Listening Comprehension – English Language O-Level Syllabus 1184
Welcome to the Ultimate Guide to O-Level Listening Comprehension for Syllabus 1184.
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2023 English New Syllabus 1184 Listening Comprehension Specimen Paper Video/Audio
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2023 O’LEVELS ORAL ENGLISH 1184 DAY 8: ORAL QUESTION (TEAMWORK)
Video: Candidates were shown a 1-min video of a group of youngsters playing a ball sport.
How to tackle the Oral Planned Response Question:
For planned response, students must present a 2-minute response (usually this means two PEEL Paragraphs) to answer the question. You can refer to your written notes. Use 5Ws and 1H when you are brainstorming for answers. Be certain to answer the prompt, identify keywords and present your thoughts confidently. Refer to our earlier post on O’levels 1184 Planned Response Format.
Planned Response Question:
“Do you think the activity shown in the video has any value? Why or why not?”
Suggested Approach
Candidates need to briefly state how the video shows participants playing ball sports which involve games and activities that revolve around using a ball as a central element. Candidates can illustrate how these activities can promote physical fitness, skill development, teamwork, social interaction, and overall well-being especially during times of stress.
Others may argue that they feel the activity lacks value because they may lack a personal interest and may not see the appeal or value in participating in the activity. Candidates may add that such contact sports can be violent or how it lacks intellectual value due to their own experiences.
Note: You should address the examiner’s question directly and focus on building two PEEL paragraphs and relate the video (briefly) to the question. The two points for your answers should not be too similar and it should have personal observations / examples. The planned response is around two mins long. (2 PEEL 1 adjective + explain with evidence)
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Spoken Interaction (Teamwork)
Are there opportunities for you to learn to work with others?
Suggested Approach: Candidates can start their opinion clearly and briefly explaining the avenues available to them to collaborate with others. From classroom projects, CCA to outdoor camps adventures, candidates can cite how they worked together with others such as they collaborate on projects like making videos for literature project or working together to volunteer at a home doing cleaning or similar activity.
Important Note: You should use strong expressions, provide examples / own personal experience to substantiate your points. Do not get flustered if oral examiners ask you additional questions.
2) Do you think schools should focus more on team or individual achievements? Why do you say so?
Suggested Approach:
State your stand clearly.
Candidates should note that question is asking about what schools should focus on. For those in support of team achievements, candidates can cite examples of how focusing on team achievements benefit the school as a greater whole and how it builds towards values like a more supportive, caring society, nurturing students who focus more on collective good.
On the flip side, those in favour of individual achievements can argue that schools should dedicate more emphasis on individual achievements because in doing so, they recognises and values the unique strengths, talents, and efforts of each and every student. By acknowledging individual accomplishments, it will boosts students’ self-esteem and confidence. Candidates can explain how this mirrors the roles of schools and how school is a place where it nurtures the unique talents of each student and empowers them to be their authentic selves hence individual achievements should take precedence.
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Video: Candidates were shown a 1-min video of two boys playing table tennis.
How to tackle the Oral Planned Response Question:
For planned response, students must present a 2-minute response (usually this means two PEEL Paragraphs) to answer the question. You can refer to your written notes. Use 5Ws and 1H when you are brainstorming for answers. Be certain to answer the prompt, identify keywords and present your thoughts confidently. Refer to our earlier post on O’levels 1184 Planned Response Format.
Planned Response Question:
“Do you think training has taken the fun out of playing table tennis for the two boys? Why or why not?”
Suggested Approach
Candidates should take a clear stand and explain why they feel that training is important or it is unnecessary and kills joy.
Some candidates can share their own experience of how they stopped playing sports because it became demanding, lamenting how the enjoyment is gone as the pressure to compete is too overwhelming.
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Others may assert that enjoyment is about the happiness derived from pursuing your potential and your passion. It’s about getting better at the sport and how training helps one to get there. Anyone who runs marathons knows that distance running is not always pleasurable, but it can bring great joy.
Note: You should address the examiner’s question directly and focus on building two PEEL paragraphs and relate the video (briefly) to the question. The two points for your answers should not be too similar and it should have your own personal observations / examples.
The planned response is around two mins long. (2 PEEL paragraphs)
Spoken Interaction (Sports)
Do you think it is beneficial to play competitive sports?
Suggested Approach:
Candidates can start with giving personal accounts or observations of peers, siblings who play sports and how it benefited them in terms of character building, fostering teamwork and more. For those who play soccer, candidates can share how they joined a competitive soccer team in their school (playing in NSG if applicable and how as training for NSG is demanding, they learn to organise time better).
