Improving listening skill for que phong high school students by applying IT to simplify listening tasks in english 11

PART A: INTRODUCTION
I. Reasons for the study
In English teaching, the main objective is to prepare students for
communication in the real world and it is very important for learners to
efficiently equip themselves with four skills, together with relatively sufficient
background knowledge. Of the four language skills: Listening, Speaking,
Reading, and Writing, listening is vital not only in language learning but also in
daily communication.
Most teachers and students find that listening is a difficult skill to master. I
also think that teaching listening is not an easy job at all when we face the fact
that learners have met many difficulties in comprehending the information due to
unfamiliarity with the pronunciation of the target language and a lack of listening
skills. This contradiction tells us that there are some things about teaching
listening that need to be explored. Perhaps those who say it is “the easiest to
teach” mean that it does not require much painstaking lesson preparation and all
they need to do is play the tapes and test the students’ comprehension. But is
there nothing more to teaching listening than testing? We must find out all we can
about how listening can be improved and what activities are useful to this end
and then use this knowledge and these activities in our own classrooms.
To enhance students’ listening skill development, it’s the teacher’s duty to
create more opportunities for the students to learn from their own strengths and
weaknesses as well as their peers' weaknesses and strengths.
Therefore, I have tried to exploit the techniques of teaching listening skill,
adapt listening tasks by making use of various kinds of information technology
softwares to easing listening tasks and design games to gain effective listening
activities. Having applied to English 10 for one term successfully, I decided to
choose the topic: “ Improving listening skill for Que Phong high school
students by applying IT to simplify listening tasks in English 11 ” for my
experienced innovation.
In this study, there is a CD contains the listening lectures from unit 1 to unit
16 of English 11 whose listening tasks are adapted thanks to information

technology.
Nevertheless, this study can’t be perfect in limited time. Therefore, I hope
that the colleagues’ contribution will make it more perfectly.
II. Aims of the study

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My research focuses specifically on the investigation of the techniques to
teach listening skill and give some suggestions for applying the adapting tasks
to enhance the students' self - learning for improvements in their listening skills.
The specific aims of the research are as follows:
To give out a brief overview on Techniques of teaching listening skill.
To discuss the best way to teach listening skill in English 11
To give some lecture samples (with CD) applied IT to simplify listening
tasks to teach listening skill in English 11
III. Methods of the study
I applied different methods to carry out the study as follows:
Analytic method
Collecting method
Experimental method
Statistical method
IV. Scope of the study
Within this study, my purpose is to carry the research on adapting tasks to teach
listening skill to the 11th form students though there are many other techniques
that can be used to teach listening skill.
I also designed the powerpoint lectures from unit 1 to unit 16 of English 11
which help to students to develop the ability of listening better and using
language naturally.
PART B: INVESTIGATION

I. Theoretical background
1. What is listening?
According to Howatt and Dakin 1974 “Listening is the ability to identify and
understand what others are saying. This involves understanding a speaker’s
accent or pronunciation, his grammar and his vocabulary, and grasping his
meaning.”
2. The importance of listening skill ?
The Studies in “The importance of listening” by Karen Lawson, PhD, CSP,
show that we spent 80% of our waking hours communicating, and according to
research, at least 45% of that time is spent listening.
Listening plays a vital role in daily lives. People listen for different purposes such
as entertainment, academic purposes or obtaining necessary information. As for
foreign language learning, listening is of paramount important since it provides
the language input. Without understanding input appropriately, learning simply
can not get any improvement. In addition, without listening skill, no
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communication can be achieved. As for that, language learners, especially those
who learn English as a foreign language in a non-native setting, find it difficult to
acquire good listening skill.
In a word, the better at listening you are, the more productive you will be in
your career and more opportunities will come to you.
3. Problems and solutions in listening skill.
3.1. What are some listening problems ?
The evidence that shows why listening is difficult comes mainly from four
sources: the message to be listened to, the speaker, the listener, and the physical
setting.
3.1.a. The Message
Many learners find it more difficult to listen to a taped message than to read

