IELTS Listening Strategy and Tactics

8/13/2019 IELTS Listening Strategy and Tactics

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IELTS ListeningStrategy and TacticsTechnique is Everything!!


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IELTS

1. IELTS is an English proficiency exam to test your knowledge

of English at a level acceptable for a university.

2. Must be good at Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking

3. IELTS scores are done in bands (0-9). Different scores in each

section and you get a overall score.


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Preparation

1. Vocabulary

2. Spelling

http://www.ugru.uaeu.ac.ae/Spelling/IELTS/IELTS.htm

2. British Accent Awareness http://www.davidappleyard.com/english/pronunciat

ion.htm3. Difference American British Words

http://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/library/words2.ht

m

4. Listening to BBC Radio:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/
http://www.ugru.uaeu.ac.ae/Spelling/IELTS/IELTS.htmhttp://www.ugru.uaeu.ac.ae/Spelling/IELTS/IELTS.htmhttp://www.davidappleyard.com/english/pronunciation.htmhttp://www.davidappleyard.com/english/pronunciation.htmhttp://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/library/words2.htmhttp://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/library/words2.htmhttp://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/library/words2.htmhttp://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/library/words2.htmhttp://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/library/words2.htmhttp://www.davidappleyard.com/english/pronunciation.htmhttp://www.davidappleyard.com/english/pronunciation.htmhttp://www.davidappleyard.com/english/pronunciation.htmhttp://www.ugru.uaeu.ac.ae/Spelling/IELTS/IELTS.htmhttp://www.ugru.uaeu.ac.ae/Spelling/IELTS/IELTS.htm


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IELTS Test Basics

You will listen to 4 different recordings and answer 40questions.

The test takes approximately 30 minutes. You will have anadditional ten minutes to transfer your answers to an answersheet

You only hear the audio once.

A variety of voices and native-speaker accents is use.

You will hear conversations and monologues, with topicsranging from the everyday social to the academic.

A variety of question types are used, including multiple choice,form completion, note completion, summary completion,sentence completion, and short-answer questions.

Candidates for IELTS Academic and IELTS General both do thesame listening test


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Before the Exam

Before the exam

Make sure you are familiar with the instructions for the different

question types so you can quickly glance at the questions andknow

what to do.

Think about the type of situations you might come across livingor

studying in an English speaking country, such as someone asking

for directions or talks on topics of general interest.

Listen to as wide a range of material as possibleEnglishlanguage

television and radio, listening sites on the Internet and films and

music are all great sources.

Do as many practice tests as you can to get used to the speed of

delivery and the task types.

Focus on the strategies and skills you need for listening


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During the Exam (Before List)

During the exam

Before listening

Make sure you use the 30 seconds given at the beginning of each

section to read the questions before listening.

Make sure you look at all the questions in each section.

Make sure you read the instructions carefully.

Make sure you know what form your answer should take e.g. a word,

a letter, a tick, a phrase, a circle around the correct letter etc

Make sure you use the time given to analyse the questions.

Decide what you are listening for. Are you listening for specific

information, for the main idea or for the speakers attitude?

Use the outline given of the topic, who is talking and the situation to

predict possible answers.

When you look at the questions, think about synonyms. You may

not hear the exact words that are in the answer choices.


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While Listening

While listening

Listen carefully to the instructions.

Listen out for key words and common signpost words likeon the

other hand, in contrast etc

Remember the questions usually follow the same sequence as the

conversation or talk but the information may be expressed

differently from the questions.

Write down something even if you havent got the answer before

moving on to the next question.

Make sure you continue to listen while you are writing as you only

hear the tape once.

Dont get stuck on a question you cant answer. Just move on.

Remember there may be sections of irrelevant information. Just

keep listening for the information you need.

Write notes in the question booklet as you listen. This may help you

go back to a difficult question later.


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After Listening

After listening

Make sure you transfer your answers correctly.

Make sure you use the time given to check your answers.

If you cant remember an answer, guess.


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Test Overview

Section Context Number of Speakers

1 Social Needs Conversation between two speakers

2 Social Needs Speech by one speaker

3Educational or

Training

Conversation between up to four

speakers

4Academic

SubjectSpeech by one speaker

TEST OVERVIEW


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Section 1 and 2 Overview

Section One

In the first section there is a conversation between two

speakers. For example - a conversation about travel

arrangements, booking accommodation, or decisions on a

night out. Section Two

The second section is a monologue (a speech by one person).

It will be set in an everyday social context. For example - a

speech about student services on a University campus orarrangements for meals during a conference.


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Section 3 and 4 Overview

Section Three

Section three is a conversation between up to four people. For

example - a conversation between a tutor and a student about

an assignment or between three students planning a research

project. Section Four

The final part is another monologue. It is a lecture or talk of

general academic interest such as a university lecture.


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How to do the multiple choice questions

Read the instructions carefully and check how many letters you

need to circle.

