2 Listening
Before You Listen
Complete these pre-listening activities to help you notice social conventions and to understand the conversations better.
Social Conventions Around Names 
Greetings and introductions include names and sometimes titles. Consider how you address strangers.
Place the star along the scale to show what you usually say to a stranger or an unfamiliar person.
- How do you address familiar people who are older or have a higher status than you? Place the HS (Higher Status) button along the scale to show what you usually say.
- How do you address familiar people who are the same age or of equal status to you? Place the ES (Equal Status) button along the scale to show what you usually say.
- How do you address familiar people who are younger or have a lower status than you? Place the LS (Lower Status) button along the scale to show what you usually say.
Vocabulary
Many words have multiple meanings.
Look at the table below. One of the words on the right does not have the same meaning as the word on the left. Choose one word on the right that doesn’t ever mean the same as the word on the left.
| bottom | underside | lowest | valley | button |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| folk | traditional | fork | family | people |
| reception | bill | signal | welcome | party |
Predictions
You will hear two conversations with Roshan. In the first conversation, he will speak face to face with a teacher and a new acquaintance. In the second conversation, he will speak with his mother by telephone.
Predict the answers to these questions before you listen:
- Will all these people greet each other the same way? If not, who might use formal or informal ways of starting a conversation?
- Will the speakers always understand each other? If not, how will they signal their confusion?
Listening 1
Listen to a conversation in a café. Notice how the three people greet each other and how they learn new things about each other.
After You Listen
Comprehension
Different listening strategies can help us understand more of what we hear. Try the two strategies below:
Strategy 1: Recognizing Details
Choose True (T) or False (F) for each statement below. How do you know it is true or false? Be ready to discuss the reasons for your choices.
| T | F | Gilles was expecting to meet Roshan at the coffee shop. |
| T | F | Gilles introduces Claire and Roshan to each other. |
| T | F | Roshan is familiar with folk music. |
| T | F | Roshan plays his guitar often. |
| T | F | Claire suggests that Roshan get involved with the folk festival. |
| T | F | Roshan agrees to volunteer for the folk festival. |
| T | F | Gilles is upset because Roshan mispronounces his name. |
| T | F | Roshan is uncomfortable calling Gilles by his first name. |
Strategy 2: Recognizing Meaning from Direct and Indirect Clues
1. Choose one. What is Gilles and Claire’s relationship?
a) They are long-time friends.
b) They are colleagues.
c) They are acquaintances.
d) They are dating.
2. Choose one. What is Gilles and Roshan’s relationship?
a) Boss and apprentice
b) Friends
c) Colleagues
d) Former teacher and student
3. Choose two. What does Claire do?
a) She is an event organizer.
b) She owns a campground.
c) She is a teacher.
d) She is a folk musician.
4. Choose all that are true. We know that Roshan is good at music because
a) Roshan won a prize
b) Roshan can compose music
c) Gilles says Roshan has natural talent
d) Roshan listens to folk music
5. Choose one. Gilles wants Roshan to call him
a) Gilles
b) Mr. Doucette
c) Gillian
d) Teacher
6. Choose one. Gilles says, “Your parents must be so proud of you.” Roshan doesn’t say anything because
a) he agrees
b) he disagrees
c) he can’t remember Claire’s name
d) he’s distracted
7. Choose one. To end the conversation, Roshan says,
a) “Actually, he’s waiting for me in the truck. The line for the drive thru was insane, so … I’m supposed to get the coffee.”
b) “I’m so embarrassed. I can’t remember your name.”
c) “Oh, well, I dunno. I haven’t played in ages, and I’m pretty busy with work.”
d) “Wow. What a coincidence! Twice in one week.”
8. Choose two. What does Claire want Roshan to do?
a) Volunteer at the folk festival.
b) Go to the folk festival’s SpaceBook page.
c) Join SpaceBook.
d) Apologize for forgetting her name.
9. Choose one. For Roshan, what’s the best way to describe the feeling of this conversation?
a) Very familiar and very friendly
b) Awkward
c) Formal and unfriendly
d) Grateful
10. Choose two. Why is Gilles annoyed in this conversation?
a) Claire wants to call him Gil.
b) Roshan won’t volunteer at the festival.
c) The cashier mispronounces Gilles’ name.
d) Gilles’ coffee is taking a long time.
Listening 2
Listen to another conversation. Notice how Roshan and his mother greet each other and how they share information with each other.
After You Listen
Vocabulary
Strategy 1: Using the Context to Understand Words
1. The word LINE has several meanings. Each sentence below has a word that could be replaced by LINE. Identify the word that means LINE in each of the sentences below.
a) Far from wireless networks, cellphones don’t work as well as a land wire.
b) On the highway, Kerry noticed a yellow stripe, so he didn’t cross it.
c) Roshan’s parents came from India, but Gilles’ family heritage is Aboriginal.
d) Electrical is the area of work Roshan is apprenticing in.
2. Verbs, or action words, may combine with a preposition to make a phrase. The meaning of the phrase is not exactly the same as the verb alone. Fill in each blank with one of these prepositions or adverbs: INTO, OUT, UP, INTO
a) To sound less formal, you could change “I’m interested in folk music” to “I’m __ folk music.”
b) “I ran __ my old teacher” is a casual way of saying “I met my former instructor.”
c) Talking about electronic signals, if the reception is poor, you could say a person’s voice is cutting __.
d) As with other phrasal verbs, “give __” is more informal than “quit.”
