Listening to announcements

Listening to audiotexts of different genres has always been a challenging task for all students. While listening to announcements in English follow the steps below to make the comprehending process successful. After you’ve read the tips on listening to announcements at the initial and advanced stages, do the practical task: do pre-listening exercises, listen to the announcement, and accomplish while- and post-listening exercises.

At the initial stage of listening to announcements

1. Analyze all the possible situations related to the topic (where and under what circumstances you can hear the definite announcement).
2. Brainstorm topical vocabulary on the topic of the announcement (make a list of 20-30 widespread words that you may hear in the message).
3. Practise repeating the brainstormed words to yourself aloud. Make a few partnerships with them.
4. Practise speed repeating 5-6 words you hear one by one without changing their order.
5. Answering questions in pre-listening activities, always give details, using as many key words on the topic as possible. It’ll help you understand the announcement better.
6. Be totally focused on the figures, abbreviations, proper and geographical names to be completed. Make associations, visualize to remember them better.
7. Before doing pre-listening activities, scan all the tasks in all three sections (pre-, while- and post-listening), highlighting key words and phrases, picking widespread synonyms of them.
8. Remember that peculiar characteristics of any announcement are its length (they are short), conciseness and laconism. So be self-disciplined to catch all the necessary information after the only listening.

At the advanced stage of listening to announcements

1. After you have accomplished all Pre-listening tasks, read carefully the instructions and the text of the exercises in while-listening and post-listening parts.
2. Mark the figures and dates you can see in the while-listening and post-listening exercises.
3. Highlight key words and write them out on a separate piece of paper. Translate them, find synonyms, make word combinations with them to understand the announcement better.
4. In order to be ready for filling in the script of an announcement, be attentive to the details, to the way the words are combined into word partnerships: analyze what parts of speech can suit the gaps, what attributes are used, what particles, prepositions, conjunctions follow the verbs, nouns etc.
5. Reading the instruction, focus on the number of words you need to write for each answer, try to predict what questions will probably need a) a figure b) time, c) days of the week.
6. Read the heading and try to predict the answer before you listen to the announcement.

Listening to announcements. Practice. Topic «Theatre».

Before you start listening to the announcement in English, do the Pre-listening exercises.

Pre-listening activities

Exercise 1

To understand the announcement better, answer the following questions.
1. How often do you go to the theater?
2. How do you feel while visiting a theatre?
3. What was the last performance you have seen? What theater was it?

Exercise 2

Match the parts of word combinations you are going to hear in the announcement.

Answers: 1c 2f 3b 4 a 5g 6d 7e

Exercise 3

Imagine you are visiting a theatre soon. Make a list of Theatre Etiquette rules (5-7) using the vocabulary from the previous exercise.

Exercise 4

Try to predict the context in which the following words might appear. Write down short phrases, word combinations or sentences with the words from the announcement:
Sweaty, rapid, a tingling sensation, a rhythmic fashion, applauding, whistling and exuberate humming, confusion, frustration and rage, bright flashes, temporarily blind, a tummy ache, a drawing for free tickets, try to watch the lighted area, exciting journey into audiencehood, a pro.

Exercise 5

To develop your memory skills, and with the aim to create acoustic images in your imagination, read the set of words and phrases, then repeat them as quickly as possible without changing the order.
Tingling, humming, rage, blind, tummy ache, intermission.

While-listening activities

Exercise 6

Taking into consideration the vocabulary list given to you in the previous exercises, watch and listen to the Audience Member Instructional Video and complete the table for Do’s and Don’ts given below.

Audience Member Instructions
Do’s Dont’s

Prepare to listen, smile and 1….. . Never laugh or 3. …. at the inappropriate times 2. ….. your hands together in a rhythmic fashion. Always avoid loud 4. …… Try some 7. ………at intermission. Talking, 5. …. and humming are forbidden. 8. … out our survey. Fangle 6. … shouldn’t be on. Watch the lighted area not to 9 ……. A little preparation will help you be like a 10 …. .

Answers: 1. laugh 2. Slap 3 applaud 4. noises 5. whistling 6. doodads 7. morsel 8. fill 9. sleep 10. pro

Post-listening activities

Exercise 7

The ability to reproduce the details matters much. Answer the questions on the theater announcement. Do you remember:
— What is sweaty? (palms)
— What is exciting to do?(slap hands)
— What is tragic? (bright flashes of cameras)
— What is natural?(to be nervous)

Exercise 8

Organize the sentences into a logical order according to the announcement.
1 A If you feel shy, you can wait for your neighbor to start slapping.
2 B Shakespearean tragedies are amazing.
3 C If your palms are sweaty, you’re experiencing anticipation.
4 D If you complete a survey, you have a chance to get a free ticket.
5 E You’d better avoid loud noises.
6 F If you’re experiencing a desire to use your hands, slap them together rhythmically.

Answers: 1C 2F 3A 4E 5B 6 D

Exercise 9

Fill in a part of the script of the announcement with 1-2 words. Listen to the recording once again and cross-check your notes. Correct the mistakes.
Many of you are experiencing changes in your 1………. — you may have 2. ………. or rapid breathing. Some of you are experiencing a tingling sensation. This is due to something we call «3……….». You are feeling this way because the show is about to begin.
To prepare, for this exciting new phase of your day, we recommend taking the following steps: prepare to listen, smile and 4…………… During certain points of the production you may experience an 5………. desire to do something with your hands. We recommend slapping them together in a 6. ………fashion. An activity is called «Applause». It’s exciting to do this in large group setting.
A little 7. ……….. how to react to this sensation? Then wait for a neighbour to start. And join in! You’ll both be glad you did. But remember — when not laughing or 8. ………..at the appropriate times. Loud 9. ………are to be avoided.
Don’t talk during the performance. 10. …….. and exuberate humming are also discouraged not to mention a little weird.
Answers: 1 body 2 sweaty palms 3 anticipation 4 laugh 5 inexplicable 6 rhythmic 7 shy about 8 applauding 9 noises 10 whistling

Listening to announcements in English is easy when you are prepared for this process. Keep to the above mentioned steps to succeed in listening to announcements in English.

Предложения на перевод с озвучкой

Аудиодиалоги на английском с озвучкой

Сайты для аудирования на английском