the same message on a piece of paper, since the listening passage comes into the
ear in the twinkling of an eye, whereas reading material can be read as long as
the reader likes.
In many cases listeners cannot predict what speakers are going to say and
messages on the radio or recorded on tape cannot be listened to at a slower speed.
Moreover, it’s dificult for learners to listen to everyday conversation which may
contain a lot of colloquial words and expressions, such as stuff for material, guy
for man, as well as slang. In spontaneous conversations people sometimes use
ungrammatical sentences because of nervousness or hesitation. They may omit
elements of sentences or add something redundant.
3.1.b. The Speaker
Learners tend to be used to their teacher’s accent or to the standard variety of
British or American English. They find it hard to understand speakers with other
accents. So speaker’s voice and speech style is one of the factors which may
make it more difficult for learners to understand.
3.1.c. The Listener
Foreign-language students are not familiar enough to predict a missing words or
phrases. This is a major problem for students. Besides, Lack of sociocultural,
factual, and contextual knowledge of the target language can present an obstacle
to comprehension. On the other hand, It is tiring for students to concentrate on
interpreting unfamiliar sounds, words, and sentences for long periods. And noise,
including both background noises on the recording and environmental noises, can
take the listener’s mind off the content of the listening passage. Listening
material on tape or radio lacks visual and aural environmental clues. Not seeing
the speaker’s body language and facial expressions makes it more difficult for the
listener to understand the speaker’s meaning. Unclear sounds resulting from
poor-quality equipment can interfere with the listener’s comprehension.
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3.1. What are some solutions ?
What can teachers do to help students master the difficulties? Not all the
problems described above can be overcome. Certain features of the message and
the speaker, for instance, are inevitable. But this does not mean that the teacher
can do nothing about them. S/he can at least provide the students with suitable
listening materials, background and linguistic knowledge, enabling skills,
pleasant classroom conditions, and useful exercises to help them discover
effective listening strategies.
3.2.a. The Message
Grade listening materials according to the students’ level, and provide
authentic materials rather than idealized, filtered samples.We should design taskoriented exercises to engage the students’ interest and help them learn listening
skills subconsciously.Many people say that listening exercises are most effective
if they are constructed round a task. That is to say, the students are required to do
something in response to what they hear that will demonstrate their
understanding. Here are some such tasks: expressing agreement or disagreement,
taking notes, marking a picture or diagram according to instructions, and
answering questions. Compared with traditional multiple-choice questions, taskbased exercises have an obvious advantage: they not only test the students’
listening comprehension but also encourage them to use different kinds of
listening skills and strategies to reach their destination in an active way. It is also
necessary that the teacher try to find visual aids or draw pictures and diagrams
associated with the listening topics to help students guess or imagine actively.
Besides, the teacher should provide students with different kinds of input, such as
lectures, radio news, films, TV plays, announcements, everyday conversation,
interviews, storytelling, English songs, and so on.
3.2.b. The Speaker
Make students aware of different native-speaker accents and let them deal with
different accents, especially in extensive listening. The teacher should give
practice in liaisons and elisions in order to help students get used to the acoustic
forms of rapid natural speech. It is useful to find rapidly uttered colloquial
collocations and ask students to imitate native speakers’ pronunciation.

3.2.c. The Listener
Listeners should be provided background knowledge and linguistic
knowledge, such as complex sentence structures and colloquial words and
expressions, as needed. The teacher should bridge the gap between input and
students’ response and between the teacher’s feedback and students’ reaction in
order to keep activities purposeful. It is important for the listening-class teacher
to give students immediate feedback on their performance. This not only
promotes error correction but also provides encouragement. The teacher also
helps students develop the skills of listening with anticipation, listening for
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specific information, listening for gist, interpretation and inference, listening for
intended meaning, listening for attitude, etc., by providing varied tasks and
exercises at different levels with different focuses.
4. Stages of a listening lesson
4.1. Before you listen
• Introducing general content of the listening passage
• Practising designed warming-up activities in the textbook
• Making use of pictures (if any) to present new vocabulary
• Presenting more words/phrases from tapescripts
• Getting students to pronounce words/phrases carefully
• Reviewing already-presented grammatical patterns
• Presenting new grammatical patterns (if any)
• Asking students to predict content of the listening
4.2. While you listen
• Giving clear instructions for the listening task (rephrasing textbook
instructions if necessary)
• Playing the tape once (non-stop) for students to get general content of the
listening

