Question about instructions for a listening comprehension exercise (3)

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learning54

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Hi teachers,
In relation to this statement, 'He was a considerate man who had done well in his company.’
This is the appropriate instruction for a listening exercise, 'Write down what kind of man Hiroshi was and what he had accomplished’.
My question is, "Is there an easier word or phrase for ‘accomplished’?" The exercise is for low intermediate students.

Thanks in advance.
 
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Barb_D

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Re: Question about intructions for a listening comprehension exercise (3)

Can you use questions like this instead?
What sort of man was Hiroshi?
How had he done in his job?

That would be comrehension (understanding) not just parroting back.
 

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Re: Question about intructions for a listening comprehension exercise (3)

Hi teachers,
In relation to this statement, 'He was a considerate man who had done well in his company.’
This is the appropriate instruction for a listening exercise, 'Write down what kind of man Hiroshi was and what he had accomplished’.
My question is, "Is there an easier word or phrase for ‘accomplished’?" The exercise is for low intermediate students.

Thanks in advance.

"what he had accomplished" is appropriate if this is a creative writing assignment. Otherwise, I can't tell how you would know what he accomplished, unless somehow being a considerate man is an accomplishment. (It's not, in the context of "had done well in his company".)
 

learning54

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Re: Question about intructions for a listening comprehension exercise (3)

Can you use questions like this instead?
What sort of man was Hiroshi?
How had he done in his job?

That would be comrehension (understanding) not just parroting back.

Hi Barb_D,
Thank you for your reply and advice.
The thing is they have to be indirect questions, so I can change it to, 'Write down what sort of man he was' and 'Write down how he had done in his job'.
Right?
By the way in these question words, 'what sort of' or 'what kind of', both 'sort' and 'kind' are nouns, aren't they? Or what part of speech are they?
 
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learning54

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Re: Question about intructions for a listening comprehension exercise (3)

"what he had accomplished" is appropriate if this is a creative writing assignment. Otherwise, I can't tell how you would know what he accomplished, unless somehow being a considerate man is an accomplishment. (It's not, in the context of "had done well in his company".)

Hi,
Thank you very much for you comment.
 

emsr2d2

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Re: Question about intructions for a listening comprehension exercise (3)

L54 - a little piece of advice. You may well get more suggestions like Barb's above with your exercises. The issue is that, to most of us, a listening comprehension is supposed to suggest that the students have understood the meaning of the words, not just understood the words.

For example, take the following sentence: The weather was very hot and the students were all wearing shorts.

My idea of questions for a listening comprehension would be things like:
- Was it raining? (This checks whether the students comprehend that "it" refers to "the weather" and also that "raining" and "very hot" are weather-related words.)
- How were the students dressed? (This checks if the students understand the relation between "wearing" and "dressed".)
- Did the students need to wear a coat?

Your questions are more like:
- Write down what the weather was like. (They simply have to hear "The weather was ..." and they know they have to write the next thing they hear.)
- Write down what the students were all wearing. (They simply have to hear "The students were all wearing ..." and the next word is the answer.)

There is nothing wrong with yours but they really don't test your students very much. Literally, all they have to do is listen to the piece, identify each word and then practically just copy the missing word into your indirect question.
 

learning54

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Re: Question about intructions for a listening comprehension exercise (3)

Hi,
Thank you very much for your advice.

To most of us, a listening comprehension is supposed to suggest that the students have understood the meaning of the words,not just understood the words. This is true, and it’s very realistic, but even they just parrot back with the exercise. They still have some difficulties to understand some of the words when they listen to them.

For example, take the following sentence: The weather was very hot and the students were all wearing shorts.

My idea of questions for a listening comprehension would be things like:
- Was it raining? (This checks whether the students comprehend that"it" refers to "the weather" and also that"raining" and "very hot" are weather-related words.)
- How were the students dressed? (This checks if the students understand therelation between "wearing" and "dressed".)
- Did the students need to wear a coat?

Your questions are more like:
- Write down what the weather was like. (They simply have to hear "The weather was ..." and they know they have to write the next thing they hear.)
- Write down what the students were all wearing. (They simply have to hear"The students were all wearing ..." and the next word is the answer.)


Your idea and examples are great and it certainly is an excellent way to test them in a listening comprehension exercise. Let me tell you what I will do after your suggestion, I’ll mix both ways in the exercise, yours and mine, depending on the difficulty of the sentence or sentences they have to listen to. What do you think?

There is nothing wrong with yours but they really don't test your students very much. Literally, all they have to do is listen to the piece, identify each word and then practically just copy the missing word into your indirect question.
Thank you for your words and advice as always.

Best,
L54
 

Barb_D

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Re: Question about intructions for a listening comprehension exercise (3)

I think 5jj made a post along the same lines a while back.
If I hear "After glurping, Ricky snicked the twelp" I have no idea what it means. That's not suprising, because glurp, snicked, and twelp are not real words.

However, I can pass tests like yours quite well.
Write down what Ricky did after glurping? Ricky snicked the twelp.
What did Ricky snick? The twelp.
What did Rick do to the twelp? He snicked it.
When did Ricky snick the twelp? After glurping.

Do you see the problem? I have no comprehenion at all. But I get 100% on the test.
 

learning54

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Re: Question about intructions for a listening comprehension exercise (3)

Hi Barb_D,
Thank you so much for your comment.
Do you see the problem? Yes I do. Very well in fact.
I have no comprehension at all. But I get 100% on the test. That's very right!
I'll follow all your instructions, I mean all the teachers that have helped me so far, and I'll post my new ones here to see what your opinion is.

Best,
TS
 

emsr2d2

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Re: Question about intructions for a listening comprehension exercise (3)

There is nothing wrong with calling the types of things you have posted up until now "Listening Exercises" - that simply means that they have to listen to each word and then be able to write it down (correctly spelt!)

To call them "Listening Comprehension" there has to be some evidence of understanding in addition to listening.
 

learning54

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Re: Question about intructions for a listening comprehension exercise (3)

There is nothing wrong with calling the types of things you have posted up until now "Listening Exercises" - that simply means that they have to listen to each word and then be able to write it down (correctly spelt!)

To call them "Listening Comprehension" there has to be some evidence of understanding in addition to listening.

Hi,
Good morning. Thank you for your words and for making it very clear. Now I understand it very well. What I have done so far are 'Listening Exercises' and as you say if I want them to be, 'Listening Comprehension' exercises there has to be some evidence of understanding.

Best,
L54
 
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