This is a guest post by Katy Wright, the co-host of 2Ts in a Pod. It’s a listening activity based around a clip from episode 5: Pet Hates. Download all the materials below:

• 2Ts Pet hates Students Transcript
• 2Ts Pet hates Teacher’s notes
• Audio file

Teacher’s Notes

Warm-up

1. Tell students they are going to listen to two people, Tim and Katy, talking about their pet hates. Check their understanding of pet hate [a common, everyday thing that can be really annoying]
2. Ask student to predict in groups about what could annoy Tim?
3. Listen to the extract and check their predictions
4. Ask students if they also find these things annoying.
5. Ask students to make a list of 3 of their biggest pet hates and share them with their partner

Listening in detail

6. Tell students they are going to listen to the extract again. This time they write down expressions they hear related to being annoyed or irritated
7. You may want to play the extract again is students are struggling
8. Students compare the expressions they have written.
9. Give the students the transcript of the extract. Ask them to underline the pragmatic language related to annoyance. Did they find them all?
10. Check understanding of the expressions in open class. Point out the stressed words of these expressions
11. Ask students to repeat the expressions with their partner to practice pronunciation and stress

Speaking

12. Go back to the list of 3 pet hates they discussed earlier in the lesson. Ask students to talk about them again but this time using the expressions from the extract
13. Monitor and give feedback on emergent language

Additional Idea

• Students can practice the conversation a few times with a partner and then record their conversation “podcast” style. This could then be shared among the other members of the group on WhatsApp or a wiki if they feel comfortable to do so.

Transcript

1:43 – 3:00 minutes

Katy: [00:00:00] But first Tim, what really annoys you? What really drives you up the wall?

Tim: [00:00:05] What drives me up the wall. I would say, in general, inconsiderate people really get on my nerves. So, especially in public places like on public transport, for example. Here in Barcelona, it’s really common. So, say you’re on the Metro, okay, and you’re coming up to a stop and it pulls, the Metro pulls into the station and stops the doors open and people try to get on the Metro before you’ve got off. Yeah it really, really drives me insane.

Katy: [00:00:42] So annoying.

Tim: [00:00:43] If you just let us off everything would be so much easier. Yeah. It really really really really gets on my nerves. Also another thing on the metro I think it’s quite common, um, that really annoys me is people listening to music without headphones on their mobiles.

Katy: [00:01:02] That annoys me if people are walking down the street. I don’t know. Just turn it down, put headphones in. Or turn it down.

Tim: [00:01:11] Yeah. No one wants to listen to that.

Katy: [00:01:12] No one cares.

Tim: [00:01:14] So that, that’s what really really really annoys me. Yeah, It drives me up the wall.