• Providing other activities from textbook for slower classes
• Moving from simpler tasks (listening for getting key words/phrases,
listening for main ideas, matching, deciding on true/false information,
numbering pictures, sequencing events…) to more complicated ones
(answering MCQs, gap-filling, table/graph completing, answering
information questions…)
• Playing the tape several times (non-stop or with pauses if students need
help)
• Breaking long tape scripts into sections to facilitate the listening
4.3. After you listen
• Practising designed post-listening activities in textbook.
• Summarizing listening passages in spoken or written form
• Relating to students’ own experience
• Extending the topic to oral or written presentations
5. Techniques of teaching listening skill.
5.1. Pre-Listening techniques
1. Open – prediction:
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The teacher doesn’t give the students any statements, only sets the scene and
gets students to predect some of the things they think they will hear the text.
Students write down their predictions. In this ways students have made their own
listening guides. The teacher play the tape and students tick their correct
predictions.
2. True/ False statement prediction
The teacher gives students 5 – 10 statements on the boards, poster or handout
based on the main ideas in the listening text. Only half the statements are true. In
pairs students predict which of the statements are true and underline the numbers
(or mark them T/F). Students call out their predictions.The teacher doesn’t say if

they are right or wrong. The teacher play the tape for checking.Students tick the
predictions that are right and any that they didn’t guess. In pairs students
compare and if there are disagreements the teacher play the tape again until
everyone agree.
3. Ordering:
The teacher give students jumpled statements or pictures. Students must
discuss in pairs/groups and predict the correct order. The statements or pictures
have letters a, b, c etc. Students fill in their chosen order 1,2,3 etc in a grid. In
pairs they compare their answers. The teacher accepts different orders to create a
disagreement, so it gives students a real reason for listening and finding out who
is right. Students listen and tick or correct their order.
4. Pre – questions
The teachers puts a few pre – questions on board: one pre – question for each
main point in the listening text. Students read and think about the pre – questions
focus the students’ attention but students don’t have to guess or predict the
answers if they don’t want to.After the first listening they answer the questions.
5.2. While – Listening techniques:
1. Listen and draw.
The teacher give students a map, or house plan or diagram or pictures – any
visual that students can draw on - draw a route, mark changes or label parts. The
visual can be copied off the board or given as picture dictation. The students
listen to the text and respond by drawing, filling in, labeling , numbering, etc.
2. Grids:
The teacher puts a table on the board and students copy it. The table gets
students to listen for the facts or details in the text. Some of the information has
already been filled in the boxes of the table to guide their listening. Students
listen and fill in the rest, in note form. Students work in pairs and compare to
check answers, and the teacher reads the text a second time or more until
everyone agrees on the answers.
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3. Comprehension questions:
This is the most common while – listening technique. Students are given a set
of questions – True/ False Statements, Multiple choice, Wh- or Yes – No
questions. While listening, they answer the questions. Sometimes these
comprehension questions have two parts. The first part helps students focus on
the main ideas of the listening. Multiple choice or True/ False are often used for
this. The second part focuses on the details – facts, figures, etc. Wh – type
questions are often used for this.
5.3. Post – Listening techniques:
1. Roleplay:
Students dramatise the listening text, taking the roles of the characters in the
story they have just heard. This is particularly good for students who haven’t
studied the past tense but have just heard a story in the past tense.The role – play
transfers a past tense story into the present tense. The teacher organises the role –
play by putting all the same roles together, eleciting and then letting them
practise what they will say, then cross – grouping so that each new group has one
of each of the different characters.
2. Recall the story
Students re –tell the story in the listening text in their own words. The teacher
can help them by doing mini drill first, usually using the same pictures or
simplified statements that were used for predicting in the pre – listening task or
ordering or selecting in te while – listening task. Students practis speaking and in
pairs or in groups. The re – telling with a pictures can also be done as a chain
story.
3. Write it up
Student write up the information that they have in their listening instruction.
They reconstruct the text in their own words using the notes in the grids or
drawings in the listen and draw exercises as cues. Students practise writing in

groups, pairs or individually.
4. Further practice:
The teacher chooses a topic related to the listening topic, usually a topic
personalised to the students, and designs a production activity for the students to
do. For example, after doing the grids, they will describe other classmates; or
students can recount similar stories to the listening text – things that have
happened to them personally.
6. How to adapt listening tasks:
6.1. Steps of teaching listening
- Warmers
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- Word eliciting
- Making predictions
- Listen
- Checking prediction
- Controlled practice
- More intensive practice
- Production
- Feedback
- Homework setting
6.2. Steps of adapting tasks:
- Read through the tape script.
- Think of the aims, the knowledge and the language (knowledge standard)
- Underline the key information (decide what words/phrases to pre-teach)
- Look at the questions/tasks in the textbook and decide what to adapt. (not all
tasks)
- Design the easiest activities for students. (but do cover the main content of the
text)

