ELT365 · Day 174 — Listening for attitude: reading between the lines

Idea — Attitude tasks ask learners to infer how the speaker feels — interested, sceptical, enthusiastic — from tone, word choice, and hedging, not just from the literal content.

Example — A speaker says ‘Well, it is an interesting approach…’ with a falling tone and a pause. Literal meaning: positive. Implied meaning: doubt. Attitude tasks train learners to hear both.

Try — Play 30 seconds of interview audio. Ask: ‘Does the speaker seem convinced? Find the word or moment that tells you.’ Compare answers in pairs before class discussion.

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