In this B1/B2 English listening lesson, you will listen to Mike talking about his son’s school. Mike speaks with a soft, south-eastern British English accent. Listen out for the natural English phrases which Mike uses.
After you have completed the exercises, read the transcript at the end to check what you have understood is correct.
Contents
Listen in full
Watch the video and listen to Mike’s story, then answer the questions.
Gist questions
Answer these general questions about Mike’s talk:
1. What is Mike’s overall impression of Jake’s school?
a) It’s too small and not very well organized b) It’s a supportive, friendly place where Jake is doing well c) It’s expensive but worth it2. How does Mike describe Jake’s general attitude toward school?
a) He’s bored with most of the lessons b) He enjoys it overall, especially certain subjects c) He wants to change schools3. What kind of learning environment does Jake have?
a) A very large and crowded school b) A school with big class sizes and strict teachers c) A smaller, friendly school with supportive staffDetail questions
Here are some more detailed questions about Mike’s talk. See how many you can answer:
6. Why does Jake struggle with maths?
a) He finds times tables and similar tasks difficult b) He doesn’t attend enough maths lessons c) His teacher doesn’t explain it well7. What after-school activities does Jake attend?
a) Choir and drama b) Swimming and computers c) Football and Lego8. Why does Mike think Jake’s school is a good place for him?
a) The facilities are modern b) The school focuses on exams c) The teachers are supportive and Jake has made friendsTrain your ear
Listen for words
Listen 1
Listen and write the words you hear.
Which is streets away from where we live.
Listen 2
Listen and write the words you hear.
It’s small friendly.
Listen 3
Listen and write the words you hear.
He seems to be enjoying it, anyway.
Listen 4
Listen and write the words you hear.
He gets to run around with his .
Listen 5
Listen and write the words you hear.
We try of practise at home.
Dictation
Listen to Mike and write down what he says in the box below. Then, check what you wrote. Any mistakes you make will be in blue.
Listen and read!
Read the transcript of Mike talking, and listen at the same time. Click on any part of the text to listen again.
Words and phrases
Here are some useful words and phrases from the text that you might want to learn and use when talking about schools and children.
Words
a primary school (n) – a school for children aged 5 to 11
friendly (adj) – kind and easy to talk to
a teacher (n) – a person who helps students learn
class size (n) – the number of students in a class
a plus (n) – a good or positive thing
a subject (n) – a school topic, like Maths or Science
an experiment (n) – a test done to learn or discover something
messy (adj) – untidy or dirty
PE (n) – short for Physical Education; sport lessons at school
a fan (n) – someone who likes something a lot
times tables (n) – lists of numbers used to learn multiplication
practice (n) – doing something many times to get better
a gate (n) – a door or opening in a fence or wall
an assembly (n) – a school meeting for all the students
a break (n) – a short rest from work or study
a lunch break (n) – the time at school when you eat and rest
a school hall (n) – a large room used for lunch, events or assemblies
a packed lunch (n) – a lunch you bring from home
school dinners (n) – hot meals provided at school
an after-school club (n) – an activity that happens after classes finish
Parents’ Evening (n) – a meeting where parents talk to teachers about progress
supportive (adj) – helpful and caring
Phrases
go to (a school) – attend a school
a few streets away – not far from here; close by
a definite plus – a clear advantage
enjoy (something) – like doing something
be into (something) – like or be interested in something
to be honest – I’m telling the truth
not a big fan of (something) – not really like something
find (something) tricky – think something is difficult
struggle with (something) – have problems doing something
at the end of the day – finally; after thinking about everything
rather be (doing something) – prefer to do something else
drop (someone) off – take someone somewhere and leave them there
have a break – stop working for a short time
a packed lunch / school dinners – food from home or meals at school
be into (something) – like something a lot
go back to class – return to lessons after a break
after-school club – a club or activity after lessons finish
have a chat – talk informally with someone
find out (something) – get new information
get on with (something) – make progress or do well
on the whole – in general; mostly
learn a lot – gain much knowledge or skill
make friends – start to know and like new people
be happy with (something) – feel good about something
Grammar from the transcript
Below are some of the key grammar points that appear in this transcript.
Present Simple tense
We use the Present Simple tense to describe habits, routines, and general truths.
- He goes to Mariel Green Primary School...
- His school day starts at nine.
- They have a morning assembly...
- I usually drop him off at the school gate.
Present Continuous tense
We use the present continuous tense to describe actions happening now or in progress at the current time.
- He’s still struggling quite a lot with it.
- He’s learning quite a lot there.
- He’s doing loads of little experiments in Science...
Degree modifiers
We use degree modifiers to show how strong or weak an adjective or quality is.
- It’s pretty friendly.
- The class sizes aren’t too big.
- He finds it a bit tricky.
Relative clauses (non-defining)
We use non-defining relative clauses to give more information about a person, thing, or place without starting a new sentence.
- He goes to Mariel Green Primary School, which is just a few streets away...
Get more free A2, B1 and B2 English listening exercises and lessons here!
