1
Listening Comprehension Exercises
Pre-Listening Exercises:
Role plays
1.
Imagine that you are a teacher in an English Language Program, and you will have a new group of Austrian students arriving next week for an orientation meeting. Brainstorm in a group of three or four things that are special about Austrian students and what points the teacher should make at the orientation meeting to address those items you designate as special about Austrian students. Role play the orientation meeting.
2.
In pairs think of five questions you would ask if you called a language program overseas to find out more about it and rank those questions in order of importance. Then role play with the other student the telephone conversation between yourself and the representative of the language program. Following the listening comprehension exercise, you can then discuss in what ways what was said about John Abbott College did or didn’t fulfill your needs.
3.
Discuss with a partner five ways to learn a foreign language and then rank them from most to least helpful. Explain why the most helpful approach helped you the most. Role play your discussion. Discuss items you agree and disagree with.
Multiple choice listening comprehension exercise
Listen to Landeskunde Kanada: John Abbott College: A School in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Choose the best answer for each of the following:
1. In the recent Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) exam,
a. Canada ranked first in the world in language skills
b. Canada ranked second in the world in math skills
c. Canada ranked third in the world in science skills
2. Canada is the second largest country in the world.
a. 55 Austrias would fit inside Canada
b. 110 Austrias would fit inside Canada
c. 220 Austrias would fit inside Canada
3. As far as population is concerned:
a. Montreal has one-third the population of Quebec
b. Montreal has one-half the population of Quebec
c. Montreal has two-thirds the population of Quebec
4. Which are the two most beautiful cities in North America?
a. Montreal and Vancouver
b. Montreal and New York
c. Montreal and San Francisco
5. What is the movie where Michael Moore said that Canadian cities are safer than American cities?
a. Roger & Me
b. Capitalism: A Love Story
c. Bowling for Columbine
6. Sainte Anne de Bellevue is a popular tourist destination in the summer time because of its:
a. locks
b. mountain
c. beautiful old homes
7. In the winter time at John Abbott College the weather is generally:
a. cold with lots of snow
b. slightly above freezing with lots of rain
c. cold, but very little snow
8. The one sports facility John Abbott College doesn’t have:
a. a swimming pool
b. an ice hockey arena
c. track and field facilities
9. Which is the one sports facility that is available to students every day from 8:30 in the morning until 5:30 in the afternoon?
a. the squash courts
b. the rock climbing wall
c. the fitness studio
10. Which is the most important question?
a. Are you going to have the skills you need to pass on to grade 8 and not to have to repeat grade 6 or 7?
b. Are your fellow students in the classroom with you because they have to be there or they want to be there?
c. Does John Abbott College offer sports courses and clubs that are not available in Austria?
11. How does school education in Quebec differ from school education anywhere else in North America and Europe?
a. German is not offered as a foreign language in school
b. Radio and television are required subjects in school
c. School ends after 11 years of school
12. How many hours are math and science courses at John Abbott College?
a. 3 hours per week
b. 5 hours per week
c. 7 hours per week
13. An hour is equivalent to how many minutes at John Abbott College?
a. 40 minutes
b. 50 minutes
c. 60 minutes
14. What is the math course offered at John Abbott College that you need when you return to Austria?
a. Algebra and trigonometry
b. Calculus 1
c. Calculus 2
15. Because he took the chemistry of winemaking and beer brewing course, Konstantin Pechtl decided to make wine production his profession. What is the name of the wine he discovered and what season is it associated with?
a. Tango, a summer wine
b. Hip hop, a fall wine
c. Jazz, a spring wine
16. Who does the set up for the chemistry lab at John Abbott College?
a. technicians
b. students
c. teachers
17. How many computers are there in the chemistry lab in relationship to the number of students?
a. one computer for every student
b. one computer for every two students
c. one computer for every three students
18. In the human anatomy and physiology course lab, what animal do students dissect that is closest to the human body?
a. a monkey
b. a sheep
c. a pig
19. Which is the appropriate English course for French students from outlying areas of Quebec where English is hardly spoken?
A. Composition and Literature
B. Preparation for College English
C. Introduction to College English
20. The sound in the language lab at John Abbott College is as good as
a. an IMAX theatre
b. a recording studio
c. a TV studio
21. How many office hours are science teachers like Bruce Stacey required to keep?
a. 4 ½ hours per week
b. 6 ½ hours per week
c. 8 ½ hours per week
22. Besides learning English and French, what is the most important thing you learn at John Abbott College?
a. Calculus 1
b. How to manage your life
c. How to make friends
23. If in your math course, the teacher starts to talk and you understand very little, what should you do?
a. Phone your mom and tell her you want to come home
b. Spend 4 hours per week at home doing math homework
c. Remember, listening comprehension comes soon enough. Go to the math learning centre and get help with your math problems
24. Which sports course is found at John Abbott College but not in Austrian schools?
a. kayak
b. soccer
c. volleyball
25. A student in the engineering program at John Abbott College is allowed to take courses in the theatre program.
a. True
b. False
26. What happens at the end of the radio course?
a. There is a big class party
b. You produce a radio program which is sent out over internet so your parents can listen to it as you’re speaking
