ACTIVITY 6

Listen to testimonials for specific information: Best friendsĀ“ first Impressions

Main aim: To listen for  gist.

Time: 45 minutes

Materials: MP3 from  http://www.elllo.org/english/Mixer126/T142-Impression.htm    

Level: medium

Technical requirements: internet connection

Pre-listening

Write the learning goals on the board. Make a box with some adjectives to describe  personality.. Elicit vocabulary from students. Ask students to focus on the words on the board.

Personality adjectives


lazy              nice                 outgoing             easygoing               cool        hard-working

 

    kind          rude              polite               intelligent               mean               silly

 

        original                        sociable             friendly            shy           plain       judgemental

 
Give students a text with four different testimonials with some information gaps. Ask students to read the texts in pairs and make predictions on the words that can be used on the blanks. Tell students to use some of the words from the board and monitor them.

Listen and complete the testimonials with some of the words from the box.

“My first impression of best friend was positive. I mean, she was really ________ to me, and she helped me a lot with my studies and also adapting in a university. So, she was really nice, and until now, we're still best friends.”

(Isma from Indonesia)

“My first impression of my best friend was I don't like her. I am pretty______________ when I see people for the first time, and when I saw her, I just instantly didn't like her, and it was the same for her. But once we got talking, I realized she's going to be my best friend. That was five years ago, and we're still the best of friends.”                                                    

(Kat from Germany)

First impression of my best friend was that he was a little bit ____________. He's from Iran, and his name is [Firos]. He's very _________________, but I like him because he's _______________.”

(Mike from Singapore)

“The first impression of my best friend was that she was really _________________ and very ___________. I was really attracted to her from the beginning. I thought, "Wow, she's got quite ______________ style!" and someone that I admire.”

(Lindsay from the United States)



 
Script:

Isma / Indonesia
My first impression of best friend was positive. I mean, she was really
nice to me, and she helped me a lot with my studies and also adapting in a university. So, she was really nice, and until now, we're still best friends.

Matt / United States
I actually don't have a first impression of my best friend, because I grew up with him and I knew him
as long as I can remember, so I actually don't have an impression of him.

Dani / England
Well, I guess, my first impression sounds quite odd. The fact that she had lots and lots of
freckles, and I didn't, and also she had quite short hair and my hair was very long at the time.

Kat / Germany
My first impression of my best friend was I don't like her. I am pretty
 judgmental when I see people for the first time, and when I saw her, I just instantly didn't like her, and it was the same for her. But once we got talking, I realized she's going to be my best friend. That was five years ago, and we're still the best of friends.

Mike / Singapore
First impression of my best friend was that he was a little bit
crazy. He's from Iran, and his name is [Firos]. He's very lazy, but I like him because he's easygoing.

Lindsay / United States
The first impression of my best friend was that she was really
outgoing and very original. I was really attracted to her from the beginning. I thought, "Wow, she's got quite cool style!" and someone that I admire.

Post-listening

Ask students to evaluate their listening strategies by means of a self-evaluation form.

Follow-up activity

Students will write a short paragraph about their best friends, including a brief description of him/her, how they met and their first impressions.