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Candidates can explain how their participation in sports contributed to various positive changes in their life such as building tenacity, fostering a better sense of teamwork and learning to collaborate with others. Success in competitive sports is often determined by factors like skill, strategy, teamwork, physical fitness, and mental strength.
Candidates can point out how while the goal is to win, competitive sports also emphasise fair play, respect for opponents, and the development of valuable life skills such as discipline, perseverance, and leadership.
Other candidates who are of the opposing view can cite how factors like
Competitive sports can sometimes be toxic or overly aggressive competitive sports culture which may foster unhealthy rivalries and diminish the positive aspects of sportsmanship. Candidates can give example of their experiences in their CCA to substantiate)
Balancing intense training and competition with academic or professional commitments can be highly exhausting both mentally and physically. To commit to training hours required by competitive sports can be challenging and may adversely affect other aspects their lives.
Risk of Injuries: Competitive sports often involve physical contact and high-intensity activities, increasing the risk of injuries, particularly in contact sports.
Important Note: You should use strong vocabulary, provide examples / own personal experience to substantiate your points. Do not get flustered if oral examiners ask you additional questions.
2) We place too much emphasis on academic achievements compared to sporting talents. What are your views?
Suggested Approach:
To compete in a highly competitive global landscape, a country facing scarcity in natural resources like Singapore will be more inclined to prioritize academic excellence to ensure their population are well-prepared for the challenges of the future.
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Candidates should consider the different stakeholders (individual basis, societal and governmental basis). Candidates can share how they experience first hand how academics are often prioritised over sports (e.g. emphasis on STEM).
At the same time, they can point out how they are witnessing gradual changes which are in place reinvigorate sports participation such as the announcement by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong last year that $20 million will be committed to a plan to ramp up and cater to the increasing demand for sport.
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2023 O’LEVELS ORAL ENGLISH DAY 6: ORAL QUESTION (TECHNOLOGY)
Video: Candidates were shown a 1-min video of robot singing and entertaining a child.
How to tackle the Oral Planned Response Question:
For planned response, students must present a 2-minute response (usually this means two PEEL Paragraphs) to answer the question. You can refer to your written notes. Use 5Ws and 1H when you are brainstorming for answers. Be certain to answer the prompt, identify keywords and present your thoughts confidently. Refer to our earlier post on O’levels 1184 Planned Response Format.
Planned Response Question:
“Has your opinion of technology changed after watching the video?” Why or Why not?
Suggested Approach
Candidates can briefly share their own or illustrate how a common opinion that most would have about technology is that it lacks authenticity. After watching the video, it seems to suggest the capabilities of robots are capable of building and genuine connections. They may point out that in this modern age with families have fewer children or how increasingly children are inundated with stress, robots can provide emotional support and can help children alleviate stress/boredom during a time of high stress such as being cooped up at home during the pandemic.
Other candidates may posit that they still believe that virtual interactions and online experiences cannot match the depth and value of in-person interactions even after watching the video.
Note: You should address the examiner’s question directly and focus on building two PEEL paragraphs and relate the video (briefly) to the question. The two points for your answers should not be too similar and it should have personal observations / examples. The planned response is around two mins long. (2 PEEL 1 adjective + explain with evidence)
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Spoken Interaction (Technology)
Can technology replace teachers?
Suggested Approach: Candidates can start their opinion clearly and briefly explaining the context of this digital era and how with the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), virtual classrooms, and personalized learning platforms may result in some arguing that technology has the potential to replace teachers in the future.
Candidates can share their own experiences of them being able to access information online or learn through MOOC (Khan Academy, Coursera) hence replacing the function/need of having teachers. Some may point out how youtube and other social media has provided an abundance of online resources. Those who feel that teachers cannot be replaced can cite personal examples of pastoral support they received from teachers, memories built in school, influences they felt from their teachers and how once actions of their teachers has touched their hearts, something that technology will never do.
For well considered responses, candidates need to recognise the how certain capabilities (of teachers) can be supported by technology, however to say that it will replace would be too far fetched.
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Important Note: You should use strong expressions, provide examples / own personal experience to substantiate your points. Do not get flustered if oral examiners ask you additional questions.
2) Technology has greatly improved teaching and learning in schools. What are your views?
Suggested Approach:
State your stand clearly.
