Following Spoken Instructions in a New Language
Act on what you hear before you can say it back. Simple commands and questions, understood from the few words you know plus gesture and situation.
What a learner can do afterwards
- Carry out a two-part instruction given in the new language
- Answer a yes or no question in the new language correctly
- Show which part of an instruction was missed instead of freezing
1 · Read
You can act before you can speak back. Watch hands. They show action words: pick up, put down, turn, stop.
The teacher says two things: pick up three red crayons, then turn. Sam holds them like beads. He picks them up first. Then he turns. Order words like first, then, after and before show the way.
Do not fear words you do not know. Keep listening to the end. The rest often explains them. Then act on what you caught. If a part is missing, point to it instead of freezing. Answer fast with yes or no.
Answer back so the speaker knows. Nod or do it at once.
Watch, hold the parts in order, act on what you caught, and show what you missed.
The rewritten readings were written for this dataset.
More to read
Watch, listen and remember
Use the speaker's movements to help you follow new words. Face them and watch their hands. A hand movement may mean stop, turn, pick up or put down. It can give you a clue when the words come fast.
Keep track of which action comes first and which comes next. After doing the first, say the next one to yourself. Tell the speaker which part you missed, or point to it.
Keep listening when a word is new
You can hear a new word and still understand what to do. Listen until the person finishes. Other words may help explain it. Try the parts you understood.
Let the speaker see what you understood. You could nod, say the main word back or begin the action. If they ask a yes-or-no question, answer it. When you need help, ask them to say it once more. Then have another try.
Listen for the action order
A teacher may ask you to do one thing and then another. Listen for words that put the actions in order: before, after, first and then. They can help you work out what to do even when some words are new.
Let the teacher watch you begin. They can help early if you start a different action. Once you have finished the first action, you can focus on listening for the next.
2 · Watch
Take it off screen
Where it sits
Learn first
Optional connections
This opens up
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.