Introduction to Academic ESL 2 Listening and Speaking for Students of English as a Second Language

Listening Skills

To follow basic everyday communication on familiar topics:

1. Identify register/style and infer some situational details including participant roles and relationships.
2. Identify topic and main ideas of a conversation on a familiar topic.
3. Identify specific key words, factual details and some inferred meaning in casual small talk, introductions, leave-taking and short phone calls.
4. Follow sets of sequentially presented everyday instructions with longer phrases related to location, movement, manner, frequency and duration.
5. Demonstrate understanding of expressions used to persuade, suggest, advise, and convince.

To listen for discrete items:

1. Listen for specific information (e.g. names, telephone numbers, addresses and dates).
2. Write from dictation.

Speaking Skills

To participate in conversations and paired/small group speaking activities:

1. Open, respond to and close small talk and casual conversations.
2. Indicate problems in communication by asking for repetition, clarification and explanation.
3. Manage short, simple predictable phone exchanges and standard replies.
4. Leave a short, simple phone message.
5. Give sets of simple everyday instructions and directions.
6. Relate stories.
   • A picture story (external stimulus).
   • An everyday activity or routine.
   • Personal story.
7. Interact one-on-one to ask for and provide information related to routine daily activities.
8. Describe:
   • A room.
   • A simple object.
9. Use language functions, including the following:
   • Expressing needs, preferences, satisfaction/dissatisfaction, and likes/dislikes.
   • Request/give simple advice or suggestions.
   • Request/give permission.
   • Extend/accept or decline invitations.
   • Express/respond to compliments and congratulations.
10. Work on pronunciation elements (word stress, vowels and linking) as needed.
11. Assess own skills as communicators.

Accuracy

To demonstrate accurate use of:

1. Verb Tenses: simple present, present continuous, simple past, simple future.
2. Time Markers: past, present, future.
3. Basic parts of speech and sentence parts.
4. Nouns, pronouns and adjectives.
5. Modals expressing requests, necessity, ability, advice and suggestions.

Classroom Skills

1. Take responsibility for the following:
   • Attendance and punctuality.
   • Classwork and assignments.
   • Participation and teamwork, collaboration in groups and decision-making.
2. Follow instructions, communicate with peers and instructors and ask for clarification.
3. Show an awareness of cultural differences and general features of their culture and the world.