Communication Beginnings:
An Introductory Listening and Speaking Text for English Language Learners
By Della Jean Abrahams
© 2018 Della Jean Abrahams
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Published by Portland State University Library
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Cover design by Della Jean Abrahams
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Copyright .......................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Accessibility Statement .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Accessibility of Communication Beginnings: An Introductory Listening and Speaking Text
for English Language Learners .......................................................................................................................... 3
Multiple File Formats Available .................................................................................................................... 3
Known Issues/Potential barriers to accessibility ................................................................................ 4
Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................................................... 5
Acknowledgement ........................................................................................................................................................ 1
Background and Rationale ....................................................................................................................................... 2
Vocabulary List .............................................................................................................................................................. 1
Chapter 1 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Chapter 2 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Chapter 3 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Chapter 4 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Chapter 5 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Chapter 6 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Chapter 7 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Vocabulary Glossary ............................................................................................................................................... 1
Chapter 1: Learning English at a University .................................................................................................... 1
Learning English at a University ....................................................................................................................... 1
General Learning Tips for English Learners ............................................................................................... 1
Tips for Improving Speaking and Listening Skills .................................................................................... 2
Listening Practice ..................................................................................................................................................... 1
Part 1: ........................................................................................................................................................................ 1
Part 2: ........................................................................................................................................................................ 2
Learning Tips for Vocabulary Words.............................................................................................................. 2
Chapter 1 Vocabulary ............................................................................................................................................. 4
Part 1: ........................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Part 2: ........................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Listening tip: Syllables .......................................................................................................................................... 5
Table of Contents
Using Vocabulary in Context ............................................................................................................................... 5
Part A Directions .................................................................................................................................................. 6
Part B Directions .................................................................................................................................................. 6
Part C Directions .................................................................................................................................................. 6
Find someone who…. .............................................................................................................................................. 7
Discussion Activity: Choosing a University ................................................................................................. 8
Chapter 1 Review .................................................................................................................................................. 10
Extra Listening Practice ..................................................................................................................................... 10
Chapter 2: Introductions and Greetings ......................................................................................................... 11
Chapter 2 Vocabulary .......................................................................................................................................... 12
Part 1 Directions: .............................................................................................................................................. 12
Part 2 Directions: .............................................................................................................................................. 12
Part 3 Directions: .............................................................................................................................................. 13
Listening for Details and Main Ideas............................................................................................................ 13
Part A Directions: .............................................................................................................................................. 13
Part B Directions: .............................................................................................................................................. 14
Part C Directions: .............................................................................................................................................. 14
Part D Directions: ............................................................................................................................................. 14
Grammar Tip: Subject Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives ........................................................... 16
Grammar Tip: 3rd person “s” ......................................................................................................................... 17
Practice: 1: ............................................................................................................................................................ 18
Practice 2: ............................................................................................................................................................. 18
Homework Survey ................................................................................................................................................ 19
Listening to a Conversation .............................................................................................................................. 21
Speaking tip: Follow up questions and phrases .................................................................................... 23
Practicing Conversations ................................................................................................................................... 24
Chapter 2 Review .................................................................................................................................................. 25
Extra Listening Practice ..................................................................................................................................... 25
Chapter 3: Talking about Travel and Experiences ..................................................................................... 27
Chapter 3 Vocabulary .......................................................................................................................................... 28
Part 1: ..................................................................................................................................................................... 28
Part 2: Syllables ................................................................................................................................................. 28
Activity 2 Part 1 ................................................................................................................................................. 29
Activity 2 Part 2 ................................................................................................................................................. 30
Grammar Point: Questions in English ......................................................................................................... 30
Yes/No questions.............................................................................................................................................. 30
WH questions ..................................................................................................................................................... 31
Discussion Activity ............................................................................................................................................... 32