Strategy 2: Recognizing Word Families
Many words belong to groups called word families. For example, speak, speaker, spoke, and unspoken are related words; they are all in the same word family. By adding suffixes or prefixes, or changing the spelling slightly, words can play different grammatical roles.
To complete each sentence below, choose an adjective, adverb, noun, or verb from the word family.
1. Some students feel ___ calling their teacher by his or her first name.
a) awkward
b) awkwardly
c) awkwardness
2. Many people pronounce unfamiliar names ___.
a) awkward
b) awkwardly
c) awkwardness
3. To show ___, a smile and a “thank you” is often enough.
a) grateful
b) gratefully
c) gratitude
4. Someone who appreciates your help is a ___ person.
a) grateful
b) gratefully
c) gratitude
5. Poor ____ can be the reason that cellphones don’t always work.
a) receptionist
b) receiver
c) reception
6. Are you ___ to new ideas? If so, we could say you are open-minded.
a) reception
b) receptive
c) receive
7. Parents who dream their kids will become doctors may be ___ if their children choose to work in a trade.
a) disappoint
b) disappointed
c) disappointing
8. It is ___ to watch your favourite sports team lose a match.
a) disappointment
b) disappointing
c) disappointedly
Discussion
We’ve heard two conversations with Roshan. The first included his former teacher and a stranger. The second was with his mother; his father was listening in.
NOTICE how familiarity changed Roshan’s way of talking.
FIND examples of how strangers show respect and politeness.
DISCUSS how Roshan might feel when people he doesn’t know very well, or at all, ask him questions about himself and his family.
DISCUSS why Roshan doesn’t ask many questions, and why he never asks any personal questions.
IDENTIFY an assumption that Roshan’s mother makes when she answers the phone.
IDENTIFY an assumption that Roshan makes when he starts talking to his mother.
DISCUSS whether Roshan and his mother misunderstood each other. How did their assumptions change how they received, or (mis)understood, each other’s words.
IDENTIFY assumptions that Roshan’s parents have made about their son.
DISCUSS how Roshan responds to his mother’s assumptions.
Was Roshan direct or indirect? Why did he respond that way?
How might Roshan want his parents to think about (perceive) him?
DISCUSS how Roshan might respond to his father’s judgments, if he heard them. Would Roshan be direct or indirect, formal or informal? How do you think these different ways of responding would make Roshan’s father feel? How do you feel about Roshan’s father’s judgments? Why do you feel this way?
DISCUSS Roshan’s reaction to Gilles’ request to call him by his first name. How did Roshan feel about his former teacher’s request? Why might Roshan feel this way?
Why would Gilles want to be called by his first name? How do you feel about this situation? Why do you feel this way?
THINK about your relationships outside English class.
TALK about people who ask a lot of questions.
How do you feel about talking with them? Why? Do you always answer people’s questions? What questions do you feel comfortable answering directly? Why? How do you respond to questions you are uncomfortable with?
TALK about your own speech.
Do you openly talk about your assumptions, say them only to people close to you, or keep them to yourself? Why?
TALK about a time when someone expected you to be more formal or more informal.
How did you feel? How did you respond? Why?
TALK about a time when someone was more direct or more indirect than you expected. How did you feel? How did you respond? Were you direct, or indirect? Formal or informal? Why?
TALK about using first names and titles. Who do you feel comfortable using first names with? Who are you uncomfortable using first names with? Are you more comfortable with first names or with titles? Why?
Listening Progress Check
Test your understanding of formal and informal, direct and indirect speech by listening to some audio clips from the chapter video.
Answer the questions below while you listen. Listen as many times as you need to. Choose True (T) or False (F) for each statement.
| 1. | a) | T | F | Kerry is being very familiar when he talks to Roshan. |
| b) | T | F | Kerry uses Claire Turner’s title when he talks about her. | |
| 2. | a) | T | F | Kerry is being very informal when he talks to Roshan |
| b) | T | F | Kerry speaks formally to his wife. | |
| c) | T | F | Kerry changes how he refers to his wife. | |
| 3. | a) | T | F | Claire is familiar with the person who is calling her. |
| b) | T | F | Claire is being very, very formal when she answers the phone. | |
| c) | T | F | Claire gives her full name and title when she introduces herself. | |
| 4. | a) | T | F | Roshan is speaking with someone very familiar. |
| b) | T | F | Roshan speaking very informally | |
| c) | T | F | Roshan gives his full name | |
| 5. | a) | T | F | Gilles is speaking with someone very familiar. |
| b) | T | F | Gilles uses his title when he introduces himself. | |
| 6. | a) | T | F | Leela directly tells Roshan she is upset he hasn’t thanked her for the sweets. |
| b) | T | F | Leela speaks very formally to Roshan. | |
| 7. | a) | T | F | Leela indirectly tells Roshan she wants him to go back to school. |
| b) | T | F | Leela directly tells Roshan she’s unhappy he dropped out of school. | |
| c) | T | F | Leela indirectly tells Roshan she wants to send him a gift. |
