Most JFT-Basic listening is two people talking. But a share of the items has a single speaker: a supervisor at the morning meeting, a safety briefing before a job, a voicemail from a colleague, a station or shop announcement.
These feel easier because nobody interrupts. They are not. One speaker means more information per second, and the question usually asks about one small part of it.
What these items ask
Nearly every one-speaker item comes down to one of three questions:
- What must you do? Bring something, wear something, go somewhere.
- What must you not do? Touch, enter, use something.
- What has changed? A time, a place, a person.
Read the question on screen before the clip starts. If it says ไฝใๆใฃใฆใใใพใใ, you are listening for an object, and you can let the times and places go past you.
The morning meeting
Here is an original example of the kind of briefing you hear at ๆ็คผ (the morning meeting):
ใใฏใใใใใใพใใใใใใฏๅๅพ2ๆใใใ2้ใฎไผ่ญฐๅฎคใงๅฎๅ จใฎ็ ไฟฎใใใใพใใ็ ไฟฎใฎใใใ ใใฉใคใณใฏๆญขใใพใใ็ ไฟฎใซใฏๅๆญใๅฟ ่ฆใงใใใใๅฟใใชใใงใใ ใใใ
Notice how much is in there: a time, a floor, a room, a reason, and one object. A question asking what to bring has a single answer - ๅๆญ, the name badge - and the other options will probably be things that were also mentioned, such as the meeting room or the line.
The answer is usually attached to an instruction verb. In a briefing, listen hardest for the verb at the end of each sentence.
The instruction endings that decide the answer
| Ending | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ใใฆใใ ใใ | Please do | ๆ่ขใใใฆใใ ใใ |
| ใใชใใงใใ ใใ | Please do not | ใใใใชใใงใใ ใใ |
| ใใชใใใฐใชใใพใใ / ใใชใใจใใใพใใ | Must | 9ๆใพใงใซๅบใใชใใใฐใชใใพใใ |
| ใใชใใฆใใใใงใ | You do not have to | ไปๆฅใฏๆธใใชใใฆใใใใงใ |
| ใใฆใใใใงใ | You may | ๅ ใซๅธฐใฃใฆใใใใงใ |
The pair to fear is ใใฆใใ ใใ and ใใชใใงใใ ใใ. They differ by one short syllable at the very end of the sentence, and an option built on the opposite meaning will always be there. More on the polite forms in polite requests.
The safety talk
Safety instructions are full of conditions: when this happens, do that. An original example:
ใใฎๆฉๆขฐใไฝฟใใพใใซใใใชใใๆ่ขใใใฆใใ ใใใ่ตคใใฉใณใใใคใใฆใใใจใใฏใใใใใชใใงใใ ใใใใใๆฉๆขฐใๆญขใพใฃใใใ่ชๅใง็ดใใชใใงใใใใซใชใผใใผใๅผใใงใใ ใใใ
There are three separate rules here. The question might be โwhat do you do if the machine stops?โ, and two of the options will be rules you did hear - just not the one for that situation.
Listen for ใจใใฏ, ใใ and ใพใใซ. They tell you which rule belongs to which moment. The vocabulary itself is covered in safety vocabulary.
The voicemail
Voicemail has its own shape: who is calling, why, and what they want you to do. An original example:
ใใใใใ็ฐไธญใงใใใใใใฎใทใใใฎใใจใงใใใๅฑฑๆฌใใใไผใฟใชใฎใงใ9ๆใใใชใใฆ8ๆใซๆฅใฆใใใใพใใใใใ่ฟไบใฏใไปๆฅใฎๅคๆนใพใงใซใ้กใใใพใใ
The request is 8ๆใซๆฅใ. The reason is ๅฑฑๆฌใใใไผใฟ. The deadline for replying is ไปๆฅใฎๅคๆน. The time 9ๆ is mentioned, but it is the old plan, and it will certainly be one of the options.
In a voicemail, the request is usually in the middle, and the end is about how to reply. Do not stop listening after the name.
Use the two plays differently
Every clip in our mocks plays twice, automatically, as it does in the real test. Use them for different jobs:
- First play: get the shape. Who is speaking, to whom, and roughly what about.
- Second play: listen for the one sentence that answers the question on screen.
If you have the answer after the first play, use the second to check it, not to relax. Changes like ใใใชใใฆ often slip past on the first hearing.
Where to practise these
Mock exam 2 (factory) and mock exam 5 (construction and cleaning) are set in workplaces that run on briefings and safety talks. Mock exam 7 (hotel) is a natural home for voicemail and guest messages. The rest of the ten are listed at /mock-exams.
After each one, read the answer guide - for example the mock exam 2 answers - and note which instruction ending you misheard. For the section as a whole, see the listening section.