Place, Time, Reason
Example: Who? --> Person
What? --> ?
Where? --> ?
When? --> ?
Why? --> ?
(Answers: What -> Thing/Action; Where -> Place; When -> Time; Why -> Reason)
🔊 Listening Tasks: Listen to the Story & Answer
Important Note for Learners: This lesson uses your browser's Text-to-Speech (TTS) to "speak" the stories/descriptions. Click the "🔊 Listen to Story" buttons. For the best learning on your full platform, use clear, pre-recorded human audio with natural intonation.
Task 1: Srey's Day
Now, answer the questions about Srey. Type your short answer.
Task 2: The Red Bicycle
Now, answer the questions about Tom and his bicycle. Choose the best answer.
1. What does Tom have?
2. When did he get the bicycle?
3. Where does he ride his bicycle?
📝 Post-Listening Activity: Asking Questions
Think about a friend or family member. Can you make a Wh- question to ask them in English?
Examples:
- What is your favorite food?
- Where do you like to go in Battambang?
- When do you wake up?
Practice asking and answering simple Wh- questions with a partner!
🚀 Key Takeaways & Listening Strategies
- Wh- question words (Who, What, Where, When, Why) ask for specific kinds of information.
- Listen for the question word to know what detail you need to find.
- The answer is usually in the story or description you hear.
- Don't worry if you miss other words; focus on catching the answer to the Wh- question.
💬 Feedback & Learner Tips (Self-Assessment)
After the exercises:
- Could you understand what information each Wh- question was asking for?
- Was it easy to find the answers in the short stories?
- Which Wh- questions were easier for you? (e.g., Who? What? Where?)
�🇭 Tips for Cambodian Learners:
When listening for answers to Wh- questions in English, it's like being a detective! If the question is "Who?", you listen for a person's name. If it's "Where?", you listen for a place, like "Battambang" or "school." If it's "When?", you listen for a time word, like "morning" or "yesterday."
Practice asking these questions about simple pictures or stories in your English class. The more you practice, the better your "detective" ears will become!
📚 Further Practice & Application
- Listen to A2 level English stories for learners (many online or in apps). After each story, try to answer: Who was it about? What happened? Where did it happen? When did it happen?
- Look at simple pictures (e.g., a family eating, children playing in a park). Make up simple Wh- questions about the picture in English.
- Read very short, simple English stories and try to find the answers to Wh- questions within the text. This helps train your brain for listening too.