The guided teaching and learning sequence
Listening for vocabulary 1. Explain that one important way in which we
LiVoc SpVoc
The purpose of the activity
As they listen to a recorded text, learners will
listen for specific words. They will use their
prior knowledge and the context to work out the
meanings of these words. This activity teaches the
use of strategies to work out unfamiliar vocabulary.
The teaching points
The learners listen actively to identify specific
words within a spoken text.
Using their own knowledge and the context,
learners work out the meaning of each word.
Learners discuss the meanings to arrive at an
agreed understanding of each word.
Learners understand the importance of the
context (including the surrounding words in
an utterance) to the meaning of a word.
Learners will, with support as needed, check
meanings using the internet (dictionary.com)
or a dictionary.
Resources
Track 5 (or another recorded text).
CD player.
A set of word cards for the text (for this track
the words to use are: remains, sensitivity,
deceased, inconsistent, artefacts).
References for checking word meanings
(internet or print resources).
28 Tertiary Education Commission Teaching Adults to Listen and Speak to Communicate: Using the Learning Progressions
build our own vocabularies is by hearing and
working out new words when were listening
to people talk.
2. Clarify the purpose of this activity and explain
that the text they are going to listen
to concerns the display of items at Te Papa,
the national museum in Wellington.
3. Activate prior knowledge by asking the
learners to share their experiences of visiting
a museum. Prompt them to talk about the kinds
of things they might see, where those things
have come from, and how people might feel
about some items that are on display.
4. Show the word cards and read each word out
clearly. Do not discuss the words now but tell
the learners they are to listen out for these
words and think about their meanings. Some
of the words are repeated so they will have
more than one chance to hear them. Note that
the surrounding words often provide important
clues to meaning.
5. Play the CD track then check to see if everyone
is ready to discuss the words or if they want to
hear it again. Replay the track if necessary.
6. The learners can now discuss each word in
turn, arriving at an agreed meaning for each
one in this context. If they do not agree, they
can listen again (replay the track) or use a
reference tool.
7. Ask the learners to talk about how they worked
out the meanings, for example, from something
they already knew, from the context, or from
other strategies.
8. Review the activity, reflecting on the ways in
which we build vocabulary by listening.
Follow-up activities
Discuss possible alternative meanings for words
you have discussed. For example, in the context of
the Te Papa talk, remains has a specific meaning.
The meaning of remains may be different in other
contexts, for example:

Anyone who remains behind will miss the bus.

The outcome of the decision remains to be seen.

What remains when you take 6 away from 10?

Learners can collect new words (and practise

pronouncing them), either writing them down or
remembering them to share in a group session.
It is important to know the context: the reason for
this can be discussed too.

Glossary building is an effective way to help

learners develop vocabulary associated with a
specific topic, subject, event or work situation.
Learners recall and discuss new words to establish
their meanings in specific contexts.

For many vocabulary activities, repetition and

use of words in different situations leads to deep
learning without having to resort to written forms.
This is how waiata and many other oral texts are
learned in Te Reo Ma-ori. Its also an excellent way
for learners to explore the subtleties of meaning,
including near-synonyms (When would you say
deep rather than dense? Whats the difference
between near, adjacent and adjoining?).

As you use these activities, ask learners if the

words they are learning are words they would use
themselves. They can practise saying sentences
or giving examples of when and how they would
use the words.

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