Adult learners who are ESL and Basic Education students, have many opportunities for listening and speaking in English as they interact at work, with family members, community members and students. Some listening is non-face-to-face, such as listening on the phone or to the radio. Most listening, however, combines short bursts of face-to face listening interspersed with speaking - for example: discussions in the workplace, social conversations with neighbors and colleagues, and conversations with service providers such as: nurses, doctors, social workers, store clerks, school staff and public safety officers.

In each context, learners have a purpose for listening and a communication task. Listeners may listen to obtain facts or understand the main idea. They may need to distinguish question words and respond appropriately. They may need to follow directions or advice. Adults learners may need to distinguish facts from opinions or express their own point of view. They may need to relate what they hear to visual materials they are looking at or have seen. They may want to connect with other people by sharing personal stories.

Many factors can interfere with listening and speaking which creates confusions and miscommunications. Misheard sounds and pronunciation errors, inappropriate words choices or wrongly-used grammatical forms can lead to communication breakdowns. Breakdowns can have significant consequences - embarrassment, unintended offense, missed appointments, inaccurate processes, etc.

The following activity helps students communicate in their daily lives in order to exchange information, engage in social interactions and to talk about themselves and learn about others.

Objective: 

Review familiar vocabulary and phrases to state a preference and provide a reason.