TEFL Language Skills: Listening and Speaking 2

Question 1

What are 'minimal pairs' and how are they used in listening/pronunciation teaching?

Accepted Answer

Pairs of words that differ by only one phoneme, used to train discrimination of similar sounds

Answer

Minimal pairs (e.g., 'ship/sheep', 'bit/beat') isolate and contrast single phoneme differences to sharpen learner perception and production.

Question 2

What is 'intensive listening'?

Accepted Answer

Listening carefully to every detail, word, and structure in a short audio segment

Answer

Intensive listening focuses on accuracy — students attend to precise language, often transcribing or analysing a short, carefully selected segment.

Question 3

What is 'extensive listening' in TEFL?

Accepted Answer

Listening to large amounts of audio at an appropriate level primarily for pleasure and general comprehension

Answer

Extensive listening builds fluency, vocabulary, and exposure to natural speech patterns through regular, enjoyable listening outside the classroom.

Question 4

In a TEFL speaking lesson, what is 'drilling'?

Accepted Answer

Controlled repetition of a language form by the class individually or chorally to develop accuracy

Answer

Drilling provides focused, repeated practice of target language forms to build accurate pronunciation and internalization of structure.

Question 5

Which speaking task type requires students to reach an agreed outcome together?

Accepted Answer

Consensus or decision-making task

Answer

Consensus tasks (e.g., ranking activities, survival scenarios) require genuine negotiation and meaningful communication to reach a shared decision.

TEFL Certification Teaching English as a Foreign Language Practice Test