What comes next?

Aim:

To raise students’ awareness of expressions that tell us what will follow in a spoken text

Target Audience:

Students

Relevance to ICFE Listening:

Whole paper

Organisation:

Individuals, then pairs or threes

Materials needed:

Worksheet; Tapescript; recording

  1. Explain to students that they are going to look at examples of expressions (markers) that occur in speech and which will give them important clues as to what will follow.

  2. Play the sample tasks once, and ask the students to establish the context.

  3. Ask students to work in pairs and groups, look at each expression, decide what function each has, and say what might follow it.

  4. Discuss the answers and ideas as a class.

  5. Play the sample tasks again to see whether the students' predictions are confirmed.

  6. Now ask students to give other examples of similar expressions used in speech which can indicate what will follow, e.g. to start with, however, on the other hand.

  7. Look at other examples of speech and find examples of these expressions.
    Ask students to find their own examples e.g. from their course books.

Variation:

  Step 3: Give students just the expressions and ask them in pairs and groups to think what kind of ideas followed these expressions. Use first expression and function as an example. Help with vocabulary if needed.
     
  Step 4: Play the sample tasks again to see whether the students' predictions are confirmed.
     
  Step 5: Check the answers using the answer key.