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SavannahYear 8
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Listening: understanding a school announcement

In listening tasks you rarely understand every word. The skill is deciding which words matter.

Part of your national curriculum
  • Listening: Detect and understand the main points and gist of spoken passages, discerning between fact and opinion

Lesson overview

What you'll learn in this lesson

Detect and understand the main points and gist of spoken passages, discerning between fact and opinion

Key learning points

  • • Listen for signposts
  • • Fact or opinion
  • • Handling unknown words

This lesson at a glance

  • 20 minutes
  • 15 parts to scroll through
  • 4 quick checks
  • Marked quiz at the end
  • Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses

Words to know

detectpointsspokenpassagesdiscerning

Scroll down — the lesson carries on below

Part 1 of 15 · Discover7%
1

Watch & discover

Part 1 of 15

Watch first

Listening: understanding a school announcement

An English teaching video on this topic from We Teach MFL. Watch it, then scroll down for the lesson.

In a nutshell

Detect and understand the main points and gist of spoken passages, discerning between fact and opinion

2

Learning cycle

Part 2 of 15

Learning cycle 1 of 2

Part 1 · Listen for signposts

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

3

Explore the idea

Part 3 of 15

Learn

Listen for signposts

Numbers, times, days and names carry most of the information. Words like pero, sin embargo and en cambio signal that an opinion is about to change direction — miss them and you can answer the opposite of what was said.

4

Explore the idea

Part 4 of 15

Learn

Fact or opinion

Facts come with times, places and figures: la excursión es el viernes. Opinions come with creo que, en mi opinión, me parece, pienso que. Questions often ask specifically for one or the other.

5

Quick check

Part 5 of 15

Quick check

Which word signals an opinion?

6

Quick check

Part 6 of 15

Quick check

Why do connectives matter in listening?

7

Reset break

Part 7 of 15

Pause

That's sitting 1 of 2 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now
8

Learning cycle

Part 8 of 15

Learning cycle 2 of 2

Part 2 · Handling unknown words

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

9

Explore the idea

Part 9 of 15

Learn

Handling unknown words

Do not stop on a word you do not know — the sentence continues without you. Cognates help: excursión, historia, música, importante. Note the shape of what you missed and move on.

10

Quick check

Part 10 of 15

Quick check

What should you do when you miss a word?

11

Quick check

Part 11 of 15

Quick check

Which detail is a fact in the transcript?

12

Explore the idea

Part 12 of 15

Worked example

Worked example: a transcript

'Atención: la excursión al museo es el viernes a las nueve. Cuesta cinco euros. Creo que va a ser muy interesante, aunque el viaje es largo.' Facts: Friday, nine o'clock, five euros, museum. Opinion: 'creo que va a ser muy interesante'. The 'aunque' clause qualifies the opinion without cancelling it.

13

Challenge round

Part 13 of 15

Game · Sort it

Which of these are true?

Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.

True

Not true

14

Mastery quiz

Part 14 of 15

Marked quiz

End of lesson quiz: Listening: understanding a school announcement

4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.

  1. 1. Which word signals an opinion?

  2. 2. Why do connectives matter in listening?

  3. 3. What should you do when you miss a word?

  4. 4. Which detail is a fact in the transcript?

15

Lesson round-up

Part 15 of 15

Lesson round-up

Ready when you are

Quiz score

Not sat

Games

Not played

Points this lesson

0

Best run

0 in a row

Luna: 0 out of 4 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?

Ask Luna

Do the work

Your written work for this lesson

This is the part you'd do in your book at school. Pick the pieces below, write here or on paper, and photograph anything you draw or work out.

Extract

Une journée à Lyon

Samedi matin, je me lève à sept heures et demie. Je prends le petit déjeuner avec ma sœur — du pain, du beurre et un chocolat chaud. Ensuite, nous prenons le bus jusqu'au centre-ville.

J'aime beaucoup Lyon parce qu'il y a un grand marché près du fleuve. Ma sœur préfère les magasins, mais moi, je préfère le marché : c'est moins cher et c'est plus intéressant. À midi, nous mangeons un sandwich au parc.

L'après-midi, il commence à pleuvoir, alors nous rentrons à la maison en tram. Le soir, je fais mes devoirs et je regarde un film avec mes parents.

Original text written for Good Learning Co.

Reading questions

  1. In English, say what the writer does in the morning, at midday and in the evening.
  2. Find the phrases that give an opinion and a reason, and copy them out.
  3. Write 8–10 sentences about your own Saturday, using at least three phrases from the text.

  • Written practice

    Writing

    Write the sentences out in the language, then translate them back into English.

    8–10 sentences

  • Vocabulary page

    Working out

    Copy the new words, cover them, and test yourself. Note the ones you keep missing.

    15 words

Saved as you type.

Part 1 of 15 · Watch & discover

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    Detect and understand the main points and gist of spoken passages, discerning between fact and opinion

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