Tirocinante: Dott. Loredana Rizzo

Supervisore: Prof. Adriana Strazzera

Tutor: Prof. Adriana Di Marco

LISTENING

Teaching Unit:

Listening Teaching Unit:

A job interview

Introduction

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) includes Legal Language, Commercial Language, Medical Language and so on. ESP differs from general English both for the specialistic vocabulary and the frequency with which certain structures are used.

As far as teaching ESP is concerned, it is important to underline that an ESP course cannot exclude the use of language as a means of communication and socialization.

This teaching unit will be taught as the follow up of a unit on Applications. It aims at developing the listening skill and at reinforcing the students’ ability to write a CV. It also aims at letting them get both the general meaning and specific information through listening to a dialogue.

It is divided into three phases: pre-listening, while-listening and post-listening.

Topic

A job interview

Class

2^nd year of “triennio” of an “Istituto Tecnico Commerciale”.

Aims

-     to enable students to get the general meaning through listening;

-     to enable students to draw specific information through listening;

-     to reinforce the students’ ability to write a Curriculum Vitae.

Prerequisites

Linguistic competence:

- an intermediate scholastic English Knowledge of basic grammar and vocabulary. 

Correspondence:

- they are already able to write personal letters, travel arrangements, applications and CV.

Materials

Recorder, photocopies, blackboard, realia.

Skills

Listening

Time

1 hour and a half

Listening

Pre-listening

In the pre-listening phase the teacher will introduce the topic and will create motivation in his/her students by relating the topic of the dialogue to their own experience. To this purpose s/he will have them read the following advertisements for summer jobs:

Then s/he will ask them some questions such as:

1.     Have you ever looked for a job? In summer, for example?

2.     Have you ever found one? If you haven’t, have any friends of yours looked for and found one?

3.     How did you/your friend get it?

4.     Was it part-time or full-time?

Moreover, to stimulate their interest and curiosity, the teacher will have them familiarize with the situation, characters and topic by writing the key-words (job, curriculum vitae, part-time, interview) down on the blackboard and by letting them predict what they are going to hear so that they will listen to confirm their expectations.

To introduce CV, the teacher can ask them to read these statements and decide whether they are true or false.        

                                                                                                         T    F

a)     The aim of a CV is to draw a true portrait of yourself with your

     best features.

b)    The CV provides a quick summary with factual details.

c)     All CV plans are exactly the same.

d)    A long CV (over 2 pages) is appreciated by your potential employer.

e)     Every CV must be handsigned.

f)      Minor spelling mistakes and corrections are tolerated.

The students will also be given a task they will perform while listening to the dialogue. The task is not meant as a test but is only an instrument to guide the students’ understanding. The teacher will have them read the exercise before listening to the dialogue so that they will focus their attention on what they have been asked. The task will be:

1.     Who are the two characters in the dialogue?

2.     What is A. Giannandrea doing?

3.     What kind of job is it?

These questions aim at letting the students get the general meaning of the dialogue.

While-listening

The activities of this phase aim at enabling the students draw specific information through listening. The students will listen to the cassette three times: the first time they have to listen to the dialogue with an eye to the task but not doing it; in the second listening they will have actually to perform the task; the third time is meant for them to check it. Then the teacher will check the task eliciting the answers chorally from the entire class.

Exercise 1

Listen to the dialogue and decide whether these statements are true or false.

                                                                                      T       F

1.     Mr Giannandrea meets the Personal Director of FAO.              

2.     Antonio Giannandrea had never worked so far.                         

3.     Nightline is a telephone helpline for people who have dogs.      

4.     Mr Giannandrea speaks English and French.                             

5.     He cannot use a computer.                                                        

6.     He is invited for a second interview next week.                         

7.     They will meet in Rome at 11.30.

Exercise 2

Choose the correct altenative.

1.     The Personnel Director of FAO thinks Giannandrea’s application is

                                                                                              a) too long.

                                                                                                        b) interesting.

                                                                                                        c) sincere.

2. Mr Giannandrea a) never visited  European countries.

                               b) doesn’t like

                               c) visited

3. Mr Giannandrea studied French for   a)  ten  years at school.

                                                              b) five

                                                              c) three

Exercise 3

Listen to the dialogue again and complete Giannandrea’s CV.

Post-listening

The scope of this phase is to link the listening skill to other ones; it will be writing in this case.

 Exercise 4

Write your own CV.