IELTS Listening

The IELTS listening test is one area

where teachers cannot help students as
much as they can in other areas. The skill
of listening is one that is developed by
practice and there is not much a teacher
can say to improve a student's ability at it.
What we can do is to give you some hints
for doing the test and also show you the
type of question that you will come up
against when you do the test. After that, as
much practice as possible is the way to
improve. This practice can be doing actual
IELTS practice listenings or by doing any
form of listening in English.

IELTS Listening has four sections, each

with 10 items (or questions). Each item is
worth one mark. The items are designed so
that the answers appear in order in the
listening passage. During the test, time is
given for candidates to read the questions
and write down and check their answers.
Answers are written on the Question Paper
as candidates listen. When the tape ends,
ten minutes are allowed for candidates to
transfer their answers onto an Answer
Sheet.

In the IELTS Listening Module, the

recording is played once only. You must,
therefore, use a number of strategies to
help you listen closely. There are a few
main skills you will need to do well in the
IELTS Listening Module.

Skills for IELTS Listening Test

In the IELTS Listening Module, the
recording is played once only. You must,
therefore, use a number of strategies to
help you listen closely. There are a few
main skills you will need to do well in the
IELTS Listening Module:

Understanding the instructions

Instructions are both written on the

question paper and spoken on the tape.
Read and listen to every word in the
instructions very carefully. Ensure that you
follow them exactly and answer in the
correct way.

Previewing and predicting

An announcer will briefly outline:

 the topic
 who is talking

 the situation.

Try to listen carefully as this will help you

to preview the questions.
Before the recording begins for each
section, you will be given up to 30 seconds
to read and become familiar with the
questions. Use this time efficiently so that
you can prepare yourself to listen for the
information you need.

Here are some hints for previewing

and prdicting:
 Study the question carefully and try to

predict what type of answer is required.

For example, will it be a date, a name
or maybe a number?
 Check the differences between similar-

looking pictures or diagrams.

 Look for minor details such as different
numbers or omissions.

In addition to the 30 seconds before each

section, you will also be given 30 seconds
after each section to look over your
answers. If you are satisfied with your
answers in the section you have just
finished, move on to the next section and
use the full 60 seconds for previewing.

Listening for specific information

Use of previewing and predicting skills will

help you listen for the specific information
you need to answer the questions in the
Listening Module. Listening for key words
and common connective words often helps
to signal the specific information that you
need in order to answer the question.
Make sure that, while you are actually
writing your answers, you continue to
listen to the information given in the
recordings as there will not be a second
opportunity to hear it.

Checking and rewriting

You are given about 30 seconds after each

section to check your answers. Check that
all your answers correspond with the given
instructions.

Make sure that you have answered every

question. Marks are not deducted for
incorrect answers so, if you are unsure of a
particular answer, you should guess by
writing down what you think is the most
likely answer.

Check that you have included only

what is necessary in the answer.

At the end of the Listening Module, you are

given about 10 minutes to transfer your
answers from the question paper onto the
answer sheet. Scan your answers to ensure
that you have transferred them correctly so
that the number on the question paper
corresponds with the number on the
answer sheet. Be especially careful when
transferring answers from tables as
sometimes the items are not linearly
ordered.

Format of IELTS Listening Module

IELTS Listening has four sections, each with
10 items (or questions). Each item is worth
one mark. The items are designed so that
the answers appear in order in the listening
passage. During the test, time is given for
candidates to read the questions and write
down and check their answers. Answers are
written on the Question Paper as
candidates listen. When the tape ends, ten
minutes are allowed for candidates to
transfer their answers onto an Answer
Sheet.

Section 1 : Here you will listen to a

conversation between 2 people. The
conversation is divided into 2 parts. You
have to answer 10 questions based on what
you hear. At the start of section 1 you will
have an example read out to you and then
explained. This is then repeated when the
listening starts properly.

Section 2 : Here you will hear a

monologue though it may include a second
speaker asking questions in order to
stimulate the monologue. The monologue is
divided into 2 parts. You have to answer 10
questions based on what you hear.

Section 3 : Here you will listen to a

conversation between 2, 3 or 4 people. The
conversation is divided into 2 parts. You
have to answer 10 questions based on what
you hear.

Section 4 : Here you will hear a

monologue though it may include a second
speaker asking questions in order to
stimulate the monologue. The monologue is
divided into 2 parts. You have to answer 10
questions based on what you hear.

Answer format
Candidates write their answers on an
answer sheet.

Timing
Approximately 30 minutes plus 10 minutes
transfer time.

Marks
Each question carries one mark, giving a
total of 40 marks.

Listening texts
The first two sections are concerned with
social needs. There is a dialogue between
two speakers, for example a conversation
about travel arrangements, and then a
monologue, for example a recording about
museum opening times.

The final two sections are concerned with

situations related more closely to
educational or training contexts. There is a
conversation between up to four people, for
example a conversation between a tutor
and a student about an assignment, and
then a further monologue, for example a
lecture of general academic interest.

Tips for IELTS Listening

Answer the questions as you listen to the

cassette.

You will hear an announcer introducing the

situation. You have around 30 seconds to
go through the related questions so you
know which information to focus on once
the tape starts playing. Once you answer
these questions, you are given a few more
seconds to check the answers.

Each section follows the same pattern.