6.3. Effective listening activities
- designing easier tasks for Ss (simplifying the tasks)
- providing more background information
- designing some tasks as games
- (for new words) sample reading first and giving time for Ss to practice
- putting students in pairs or groups (they can help each other)
- providing pictures, knowledge, vocabulary
- discussing the topic before listening
- having Ss brainstorm the words relating to the topic
- giving clear steps
- providing tape scripts sometimes (when Ss can’t hear anything at all)
7. Some solutions applied IT can help students master English listening skill.
7.1. Using X-Wave MP3 cutter joiner 3.0 software to cut MP3 file into parts,
sentences or words:
During my teaching period, with a view to helping students listen more easily,
I often use the software X-Wave MP3 cutter joiner 3.0 as a common device to cut
the listening tapes into short parts or even sentences and words.
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First, in order to use this software you have to set up this software in your own
computer. After setting up this software, we can open and choose the file that
need tobe cut. Open the file in the software system and black the part we want to
cut. Then press “Save as” and name the part we have just cut.

With this solfware, we can adjust the sound slower or faster if we want.

7.1. Using Power point software to design effective listening lectures:
Powerpoint is available in every computer and there are various lectures in the
Internet teaching us how to use it.

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By using Powerpoint, not only can we design an exciting lectures with
interesting games, but sound files or videos can be inserted flexibility. As a result,
students find it easier and more attractive to access to listening skill.
II. Experiment
1. Material preparation:
- Lesson plan
- Textbook / Reference books
- Tape crips of listening lessons
- CD Tiếng anh 11
- Speaker or cassette
- Computer and projector/ Visual aids
2. Practising methods:
On carrying out the study, I used some methods such as: Analytic method,
Collecting method, Experimental method, Statistical method, Audio-lingual
method, Grammar translation method, Direct method.
3. Some samples (with CD) applied IT to simplify listening tasks to teach
listening skill in English 11
3.1. Unit 1 – A day in the life of…
* Warmers:

Guessing Game – What is it ?

Prepare a picture of a cyclo:

Ask Ss to guess what it is base on the folowing clues:
1. It is very useful mean of transport for people.

2. It can help people to save money and limit poluted environment.
3. It is a kind of vehicle.
4. It has got 3 wheels.
* Lead in: Today, we are going to listen to the daily life of a cyclo driver.
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* Pre – Listening:
Present Ss some vocabularies:
- district (n): quận, huyện

For example: I live in Nghia Dan district

- drop (v): leave someone at a place( chở ai đó đến)
- passengers(n) : hành khách
Example: There are a lot of passangers waiting for the flight (pic 1)
- pedal (n): bàn đạp/ (v) đạp xe (pic 2)
- purchases (n): đồ đạc mua (v) = buy (v)
- food stall (n): quầy bán thực phẩm , quán ăn (pic 3)

Pic 1

pic 2

pic 3

Checking vocabulary: making sentences with words
- Set the scene: “Mr Lam is a cyclo driver.He is working on HCM city.Let’s
guess his routine.What does he do in his job?”
Encourage Ss to feel free to have guesses about Mr. Lam’s routine.

Example:
- He gets up at 6:30 and has breakfast with his family at 7:00.
- First, he meets 2 children then, a woman and last an old man.
- He hasn’t lunch with his family
- He comes back home at 5:00…
* While – Listening:
Task 1: - Pictures Ordering
- Study the pictures
Ask Ss to look at the pictures carefully and describe the activities in each picture

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Pic a/ his passanger is a beautiful woman /lady
Pic b/ he is eating in a foodstall/ his house
Pic c/ his pasagers are 2 students
Pic d/ he is having a rest
Pic e/ he gets up
Pic f: His pasanger is a man
- Pictures Ordering
Keep Ss in pairs to study the pictures carefully then listen to the cassette and
order the pictures.
Ask Ss to compare, peer correction and give answer
Feedback and give correct answer.
a.3

b.5 c.4 d.6 e.1 f.2

Task 2: - True or False statement
- Reading Task 2: Let Ss read the statements carefully.

