You rent a movie on DVD and choose to watch in the original English without subtitles.

In class, the teacher plays a song. You have to clap your hands every time you hear the sound /b/. Other students clap when they hear /v/ or /f/.

You spend a cosy afternoon on the sofa at home with your favourite magazine.

You read a letter from a long-lost friend, telling you all about her life these days.

You’re visiting a museum and fi nd some parts fascinating, others fairly dull. How do you read the various fact cards on the exhibits?

The message on your answer phone is from your boss, telling you he’s leaving the company unexpectedly. You need to know how to react to him when you see him the next day – whether to congratulate or commiserate.

You’ve checked in and you’re waiting in the airport lounge for your fl ight, number TKT723, to be called. Several announcements have been made already.

You have to teach phrasal verbs based on the verb hang to your class. You’re not sure about all the meanings so you look up hang in the dictionary and fi nd lots of example sentences.

Your son tells you all about his day while you’re chopping vegetables. When he fi nishes, you say: ‘It sounds like you had a good day at school then. And I’m glad you had fun this afternoon, too.’

You receive an email from an old friend who you haven’t heard from in a long time. She gives a few details of her recent life, but you want to know if she is feeling happy at the moment.

Your head teacher is explaining why you must teach class 2D again this term. You’d prefer a change, and are hanging on his every word, thinking up counter-arguments as he talks.

You hear a short radio report about local reactions to a new by-pass being built in your area. You believe the road will have a positive impact on your community and listen to confi rm your opinion.