Starting Off

1. Have you ever participated in a competition? Did you win or lose? How did you feel?
2. Can you think of a time when losing taught you an important lesson? What was it?
3. Do you prefer to compete as part of a team or individually? Why?
4. What qualities do you think help someone become a winner?

Listening

Key Vocabulary

• Winning: victory, triumph, succeed, achieve, celebrate, hard work, persistence.
• Losing: defeat, failure, setback, disappointment, frustration, unlucky, learn from mistakes.
• Emotions: proud, relieved, motivated, excited, nervous, discouraged, upset, surprised.

A guide to answer Listening short conversation questions

1. Identify the Main Idea

• Tip: Listen carefully to the overall topic of the conversation.
  For example, if a dialogue is about a game, focus on who won or lost, how they felt, and why.
• Trick: Listen to the first and last sentences of the dialogue. These often summarize the main point.

2. Understand the Speaker’s Attitude

• Tip: Recognize emotions and tones (e.g., excitement, frustration, disappointment).
  If the speaker sounds upset but says, “We’ll do better next time,” they are hopeful despite their loss.
• Trick: Focus on adjectives and expressions used by the speaker:
  • Positive attitudes: “Great,” “Proud,” “Excited.”
  • Negative attitudes: “Upset,” “Unlucky,” “Frustrating.”

3. Pay Attention to Cause and Effect

• Tip: Identify why something happened. Look for signal words like because, so, due to, caused by.
  For example: “We lost because our best player got injured.”
• Trick: Listen for words that connect events. If a reason is given, it’s likely the cause.

4. Recognize Implications

• Tip: Some questions test what is implied rather than what is directly stated.
  For example: “We didn’t prepare as much as we should have” implies the team wasn’t ready for the match.
• Trick: Look for phrases that hint at a deeper meaning:
  • “It wasn’t our best effort” (implies they didn’t perform well).
  • “I’m glad it’s over” (implies relief).

5. Focus on Suggestions and Advice

• Tip: Listen for suggestions using words like should, could, maybe, try.
  For example: “Maybe you could practice more for next time” is advice to improve.
• Trick: Remember key suggestions while listening. This helps identify what the speaker recommends.

6. Analyze Actions and Predictions

• Tip: Understand what actions or events are happening and what might happen next.
  For example: “I’m going to train harder” shows determination to do better.
• Trick: Look for words like going to, planning, will, which indicate future actions.

7. Manage Time Wisely

• Tip: Listen to the question first so they know what to focus on in the audio.
  If the question is about the speaker’s attitude, focus on tone and emotions.
• Trick: Practice active note-taking during listening exercises. Write down only key points, not full sentences.

1. Listen to the short conversation and answer the questions.

Speaking

Activity 1: Warm-Up 

Before we start, let’s think about winning and losing.

1. How do you feel when you win something?
2. Have you ever lost a competition or a game? How did it feel?
3. Do you think winning is the most important thing in a game or competition? Why or why not?
4. How do you handle losing?
5. Do you believe that losing can teach you something valuable?

Activity 2: Discussion Questions

Let’s discuss these questions in pairs or small groups. Take turns sharing your opinions and listen to your partner’s thoughts.

1. Have you ever won something important? What was it? How did you feel about winning?
2. Can you think of a time when you lost something important? What did you learn from that experience?
3. What is more important to you: winning or having fun while participating? Why?
4. Do you think people act differently when they win versus when they lose? How?
5. How can losing help you improve in the future?
6. Some people say “it’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.” Do you agree with 7. this? Why or why not?
8. If you were in a competition and lost, what would you do to stay positive and motivated?
9. How do you celebrate a win, and how do you cope with a loss?

Activity 3: Role-Play; The Winner and the Loser

Now, let’s do a role-play! You’ll practice how to talk about winning and losing in different situations.

Role 1: The Winner
Imagine you’ve just won a competition (it could be a game, a race, or a contest). You’re talking to your friend, who didn’t win.

• How would you share your excitement without making your friend feel bad?
• Use phrases like:
  • “I can’t believe I won!”
  • “This is so exciting! I feel so proud!”
  • “I worked really hard for this, and it paid off.”
  • “I know you gave your best effort, too!”

Role 2: The Loser
Imagine you’ve just lost a competition. How would you talk about it with your friend, who is the winner?

• How do you show that you’re okay with losing and that you’ll keep trying?
• Use phrases like:
  • “I didn’t win this time, but I’ll keep practicing.”
  • “I’m happy for you, you really deserved to win!”
  • “It’s okay to lose sometimes. I’ve learned a lot.”
  • “Next time, I’ll give it my best shot!”

Activity 4: Debate; Winning vs. Losing

Now, we’ll have a debate. There are two teams, and each team has a different point of view.

• Team 1: Winning is the Most Important
  Argue why winning is the most important part of any competition. Think about how winning makes you feel, what it can bring (trophies, recognition, etc.), and how it motivates you to work harder.
  
• Team 2: Losing Teaches Valuable Lessons
  Argue why losing is important and how it helps you grow. Think about what you can learn from mistakes, how losing can help you improve, and how it teaches resilience.
  

Debate Guidelines:

• Each team will have 3-4 minutes to present their argument.
• You can use phrases like:
  • “I believe that…”
  • “In my opinion…”
  • “One reason why winning is important is…”
  • “Losing helps you by…”

After the debate, we’ll have a short discussion. Which team’s arguments did you find more convincing, and why?

Reflection: What Winning and Losing Teach Us

Take a moment to think about the following:

1. What’s more important in life: winning or learning from your losses?
2. How do you feel when you win something? How do you feel when you lose?
3. How can winning and losing both be important for personal growth?

Tips for Discussing Winning and Losing

• Use Positive Language: When talking about losing, try to focus on the lessons and the effort, not just the disappointment.
• Be Empathetic: Remember how others might feel when they win or lose. Be kind and supportive.
• Use Examples: Share real-life examples from your own experiences or famous athletes or competitors.
• Stay Calm and Respectful: In debates and discussions, always respect other people’s opinions, even if you disagree.