Predict before you listen
Turn the question and options into a clear listening target before the fragment starts.
A2 and B18 minLesson 2 of 6
After this lesson you can
- Know what kind of answer each question word asks for
- Compare options to find what you must listen for
- Predict likely words and phrases in the fragment
Listening with a target
If you listen to a fragment "just to understand it", you try to catch everything and your brain gets tired fast. If you listen for something specific, you hear it much more easily. The question and the options give you that target, for free.
Step 1: the question word
| Question word | Listen for… | Typical words in the fragment |
|---|---|---|
| Wie…? | a person, a role | de dokter, mijn buurman, de manager, meneer… |
| Wat…? | a thing or action | verbs, nouns |
| Waar…? | a place | in, op, bij, naast, tegenover, op de tweede verdieping |
| Wanneer…? | a day or moment | morgen, volgende week, na de vakantie, op dinsdag |
| Hoe laat…? | a clock time | om half negen, kwart over drie |
| Hoeveel…? | a number, price, amount | numbers, euro, procent, keer |
| Waarom…? | a reason | omdat, want, doordat, daarom |
| Hoe…? | a way, a method | met de bus, via de website, door te bellen |
| Wat gaat … doen? | a future action | ik ga, ik zal, morgen, straks |
Step 2: compare the options
This is the most powerful trick. Look at what the options have in common and how they differ. The difference is exactly what you need to hear.
Wanneer heeft meneer Visser een afspraak? A dinsdag om 10.00 uur B dinsdag om 14.00 uur C donderdag om 10.00 uur
Two options say dinsdag, two say 10.00. So you need both the day and the time. You know before the fragment starts that you'll hear a day and a time, probably more than one, and that you need the combination.
Step 3: predict the words
Once you know the situation, guess the words you might hear. If the question is about a doctor's appointment, expect afspraak, de assistente, de huisarts, verzetten (to reschedule), ochtend/middag. Your brain recognises words faster when it already expects them.
Also predict synonyms. The option might say ze is ziek, the speaker might say ze voelt zich niet lekker or ze heeft koorts. The option says te laat, the speaker says ik ben er pas om … or ik heb vertraging.
| In the option | You may hear |
|---|---|
| ziek | niet lekker, koorts, griep, in bed |
| duur | dat is veel geld, dat kost nogal wat |
| verhuizen | naar een ander huis gaan, we gaan weg uit … |
| afzeggen | het gaat niet door, ik kan niet komen |
| goedkoper | minder betalen, korting, voordeliger |
Step 4: listen for the whole answer
When you hear something that matches an option, don't stop listening. People add conditions or change their mind: Dinsdag kan ik… o nee, dan heb ik les. Donderdag dan? The final version is the answer. Lesson 4 is all about this.
Video questions
In fragments with video, the picture gives extra clues: where are they, who is speaking, what do they hold? Use the picture for the situation, but take the answer from what people say. Sometimes the video shows a thing that is not the answer.
A 15-second routine
For every item, during the reading time:
- Question word — what type of answer?
- Options — what is the difference?
- Prediction — which words will I hear?
It feels slow at first. After twenty practice items, it takes seconds.
Useful Dutch
- voorspellento predict
- het verschilthe difference
- de afspraak verzettento reschedule the appointment
- afzeggento cancel
- ik voel me niet lekkerI don't feel well
- het gaat niet doorit's not going ahead
- tegenoveropposite
- op de tweede verdiepingon the second floor
- voordeliggood value, cheap
- strakslater, in a moment
Worked example
Finding the target in the options
Question word 'hoe' plus the options: you listen for a way of travelling. You hear all three: auto (but it is in the garage), trein (but 'maar' it is a hassle), fietsen ('dus dat doe ik maar'). The answer is B. The word 'dus' introduces his decision. All three words were mentioned, so recognising a word is not enough; you need to know which one he actually chose.
Common mistakes
- Reading only the question and not comparing the options.
- Choosing the first option you hear mentioned, even when the speaker rejects it.
- Expecting the exact words of the option instead of a synonym or explanation.
- Taking the answer from the video picture instead of from what is said.
Check yourself
Answer all three to mark this lesson as done.
1. Options: A 'in de keuken', B 'in de tuin', C 'in de garage'. What should you listen for?
2. The option says 'Ze zegt de afspraak af.' What might you hear in the fragment?
3. Why compare the options before the fragment?