| Level | Topic | Speakers | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Difficult | Listening Skills | Man – Woman | 02:11 |
Pre-Listening Exercise
If you have a problem in your life (with money, a girlfriend, or with your grades in school), who do you talk to first: your mom, your dad, a brother or sister, or a friend? What are your reasons for talking with this person?
Idioms
“be all ears” = very willing and interested in listening
“Listen. Tell me about the problem. I’m all ears.”
“fall on deaf ears” = having your ideas ignored by others
“I always share my feelings with my coworkers, but my ideas always fall on deaf ears.”
Pre-Listening Exercise
Listen to the recording and answer the questions. (See transcript)
Vocabulary and Sample Sentences
Here are some words and expressions that appear in the recording:
- lay off (verb): fire, let someone go from a company
– The company often lays off people after the Christmas season because business slows down. - employees (noun): workers
– Our store laid off three employees because they didn’t listen to and follow company policy on several issues. - contain (verb): include, have
– Why doesn’t this job agreement contain more information on paid vacations? - interrupt (verb): break or stop the action of something
– Problems in relationships happen when one person interrupts another. - hold your tongue (verb): be quiet, a polite way to tell someone to shut up
– I couldn’t hold my tongue when Ashley lied about our relationship. - witty (adjective): funny, clever, intelligent
– My brother thinks he is really witty, but he only listens to his own ideas and no one else. - tsk (interjection): a feeling of impatience or disapproval
– Tsk. I can’t believe you don’t treat your wife better. - empathy (verb): the ability to understand a person’s feelings
– People can develop greater empathy for others when they listen without trying to give advice.
Post-Listening Exercise
What are some reasons why people don’t seem to listen very well? Do (Did) you feel that your parents listen to your own concerns and problems? Why or why not?
Online Investigation
Use the internet to find out at least three points that help people develop their listening skills better. Discuss these ideas with a partner. Think about yourself and identify how many of these skills you do or don’t do well and what you plan to do (if anything) to improve your listening.