Listening tips

Дэрек Сандерс, преподаватель IELTS, советует:

«In the time before and between sections of the Listening paper, students should try to predict appropriate answers which will involve, of course, determining the correct part of speech, i.e. noun, verb etc. It doesn't matter whether you guess the correct answer. What is important is the focus such a procedure will give to your listening».

Официальный издатель материалов по подготовке к IELTS, BARRON’s советует:

«1. Study the different types of questions. Be prepared for what the question might ask you to do. Be prepared to complete a sentence, check a box, or choose a letter.

2. You should take notes in your question booklet as you listen. You can circle possible answers and change your mind later when you transfer your answers to the answer sheet.

3. If you don’t know an answer, you can guess. However, there is a penalty for wrong answers. Make sure you think you are right. If you guess wrong, you will lose a point.

4. Anytime you have a chance, study the next set of questions. Make assumptions about what you think you will hear.

5. When you make assumptions, ask yourself: Who? What? When? Where? How?

6. There is a lot of information given in the dialogues and lectures that is not tested. Try to listen only for answers to the questions.

7. Don’t get stuck on a question. If you didn’t hear the answer, go on.

8. Be sure to read the instructions you receive from the test center. Some supply pencils; some ask you to bring your own. If you are given an IELTS pencil at the start of the exam, you will probably not be allowed to bring your own pen or pencil into the examining room. You could bring a number 2 pencil, a soft lead pencil, to make sure you have something to write with. You may have to leave it outside the test center, but it is better to have pencil than not.

9. When you write a word in a blank, you must spell the word correctly. It doesn’t matter if you use British or American spelling. It must be spelled correctly. You will get a lower score if you did not spell correctly”.

Университет Кэмбриджа советует:

1. Don’t choose an option just because you hear a word from it. Think about the whole meaning of what is said.

2. Sometimes in a multiple-choice question you have to complete a half sentence with one of the options. If you change the first half sentence into a question it often makes it easier to choose the right answer.

3. You will hear some reference to all the options in the list, but some of them will not be an appropriate answer to the question.

4. Listen to everything the speaker says before you choose the answer, in order to be sure that you are selecting the correct options.

5. You may find it useful to cross out each option that you hear being eliminated.

6. The words that you hear that give you the right answer may not be the same as the words on the page. On the other hand, you may hear the exact word from one of the options, but this does not necessarily mean that it is the right answer.

7. Use the pause before you listen to think about the words the speaker might use to describe the map or diagram.

8. Make sure that you are totally familiar with the names of the letters in English and the sounds which often cause you confusion. This task often asks you to write down words that are spelled out.

9. You will hear the exact word or words you need. You don’t have to change them in any way.

10. It is useful to underline key words in the question to help you focus on the words (or similar words) to listen for.

British Council advises:

1. “One of the key things you can do is make sure you read through the questions before you listen. At the beginning of the test, and before each new part of the test you are given time to read the questions before you listen. This is extremely important as it gives you time to practice your prediction skills and understand what information they are asking for and helps you predict your answers.

2. Reading the questions is obviously very important. As you’ve just seen, it helps you predict the answers which, if you only hear a text once, is crucial to help you understand. It’s also very important to read all instructions and questions to make sure that what you write fits into the spaces and that you write the appropriate number of words.
3. A common problem with the listening test is that you may be able to predict that you need a number, but you have trouble distinguishing what the number is. Is it 15 or 50, 17 or 70? The only thing you can do to help with this, is practice. Think of situations where you might hear lots of numbers and listen to as many of them as possible.

4. Another problem is spelling. Everything must be spelled correctly. Make sure you’ve practiced those tricky letters. Do you know the difference between A-E-I, G and J, B and V? Think of the letters you have problems with and practice them before the exam.

5. Spelling is always important even if the word is not spelled out for you. Try the following exercise. One word in each sentence is not spelled correctly.
6.  A few more things to consider before doing the exam:

-Make sure you read the questions carefully

-It’s not necessary to understand every word

-If you don’t know an answer, move onto the next question

-If you’re not sure about an answer, write something, you do not lose marks for wrong answers

-The exam must be done in pencil – make sure you have a pencil and rubber with you

-Make sure your handwriting is clear

-If the instructions tell you how many words you can write, follow the instruction – it’s there for a reason

-You have time at the end of each section to check your answers. As soon as you finish, move onto the next section and start reading the questions to help prepare you for the next part of the text

-You have ten minutes at the end to copy your answers. Make sure you copy the right answer next to the right number.

-Do as much practice as possible before the exam”

From http://www.britishcouncil.org