- Prediction: Ask Ss to make a prediction whether the statements are true or false.
- Listen the cassette again
Draw Ss’ attention to key words when they are listening.
Play the tape again and ask Ss to listen and decide whether the statements are
true or false.
Ask Ss to peer correction before give the keys
Feedback and give suggested answer
* Post – Listening: Dictogloss:
Ask Ss to work in groups listen and order the following information and then
write a paragraph about Mr Lam’s activities by using the cues:
Name---- start---- work---- lunch----occupation----- passengers----- rest
Go around the class and offer help if necessary.
Example:
What is the man’s name ?
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What does he do ?
What time does he start work ?
Who are his passengers?
Where and what time does he have lunch?
Call some students to talk about Mr Lam’s activities
Feedback and give suggested answer
3.2. Unit 2 – School talks
* Warmers:
KIM’S GAME
Look at the following pictures and try to remember what they talk bout.

1

2

3

4

1. They are making a conversation in English.
2. They are attending in a party
3. they are going for a swim
4. A comfortable room in hotel
* Lead in:
In this lesson, Today we are going to listen some conversations about studying,
party, holiday
* Pre – Listening:
Vocabulary pre – teach :
- Semester (n) = term
- Alone (adj) = by oneself
- Comfortable (adj) = Pleasant
- Great (adj) = wonderful
- Checking vocabulary: Snap
- Set the scene: You are going to hear some conversations about study, party and
holiday.
Keep Ss in pairs and ask them to ask and answer about the pictures. T may also
directly ask Ss.
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Suggested questions:
What do you see in the pictures ?
Who are they ?

What are they doing ?
Make sure Ss see all the details of the pictures clearly before playing the tape.

* While – Listening:
Task 1: - Matching
Ask Ss to listen to the conversations and match them with the pictures.
Play the tape more than once if necessary.
Tell Ss to listen for main ideas and key words, not for specific information in the
first time.
Call on some Ss to explain their answers to class.
Feed back and give correct answers
Task 2: Answering the questions
Ask students to listen the cassette again and do the task
Have Ss listen to the tape again and answer the questions
Let Ss listen to the tape several times if necessary and have a pause between
conversation to make it easier for Ss while they are doing the task.
Call on some Ss to read aloud their answers in front of the class.
1. What subject is Lan taking this semester ?
2. Whose class is Lan in ?
3. Where is Nam now ?
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4. How long does Son plan to stay in Nha Trang ?
5. Does Hoa travel with her friends ?
Task 3_Conversation Completion
Ask SS to work in pairs and study the conversation.
Encourage then guess the missing words.
Play the conversation again.
Ask Ss to listen to it and complete the conversation by filling in the missing

information.
Note: This task may cause difficulty to some Ss because it requires Ss to write
down the exact words in the tape.
Call on spme pairs to practice the completed conversation.
Comments on Ss’ performance and give correct answers:
A: Hoa. How do you like (1) it here?
B: it’s (2) very nice. The hotel is (3) big and my room is (4) comfortable.
A: are you (5) travelling with your friends?
B: (6) No. I’m travelling (7) alone.
A: Would you like to go smewhere (8) for a drink?
B: that’s great.
* Post – Listening:
Role play:
The teacher designs a short paragraph (from 4 to 6 sentences) which relates to
the content of the listening lesson.
Here is a special announcement. A three – year – old girl, Mary, is
reported missing. She has short blond hair. She is wearing a shortsleeved white blouse, a pink skirt and a pairs of sandals. If you see
Mary, please bring her to the information desk.
The teacher reads the paragraph 3 times. At the first time, Students try to listen to
some key words in the paragraph. The teacher asks students to list out some
words they have heard. For example: announcement/ mising /hair / three years
old/ blouse/ skirt/ sandals… At the second and the third time after listening
students order these words following the paragraph.
Then, the teacher asks student to use their language to build up up another
paragraph base on the order of these words.
Ask some students read their own paragraph
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The teacher give feedback.

