Water Conservation - Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab

Level	Topic	Speakers	Length
Intermediate	Saving Water	Man – Woman	01:04

[ In 1999, Randall created a listening activity on saving water, Saving the Earth,” featuring his daughter, Aubrey, who also appears in this listening activity. She is an excellent voice talent for these activities. ]

Pre-Listening Exercise

What are three ways people waste water at home every day? Do you do these things yourself? Explain.

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.

What are three ways people waste water at home every day? Do you do these things yourself? Explain.

Idioms

“blow someone out of the water” = destroy or defeat
“The basketball game wasn’t even close. I mean, they blew us out of the water and beat us by 60 points.”

“a fish out of water” = be out of place
“I went to the party with Sarah, but I felt like a fish out of water. I was at least 20 years older than most people there, and I had nothing in common with them.”

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

To what degree do you waste water at home or at work? Give specific examples and discuss what you could do better to save water.

Online Investigation

Use the internet to find answers to these questions:

What is the source of the water that you use every day to bathe, cook, and clean (for example, snow runoff, ground water from aquifers, wells, and springs, lakes, rain water, rivers and streams)?
How is water used in your area (for example, agriculture, in businesses / industry, in homes, for watering personal gardens, recreational facilities like pools and water parks)
How is this water purified, if needed?
What are the future water needs where you are?

See Listening Script

Back to Intermediate Quizzes

General Listening Quiz