Speaking Tip: Intonation ................................................................................................................................... 33
Practicing Intonation ........................................................................................................................................... 34
Practice Activity 1 ............................................................................................................................................. 34
Practice Activity 2 ............................................................................................................................................. 34
Practice Activity 3 ............................................................................................................................................. 34
Speaking Tip: Conversation Continuers ..................................................................................................... 35
Speaking Fluency Practice ................................................................................................................................ 37
Homework survey................................................................................................................................................. 38
Chapter 3 Review .................................................................................................................................................. 40
Extra Listening Practice ..................................................................................................................................... 40
Chapter 4: Discussing food .................................................................................................................................... 41
Chapter 4 Vocabulary .......................................................................................................................................... 43
Part 1 Directions: .............................................................................................................................................. 43
Part 2 Syllables: ................................................................................................................................................. 43
Activity 2 Part 1 ................................................................................................................................................. 44
Activity 2 Part 2 ................................................................................................................................................. 45
Speaking Activity: Food Habits and Likes ................................................................................................. 46
Homework Survey: Eating Out ....................................................................................................................... 47
Adjectives used to describe food ................................................................................................................... 49
Listening Homework Practice Quizzes ....................................................................................................... 51
Practicing Fluency ................................................................................................................................................. 51
Speaking and Listening Tip: Reduced speech.......................................................................................... 53
Grammar Tip: Contractions ............................................................................................................................ 54
Discussion Activity: What will you buy? .................................................................................................... 55
Restaurant Review Field Trip ......................................................................................................................... 56
Chapter 4 Review .................................................................................................................................................. 57
Extra Listening Practice ..................................................................................................................................... 57
Chapter 5: Describing places around Town ................................................................................................. 58
Chapter 5 Vocabulary .......................................................................................................................................... 59
Part 1: ..................................................................................................................................................................... 59
Part 2: Syllables ................................................................................................................................................. 59
Activity 2: .............................................................................................................................................................. 60
Activity 2 Part 2 ................................................................................................................................................. 61
Speaking Fluency Practice: Housing and Neighborhoods ................................................................. 62
Asking for and Giving Directions ................................................................................................................... 63
Speaking Practice Activity................................................................................................................................. 64
Homework Listening: Directions on a map .............................................................................................. 65
Listening Practice: Using a Map ..................................................................................................................... 65
Adjectives for Describing Cities and Neighborhoods .......................................................................... 67
Discussion Activity: Describing Houses ..................................................................................................... 67
Part 1: ..................................................................................................................................................................... 68
Part 2: ..................................................................................................................................................................... 68
Listening Practice: Listening for details about houses ....................................................................... 69
Grammar Tip: Regular Past Tense Verb Endings ................................................................................. 71
Listening Practice: Past Tense Verb Endings ........................................................................................... 72
Part 2 Directions: .............................................................................................................................................. 73
Chapter 5 Review .................................................................................................................................................. 73
Extra Listening Practice ..................................................................................................................................... 73
Chapter 6: Communicating about Hobbies and Routines ...................................................................... 75
Chapter 6 Vocabulary .......................................................................................................................................... 76
Part 1: ..................................................................................................................................................................... 76
Part 2: Syllables ................................................................................................................................................. 76
Chapter 6 Activity 1 ......................................................................................................................................... 77
Grammar Tip: Agreeing and Disagreeing .................................................................................................. 78
Listening Practice: Agreeing and Disagreeing ......................................................................................... 80
Part 1 Directions: .............................................................................................................................................. 80
Part 2 Directions: .............................................................................................................................................. 80
Speaking Fluency Practice ................................................................................................................................ 82
Grammar Tip: Adverbs of frequency .......................................................................................................... 83
Listening Practice: ................................................................................................................................................ 83
Speaking Activity: .................................................................................................................................................. 84
Chapter 6 Review .................................................................................................................................................. 85
Extra Listening Practice ..................................................................................................................................... 85
Chapter 7: Discussing Jobs .................................................................................................................................... 86
