# Predict before you listen

URL: https://www.inburgeringklaar.nl/learn/luisteren/predict-before-you-listen
Course: Luisteren: the listening exam, step by step (https://www.inburgeringklaar.nl/learn/luisteren)
Level: A2 and B1
Publisher: Inburgeringklaar

> Turn the question and options into a clear listening target before the fragment starts.

## Goals
- 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:

1. **Question word** — what type of answer?
2. **Options** — what is the difference?
3. **Prediction** — which words will I hear?

It feels slow at first. After twenty practice items, it takes seconds.

## Useful Dutch
- **voorspellen**: to predict
- **het verschil**: the difference
- **de afspraak verzetten**: to reschedule the appointment
- **afzeggen**: to cancel
- **ik voel me niet lekker**: I don't feel well
- **het gaat niet door**: it's not going ahead
- **tegenover**: opposite
- **op de tweede verdieping**: on the second floor
- **voordelig**: good value, cheap
- **straks**: later, in a moment

## Worked example: Finding the target in the options

Vraag: Hoe gaat Daan morgen naar zijn werk?
A met de auto
B met de fiets
C met de trein

(Fragment)
Lisa: "Daan, je auto is toch in de garage?"
Daan: "Ja, tot vrijdag. Ik wilde eerst met de trein, maar dat is zo'n gedoe met overstappen. Het is maar twintig minuten fietsen, dus dat doe ik maar."

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
1. Options: A 'in de keuken', B 'in de tuin', C 'in de garage'. What should you listen for?
   A) A time
   B) A place
   C) A reason
   Answer: B. All options are places, so the fragment's key information is a location.
2. The option says 'Ze zegt de afspraak af.' What might you hear in the fragment?
   A) 'Ik kom wat eerder.'
   B) 'Ik wil graag een afspraak maken.'
   C) 'Ik kan morgen helaas niet komen.'
   Answer: C. 'Afzeggen' means to cancel; 'ik kan niet komen' expresses the same thing in other words.
3. Why compare the options before the fragment?
   A) Their differences show exactly what you need to hear
   B) The longest option is usually correct
   C) To guess the answer without listening
   Answer: A. What the options don't share is the detail the question tests.