Skim the questions and the answer choices quickly before the

recording starts and during the 30 seconds given. As you do this,

underline the key wordsthe words that give you the most

information, such as the wh- words and nouns. try to work out what you are going to hear from the vocabulary

of the questions and/or pictures.

translate any pictures into words and look for details that are

different in the options.

decide what kind of information you need to listen out for.

Listen to the introduction given carefully. Answer the questions as you listen. Circle the letters. The

information will be given in the same order as the questions, although

it might be expressed differently. Be prepared not to hear the first or

even second answer choices mentioned.


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Classification Question

As with other parts of the IELTS Listening Test, you are not beingtested on your own opinions or knowledge. The answers will be onthe IELTS Listening Test recording itself. Here is an example:

Classify the following styles of architecture as

A Seventeenth Century

B Eighteenth CenturyC Nineteenth Century

Write the correct letter, A, Bor Cnext to each.

1 ...... Gothic Revival2 ...... Italianate

3 ...... Neo-Classical4 ...... Picturesque5 ...... Baroque6 ...... Regency7 ...... Greek Revival


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How to do these classification questions

Read the instructions carefully.

Make sure you know how many classifications there are and what

letters you have to use.

Read the classifications carefully and make sure you know which

letter represents each one. Read the statements/phrases or words beside the question

numbers and make yourself as familiar with them as possible. You

will hear them all mentioned but they may be expressed differentlyin

the text. Underline the key words in both the classifications and the

question statements.

Listen out for the words you have underlined.

Dont leave any statements without a letter.


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Example

Questions 1 -4

Write the appropriate letters A-C against questions 1-4.

Where are the following facilities?

A in Portsmede

B in Smalltown C in Farmton

1 ice rink

2 cinema ..

3 French restaurant . 4 clinic

Example

hairdressers C.


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Short Answer Questions

How to do short answer questions


Skim the questions quickly before the recording starts and during

the 30 seconds given. As you do this,

underline the key words. try to work out what you are going to hear.

decide what you need to listen out for.

look out for question words like where and who which indicate

you should listen for specific things like places and people. Listen to the introduction given carefully.

Answer the questions as you listen. The answers will be given in

the same order as the questions although they may be expressed

differently.


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Look at the examples below.

Type 1

Questions 1 and 2

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS or A NUMBER for each

answer.

1 On which day of the week is the museum closed?

2 How old is the museum?

.


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Sentence Completion

How to do sentence completion questions


Read the sentences carefully before the recording starts and during

the 30 seconds given. As you do this,

underline the key words.

try to work out what you are going to hear. decide what you need to listen out for.

anticipate grammatical form as well as vocabulary.

if the sentences are part of a table, check whether they are

horizontal or vertical.

Listen to the introduction given carefully.

Answer the questions as you listen. The information will be given in the same order as the questions, although it may be expressed

differently. You may use your own words.

Make sure your sentences are grammatically correct.


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Example

Look at the example below.

Questions 1 - 3

Complete the sentences below.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

1 Both Hong Kong and Japan have .

2 There are more . .. visiting Japan.

3 Tourists are interested in .

and . .


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Table Completion Question

How to do these completion questions


Look at the table or form etc carefully before the recording starts

and during the 30 seconds given. As you do this,

examine any headings or subheadings. try to work out what you are going to hear.

decide what you need to listen out for.

anticipate grammatical form as well as vocabulary.

if a box of answers is given, see if you can guess any of the

matches & eliminate unlikely answers.

Listen to the introduction given carefully.

Answer the questions as you listen.

Make notes beside the question if you are not sure of the answer.


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Type 1

Questions 1 -5

Complete the table below using the words from the box.

Write the appropriate letters A-G against Questions 1-5.

Breed Facts

Pug (1) ..

Scottish Terrier (2) .. Shih Tzu (3) ..

Great Dane (4) ..

Greyhound (5) ..

A watchdog in Chinese imperial courts

B bred to chase foxes

C status symbol D police dog

E bred to guard sheep

F appealed to Victorians

G came from the Middle East


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Type 2

Questions 6 -8

Complete the notes below.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS or A NUMBER for

each answer.

SOUTH DOWNS DOG SHOW

Date: (6) .

Time: (7) to

Place: (8)


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Labeling a Diagram

How to do labelling the diagram questions

Read the instructions carefully. They will state how many words

you should use if there is not a box of labels provided. You could be

asked to write one word only.

Study the diagram. You may be able to predict one or two answers

or associated vocabulary that you may hear connected to a particular label.

Check whether the labels are numbered in a clockwise oranticlockwise

direction. The information will be given in the same order

as the numbers on the diagram.

Write down or select the labels as you listen. Use the words you Booth 6

Postal Service

Oriental art

hear, not your own.


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IELTS Tricks to Fool You!!