c. You learn how to edit radio programs
27. Of the following, which is the only thing that takes place on Fridays?
a. rock concerts
b. comedians
c. feature films
28. What is the name of the event that takes place every Winter semester that celebrates cultural diversity?
a. United Nations Week
b. Diversity Week
c. Multicultural Week
29. When is the one time in the year you are not able to do downhill skiing or snowboarding?
a. During the Fall Term
b. Between the Fall Term and the Winter Term
c. During the Winter Term
30. When is the trip to the Caribbean organized?
a. During the Fall Term
b. Between the Fall Term and the Winter Term
c. During the Winter Term
31. The West Island where the college is located is:
a. One of the poorest areas of Canada
b. A largely working class area
c. One of the most prosperous areas of Canada
32. If you are unhappy about your living situation, you should:
a. Complain to your family about it
b. Do nothing
c. Go to the International Programs Office and discuss your problems
33. Which course is not offered in our summer program?
a. French
b. History
c. Mathematics
34. How old do you have to be to participate in our summer program?
a. 15
b. 16
c. There are no age restrictions
35. How did the voyageurs travel to the west of Canada to trade with the Indians for furs?
a. by foot
b. by canoe
c. by stagecoach
36. In the song Suzanne by Leonard Cohen, our lady of the harbour refers to the statue of whom at the Bonsecours Chapel?
a. Athene
b. Queen Victoria
c. The Virgin Mary
37. There is no difference in price between the summer program, one semester, or two semesters.
a. True
b. False
38. Alan Weiss’ email address is spelled:
a.
b.
c.
39. The address of the Austrian homepage of John Abbott College is spelled:
- http://www.johnabbott.qc.ca/international/austria
b. http://www.johnabbott.qc.ca/international/austrian
c. http://www.johnabbott.qc.ca/international/oesterreich
Key
1. C; 2. B; 3. B; 4. C; 5. C; 6. A; 7. A; 8. C; 9. C; 10. A; 11. C; 12. B; 13. C; 14. B; 15. C; 16. A; 17. B; 18. C; 19. B; 20. A; 21; B; 22. B; 23. C; 24. A;,25. B; 26. B; 27. C; 28. C; 29. A; 30. B. 31 D; 32. C; 33. A; 34. C; 35. B; 36. C; 37. B; 38. C; 39. B
Mixed-up Sentence Exercise
1.
Of would territory Austrias the fit nineteen Quebec Inside
Key: Nineteen Austrias would fit inside the territory of Quebec.
2.
There students in one chemistry two the computer every lab is for
Key: In the chemistry lab there is one computer for every two students.
3.
Is life important what just John manage perhaps English you how as your learning
French as and Abbott to learn College at
Key: Perhaps just as important as English or French, what you learn at John Abbott College is how to manage your life.
Sentence and Vocabulary Matching
1. Life has been very ______these days. I’m attending classes at John Abbott College every day. I use the math learning centre whenever I can. I’m a member of the swim team and am helping Canadian students to learn German.
A. relaxing
B. boring
C. hectic
2. So what is your ______at John Abbott College? Someone told me you were studying computer science or something like that?
A. class
B. teacher
C. major
3. He didn’t receive any money from his parents, so he had to work himself ______school.
A. by
B. on
C. through
4. She received a ______to pay for school expenses, so things should be easier for her now. She doesn’t have to worry about paying back any money either.
A. loan
B. scholarship
C. major
5. After I graduate, I want to try to ______a job in my hometown.
A. buy
B. hire
C. land
Short Answer Questions
subjects absolute French appropriate immigrant John Abbott College second freedom preparation science college performance four placement outlying preparation mother-tongue
English courses are taught at ______different levels. What is important to know is that in the Province of Quebec if you’re French or an immigrant you don’t have the right to go to an English school. You have to attend a ______school. The first level where there is ______of choice and French and ______students have the right to attend an English school is at ______level. Outside of Montreal, there are parts of Quebec where English is hardly spoken at all. Nevertheless, young people from these ______areas still have the right to come to ______. For them the college offers an English course entitled ______for College English. If you have a four in English or the English ____ test indicates you need that course, you will be placed in it. If you’re stronger, you’ll be placed in Composition and Literature, stronger still, in Introduction to College English, and stronger still, in Literary Genres or Literary Themes. You will choose the ______that interest you, whether they be horror stories, _____ fiction, or drama. The level will be decided by your ______in the English Placement Test and your grades in English. As for French, it is taught by ______speakers. There are six levels of French: ______beginner, bridging French, and levels 1, 2, 3 and 4. There is a French placement test to place you at the most ______level. If you prefer, you can take Spanish or Italian instead of French or no ______language course at all.
Key:
English courses are taught at four different levels. What is important to know is that in the Province of Quebec if you’re French or an immigrant you don’t have the right to go to an English school. You have to attend a French school. The first level where there is freedom of choice and French and immigrant students have the right to attend an English school is at college level. Outside of Montreal, there are parts of Quebec where English is hardly spoken at all. Nevertheless, young people from these outlying areas still have the right to come to John Abbott College. For them the college offers an English course entitled Preparation for College English. If you have a 4 in English or the English placement test indicates you need that course, you will be placed in it. If you’re stronger, you’ll be placed in Composition and Literature, stronger still, in Introduction to College English, and stronger still, in Literary Genres or Literary Themes. You will choose the subjects that interest you, whether they be horror stories, science fiction, or drama. The level will be decided by your performance in the English Placement Test and your grades in English. As for French, it is taught by mother-tongue speakers. There are six levels of French: absolute beginner, bridging French, and levels 1, 2, 3 and 4. There is a French placement test to place you at the most appropriate level. If you prefer, you can take Spanish or Italian instead of French or no second language course at all.
Write down what you see in the picture
Take individual pictures in the power point presentation and have students write down what they see in the picture. Go over grammar, punctuation, and content.
Role Plays
I.
If you were a student at John Abbott College, which course would you want to choose as your “wish” course? In choosing that “wish” course, what would be your strongest motivations? Rank the following ideas in order of preference. Discuss your opinions with a partner. Role play your discussion. Would you actually take that course? Discuss the issue in class of whether students should be more practical and job-oriented or more oriented towards the love of learning without ulterior motives in choosing a “wish” course.