Elementary Audio Unit 1 | Speakout

English is not a phonetic language. You cannot guess pronunciation by looking at letters. The audio for Unit 1 teaches you that “Europe” starts with a /j/ sound (yoo-rup) and that “hour” is silent (our). By listening and repeating, you build mouth muscles.

Do not treat the audio as an isolated task. Use it in synergy with the other components:

This audio unit builds foundational listening skills while exposing learners to natural rhythm, stress, and everyday expressions – essential for A1/A2 learners to gain confidence in social encounters.

This guide focuses on the Audio components of Unit 1. It outlines the specific audio tracks, their content, the skills you will practice, and activities to test your comprehension.

Goal: Identify countries and nationalities from spoken clues.

What you will hear: Short Q&A dialogues. speakout elementary audio unit 1

Listening Task: Complete the table while listening:

| Dialogue | Country | Nationality | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1 | Turkey | ? | | 2 | ? | Brazilian | | 3 | Poland | ? | | 4 | ? | Chinese |

Answer Key (for self-check): 1 – Turkish, 2 – Brazil, 3 – Polish, 4 – China

Self-Study Tip: Focus on the second part of the sentence – the nationality often ends with -ish, -ian, -ese, or -an.

Goal: Understand and respond to basic introductions. English is not a phonetic language

What you will hear: Three short conversations (e.g., in a class, at work, or at a party).

Listening Task (Try this while listening):

Self-Study Tip: Pause after each line and repeat the sentences aloud. Copy the speaker’s intonation.

Unit Overview:
Unit 1 introduces basic greetings, asking for and giving personal information (name, country, nationality, job), and using the verb to be in present simple. The audio materials provide authentic listening practice to help students recognize and produce natural English in everyday social contexts.

Problem: “The BBC interview is too fast!” Solution: Slow it down. Use a media player (VLC, QuickTime) or YouTube’s settings to reduce speed to 0.75x. Once you understand, increase to 0.85x, then 1x. This audio unit builds foundational listening skills while

Problem: “I don’t understand the accent (e.g., Scottish or Indian English).” Solution: This is a feature, not a bug. The real world has accents. Listen to Track 1.5 five times. The first three times, just write down the words you do recognize. By the fifth time, your brain will fill in the gaps.

Problem: “I get bored repeating the same track.” Solution: Change the activity. If you stop shadowing, try dictation. If you stop dictation, try writing comprehension questions (e.g., “How old is the second speaker?”). Keep the brain engaged.

The audio for Unit 1 is divided into four main listening exercises, typically found in the Student Book and Workbook.