A2-B1 Listening Practice: The Amazing Story of Actress Julia Butters

Ready to take a break from boring grammar drills and dive into some real-world English? Today, we’re heading straight to Hollywood to meet one of the industry’s brightest young talents: Julia Butters! You might recognize her as the sharp-witted child actor from Quentin Tarantino's smash hit, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. We’ve created a fun, accessible listening text all about her fascinating career, perfectly leveled for A2-B1 learners. Get ready to boost your comprehension, expand your vocabulary, and learn about a rising star, all at the same time! Let's start! you can download the printable worksheet first! 

Here is the Audio script for the listening activity: 

ESL Lesson Plan: Julia Butters, The Young Actress

Element	Detail
Target Level:	A2 / B1 (Pre-Intermediate)
Topic:	Famous People / Film & TV (Young Actors)
Estimated Time:	50 - 60 minutes
Main Objective:	Students will be able to understand the main points and specific details of an informational text about a celebrity's career.
Language Focus:	Vocabulary related to film/TV (role, actress, comedy, drama, impressed); Past Simple tense for biographical information.
Materials:	Audio/Reader for the listening text, Handouts for Activities 1, 2, & 3, (download here) Whiteboard/Projector.

Lesson Procedure

1. Warm-up & Lead-in (10 minutes) - Pre-listening

Activity: Brainstorming & Discussion.

Procedure:

1. Write the word "ACTOR" on the board. Ask students: "What does an actor do?" (Write down simple answers like 'in movies', 'on TV', 'plays roles').

2. Ask: "Can children be famous actors?" (Elicit names of any famous young actors, if possible).

3. Introduce the topic: "Today, we are going to listen to a short text about a young Hollywood actress, Julia Butters."

4. Prediction: Write the movie titles "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" and "The Gray Man" on the board. Ask students to guess what kind of movie they are (action, comedy, drama). Do not confirm answers yet.

2. Gist Listening (5 minutes) - First Listen

Activity: Listen for the Main Idea.

Procedure:

1. Tell students: "Listen to the text one time. Don't worry about every word. Just answer this question: 'What is Julia Butters famous for?'" (Answer: Acting in a big movie/TV shows).

2. Play the audio/read the text once.

3. Check the answer briefly. Ask: "Did she start acting when she was old or young?" (Answer: Young).

3. Detailed Listening (15 minutes) - Second Listen (Activity 1)

Activity: True or False (Checking Specific Details).

Procedure:

1. Hand out Activity 1 (True or False).

2. Tell students: "Read the sentences quickly. Now, listen to the text a second time and decide if the sentences are True (T) or False (F)."

3. Play the audio/read the text again.

4. Give students 2 minutes to check their answers individually.

5. Check answers as a class, getting students to correct the false sentences.

4. Intensive Listening and Vocabulary (15 minutes) - Third Listen (Activity 2 & 3)

Activity: Gap Fill and Matching Vocabulary.

Procedure (Activity 2: Gap Fill):

1. Hand out Activity 2 (Listen and Fill the Gap).

2. Tell students: "Listen a third time. Write the exact word you hear in the gap."

3. Play the audio/read the text for the third time.

4. Check answers together, focusing on spelling and pronunciation.

Procedure (Activity 3: Match):

1. Hand out Activity 3 (Match the Vocabulary).

2. Have students work in pairs to match the words to their meanings, using context from the text to help them if needed.

3. Review answers together.

5. Follow-up & Production (10 minutes) - Post-listening

Activity: Simple Speaking/Writing task.

Procedure:

1. Speaking: Divide students into small groups (3-4).

2. Ask them to discuss: "If you could be an actor in any kind of movie (action, comedy, drama), which would you choose and why?"

3. Monitor the groups and listen for use of the new vocabulary (role, comedy, action movies).

4. Ask one or two students to share their group's ideas with the class.

5. Optional Homework/Extension: Ask students to choose a different famous young person and write 3-5 simple sentences about them, using the vocabulary from today's lesson.

So, what are you waiting for? Click on the audio above (or read the simplified text) and then tackle the fun activities we’ve prepared! Whether you're working on identifying key details with the True/False check, improving your listening accuracy with the Gap Fill, or expanding your vocabulary with the matching exercise, you'll feel your English confidence grow. Give it a try, and let us know in the comments which movie role you think Julia Butters was most impressive in! Happy teaching!