Martial Arts - Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab

Level	Topic	Speakers	Length
Intermediate	Martial Arts	Man – Woman	01:05

Pre-Listening Exercise

Some people learn martial arts for sport and exercise. However, how do people often protect themselves, their families, and property using martial arts such as karate and judo?

Agree or Disagree? Let’s Spark Some Conversation!

These statements are designed to get everyone thinking, moving, and talking! The goal is to explore ideas, share opinions, and get ready for the next part of the lesson.

In a face-to-face classroom: Read each statement aloud. If you agree, move to one side of the room; if you disagree, move to the other. Talk with your group—why do you feel that way? Then, pair students with members of the other group and have students explain their reasons. Rotate partners for more practice.
In an online classroom: Use polls, emojis, or the chat box in your online platform to show your opinion. Then, join the conversation as a group or in breakout rooms. What do others think? Do you agree or disagree with them?
For independent learners: Read each statement and think about your opinion. Then say your answer out loud and explain your reason, as if you’re talking to a classmate. This helps you get ready to speak and join real conversations in English. Consider recording your ideas and check your progress.

Martial arts are more about discipline than fighting skills.
Children should start learning martial arts at a very young age.
Martial arts are safer than contact sports like football or rugby.
Self-defense is the main reason to learn martial arts.
Martial arts competitions make students too aggressive.
Martial arts should focus more on mental training than physical training.
Traditional martial arts are better than modern, mixed styles.
Learning martial arts is more useful for life skills than for physical fitness alone.
Martial arts instructors should never use physical punishment as a teaching method.
Martial arts are only for people who want to fight or compete.

Idioms

“be fighting mad” = be very angry
“My wife was fighting mad when she found out that I went to Las Vegas without her.”

“pick a fight” = start a fight or an argument with someone
“Don’t pick a fight with Michael today. He is in a very bad mood.”

Listening Exercise

A. Listen to the recording and answer the questions.

Vocabulary Practice

Do the vocabulary quizzes with the words from the conversation for more practice:

Mixed-Up Sentence | Sentence and Vocabulary Matching

Post-Listening Exercise

In this conversation, the woman learned a form of martial arts to protect herself. How do you feel about the forms of protection below? Which of these do you or would you use personally in your daily life? Which are legal forms of protection in your city or country?

a gun
a spray such as mace
a knife
a dog
a whistle or loud horn
a big boyfriend

Online Investigation

Use the internet to find information on one form of protection from the Post Listening Task above and answer these questions:

Is this form of protection legal in your country?
Do you need some form of license from the government to own or use it?
How much does the form of protection cost, for example, a gun?
What percent of people use or own it?
What are the benefits and dangers of using it?
What are the penalties for using the method illegally or if it causes unintentional harm to others?

See Listening Script

Back to Intermediate Quizzes

General Listening Quiz