Listening and Understanding Inferences
Understanding meaning not directly stated — speaker attitude and implied meaningLearning Objectives
• Understand what a speaker means even when it is not directly said.
• Use context and tone to guess meaning.
• Recognise feelings and attitudes from language choices.
| What Is an Inference? |
| A speaker says: "Oh... the weather today. Again." |
| The speaker does NOT say: 'I am annoyed about the rain.' |
| But you can INFER (guess) that the speaker is unhappy about the weather. |
| You use CLUES: the words chosen, the tone of voice, and the situation. |
| Listening Strategy: Understanding Inferences |
| STEP 1 — Before you listen: Think about the situation. What relationship do the speakers have? |
| STEP 2 — While listening: Notice what the speaker does NOT say directly. |
| STEP 3 — Listen for clues: hesitation (“well...”), vague answers, or unusual word choice. |
| STEP 4 — Ask yourself: “What does the speaker really mean? How do they feel?” |
| STEP 5 — After listening: Match your inference to the evidence — tone, words, context. |
Key Vocabulary — Feelings and Attitudes
| Word | Meaning |
| nervous (adj) | worried that something bad might happen |
| confident (adj) | feeling sure about yourself, your abilities, or something that will happen |
| excited (adj) | very happy and interested about something |
| worried (adj) | thinking that something bad may happen |
| disappointed (adj) | sad because something was not as good as you hoped |
| reluctant (adj) | not wanting to do something; unwilling or hesitant |
| relieved (adj) | happy because a problem or worry has ended |
6A
Short Conversations
Speed:
Exercise 1
Exercise 1. What can you INFER? Circle the best answer.
1
In conversation 1, Speaker B feels ___.
2
In conversation 2, Speaker B thinks the food was ___.
3
In conversation 3, Speaker B is ___.
4
In conversation 4, Speaker B feels ___.
Exercise 2
Exercise 2. Write the key words from each conversation that helped you infer the meaning.
1
Conversation 1 key clue words:
2
Conversation 2 key clue words:
3
Conversation 3 key clue words:
4
Conversation 4 key clue words:
| Inference Tips |
| Listen for HOW something is said, not only WHAT is said. |
| A pause (...) or slow answer can show hesitation or uncertainty. |
| Excited answers are usually fast and use strong words. |
| When a speaker avoids answering directly, they may be politely negative. |
6B
Conversations with Hidden Meaning
Speed:
What does Speaker B really mean? Choose A, B, or C.
What does Speaker B really mean? Choose A, B, or C
1
Conversation 1 — Speaker B ___.
2
Conversation 2 — Speaker B thought the lecture was ___.
3
Conversation 3 — Speaker B is ___.
4
Conversation 4 — Speaker B is ___.
5
Conversation 5 — Speaker B feels ___.
6C
A Difficult Conversation at Work
Speed:
Exercise 1
Exercise 1. Choose A, B, or C.
1
The employee's attitude to the project suggests they ___.
2
The manager's feeling when saying 'Thursday. That's two weeks
late.' is ___.
3
Why is the report late?
4
The manager's overall attitude to the employee is ___.
Exercise 2
Exercise 2. Write True, False or Not Given (T, F, or NG).
1
The report was due last Monday.
2
The employee has been working overtime.
3
The manager has spoken to the finance team about the data.
4
The client gave positive feedback about the employee's
presentation.