7.1.1 Critical Listening Notes, Quizzes & Revision
📘 Revision Notes • 📝 Quizzes • 📄 Past Papers available in app
English — 7.1 Listening and Speaking
7.1.1 Critical Listening (Age: 15 — Kenya)
- a) Select specific details from an oral text
- b) Describe opinions and facts expressed in an oral presentation
- c) Distinguish facts from opinions in a recording
- d) Evaluate information from an oral text for accuracy
- e) Advocate the relevance of distinguishing facts and opinions
- f) Identify distinguishing facts and opinions as a part of critical listening
Critical listening means paying attention to what a speaker says, noticing language clues, and deciding whether statements are verifiable facts or personal opinions. For English learners, focus on grammar and words that signal fact, opinion, certainty or doubt.
- Specific nouns and numbers: dates, percentages, times, names (e.g., "on 15 July", "3,000 students")
- Definite present/past simple statements: "The school opened in 1995."
- Passive with sources: "It was recorded in the census."
- Reporting verbs that cite sources: "According to the Ministry..."
- Precise adjectives/adverbial phrases: "exactly", "measured at"
- First-person verbs: "I think", "I believe", "In my view"
- Modal verbs & hedges: "might", "could", "should", "may", "probably"
- Evaluative adjectives/adverbs: "good", "bad", "terrible", "too slowly", "excellent"
- Superlatives and generalisations without data: "best", "everyone", "always"
- Rhetorical questions and persuasive language
- Listen for noun phrases (who/what) to pick details: names, places, objects. Example: "Kibera market" is a place; record it as a fact candidate.
- Numbers and time expressions are usually factual: "two hours", "last year", "2020".
- Pronouns require tracing — note antecedents: if speaker says "they", find who "they" refers to.
- Adjectives that evaluate (e.g., "wonderful") are opinions — note them separately.
- Modality: a sentence with "might" or "could" signals uncertainty — treat as hypothesis, not established fact.
When you hear a claim, use this quick grammar-based checklist to judge accuracy:
- Does the speaker cite a source? (e.g., "study shows", "Ministry report")
- Are there exact details (numbers, dates) or vague words ("many", "often")?
- Does the sentence use hedging language (may, might)? If yes, the claim is tentative.
- Is the statement an evaluation (adjectives like "better", "worse") or objective description?
- Can you cross-check: does the grammar indicate reported speech ("According to..."), direct evidence, or just opinion?
Excerpt A — short oral sentence:
"According to the county health report, malaria cases dropped by 12% last year."
Grammar notes: source phrase ("According to...") + specific number + past simple = likely fact (verify the report).
Excerpt B:
"I think the new road will make life much better for local traders."
Grammar notes: "I think" + future modal "will" + evaluative adjective "much better" = opinion (personal view, not a verifiable fact).
- Audio sorting (30–40 minutes): Play a 2–3 minute radio clip (news item or local interview). Students work in pairs with two columns on paper: Facts and Opinions. - Task: Underline grammar clues (numbers, dates, "I think", modals). List 5 facts and 5 opinions.
- Word-spotting race: Teacher reads sentences aloud. Students write F or O beside each sentence fast. Use sentences mixing modals, numbers, source phrases.
- Rewrite activity: Provide 6 opinion sentences. Students change three into factual claims by adding evidence words ("According to...", add numbers, names of sources) and explain which grammar changes made them look factual.
- Role-play debate: Two groups prepare a short oral presentation on a school issue (e.g., "Should extra classes be free?"). Other students listen and note language that signals opinion vs fact; afterwards they ask for evidence.
- Fact-check mini-project (homework): Choose a short local news clip. Identify 3 facts to verify online or in a report and write one paragraph about whether the facts were accurate and how grammar helped you judge them.
Listen/read each sentence and decide: Fact, Opinion, or Uncertain?
- "The school timetable was changed on 1 March." — likely Fact
- "Many students will probably prefer the afternoon class." — Uncertain (hedging)
- "Mobile money has made shopping easier." — Opinion (evaluative generalisation) — ask for evidence
- "A survey found 60% of households use solar power in this ward." — Fact candidate (citational phrase + number)
- Note reporting phrases: "according to", "research shows", "survey found" — follow up to verify.
- Mark mode words: "must/should" (advice), "might/may" (possibility), "will" (prediction).
- Separate what is said about facts (names, numbers) from how the speaker feels (adjectives, first person).
- Ask clarifying questions after listening: "Where did you get that number?" "Do you have proof?"
Give a 2-minute recorded speech. Ask learners to:
- List 6 specific details (nouns, dates, numbers) — (SLO a)
- Write 3 facts and 3 opinions from the recording with grammar clues for each — (SLO b,c,f)
- Explain which 2 facts require verification and how they would check them — (SLO d)
- Write a short paragraph (50–70 words) arguing why distinguishing facts and opinions matters in a village meeting or on radio — (SLO e)
For English learners, critical listening is strongly aided by noticing grammar: sources, numbers, tense, modals and reporting verbs. Use these signals to separate what is verifiable from what is someone's view.