Adult Literacy Core Curriculum - Nationally developed Skills for Life ...

Sample activities
• Practise locating and noting down specific information from recorded messages, using real
systems or tapes of them (e.g. find out the times of a particular film from information on the
week’s screenings at local multiplex, select required option to obtain information about a
particular holiday destination). Discuss advantages and disadvantages of these systems.
• In the context of collecting information for a group discussion on a topical issue, listen to recent
radio and video clips and make brief notes on points to use, e.g. facts and figures in support of a
view, names of organisations or groups involved, names of main people involved.
• Set up a telephone or on-line audio-conference call with two others (e.g. between learners at
other centres, in a workplace scenario, to home) to discuss and, for example, decide where and
when to meet, make arrangements for holding a Christmas party, resolve a work problem.
• Consider in a group whether listening for pleasure and entertainment is different from listening
for business, work or learning; then listen to the opening of a story or novel read by the teacher
or from a tape. Share responses on where the story is set, who is involved, what might happen
next. If interest is aroused, listen to further episodes in following weeks.
• Practise listening to and following instructions or explanations by working in pairs. One person
goes out of room; other watches a video clip (e.g. DIY, current affairs, travel programme) then
explains it to partner. They watch again together to see how much was passed on, and how
accurately. In a group, discuss some tips for improving listening concentration, e.g. listen for and
try to remember three main points/something from the beginning, middle and end/associate
points with visual clues or humour.
• Discuss how listeners can check that what they are hearing is the same as the speaker is trying
to get across (nodding, signalling uncertainty, e.g. by screwing up forehead to look puzzled,
umming and arring, mmming, Does that mean that? Is that because ..., What do I do if, Can you
just say that again, please?). Compare strategies for face-to-face and telephone contexts.
• In pairs, try out some situations; the speaker reports on whether they could tell if the listener
was following what was said or not.
• Use a video-conferencing facility to conduct a discussion with students from other centres on a
current news topic, or to discuss progress in learning/new ICT program. Review a tape of the
discussion and compare the strategies used to confirm understanding.
• Compare how a listener might provide feedback and confirmation face to face and on the
telephone (e.g. nodding, smiling, I see, Yes, I understand, Go on, etc.). Listen to some video and
telephone clips and make a note of examples of different types of feedback. Discuss with partner.
• With two other learners, practise some situations (using case study cards or titles from teacher)
where listener gives appropriate feedback to speaker face to face and on telephone (using
training phones). Take turns to be the observer who reports back on feedback signals observed.
Discuss and change round.
• Consider as a group what it means to ‘talk at cross purposes’ (the comedy film Airplane has some
good examples) and share their own experiences. Identify some do s and don’t s to avoid the
situation (e.g. DO: listen properly, think about context and purpose of talk, use what other person
says as a starting point for own contributions; DON’T: ignore what the other person is saying,
‘talk at random’, i.e. saying the first thing that comes into your head or something you want to
say but which has nothing to do with the subject!).
• With two other learners, practise listening and responding with relevant contributions using some
sample starting lines of conversation (from familiar work or social contexts, e.g. how to raise money
for a community facility). Keep the conversation going, developing, confirming, adding relevant new
point to previous speakers’. One person observes how well the others do it; then change roles.
Speaking and listening
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