Chapter 7 Vocabulary .......................................................................................................................................... 87
Activity 1 Part 1 ................................................................................................................................................. 87
Activity 1 Part 2 Syllables ............................................................................................................................. 87
Activity 2 ............................................................................................................................................................... 88
Speaking Activity: Jobs Survey........................................................................................................................ 90
Listening Activity: Listening for details about jobs .............................................................................. 91
Part 2 Directions ............................................................................................................................................... 92
Part 3 Directions ............................................................................................................................................... 92
Speaking Tip: Syllable Stress ........................................................................................................................... 93
Practice .................................................................................................................................................................. 93
Homework Activity: Jobs Survey ................................................................................................................... 94
Grammar Tip: Future Tense ............................................................................................................................. 95
Practice: ................................................................................................................................................................. 95
Speaking Fluency Practice ................................................................................................................................ 96
Chapter 7 Review .................................................................................................................................................. 97
Extra Listening Practice ..................................................................................................................................... 97
Script and Answer Key ............................................................................................................................................ 98
Chapter 1 ................................................................................................................................................................... 98
Listening activity 1 script ...................................................................................................................... 98
Listening activity 2 script ............................................................................................................................. 98
Activity 3 Answer Key .................................................................................................................................... 98
Chapter 2 ................................................................................................................................................................... 99
Activity 1 A script ............................................................................................................................................. 99
Activity 1 B script ............................................................................................................................................. 99
Activity Listening for third person “s” Answers ............................................................................... 99
Activity 2: Answers ...................................................................................................................................... 100
Chapter 3 ................................................................................................................................................................ 100
Activity 2 Answers ........................................................................................................................................ 100
Chapter 4 ................................................................................................................................................................ 101
Activity 2 Answers ........................................................................................................................................ 101
Listening for contractions Answers ..................................................................................................... 101
Conversation 1 ................................................................................................................................................ 101
Conversation 2 ................................................................................................................................................ 101
Conversation 3 ................................................................................................................................................ 102
Chapter 5 ................................................................................................................................................................ 102
Activity 1 answers ......................................................................................................................................... 102
Past tense verb endings Answers .......................................................................................................... 103
Past tense verb endings part 2 ................................................................................................................ 103
Chapter 6 ................................................................................................................................................................ 104
Activity 1 script ............................................................................................................................................... 104
Activity 2 answers ......................................................................................................................................... 104
Activity 3 script and answers .................................................................................................................. 104
Chapter 7 ................................................................................................................................................................ 105
Activity 1 Answers ........................................................................................................................................ 105
This book is dedicated to my parents for teaching me the importance of
education and to Emad Albidah for reminding me how joyous learning a
new language can be.
Thank you also to the Portland State University Library for the PDXOpen
publishing grant and to Karen Bjork for assisting with the process so
graciously. A thank you also to Dr. Nike Arnold and her graduate Materials
Design course for collaborating on this project with me, and most of all a
huge thank you to the Intensive English Language Program at PSU for
introducing me to hundreds of English language learners from every corner
of the globe, many of whom continue to inspire me to this day.
Acknowledgement
This textbook is designed for advanced beginner-low intermediate English language
learners. The target audience for this book is an academic English program in a university
setting, but with slight modifications, it can be adapted to meet the needs of adult learners
in community classrooms.
The book is composed of 7 chapters with brief descriptions in the table of contents on the
next page. Each chapter includes listening and speaking components such as dialogues,
interviews, discussions and conversation activities. Each chapter also focuses on 10 target
words from the New General Service List of English vocabulary and reviews basic
grammar points. The textbook includes an audio component that consists of recorded
conversations of native and non-native English speakers, as well as links to additional
listening resources on the web.
It is my hope that this text can create and facilitate a communicative and productive
learning environment for students and their instructors. Because of the open access
format of this textbook, learners from around the world may also potentially benefit from
the content and improve language skills independently by downloading this book free of
charge. Lastly and importantly, there are currently very few open access textbooks in the
field of ESL, and it is my hope that creating this one will inspire additional instructors to
create their own in the near future.
Enjoy!
Background and Rationale
Chapter 1
important (adj.) information (n.) opinion (n.) discuss (v.) response (n.) apply (v.)
knowledge (n.) strategy (n.) environment (n.) success (n.)
Chapter 2
interest (n.) country (n.) social (adj.) individual (adj./noun) community (n.) describe (v.)
relationship (n.) generation (n.) favorite (adj.) education (n.)
Chapter 3
view (n./v.) produce (v.) develop (v.) remember(v.) decide (v.)
argue (v.) achieve (v.) challenge (n./v.) introduce (v.) ability (n.)
Chapter 4
process(n./v.) increase (n./v.) product (n.) allow (v.) suggest (v.)
national (adv.) quality (n.) international(adj.) specific (adj.) avoid (v.)
Chapter 5
public (adj./n.) business (n.) region (n.) population (n.) advantage (n.)
modern (adj.) natural (adj.) traditional (adj.) purchase (n./v.) market (n.)
Chapter 6
believe (v.) reason(n.) experience (n./v.) create (v.) outdoors (n.)
mind (n.) artistic (adj.) foreign (adv.) necessary (adj.) benefit (n.)
