Confirmation: a listening-task definition

Definition and example

A response or statement that establishes an arrangement as agreed, rather than merely proposed.

A listening note should distinguish an offer from an agreement. A speaker can suggest Thursday without the other person accepting it. When the reply is absent, the arrangement remains proposed in your note. This distinction is useful even if you understood the time perfectly. Listening accuracy includes the status of the plan, not just its details.

German example: Donnerstag um zehn wäre möglich. — Ja, den Termin nehme ich. Translation: Thursday at ten would be possible. — Yes, I will take that appointment. The first turn supplies an offer; the second accepts it. If the second turn instead says Das geht leider nicht, the offer is rejected.

A confirmation question is not itself confirmation. Also Donnerstag um zehn, richtig? asks the other person to verify the details. You still need the response, especially if the conversation contains a correction. Do not replace the missing reply with your own expectation.

Use offered, agreed and rejected as small labels on your sheet. Replay the response turn before moving a proposal into the agreed row. For real appointments or bookings, verify the arrangement directly with the responsible person. A language worksheet does not make or change a booking.

Use this term in a task

• Record a changed German appointment without losing the date
• Identify who owns each action in a German meeting
• Update a German event plan when only the room changes

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