English Year 3: Listen and understand: words, stories, songs
English, Year 3 (Portugal): You do not need every word: listen for the words you know, watch the pictures and follow the beat of rhymes and songs.
You don't need every word
When you listen to English, you do not need every word. Listen for the words you know: “cat”, “red”, “happy”. Look at the pictures and at the face of the person who speaks. Words said slowly and clearly are easy to catch. Then guess the story, and listen again to check.
English has its own music
English has sounds and a melody of its own. Some sounds are new, like “th” in “three”: put your tongue between your teeth. Rhymes, chants and songs train your ear: “cat, hat, mat” end with the same sound, and you can clap the beat. Listen, repeat, and compare with your own language.
Listening to a story with pictures
The teacher shows two pictures and says slowly: “The cat is on the bed.” Step 1: look at the pictures: a cat and a bed. Step 2: listen for known words: “cat” and “bed”. Step 3: guess: the cat is on the bed. Step 4: listen again: “on” tells you where. Three words were enough.
“Hello” has an h you can hear
Careful with the letter h! In English you say it with a little puff of air, like when you breathe on a mirror: “hello”, “house”, “happy”. Some languages have a silent h (Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian), so children may skip it and say “ello”. Hold your hand near your mouth and feel the air.
Where you can listen
Songs, cartoons and games in English are free listening practice. Sing along with an action song and do the moves: the movement helps you remember the words. Listen to the same song many times: each time you catch one more word. Pictures and subtitles help. Ask a grown-up to pick videos for children.
Test what you learned
You listen to an English story and you do not know every word. What helps most?
- a) Stop listening until you know every word
- b) Listen for the words you know and look at the pictures
- c) Close your eyes and guess the end
Correct answer: b) Listen for the words you know and look at the pictures — Yes! Known words and pictures together tell you the story.
The teacher says slowly: “The dog is in the box.” You see a dog and a box. Where is the dog?
- a) On top of the box
- b) Under the box
- c) Inside the box
Correct answer: c) Inside the box — Yes! “in” means inside: the dog is in the box.
You want to say “hello”. What do you do with the “h” at the start?
- a) You say it, with a little puff of air
- b) You keep it silent: “ello”
- c) You say it like a “k”
Correct answer: a) You say it, with a little puff of air — Yes! In English the h is heard: “h-ello”.
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