Family- Extended Speaking & Active Listening Practice

Your family extended speaking active listening practice

Try to use as many of the active listening phrases above as you can while your partner talks about one of the topics on the next page for as long as they can.

Suggested active listening phrases

Inviting someone to tell their anecdote/ continue their anecdote

Showing you’re listening/ Not listening in silence

And did you/ she/ he/ they? And then? But why? Carry on! Do tell! Go on! How did… feel about that? How did… react? So, did…? So, what did… say (about that)? Tell me more! What did you do (next)? What happened (next/ then)?

Absolutely! Did you? Do you think so? Got it. Great! Honestly? I know just what you mean. I know what you mean. I know! I see what you mean. I suppose so, yeah. I’m shocked! Is that a fact? Is that right? Me too. Mmmm hmmm Nice! No kidding. No! Of course. Oh yeah? Okay. Really? Right. Seriously? Sounds… Sure. Urgh! What the??? Wow! Yeah (yeah) (yeah). You did what (now)? You didn’t!/ He didn’t!/ She didn’t! You surprise me! You think so? You’re kidding? Yuck! Yup. NOT I see X NOT Understand X

Were there any phrases above which you couldn’t use?

Suggested topics

Family members

A sibling

A cousin

A parent

A grandparent

A great-grandparent

A great-great-grandparent

A distant relative/ A distant relation

An ancestor

A niece or nephew

An in-law

An uncle or aunt

A relationship between two of my relatives

My spouse/ partner

An ex-

The black sheep of my family

 

Things that family members do to each other/ Verbs about the relationships between people

Something that people in my family fell out over/ A falling out

Something my family got at me about/ Some criticism from my family

Something my family encouraged me to do

Someone in my family I look(ed) up to

Someone in my family who (really) influences/ influenced me

Something I clashed with my family about

Something I competed with a family member about

Someone I grew/ have grown apart from

When someone in my family bullied me

When someone in my family stuck up for me

 

Adjectives describing the relationships between people in family

An important relationship when I was growing up

Someone in my family who I am/ was (especially) close to

Someone in my family who I’m not/ I wasn’t (especially) close to

Something my parents were strict about

 

Brainstorming active listening phrases

Without looking above, brainstorm suitable phrases into the gaps below. Phrases not above are also possible.

Inviting someone to tell their anecdote/ continue their anecdote	Showing you’re listening/ Not listening in silence

Use the mixed phrases on the next page to help with the task above, then check above. Note that many could go in either column, so if they are clearly asking someone to speak they are in the right-hand column.

 

Mixed active listening phrases

Absolutely!                                                  And did you/ she/ he/ they?

And then?                                                    But why?

Carry on!                                                      Did you?

Do tell!                                            Do you think so?

Go on!                                            Got it.

Great!

Honestly?

How did… feel about that?

How did… react?

I know just what you mean.

I know what you mean.

I know!

I see what you mean.

I suppose so, yeah.

I’m shocked!

Is that a fact?

Is that right?

Me too.

Mmmm hmmm

Nice!

No kidding.

No!

Of course.

Oh yeah?

Okay.

Really?

Right.

Seriously?

So, did…?

So, what did… say (about that)?

Sounds…

Sure.

Tell me more!

Urgh!

What did you do (next)?

What happened (next/ then)?

What the???

Wow!

Yeah (yeah) (yeah).

You did what (now)?

You didn’t!/ He didn’t!/ She didn’t!

You surprise me!

You think so?

You’re kidding?

Yuck!

Yup.

Ask about any topics above that you don’t understand, reacting to what your teacher says about that topic with active listening topics each time.

 

Family vocabulary brainstorming stage

Without looking above for now, brainstorm as many suitable words and expressions as you can into each gap below.

Family members

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Things that family members do to each other/ Verbs about the relationships between people

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjectives describing the relationships between people in family

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Compare your ideas with the previous page, brainstorm more ideas, then compare your extra ideas as a class.

Dictate your family trees to each other, using language like that above to speak and listen.