Moving Company - Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab

Level	Topic	Speakers	Length
Intermediate	Moving Company	Man – Woman	03:06

Family with moving boxes in front of a house with a moving truck next to the house.

Pre-Listening Exercise

Moving from place to place can take a lot of preparation: packing your items, choosing a moving company if you aren’t going to do it yourself, renting a storage unit for extra items, and renting or buying a new place to live. Think and talk about a time when you or your family moved to a different place. What was it like?

Agree or Disagree? Let’s Spark Some Conversation!

These statements are designed to get everyone thinking, moving, and talking! The goal is to explore ideas, share opinions, and get ready for the next part of the lesson.

In a face-to-face classroom: Read each statement aloud. If you agree, move to one side of the room; if you disagree, move to the other. Talk with your group—why do you feel that way? Then, pair students with members of the other group and have students explain their reasons. Rotate partners for more practice.
In an online classroom: Use polls, emojis, or the chat box in your online platform to show your opinion. Then, join the conversation as a group or in breakout rooms. What do others think? Do you agree or disagree with them?
For independent learners: Read each statement and think about your opinion. Then say your answer out loud and explain your reason, as if you’re talking to a classmate. This helps you get ready to speak and join real conversations in English. Consider recording your ideas and check your progress.

Hiring a moving company is always worth the cost.
People should move themselves instead of hiring professionals to save money.
Moving companies are often more careful with your belongings than you are.
Moving companies should be responsible for everything, including packing and unpacking.
It is safer to hire a local moving company than a large national company.
Moving companies often charge unfair hidden fees.
People should always read reviews before choosing a moving company.
DIY moves build better life skills than hiring a moving company.
Moving companies are unnecessary if you only have a few items.
Insurance from a moving company is usually not worth the extra cost.

Idioms

“had better get moving” = to need to leave or depart
“Hey. We’d better get moving, or we will miss the movie. It starts in 15 minutes.”

“move away” = to leave your home to live somewhere else
“Our daughter decided to move away (from home) and attend a college in a different city.”

Listening Exercise

A. Listen to the recording and answer the questions.

Vocabulary Practice

Do the vocabulary quizzes with the words from the conversation for more practice:

Mixed-Up Sentence | Sentence and Vocabulary Matching

Post-Listening Exercise

What are the advantages and disadvantages of hiring a company to move your belongings to a new residence? What have been your experiences in moving? What adjective best describes your experience:

frustrating
relaxing
confusing
disappointing
exciting
boring
discouraging
shocking

Online Investigation

Find a moving company on the internet and answer these questions:

What packing and unpacking options does the company provide?
Will the company tow your vehicle, and if so, how much will it cost?
Does the company provide additional services such as setting up your own entertainment center or cleaning your place?
What insurance do they provide if something is damaged during the move?
Will they take apart and put together furniture such as a bed or desk at your new location?

See Listening Script

Back to Intermediate Quizzes

General Listening Quiz