Candidates should first point out what has changed with technology, some may cite technology being a facilitator or SLS/HBL which has made learning more fluid and interactive. A past and present comparison approach will be good as candidates can cite examples of how without technology, in the past, classroom learning is monotonous. Now with Kahoot! and other quiz apps, learning has been gamified.
On the flip side, technology is double edged sword which sometimes distract students, pulling them away from the learning goals or misinformation lurks and students need to know how to evaluate the reliability of a website.
Candidates need to be mindful that the question ask about ‘teaching’ and ‘learning’. On aspects of learning, candidates can point out how some apps have allowed them to break down complex content or skills into manageable chunks and how these apps using algorithms, can provide students with practice in recalling important information.
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2023 O’LEVELS ORAL ENGLISH DAY 5: ORAL QUESTION (EDUCATION)
Video: Candidates were shown a 1-min of students in a science lab.
How to tackle the Oral Planned Response Question:
For planned response, students must present a 2-minute response (usually this means two PEEL Paragraphs) to answer the question. You can refer to your written notes. Use 5Ws and 1H when you are brainstorming for answers. Be certain to answer the prompt, identify keywords and present your thoughts confidently. Refer to our earlier post on O’levels 1184 Planned Response Format.
Planned Response Question:
“Would you and your friends prefer hands-on-learning as shown in the video?” Why or Why not?
Suggested Approach
Candidates can briefly share their own experiences on how and why experiential learning is preferred with reasons like less mundane and more engaging. Most can share experiences like how hands-on experience in science labs help them to master content and gain a deeper understanding of the concepts they are learning compared to pure regurgitation of content or being confined in the walls of classrooms. Some may even share how in the scenario of classroom learning, the sound of the teacher’s voice may become a drone after an hour of class, or the words in a passage of text may blur together as eyes become tired.
Candidates should be able to recount their own ALP experiences in school where they had the opportunity to delve into real-world projects. For instance, (Maker Workshop / Design Thinking Workshop). Some candidates can share their hands-on learning experiences in constructing science-related modules like building a solar toy car or learning coding with Microbits so as to solve a real-world challenge related to “Energy” or “Aging”.
For well considered responses, candidates should point out while traditional methods of learning have their merits, there is something uniquely captivating and enriching about engaging in hands-on experiences that invigorate their curiosity and ignite their passion for knowledge.
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Note: You should address the examiner’s question directly and focus on building two PEEL paragraphs and relate the video (briefly) to the question. The two points for your answers should not be too similar and it should have personal observations / examples. The planned response is around two mins long. (2 PEEL 1 adjective + explain with evidence)
Spoken Interaction (Studying)
What are the advantages and disadvantages of studying in groups?
Suggested Approach: Candidates can start with briefly explaining the pros and cons of studying in a group such as distractions in group setting or how some members in the group can be more dependent on others / contribute less to the group.
Merits could include how group study allows students to collaborate and learn from each other. By discussing concepts and sharing ideas, individuals can gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Candidates need to share their own experiences such as how they managed to benefit from group studying. For instance, candidates could have struggled with understanding science concepts and decided to form a study group with a few classmates. In their study group, each member took turns explaining specific topics they had researched, and they engaged in lively discussions to ensure everyone understood the concepts thoroughly.
Important Note: You should use strong vocabulary, provide examples / own personal experience to substantiate your points. Do not get flustered if oral examiners ask you additional questions.
2) Some say that academic grades are not as important as what you learn in school. What do you think?
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Suggested Approach:
State your stand clearly. Some candidates may lament that in a hyper competitive society that we live in, it is hard to not place emphasis on academic grades (given the pressure society and parents (ourselves) put upon us). Others may also mention how grades open doors, how the civil service for example look at grades first before even extending any opportunities for interviews or scholarship.
For well considered responses, candidates should acknowledge how some may feel this way but go on to assert their own views. They may point out how the goals of education such as importance of schooling lies in the learning experiences that shape individuals into well-rounded and capable individuals.
For instance, candidates can point out how they learn about character development in schools through camps, CCE lessons and how values such as empathy, resilience, and ethical decision-making are being instilled in school. All these being essential skills they need to thrive in their future careers, much more than just grades.
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Want to improve your grades? Get professional help now. Reach out to our team of professional and highly experienced tutors for 1 to 1 Private Tuition to help you get the distinction you deserve. Contact us today.
Looking for more FREE oral notes and oral practice questions? How about free testpapers for practice? How do you answer a O’Levels Oral Planned Response Question? Show your support for us by subscribing to our youtube channels as we work towards providing free quality notes for you.
