Level B Listening Skills
Set 2
Understanding meaning skills
Understanding meaning is more than understanding words. It is about understanding WHY someone is speaking, WHAT they really think, and HOW they are saying it — at work, at school, in conversations and in exams.
Parts in this set
How to use this booklet
- Read the strategies and tips at the start of each part.
- Read the questions, then play the recording. Use 0.75× speed if you need it.
- Answer, then press Check my answers. Stuck? Press Hint once for a strategy and again for a clue.
- Listen again. Can you do it better?
Understanding Opinions
An opinion is what someone thinks or believes. It is not a fact — it is their personal view. When you listen, it is important to notice if someone is giving a fact or an opinion.
Facts vs. opinions
A fact
Something that is true and can be checked.
“Paris is the capital of France.”
“The film is two hours long.”
An opinion
What one person thinks. Others may disagree.
“I think Paris is the most beautiful city.”
“In my opinion, the film was boring.”
Opinion signal words
When you hear these words or phrases, the speaker is probably giving an OPINION:
Strategies & tips
- Listen for opinion signal words. When you hear I think, I believe or in my opinion, the speaker is giving their personal view — not a fact. Note it down.
- Notice adjectives. Speakers often use strong adjectives to show opinions: amazing, terrible, boring, fantastic. These words tell you how the speaker feels.
- Listen for agreement and disagreement. I agree, I’m not sure about that, Actually, I think … show that opinions are being shared and discussed.
- Separate opinion from fact. Ask yourself: can this be checked? If not, it is probably an opinion. The temperature today is 30 degrees = fact. 30 degrees is too hot = opinion.
Practice
Who says what? Choose Ana (A), Ben (B) or Both for each opinion.
Fact or opinion? Choose F (Fact) or O (Opinion).
Listen again. Write THREE different opinion signal words or phrases that you hear.
Listen to the ‘Restaurant Review Podcast’ and answer the questions.
Understanding Examples
When speakers explain a difficult idea, they often give examples to make it clearer. Recognising examples helps you understand the main idea better.
What are examples used for?
Speakers use examples to make an abstract idea easier to understand, to prove that something is true or common, to show what they mean in real life, and to support an opinion or argument.
Example signal phrases
Strategies & tips
- Listen for example signal phrases. When you hear for example or such as, an example is coming. It will help you understand the idea before it.
- Connect the example to the main idea. Always ask: what idea is this example explaining? Examples are details — they support a bigger point.
- Don’t confuse the example with the main idea. Sometimes students remember the example but forget the main point. Ask: what does this example SHOW?
- Examples can be people, places, numbers or stories. They can be short stories, statistics, or names of real people and places. Recognise them in all forms.
Practice
Write the example the speaker gives for each main idea.
Write the example signal phrase in each sentence. Then write what it introduces.
Written answers are not checked automatically — share them with your teacher.
Listen to ‘A Talk About Climate Change’ and answer the questions.
Understanding Meaning from Context
When you hear a word you do not know, do not panic! You can often work out its meaning from the words around it. This is called using context.
What is context?
Context means all the information around a word — the sentence, the topic, the speaker’s tone, and what you already know. Good listeners use context clues to understand new words without stopping.
“She was absolutely exhausted. She had worked twelve hours without a break and could barely keep her eyes open.”
You may not know exhausted. But the context tells you: worked 12 hours, no break, can barely keep eyes open → exhausted = very, very tired.
Types of context clues
| Clue type | What to do | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Definition clue | The speaker explains the word | “Dehydrated, which means your body doesn’t have enough water …” |
| Example clue | An example is given right after | “Nocturnal animals, such as owls and bats, come out at night.” |
| Synonym clue | A similar word is used nearby | “She was furious — really angry and upset.” |
| Contrast clue | An opposite word is used | “He was usually calm, but today he was agitated.” |
| Topic clue | The general topic tells you the area to think about | In a cooking show, ‘sauté’ must be something you do to food in a pan |
Strategies & tips
- Keep listening — don’t stop! If you don’t know a word, keep going. The next few words may explain it. Stopping causes you to miss even more.
- Think about the topic. What is the general subject? In a medical conversation, a new word is probably a health word.
- Listen for definitions. Speakers often define difficult words straight away: … which means …, … or in other words …, … that is to say …
- Use grammar clues. Is the unknown word a noun, verb or adjective? Knowing the word type narrows down the meaning.
Practice
The speaker defines these words. Write the meaning in your own words.
Written answers are not checked automatically — share them with your teacher.
What type of context clue does the speaker use?
Listen to ‘A Conversation at Work’. Use context clues to choose the best meaning for each word.
Understanding Speaker’s Purpose
Every time someone speaks, they have a reason — a PURPOSE. Understanding WHY someone is speaking helps you follow the conversation and respond correctly.
Common speaker purposes
| Purpose | What the speaker wants to do | Typical language |
|---|---|---|
| To inform | Share facts or news | “The event starts at 8pm …” |
| To persuade | Change your mind or actions | “You really should try this …” |
| To instruct | Tell you what to do | “First, press the button, then …” |
| To apologise | Say sorry for something | “I’m very sorry that …” |
| To complain | Express unhappiness | “I’m not at all happy with …” |
| To recommend | Suggest something good | “I’d really recommend …” |
| To warn | Tell you about a danger or risk | “Be careful not to …” |
| To describe | Paint a picture with words | “It was a beautiful, quiet place …” |
| To compare | Show similarities or differences | “Unlike the first one, this …” |
Strategies & tips
- Ask “Why is this person speaking?” The answer often becomes clear in the first sentence or two.
- Notice the context and setting. A phone call to a shop, an announcement at a station, a conversation between friends — each setting suggests a likely purpose.
- Listen to tone and emotion. A warm, enthusiastic voice often signals recommendation or persuasion. A flat, apologetic tone signals an apology or bad news.
- One text, one main purpose. A piece of listening usually has ONE main purpose, even if it includes other elements. Focus on the overall ‘why’.
Practice
Listen to five short pieces. Match each purpose to its extract (1–5).
What language tells you the purpose? Write one key phrase from each extract.
Listen to the radio extract ‘A Radio Feature’ and answer the questions.
Listen to three voicemail messages. Each one has a different purpose.