Chapter 7
degree (n.) service (n.) together (adv.) consider (v.) position (n.)
project (n.) opportunity (n.) interview (n./v.) successful (adj.) demanding (adj.)
Vocabulary words selected from:New General Service List
Vocabulary List
Vocabulary Glossary
ability (n.) The power or skill to do something.
achieve (v.) To get or reach something by working hard.
advantage (n.) Something that is good; a benefit.
allow (v.) To permit someone to have or do something.
apply (v.) To make a request for something such as a job.
argue (v.) To give reasons for or against something.
artistic (adj.) Having or showing the skill of an artist.
avoid (v.) To stay away from something or someone.
believe (v.) To think something is true.
benefit (n.) A good or helpful result of something.
business (n.) A company that makes or sells things for money.
challenge (n./v.) A difficult problem.
community (n.). A group of people who live in the same area.
consider (v.) To think about something carefully.
country (n.) An area of land controlled by a government.
create (v.) To make or build something.
decide (v.) To make a choice about something.
degree (n.) A diploma earned at a university such as a bachelor’s or master’s.
demanding (adj.) Something that needs a lot of time and hard work.
describe (v.) To say what something looks or feels like.
develop (v.) To cause something to grow or become bigger.
discuss (v.) To talk about an idea or subject with someone.
education (n.) The process of teaching and learning.
environment (n.) The people and things that are around you in life.
experience (n./v.). A skill you get by doing something.
favorite (adj.) A person or thing that is liked more than others.
foreign (adv.) From a different country.
generation (n.) A group of people who are about the same age.
important (adj.) Something that has a big effect on someone’s life.
increase (n./v.) To become bigger in amount or number.
individual (adj./n.) One person or part of a larger group.
Information (n.) Facts or details that tell you about something.
interest (n.) Something that you enjoy doing or learning about.
international (adj.) Involving two or more countries.
interview (n./v. A meeting where people ask each other questions.
introduce (v.) To make someone or something known by name.
outdoors (n.) Outside of a building; not inside.
knowledge (n.) Information, skills, and understanding that you have gotten through
learning or experience.
market (n.). A place to buy something.
mind (n.) The part of a person that thinks and remembers.
modern (adj.) Something related to a new style.
national (adv.) Relating to a whole country or nation.
natural (adj.) Something from nature; not made by humans.
necessary (adj.) Something so important that you must have it.
opinion (n.) Your idea or belief about a subject.
opportunity (n.) The chance to do something.
population (n.) The number of people who live in a place.
position (n.) The place where someone or something is.
process(n./v.) A series of actions that produce something.
produce (v.) To make or create something.
product (n.) Something that is made to be sold.
project (n.) A task that needs to be worked on for some time.
public (adj./n.) Something available to anyone, not private.
purchase (n./v.) To buy something with money.
quality (n.) How good or bad something is.
reason(n.) A fact that explains why something is how it is.
region (n.) A part of a country that is separate or different.
remember(v.) To keep an idea or image in your mind.
relationship (n.) The way people are connected to one another, such as a family.
response (n.) Something that is said or written as a reply.
service (n.) A company that provides something to the public, like cable TV.
social (adj.) Someone who enjoys being with other people.
specific (adj.) Something special or particular.
strategy (n.) A plan of steps for achieving something.
success (n.) When you achieve what you want.
successful (adj.) Doing well at something you want; earning a lot of money, or fame.
suggest (v.) To say that something should be chosen.
together (adv.) When two things or two people are with each other.
traditional (adj.) A way of thinking or doing that has been done by people for a long time.
view (n./v.) An opinion or way of thinking about something.
In this chapter, you will learn about:
• T
ips and strategies for learning English in a university setting
• Tips and strategies for improving listening and speaking skills in English
• How to identify syllables in English words
Marathon, by Gwyndafh, CC0
Learning a language is like running in a race. There is a lot of warm-up and a lot of practice
before you can do well. However, if you try hard, you can win.
Discussion Questions
1. Read the sentences above. How is learning a language similar to running a race? What
are some similarities between the two activities? What are some differences?
2. When a person runs a race, they need to warm up their muscles before they start. Is
learning a new language similar? How can you warm up before speaking in a second
language
Chapter 1: Learning English at a University