1. Writing words which have silent letters

2. Compound nouns which must be spelt as two words with a gap

3. Compound nouns which must be spelt as two words with ahyphen

4. Asking them to write irregular plurals and/ or verbs

5. Asking them to write words which even native speakers find itdifficult to spell, e.g.

definitely

Grammar

6. Gaps which are grammatically different from the words in thelistening text

Spotting the correct information 7. Needing to select the right answer from several things that are all

mentioned

8. A long time before the answer to the first question


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More tricks by IELTS

Spotting the correct information 7. Needing to select the right answer from several things that are all mentioned

8. A long time before the answer to the first question

Numbers

9. Asking them to write times and/ or dates

10. Testing comprehension of numbers which are pronounced in more difficult ways in the

text, e.g. half a million, ten to two and nought point five

Fitting in the gap 11. Answers which are antonyms (= words with the opposite meaning) of the words in the

text

12. Gaps where it is difficult to choose the right length of answer

13. Questions where the correct determiner (e.g. some, three, a, the) must beincluded

Pronunciation

14. Grammatical endings which are difficult to hear, e.g. ed when it sounds like t ands

in ts

Misc

15. Both a number and a word or words needed in one gap


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Even More IELTS Tricks

1. Asking them to write words with consonant combinations

whose spelling and pronunciation

are difficult to guess and remember, e.g. photo and chorus

2. Words with double letters, e.g.ed forms ander forms

3. Compound nouns which must be spelt as one word

4. Asking them to write numbers or words which are said with

double

5. Asking them to write words which need capital letters

Grammar

6. Questions where the preposition must be correct to get a

point


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Tricks Tricks Tricks

Spotting the correct information

7. Gapped sentences that use different words from the text

(even though the word or

words in the gap are the same as the text)

8. Needing to spot that someone changes their mind

9. Varied amounts of time between the answers to the

questions, e.g. two answers quite

close together and then a long time before the next answer

Numbers

10. Asking them to write amounts of money

11. Asking them to write large numbers


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Tricks

Fitting in the gap

12. Answers which would be longer than the maximum

number of words if they didnt use

note form (= cut out some of the grammatical words)

13. Questions in which they need to write the plural for theiranswer to be correct

Pronunciation

14. Questions where unstressed words must be written

Misc 15. Changing task during a single listening text


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Spelling Information

Spelling

1. Answers which have different British and American spelling.

(Easier because British

and American are both are okay in the exam.)

2. Questions in which both a symbol and a word (e.g. $ anddollars) are okay in the

answer

3. Collocations made of words which students are likely to be

familiar with even if theyve never heard that combination before


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IELTS Speaking

Section 1The Academic Speaking Test Section 1 begins with

some general introductory questions. This is followed by some

questions on personal information similar to the type of

questions one would ask when meeting someone for the first

time. Finally the examiner asks a series of questions of 2topics of general interest. (4 - 5 minutes)


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IELTS Speaking

Section 2The Academic Speaking Test Section 2 is a

monologue (1 person speaking) by the candidate. The

examiner will give the candidate a card with a subject and a

few guiding questions on it. The student must talk for 1 to 2

minutes on this subject. The examiner decides on the exactlength. The student has an optional 1 minute in order to

prepare for his talk and is provided with some paper and a

pencil in order to make some brief notes. After the candidate's

talk the examiner will ask 1 or 2 brief questions in order to

finish off the section. (3 - 4 minutes)


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IELTS Speaking

Section 3In the Academic Speaking Test section 3 the

examiner will ask some more questions generally related to

the subject spoken about in section 2. These questions will be

more demanding and require some critical analysis on the part

of the candidate. (4 - 5 minutes)


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IELTS Speaking Tips

1. Demonstrate Fluency. It is not a questions answering

contest. You need to demonstrate your fluency.

2. Answer the Question Completely.

3. Speak in complete sentences.

4. Anticipate the next question.

5. Dominate the conversation, show you are not afraid to talk.

6. Do not speak outside the borders of the question.

7. Take notes for section 2.

8. Yes, your grammar matters!

9. Dont try to shut the question down.


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Speaking Marking

Marking - IELTS Academic Speaking Test Marks, Bands and Results

In the IELTS Academic Speaking Test you will be marked in 4 areas.

These 4 areas are: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource,

Grammatical Range and Accuracy and Pronunciation. For the first 3,

you get a mark out of 9. For Pronunciation you get a 2, 4, 6 or 8.

Finally an average is taken to give you your final band for the

Speaking. Let's look at these areas in more detail.

Fluency and Coherence: The examiner grades your fluency, which is

how easy, smooth and flowing your speaking is. To get a good grade

here, any gaps in your speaking should be associated with searching

for the right idea rather than hesitancy with finding the right wordor structure. For the coherence part, the examiner looks at how easy

you are to understand. Does your flow of ideas run smoothly,

logically and with consistency? Do you communicate well?


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Lexical Resource: This mark grades the range of words that

you use in your speaking test and whether you use the words

in the right way, at the right time and in the right place.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: This mark grades your

range of grammatical structures, your accuracy at producingthem and whether you use the right structure at the right

time and in the right place. This is the area that worries the

candidates the most as it is the dreaded grammar. Remember

it is only 1 part out of 4.

Pronunciation: This mark grades you on how clearly you speakEnglish.

IELTS Listening Strategy and Tactics

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