Speaking Skills: Summarizing

ESL Materials: Speaking Skills

Summarizing: Check you understand what the speaker is saying by summarizing what you heard.

 Complete course (.pdf)

YouTube: 07 - Summarizing

7. Summarizing

Check you understand your partner by summarizing their opinion:

  • A: I like coffee ... I think coffee is the best. OPINION
  • B: So, you’re saying coffee is your favorite? SUMMARIZE

For practice, try Repeating and Rephrasing:

  • “So, you’re saying coffee is your favorite, coffee is your favorite ...
  • So, you mean coffee is your favorite, coffee is your favorite ...
  • I heard you say coffee is your favorite, coffee is your favorite ...
  • So you think coffee is your favorite, coffee is your favorite ...
  • So what you’re saying is coffee is your favorite, coffee is your favorite ...”
  • “So, you’re saying coffee is your favorite ... you like coffee ...
  • So, you mean you like coffee ... coffee is the best ...
  • I heard you say coffee is the best ... you need coffee ...
  • So you think you need coffee ... you want coffee ...
  • So what you’re saying is you want coffee ... you love coffee ...”

Practice with different drinks. Don’t forget to use Active Listening.

Practice giving opinions on different topics, and summarize your partner:

  • A: OPINION
  • B: SUMMARIZE + NEW OPINION

Example:

  • A: I like soccer ... I think soccer is the best.
  • B: I heard you say you love soccer... I like baseball ...

Fluency Training - "I like coffee"

  1. Repeating
  2. Quick Responses
  3. Rephrasing
  4. Expanding
  5. Active Listening
  6. Giving Opinions
  7. Summarizing
  8. Confirming and Correcting
  9. Agreeing and Disagreeing
  10. Wrap-up

MORE: