ESL Listening Activities for Beginners: The Amazing iPod

50-minute English Lesson

This ESL listening activities for beginners story talks about the amazing iPod, a music player that was invented almost by accident.

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ESL Listening Activities for Beginners: the iPod

The iPod is the world’s most popular music player. But did you know it helped save Apple?

The history of the iPod begins in 2001.

Jon Rubinstein worked at Apple. He developed new products. He was in Japan looking for new technology. Near the end of the trip, and quite by accident, he saw a small hard drive. It was 4.5 cm long. The people at Toshiba said it was new, but they didn’t know what to do with it.

Jon had an idea.

Back in California, Jon told Steve Jobs he could build a new kind of music player using the small drive from Japan. Steve loved the idea and told him to finish it by October. That was a difficult challenge. They had to go from nothing to a finished product ready for sale in seven months.

Apple needed the iPod to be successful. Around this time, Apple had financial troubles. The company was not rich like it is today.

Jon and his team completed the iPod on time.

The iPod didn’t sell well at first. That was because it only worked with Apple computers. Changes were made and a new version worked with all computers. Also, Apple started a music store called iTunes which had 200,000 songs on sale for 99 cents.

These changes helped make the iPod popular. By 2015, Apple sold 275 million iPods.

The iPod saved Apple and changed the way people listened to music. It also made Apple a leader in mobile technology.

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ESL Listening Activities for Beginners: iPod story

English listening lesson: Gap Fill

Listen again to the english story and fill in the blanks.

The iPod is the world’s most __________ music player. But did you know it __________ save Apple?

The history of the iPod begins in __________ .

Jon Rubinstein __________ at Apple. He __________ new products. He was in Japan looking for new __________ . Near the end of the trip, and quite by __________ , he saw a small hard drive. It was 4.5 cm long. The people at Toshiba said it was __________ , but they didn’t know what to do with it.

Jon had an __________ .

Back in California, Jon told Steve Jobs he could build a new kind of music player using the small __________ from Japan. Steve loved the idea and told him to __________ it by October. That was a difficult challenge. They had to go from nothing to a __________ product ready for sale in __________ months.

Apple needed the iPod to be __________ . Around this time, Apple had financial __________ . The company was not __________ like it is today.

Jon and his team __________ the iPod on time.

The iPod didn’t sell __________ at first. That was because it only __________ with Apple computers. Changes were made and a new __________ worked with all computers. Also, Apple started a music store called iTunes which had __________ songs on sale for __________ cents.

These changes helped make the iPod popular. By 2015, Apple sold __________ million iPods.

The iPod saved Apple and __________ the way people listened to music. It also made Apple a leader in __________ technology.

ESL discussion questions

Talk about the ESL Listening Activities for Beginners story.

1. What kind of story is this?
2. Summarize the discovery of the iPod.
3. Inventions often start with a problem. What was the problem in this story?
4. What are the pros and cons of music players like the iPod?
5. Why, do you think, the iPod was so popular?
6. Can you think of a problem that needs a solution?

Synonym match

MATCH THE WORD OR PHRASE ON THE LEFT WITH THE CORRECT SYNONYM.

ESL listening activity: anagrams

MOVE THE LETTERS. MAKE A WORD FROM THE ESL Listening STORY.

1. CCDEATIN
2. EVDIR
3. OIMLBE
4. TRPDOUSC
5. NNIACALIF
6. OESNIVR

Writing practice

Write the five sentences. Put the words in the correct order.

1. today / was / The / company / it / not / like / rich / is
2. for / He / in / looking / new / Japan / technology / was
3. the / it / finish / and / to / told / loved / him / Steve / by / idea / October
4. a / version / new / made / with / and / worked / all / were / Changes / computers
5. make / changes / iPod / helped / the / popular / These

Another ESL listening story

Try this free online ESL listening activities for beginners story about another piece of technology. Learn how Uber got started.

Watch a video and take notes

Did you like this ESL listening activities for beginners story about the iPod? Watch the video – it’s the first iPod TV commercial – and take notes about what you see and hear.

1. Watch the video.
2. Take notes.
3. Make a list with at least seven facts.

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ESL Listening materials

Want to print out these ESL listening activities for new language learners? Click to download the PDF worksheet.

Click to see the answers for this online ESL listening class about the iPod.