content
I want to say ahead
Skills is too limited to enhance your listening. The only skill to strengthen your listening is to practice more! More and more. Even though you may not understand anything. Trust me, just keep on listening. The more you listening the better your listening will be. You can read it after listening, it may make progress faster, but if you don’t have access to the listening content documents, don’t worry, just listening is great!
Listening
basic information and general tips
Know the test
basic information
- about 30 minutes
- extra 10 minutes at the end
- to transfer your answers to a single answer sheet one piece of paper
- It is a good time to check your answer and spelling.
- 40 questions
- each question it worths one mark, forty marks all together.
- 4 sections of 10 questions
- start easier, get more difficult
- answers are always in order
- only 3 main types of question
- gap-fill, multiple choice, matching
- various English accents
- speak very clearly
- Your only hear the recordings once!
Four sections
Section 1
- two speakers
- an ‘everyday’ conversation
- nothing academic
- e.g. making a booking in a hotel or a travel
- one speaker gives basic information
- simple gap-fill: miss details
- very easy things
- names, address, dates, times, numbers
- section 1 is quiet easy, but you need a high score (9 or 10 correct)
Key technique!
Use the breaks to read ahead!
- before each section starts
- in the middle of each section (except in section 4)
- no break in section 4
- at the end of each section
Don’t check back, read ahead!
Section 2
- use all of the break time at the end of section 1 to prepare this
- one speaker only
- a short speech
- non-academic topic
- e.g. tourism, a park, local facilities
- gap-fill, multiples choice, matching
- break in the middle
- you maybe can prepare about 5 questions at the time
- still quiet easy, aim for a high score
Section 3
- **use breaks to read and underline keywords
- two or three speakers
- a teacher with two students
- conversation related to education or training
- e.g. tutor and student
- gap-fill, multiple choice (difficult)
- underline keywords in questions and choices
- listen for keywords or synonyms
- you might hear the keywords or synonym word
- difficult section, aim for 6 or 7
Section 4
- use break at the end of section 3
- underline keywords
- no break in the middle!
- one speaker only
- speech about an academic topic
- gap-fill, multiple choice
- listen for keywords or synonyms
- difficult: fast speech, more content, extra information (no use information but can interfere you)
Tips
do some real practice tests
- Read ahead
only check back at the end - underline keywords
- listen for keywords or synonyms
- Be careful with spelling
- Don’t get stuck on a difficult question – move forward
- Concentrate!
I don’t think teachers can help you with listening so much.