Reactions &Active Listening
Really? No way! Right. — sounding engaged in English
CEFR Pathway · You are here
Warm-up · Section 1
5 minGet talking
Describe a person who never reacts when you speak. How does it feel?
Tell your partner the most surprising thing that happened to you this year.
How do you react in your language when you're (a) surprised, (b) sympathetic, (c) impressed?
Grammar focus · Section 2
8–10 minReactions, echo questions & follow-ups
Three tools for active listening: (1) REACTIONS — short emotional sounds ('Really?', 'No way!', 'Wow.', 'That's awful.'); (2) ECHO QUESTIONS — repeat the auxiliary back ('I went to Tokyo.' → 'Did you?'); (3) FOLLOW-UPS — a Wh- question to dig deeper ('Where exactly?
→ A: I won the lottery! B: No way! Did you? How much?
→ A: I've never tried sushi. B: Haven't you? Really?
→ A: My dog ran away. B: Oh no, that's awful. When?
→ A: I'm moving to Paris. B: Are you?! Why Paris?
More detail
How long?'). Combine all three and a 1-minute story becomes a 10-minute conversation.
Question 1.'I went to Brazil.' → echo question?
Question 2.'I've finished the report.' → echo question?
Question 3.'I'm starving!' → reaction?
Question 4.Reaction to bad news?
Question 5.Best follow-up after 'I quit my job'?
Vocabulary · Section 3
5–7 minWords & phrases to own
Don't just read these — say one out loud, then use it about your life.
No way!
strong disbelief / surprise
"You won? No way!"
Tell your partner something shocking.
Seriously?
asking if it's true
"Seriously? That's amazing."
Use it after a partner's news.
That's awful.
sympathy for bad news
"She lost her job? That's awful."
Share a sad story and react.
Tell me more.
invite more detail
"Really? Tell me more."
Use it as your next follow-up.
Lucky you!
react to good fortune
"A free week? Lucky you!"
React to a partner's holiday plan.
That's mad!
BrE: amazing / crazy
"10,000 followers in a day? That's mad!"
Use it instead of 'amazing'.
Discuss with a partner
- →Tell a 2-minute story; partner MUST react at least 8 times.
- →Practise reacting to: good news, bad news, surprising news.
Finish the sentence about you
- No way! Did you really…? …
- Seriously? Tell me more. …
- Oh no, that's awful. When…? …
Pronunciation · Section 4
3–4 minRising intonation on echo questions
- • Did you↗?
- • Have you↗?
- • Are you↗?
- • No way↗?!
How to say it
Echo questions ALWAYS rise at the end. 'Did you↗?' 'Have you↗?' 'Is he↗?'. A flat 'did you' sounds bored. A rising 'did you?' sounds genuinely interested. Practise saying each echo question with a clear upward kick on the last word.
Reading · Section 5
8–10 minThe art of being interesting (by being interested)
Studies of charisma show that the most magnetic people in any room are not the best talkers — they're the best listeners. They react. They echo. They ask one more question. When a colleague says 'I went to Norway last month', the average response is 'Oh, nice'. The charismatic response is 'Did you?! Where exactly? How long? What was the food like?' Three follow-ups, ten seconds, and suddenly the colleague feels fascinating. Active listening costs nothing. It uses only six tools: reactions, echo questions, follow-ups, eye contact, a smile and a small 'mm-hm' here and there. In every language this matters, but English speakers expect it especially loudly: silence in response to a story feels rude to a British ear, even when the listener is interested.
Question 1.Who is most charismatic?
Question 2.How many tools does active listening use?
Question 3.How does silence feel to a British ear?
Q1.Active listening costs money.
Q2.Charismatic people ask follow-up questions.
Q3.The average response is three follow-ups.
Listening · Section 6
8–10 minCatching up with a friend
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Sam:Guess what — I'm moving to Lisbon next month.
Jo:No way! Are you?! Why Lisbon?
Sam:I got a job at a small design studio.
Jo:Seriously?! That's amazing. How did you find it?
Sam:Through LinkedIn, actually. They messaged me.
Jo:Did they? Lucky you! What about your flat here?
Sam:I'm subletting it to my brother.
Jo:Oh nice. And do you speak any Portuguese?
Sam:Not a word. That's the scary part.
Jo:Oh no, that's mad! You'll pick it up though, won't you?
Question 1.Where is Sam moving?
Question 2.How did Sam find the job?
Question 3.Does Sam speak Portuguese?
Exam skills · Section 7
5 minCambridge PET Speaking Part 2 — keeping a discussion alive
Task
Maintain a 2-minute discussion with a partner without going flat.
Strategy
Every time your partner finishes a sentence, do at least ONE of: (1) react ('Wow / No way / That's awful'), (2) echo ('Did you? / Have you?'), (3) ask a follow-up ('Where? / Why?'). Examiners give marks for interaction, not just for your own ideas. Two people taking turns to monologue scores low; two people genuinely listening scores high.
Example
A: 'I think city life is stressful.' B: 'Do you? Why's that?' A: 'Too much noise.' B: 'That's so true. I couldn't live in central London.' A: 'Couldn't you? Where would you live?'
Practice · Section 8
8–10 minFill in the blank
Question 1.'I won the lottery.' → '____ you?! How much?'
Question 2.'I've never been to Asia.' → '____ you? Really?'
Question 3.'I'm moving to Berlin.' → '____ you?! Why?'
Question 4.Bad news reaction: 'Oh no, that's ____.'
Question 5.Good news reaction: '____ you!'
Q1.React + echo: 'I quit my job.'
Q2.React + echo: 'I've met the Queen.'
Q3.React + follow-up: 'My car broke down.'
Writing · Section 9
5 minPut it in writing
Your task
Write a 150-word text-message conversation between two friends catching up. Friend A shares 3 pieces of news; friend B reacts every time with a different tool (reaction, echo, follow-up).
Show model answer
A: Guess what — I got the promotion!! B: NO WAY! Did you?! Congrats!! When did you find out? A: Yesterday. Starts next month 😊 B: That's amazing! Lucky you! Pay rise too? A: Yeah, like 15%. B: Seriously?! Drinks on you Friday then?! A: Hahaha deal. Oh and my flat — landlord is selling. B: Oh no, that's mad! Are you moving? A: Looking now. Got 2 months. B: Right. Want help looking? I know an agent.
Speaking · Section 10
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
REACTION GYM · Pairs. A tells a 90-second story (real or invented). B MUST react ≥ 6 times — at least 2 echo questions, 2 reactions, 2 follow-ups. Swap roles.
Useful phrases
- • No way! Did you?!
- • Have you?! Really?
- • Oh no, that's awful.
- • Lucky you! Where exactly?
- • Tell me more.
- • That's mad!
- AI ran a marathon last weekend.
- B_______________
- AI've lost my keys again.
- B_______________
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Build the reaction reflex — speed over accuracy. ~28 min total
Homework · Section 11
Take-homeTake it home
Listen to a 5-minute podcast; write down every reaction / echo / follow-up the host uses.
Voice-note a 2-minute story to a friend; ask them to text back with reactions.
Rewrite a flat dialogue: add 6 reactions / echo questions.
Recap · Section 12
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- Active listening uses 3 tools: reactions, echo questions, follow-ups.
- Echo questions repeat the auxiliary: 'I went' → 'Did you?'
- Rising intonation makes echo questions sound interested.
- British ears expect frequent reactions — silence feels rude.
- React every 5–10 seconds in any conversation.