School Supplies - Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab

Level	Topic	Speakers	Length
Intermediate	Education	Man – Girl	01:48

Pre-Listening Exercise

What kinds of school supplies do you usually need to buy before the start of a new academic year (e.g., pen, pencils, laptop or desktop computers, smartphones, calculators)?

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.

Students should always buy the latest school supplies, even if older ones still work.
Digital tools can replace traditional school supplies entirely.
Teachers should provide all necessary school supplies for students.
Buying brand-name supplies is better than generic ones.
Students should personalize their school supplies to show creativity.
Parents spend too much money on school supplies each year.
School supplies are more important for learning than teaching methods.
Some school supplies are unnecessary and a waste of money.
Sharing school supplies with classmates is acceptable.

Idioms

“rolling in money” = have a lot of money
“Just remember that I’m not rolling in money, so I can’t buy you the latest calculator.”

“do without something” = do okay without a particular item
“I don’t need new notebooks for school, but I can’t do without a few pencils.”

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 | Multiple-Choice Questions | Sentence and Vocabulary Matching

Post-Listening Exercise

Most students enjoy having new school supplies at the beginning of every year. What kinds of school supplies do you usually need to buy before the start of a new academic year? Which supplies do you really need and which ones do you want, if money isn’t an object? Where do people usually buy these supplies: at school, at a local store, or on the internet? Discuss these ideas.

Online Investigation

Having a computer, netbook, or other electronic devices is almost becoming a necessity at schools today. Imagine that you have $1,000 to spend on electronics (for example, a netbook, digital voice recorder, or other devices). Check at least two websites and compare prices on the items you find. Also, analyze and then summarize the company’s sales policies, handling and mailing fees, and its return policies. Then, decide which products you would buy.

See Listening Script

Back to Intermediate Quizzes

General Listening Quiz