The Reading / Listening - Human Speech - Level 0

Researchers may have found when humans first spoke – 1.6 million years ago. This is eight times earlier than we thought. Studies show that the first human language came from Africa. An expert said speech was the key which made a lot of human physical and cultural changes possible.

The expert wrote a book about language. He says our brain got bigger 1.5 million years ago. An area for language developed in our brain. Also, tissue in our neck made sounds and speech possible. Speech allowed humans to move all over the world. Humans could think of and plan things, and pass on knowledge.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Human Speech - Level 1 Human Speech - Level 2   or  Human Speech - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/human-language-study-origins-speaking-b2514451.html
  • https://uk.news.yahoo.com/celebrity/humans-speaking-lot-longer-originally-145649872.html
  • https://sciworthy.com/how-did-humans-learn-to-speak/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. when humans first
  2. eight
  3. earlier
  4. Studies show
  5. the first human
  6. came from in
  7. speech was the
  8. physical and
  1. language
  2. spoke
  3. cultural changes
  4. than we thought
  5. key
  6. that
  7. times
  8. Africa

Paragraph 2

  1. our brain got
  2. An area for language developed
  3. tissue in our
  4. sounds and
  5. move all over
  6. Humans could
  7. plan
  8. pass
  1. the world
  2. things
  3. bigger
  4. on knowledge
  5. in our brain
  6. neck
  7. think
  8. speech

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Researchers (1) ___________________ when humans first spoke - 1.6 million years ago. (2) ___________________ times earlier than we thought. Studies (3) ___________________ first human language (4) ___________________. An expert said speech (5) ___________________ which made a lot of human physical (6) ___________________ possible.

The (7) ___________________ book about language. He says our (8) ___________________ 1.5 million years ago. An area for language developed (9) ___________________. Also, tissue (10) ___________________ made sounds and speech possible. Speech allowed (11) ___________________ all over the world. Humans could think of and plan things, (12) ___________________ knowledge.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Researchersmayhavefoundwhenhumansfirstspoke-1.6millionyea
rsago.Thisiseighttimesearlierthanwethought.Studiesshowthatthefir
sthumanlanguagecamefromAfrica.Anexpertsaidspeechwastheke
ywhichmadealotofhumanphysicalandculturalchangespossible.Thee
xpertwroteabookaboutlanguage.Hesaysourbraingotbigger1.5millio
nyearsago.Anareaforlanguagedevelopedinourbrain.Also,tissueinou
rneckmadesoundsandspeechpossible.Speechallowedhumanstomo
veallovertheworld.Humanscouldthinkofandplanthings,andpassonk
nowledge.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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