Tips to Follow for IELTS Listening

~ Read and listen to the instructions. Make

sure you follow them correctly.

~ Read the questions carefully, underline

key words and try to predict the kind of
answer required.

~ Try and find out the difference between

similar looking pictures and diagrams.

~ The extra time given to check answers

can be used to preview questions from the
next section.

~ Make sure you continue to listen to the

conversation while you are writing your
answers.

~ In the diagrams (or tables), read the

information given on both the horizontal
and vertical axis. Don't start reading the
words; instead, locate the numbers
(questions) and see the information given
corresponding to these numbers. Generally,
the conversation in these kind of tables and
diagrams is in sequence -- either
horizontally or vertically.

~ Try and stay ahead of the recording so

you have time to go through the question
and know what information you are looking
for while the recording plays.

~ Don't panic if you miss out on any

answer; jump to the next question. Attempt
the missed answer when you get extra time
to check the answers.
~ Carefully transfer answers to the transfer
sheet. Ensure you don't make mistakes.

~ There is no negative marking, so make a

guess in case you have missed out on any
answer. Don't leave any question
unanswered.

~ Take adequate care while transferring the

answers to the transfer sheet. The serial
number in the question paper and answer
sheet must tally and no variation must
occur in the wording of the answer stem.

DOs and DON'Ts of IELTS

Listening Module
You SHOULD DO following thing while
taking IELTS Listening Test :
 Listen carefully to the introduction to
each section. This will give you useful
information about the situation and the
speakers.

 Use the time at the beginning of each

section (and in the middle of Sections 1
– 3) to look through the questions and
think about the topic.
 Read the instructions for each task
carefully. Remember to check the
maximum number of words allowed.
 Write all your answers as you listen –
remember you won’t hear the recording
a second time.
 Check that what you write makes sense
in the context.
 Answer all the questions even if you
don’t feel sure about an answer – you
may have understood more than you
think.
  Wait until the end of the test to transfer
your answers. You have ten minutes
for this which is plenty of time.
 Write clearly when you transfer your
answers. If an answer isn’t clear on
your answer sheet, you will lose the
mark.
 Check your spelling (and grammar
where necessary).

You SHOULD NOT DO following things

while taking IELTS Listening Test :

 Don't worry if you have to cross out or

change an answer.

 Don't panic if you miss one question.

Look ahead and concentrate on the
next one.
 Don't try to rephrase what you hear.
Write down the words you hear which
fit the question.
  Don’t write more than the maximum
number of words or letters allowed for
each answer.
 Don’t copy any words that were printed
on the Question Paper when you
transfer your answers to the Answer
Sheet.

Practice of IELTS Listening

Remember
Important words and main ideas in
conversation are ones that will come up
again and again. Listen carefuly for any
word or words that come up repeatedly.
What words come up in nearly every
statement made? These words with high
frequency are likely to be in the main idea
of the conversation.

For example, in a conversation about class

size in the business department of a
college, the term “class size” is likely to
appear in nearly every statement made by
either speaker in the discussion.

Voice Changes

IELTS expects you to be able to recognize

and interpret nuances of speech. Be on the
alert for any changes in voice, which might
register surprise, excitement, or another
emotion. If a speaker is talking in a normal
monotone voice and suddenly raises their
voice to a high pitch, that is a huge clue
that something critical is being stated.
Listen for a speaker to change their voice
and understand the meaning of what they
are saying.

Example :

Man: Let’s go to Wal-mart.

Woman: There’s a Wal-mart in this small

town?
If the woman’s statement was higher
pitched, indicating surprise and shock,
then she probably did not expect there to
be a Wal-mart in that town.

Specifics
Listen carefully for specific pieces of
information. Adjectives are commonly
asked about in IELTS questions. Try to
remember any main adjectives that are
mentioned. Pick out adjectives such as
numbers, colors, or sizes.

Example :

Man: Let’s go to the store and get some

apples to make the pie.
Woman: How many do we need?
Man: We’l need five apples to make the
pie.
A typical question might be about how
many apples were needed.

Interpret
As you are listening to the conversation,
put yourself in the person’s shoes. Think
about why someone would make a
statement. You’l need to do more than just
regurgitate the spoken words but also
interpret them.

Example :

Woman: I think I’m sick with the flu.

Man: Why don’t you go see the campus
doctor?

Sample Question: Why did the man

mention the campus doctor?
Answer: The campus doctor would be able
to determine if the woman had the flu.

Find the Hidden Meaning

Look for the meaning behind a statement.
When a speaker answers a question with a
statement that doesn’t immediately seem
to answer the question, the response
probably contained a hidden meaning that
you will need to recognize and explain.

Example :
Man: Are you going to be ready for your
presentation?

Woman: I’ve only got half of it finished and

it’s taken me five hours just to do this
much. There’s only an hour left before the
presentation is due.

At first, the woman did not seem to answer

the question the man presented. She
responded with a statement that only
seemed loosely related. Once you look
deeper, then you can find the true meaning
of what she said. If it took the woman five
hours to do the first half of the
presentation, then it would logicaly take her
another five hours to do the second half.
Since she only has one hour until her
presentation is due, she would probably
NOT be able to be ready for the
presentation. So, while an answer was not
immediately visible to the man’s question,
when you applied some logic to her
response, you could find the hidden
meaning beneath.