3.3. Unit 3 – A Party
* Warmers:
Kim’s Game:

- Teacher: What do you think of when you see these things?
- Students: A party
- Teacher: List in the topic of the lesson.
* Pre – Listening:
- Vocabulary pre – teach :
- gathering (n) = a meeting of people for a particular purpose
For example: a social/family gathering
- icing (n)

- prize (n) : an award that is given to a person who wins a competition
- clap (v) use action to express the word

- Checking vocabulary: matching
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* While – Listening:
Task 1: Listen and decide whether the statements are True or False
1. Mai’s birthday party was held at home in the evening.
2. Over twenty guests were at the party.
3. The birthday cake was cut at the beginning of the party.
4. The birthday party lasted about three hours.
5. All the friends stayed after the party to tidy up the mess.
Teacher give feedback
Task 2: Answering the questions
1. Mai was ………………..…years old.

A.

16 B. 26 C.

6 D.

60

2. She didn’t like having her party at a restaurant because it’s…………………..
A. noisy but cheap

B. far from her house.

C. noisy and expensive.

D. not beautiful.

3. Mai’s mother served them …………….and biscuits.
A. food B. soft drinks C. flowers D. fruits
4.The birthday cake was brought out at about…………
A. 3:00 p.m B. 4:00 p.mC. 3:30 p.mD. 4:30 p.m
5.The cake was decorated with ………………………icing.
A. red and yellow B. pink and white

C. white and red

D. pink and brown

6. All the guests……….their hands eagerly and sang ……….. while Mai was
cutting the cake

A. shook/ ‘Happy birthday’. B. clapping/ ‘Happy New Year’.
C. clapped/ ‘Happy birthday’. D. raised / ‘Happy New Year’
7. The birthday party finished at……………….
A. 7:00 p.m B. 6 :00 p.m

C. 7:30 p.m

D. 6 :30 p.m

* Post – Listening:
Role- play: Work in pairs, one is student A, on is student B- Suppose that A was
busy and didn’t come to Mai’s party. Now, A ask your friend about Mai’s party.
Questions:
- When and where was it held?
- Who did you go with?
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- Did you know most people there?
- What did you do there?
- What time did it finish?
3.4. Unit 4 – Volunteer work
* Warmers:
Matching: Match the pictures with the activities.

Collecting rubbish

Repairing house

Directing traffic

Building road

Blood donation

Teaching children

* Lead in:
In this lesson, we are going to listen to a passage about volunteer work.
* Pre – Listening:
- Vocabulary pre – teach :
Fund - raising activities (n)

Co-operate (v):

Sponsor (n, v)

Donation (n)

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Organization for Educational Development ( translation)
- Checking vocabulary: Slap the board.
* While – Listening:
Task 1: Listen and fill in the missing information.
The teacher lets students listen to the tapes twice to check the information.
Teacher gives feedback:
1.Spring School is an _________ school in Ho Chi Minh City.
2. Around ______________ live and study at the school.

3. About ___________ from District 1 regularly attend classes.
4. Organization for Educational Development co-operated with Spring School to
set up English classes in ______
5.The school requires ___________ to help organise their fund-raising dinner
held annually in _____
Task 2: Listen again and answer the questions
The teacher asks students to listen to the tape again and answer the following
questions:
1. What is the aim of Spring School?
2. What class was set up in 1998?
3. Why do children participate in fund- raising performances?
4. Where do children dance, sing and play music?
5. Why are foreign volunteers needed?
Have students in two teams again to play the lucky numbers game
Inform students the rules of the game.

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The teacher gives feedback.
* Post – Listening:
SUMMARY: Ask Students work in groups to sumarise the listening passage base
on the following cues:
Sumarise the listening passage base on the following cues:

1. The aim of Spring School
2. The number of children who live or attend the lasses
3. The activities the children can take part in at school
3.5. Unit 6 – Competitions
* Warmers:

Guessing game :
The teacher has a picture which is hidden by some small cards.
Students are going to guess what the picture is by opening the card to answer the
questions .

1

2
It began in 1897

3
It is a long distance
running in the USA

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2

1

It began in 1897

3
It is a long distance
running in the USA
* Lead in:
Today in this lesson we are going to listen to a conversation about Boston
Marathon.

