Lesson 5: Listening to Dialogues and Narratives

🟦 Introduction

Have you ever listened to a conversation on the radio and missed key details because it moved too fast? In WASSCE Oral English, one of the most important listening skills you’ll need is the ability to understand dialogues (conversations between two or more people) and narratives (spoken stories or reports).

This lesson will help you:

• Understand natural speech patterns in spoken English

• Identify key points, tone, and attitude in dialogues

• Extract facts, intentions, and emotions from short narratives

• Prepare for real WASSCE audio-based listening tests

🟩 Key Concepts and Explanations

1. What Is a Dialogue?

A dialogue is a spoken exchange between two or more people. In WASSCE, this might include:

• A student asking a teacher questions

• Friends discussing a plan

• A customer speaking with a service provider

🗣 Example:

A: “Did you finish the assignment?”
B: “Not yet. I was helping my brother study.”
A: “You’d better hurry—it’s due today.”

This contains facts, tone (urgency), and implied meaning (B is running late).

2. What Is a Narrative?

A narrative is a spoken story or account, often in past tense. It may include:

• Events that happened to the speaker

• Retellings of incidents, news, or personal experiences

🗣 Example:

“Yesterday, I was on my way to the market when I saw a man drop his wallet. I picked it up and called after him…”

Narratives often follow this sequence:

1. Setting the scene

2. Event(s) in sequence

3. Climax or main point

4. Ending or reflection

3. What You’re Tested On in WASSCE

In both dialogues and narratives, WASSCE tests:

• Factual recall: Who said what? What happened first?

• Tone and attitude: Was the speaker polite? Angry? Unsure?

• Implied meaning: What can we guess from what was said?

• Sequence: What happened in what order?

4. Listening Strategies

🧠 To improve understanding, focus on:

5. Common Listening Traps in WASSCE

Watch out for:

• Distractions (extra details that are not important)

• Contrasts (e.g. “He didn’t go yesterday. He’s going today.”)

• Changes in opinion (e.g. “At first I agreed, but then I changed my mind.”)

🧭 Sample Walkthrough

🎧 Sample Dialogue:

A: “Did you see Mr. Mensah yesterday?”
B: “I saw him briefly in the morning, but he left early.”
A: “Did he mention anything about the PTA meeting?”
B: “He said it was postponed.”

Sample Questions:

1. Who left early? → Mr. Mensah

2. What happened to the PTA meeting? → It was postponed

3. What time was he seen? → In the morning

🎧 Sample Narrative:

“Last week, our science teacher asked us to prepare a project. I teamed up with Kwame. We built a small wind-powered fan using recycled materials. The fan actually worked!”

Sample Questions:

1. What type of project was done? → Science project

2. Who was the partner? → Kwame

3. What material was used? → Recycled materials

4. Was the project successful? → Yes, the fan worked

🟨 Practice Exercises

Exercise A: Identify the Dialogue Structure

Read this short dialogue. Then answer the questions.

A: “Why weren’t you at school yesterday?”
B: “I was sick. I had a terrible headache.”
A: “You should have texted. We were worried.”
B: “I’m sorry. I’ll remember next time.”

Questions:

1. Why was the student absent?

2. How did the speaker feel about the absence?

3. What does the student promise?

✅ Answers:

1. He was sick with a headache.

2. The speaker was worried.

3. The student promises to inform next time.

Exercise B: Listening Recall Challenge

Without rereading, answer:

1. What did the science project involve?

2. What kind of materials were used?

3. Who worked with the narrator?

✅ Answers:

1. A wind-powered fan

2. Recycled materials

3. Kwame

Exercise C: Tone and Emotion

Which emotion fits the speaker’s tone?

✅ Answers:

1. Frustration

2. Joy / Excitement

3. Uncertainty

🔁 Recap

You’ve now learned that:

• Dialogues show how people interact; narratives tell a sequence of events.

• Listening tests check your ability to recall details, detect tone, and follow a story.

• Focus on keywords, tone, sequence, and logical inference.

• WASSCE often tests implied meaning, not just direct facts.

🪞 Reflection Prompt

Think of the last conversation you had with a friend or teacher. Could you retell it exactly as it happened? Try writing it down and identifying:

• Who said what

• The tone used

• Any important information or emotion