CAAP Common Core: French, German, Spanish - Listening

  • Assumes speakers, native where possible, who adjust their speech for nonnative listeners; clearly audible speech (no ambient sound); and strong, contextual support to facilitate understanding (e.g., visuals, gestures, videos).
  • Functions include: greeting, telling, listing, complaining, stating likes and dislikes, and describing.
  • Formats include: conversations, dialogues, short narratives and descriptions, audio files, and videos.
  • Exercises include: matching visuals with narratives, drawing sketches, answering true/false and information questions, making grids, etc.
  • Strategies targeted: general understanding of the main point with heavy reliance on word and simple structure recognition.
  1. I can listen to and understand a group of native-speaker friends say hello to each other, ask how their friends are doing, introduce new friends to the group, and say good-bye.
  2. I can listen to and understand a friend's description of family members and friends (e.g., what kinds of sports they like, what they like in general, what they look like, what they like to do, and their personality).
  3. I can listen to and understand a group of native speakers tell what country they are from and their nationality (e.g., I am Peruvian; I'm from Canada).
  4. I can listen to and understand a description of a friend's family (e.g., number of brothers,sisters, aunts, uncles, etc.) and understand the relationships among them (e.g., Paul is Carol's brother).
  5. I can listen to and understand a description of a school/university schedule, including courses being taken, at what time and on what days, who the teachers are, and what supplies are needed for the classes.
  6. I can listen to and understand a conversation at a café or restaurant about beverages (e.g., understand the selection of beverages available and what people have ordered).
  7. I can listen to and understand a friend talk about the activities he/she has planned for the week (e.g., places to go, what day, and at what time).
  8. I can listen to and understand a friend's description of a classroom or bedroom, including where it is, what objects are in it, etc.
  9. I can listen to and understand a group of friends discussing a party (e.g., who is going to the party, what they are going to wear, what each person is going to bring, etc.).
  10. I can listen to and understand a friend listing gifts he/she is going to buy, where he/she is going to buy them, and to whom he/she is going to give them.
  • Assumes speakers, native where possible, who adjust their speech for nonnative listeners; audible speech (no ambient sound); and contextual support to facilitate understanding (e.g., visuals, gestures, videos).
  • Functions include: explaining, narrating, comparing, contrasting, selecting, making excuses, negotiating, bragging.
  • Formats include: conversations, dialogues, narratives and descriptions, audio files, videos.
  • Exercises include: following directions, answering information questions, giving a summary of the main points, choosing among alternatives.
  • Strategies targeted: understanding of the main points and salient details, general understanding of the speakers' intent.
  1. I can listen to and understand a friend describe his/her house/apartment (e.g., number of rooms, location, what is in the neighborhood, what is in his/her room).
  2. I can listen to and understand a native speaker who is talking about hobbies and interests (e.g., sports, music, etc.).
  3. I can listen to and understand a native speaker who is talking about clothing and fashion (e.g., price, size, color), including comparisons and contrasts about other's opinions and styles.
  4. I can listen to and understand simple descriptions, comparisons, and contrasts of television and radio offerings (e.g., type of program, show times, which program is better than others, worse than others, funnier than other, etc.).
  5. I can listen to and understand simple directions to a place, including means of transportation, directions, landmarks, distance, and relationships of buildings (e.g., the bank is next to the bakery).
  6. I can listen to and understand someone talking about a restaurant or café (e.g., food served, quality of restaurant).
  7. I can listen to and understand information about vacation sites and plans (e.g., activities offered, prices, making reservations), including comparisons and contrasts of various locations.
  8. I can listen to and understand a job counselor talking about your potential success in various occupations.
  9. I can listen to and understand someone talking about past events (e.g., past vacations, weekend activities, what life used to be like, etc.).
  10. I can listen to and understand someone talking about their daily activities (e.g., when he/she got up, got dressed, combed his/her hair, left for school, went to bed, etc.).
  11. I can listen to and understand a patient explaining his/her symptoms of illness, including mention of various body parts, to a doctor.
  12. I can listen to and understand a weather report describing today's and tomorrow's conditions (e.g., temperature, general weather conditions in different cities and regions).
  • Assumes native or near-native speech on topics generally familiar to the students; sustained discourse; and more reliance on authentic listening samples, where possible. Moves students from realm of actual events into inferences about possible events.
  • Functions include: apologizing, persuading, making requests, predicting, hypothesizing, giving excuses and advice, and blaming.
  • Formats include: interviews, dialogues, narratives and descriptions, lectures, TV programs, films, plays, etc.
  • Exercises include: answering questions, giving a global summary of the main points, taking notes, recalling some details, etc. In addition, students should be required to use information gleaned through listening to apply to another situation (e.g., listen to a native speaker's complaint about something and offer suggestions/solutions).
  • Strategies targeted: understanding of a fairly detailed oral text in order to use information for accomplishing another task (e.g., finding a certain location, giving advice, etc.).
  1. I can listen to and understand a friend talking about his or her job (e.g., satisfaction, salary, type of job, advantages, disadvantages, etc.).
  2. I can listen to and understand a recorded message giving information about movies, museums, concerts, plays (e.g., hours/times, prices, available seating, etc.).
  3. I can listen to and understand a videotaped interview of what someone would do if he/she won the lottery (or if he/she were the teacher, if he/she lived abroad in the target culture, if he/she were a famous athlete, etc.).
  4. I can listen to and take notes on a short informative speech about a familiar topic (e.g., fashion, sports, popular music, etc.).
  5. I can listen to and understand a native speaker describe a significant life event (e.g., obtaining his/her driving license, important sporting event, passing an exam, getting a job, etc.).
  6. I can listen to and understand a conversation in which a problem or reaction to a problem is presented (e.g., child/parent argument, friends, arguing, etc.), and identify the problem and solutions presented.
  7. I can listen to and understand a conversation and/or narrative on a familiar topic and identify the sequence of events.
  8. I can listen to and understand a sequence of directions or a procedure (e.g., a recipe, what to do in case of fire or other emergencies, etc.).
  9. I can listen to and understand a native speaker giving me a tour of his/her city, including famous monuments, landmarks, and museums.
  10. I can listen to and understand two people talking about job opportunities and required skills.
  • Moving away from the familiar, the primary focus is on the target language culture and the world at large. Maximum use should be made of authentic materials.
  • Functions include: justifying, convincing, arguing, hypothesizing, giving details, and critiquing.
  • Formats include: radio, TV, film, audio files, videos, interviews, speeches, lectures, etc.
  • Exercises include: answering questions, providing plot and character traits, taking notes, providing summaries, critiquing, etc. In addition, students should be required to understand the message and then use that information to do something else (e.g., listen to a native speaker's stance on a world issue and then offer one's own position and justification for that position).
  • Strategies targeted: understanding of detailed oral texts in order to use the information for accomplishing other tasks (e.g., summarizing a movie and convincing a friend to see it).
  1. I can listen to and give a brief summary of the general plot of a familiar television program (e.g., soap opera, drama series, comedy, etc.).
  2. I can listen to and understand excerpts from a film/play and demonstrate comprehension of plot and character traits.
  3. I can listen to and understand the general content of a news program (e.g., current events, environmental issues, politics).
  4. I can listen to and understand a videotaped interview of a native speaker or a group of native speakers discussing a topic (e.g., the role of the family, religion, political issues).
  5. I can listen to and understand a recorded version of poems, short stories, songs, and/or other literary passages.