* Pre – Listening:
- Vocabulary pre – teach :
1. race (n):
2. athletic (n): ( picture)
3. clock(v): Ex: He clocked 9 seconds for the 100metres race
4. female (n)

♀ ><

5. association (n)

male (n)
6. champion

- Checking vocabulary: Rub out
* While – Listening:
Task 1: Decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F)
1. The Boston Marathon is held every year in the USA
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2. It began in 1897
3. John McDermott clocked 2 hours 15 minutes and 10 seconds
4. Women were officially allowed to participate in the races in 1957
5. In 1984, 34 countries took part in the marathon
6. According to the race’s rules, runners have to pass through the centre of
Boston
Have students in two teams again to play the lucky numbers game
Inform students the rules of the game.
Task 2: Ask students to listen and answer the questions

1. Where did John Mc Dermott come from?
2. When did Kuscsik become the first official female champion?
3. How many women started and finished the race in 1972?
4. How many runners joined the Boston Marathon in 1994?
Task 3: Ask students to listen once more and fill in each blank with the word(s)
or phrases you hear
Boston Marathon is held . . . . . . . . . And it began in 1897. John Mc Dermott,
who . . . . . . from New York, . . . . . the first Boston Marathon in the USA
Association Marathon. It took him 2 hours 50 minutes and 10 seconds . . . . . . .
the finish.
Until 1967 women were formally . . . . . . . . . to take part in the
Boston races. Kuscsik became the first official female champion in . . . . . . In that
race, 8 women participated in and all of them . . . . . . . . . . Every people all over
the world can . . . . it. The Boston race is about . . . . . kilometers. Runners have
to go through 13 . . . . . . . during the race.
* Post – Listening:
Students work in groups to summarise the report base on the following chart .

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Every year

42km, 12 towns

1967

In 1984,
34 countries

The Boston Marathon

The centre
of Boston

1897
J. McDermott
(the first man won the race)
3.6. Unit 7 – World population.
* Warmers: Video Observation:

Have students watch a video and answer the question: What is it about ?
* Lead in:
The listening lesson today is about world population.
* Pre – Listening:
- Vocabulary pre – teach :
- Latin America:
- developing country
- rank (v) / rank (n) Ex: Vietnam ranks thirteenth in population
- generation (n)
- shortage (n)
- punishment (n)
- improvement (n)
- Checking vocabulary: Slap the board
* While – Listening:
Task 1: Multiple choice questions
Let students to listen to the tape twice and check the information.
1. The expert says that there are......................................people in the world today.
A. about 6.7 million B. 6.6 billion

C. 6.7 billion

D.over 6.7 billion
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2. According to the expert, the population of the world increases
by........................
a year.
A. about 66 million B. about 76 million C. 66 million D. 76 billion
3. According to the expert, the area that has highest population growth rate
is....................
A. the Middle East B. Latin America C. Asia

D. Africa

4. Scientists say that the main reason for population explosion is........................
A. an increase in death rates B. death rates
C. a decrease in death rates D. birth rates
5. Which of the following problems is NOT mentioned by the speaker ?
A. lack of hospitals and schools
C. shortage of food

B. poor living conditions

D. literacy

6. Which of the following solutions is NOT mentioned by the speaker ?
A. advising people to use birth control methods
B. educating people

C. providing safe, inexpensive birth control methods
D. strictly implementing a family planning policy
Have students in two teams again to play magic conical hat game.

7

1
8

6

10

3

2

3

4

5

6

2

4

1

5
Points

Each team has 3 turning times before choosing the questions. In order to get the
point the team have to give out the correct answer. There are 4 information the
students have to do in the 6 numbers and two of which are gifts.
The teacher gives feedback.
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Task 2: Listen to the interview again and decide whether the statements are True
(T) or False (F)
1. All parts of the world have the same rate of population growth.
2. According to experts, Asia’s population is growing more quickly than Latin
America and Africa.
3. There is a fall in death rates because of the improvement of
services and medical care.

public health

4. The explosion of population has caused many problems fordeveloping
countries.
5. Mr. Brown suggested three solutions to the problem of overpopulation
Task 3: Listen again and answer the following questions
1. According to experts, what will the population of the world be by the year
2015 ?
2. What did the expert say about the population growth rates in some parts of the
world ?
3. According to experts, what is the reason for a fall in the death rates ?

4. According to experts, what problems does population explosion cause to the
world, particularly to developing countries ?
5. How many solutions did the expert offer and what are they ?
Have students in two teams again to play the lucky numbers game
Inform students the rules of the game.
* Post – Listening:
Retelling a story: Ask Students work in groups to use the outline below and
retell the story :

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