IELTS Listening Test Strategy Research:

Chinese students’ strategy use with the lecture-based question in the

IELTS Listening paper

Jing Li

Jing Li

IELTS Listening Test Strategy Research

Chinese students’ strategy use with the lecture-based question in the IELTS
Listening paper

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 JING LI

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This book is the MA dissertation that I submitted to the Centre for Applied
Linguistics at the University of Warwick, UK.
I am grateful to Dr. Claudia Harsch (dissertation supervisor) for her guidance and
support at every stage of this dissertation. Special thanks also to my family for your
unconditional love and support.
ABSTRACT
In recent years, listening comprehension strategy use has been a popular topic.
Research into Chinese students’ listening strategies, however, is still limited. This
study aims to investigate the differences in the use of strategy between students
studying in China and Chinese undergraduate students in the UK use when taking the
IELTS Listening test. It seeks to answer the question, furthermore, whether study in
the UK influences their listening skills, and what are the differences in strategy use
when taking the IELTS Listening test between students who have taken the IELTS
preparation course and those who have not. The research on listening strategy use and
influence of studying in the UK was conducted using a retrospective report and oral
interviews. The research results are: Students studying in the UK apply more cognitive,
metacognitive and test-wiseness strategies than students studying in China; all the
students studying in the UK reported their listening has improved since they studied in
the UK; the IELTS group’s listening strategy use is higher than that of the non-IELTS
group, and the key test-wiseness strategies continue to influence test takers
performance for up to four years. There are differences between groups although it is
not huge due to the number of participants. This has provided a multidimensional view
of listening strategies for ESL and EFL teachers, and has implications for teachers who
train students to apply multiple listening strategies.

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4.1.2 Comparison of strategies used by IELTS and non-IELTS groups …… 27

Table of Contents 4.1.2.1 Comparison of Cognitive Strategies used in IELTS and non-IELTS
groups ……………………………………………………………….... 28
Acknowledgements …………………………………………………………… ii 4.1.2.2 Comparison of Test-wiseness strategies used in IELTS and non-
Abstract ……………………………………………………………………….. iii IELTS groups ……………………………………………………….... 29
1 Introduction ………………………………….……………………..... 1 4.1.2.3 Comparison of Metacognitive Strategies used in IELTS and non-
1.1 Background of the study ……………………………………………... 1 IELTS groups ……………………………………………………….... 29
1.2 Purpose of the study ………………………………………………….. 2 4.1.2.4 Analysis of seven participants in the IELTS group …………………... 30
1.3 Research questions …………………………………………………… 2 Analysis of participants in A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, and B5 ………… 30
1.4 Significance of the study …………………………………………....... 3 4.2 Interview Analysis ……………………………………………………. 34
2 Literature review ……………………………………………………... 4 4.2.1 Studying in the UK influence on listening ………………………….... 34
2.1 Definition of listening comprehension ………………………….......... 4 4.2.1.1 Influence on academic listening …………………………………….... 34
2.2 Listening comprehension process …………………………………..... 6 4.2.1.2 Influence on daily life listening ………………………………………. 35
2.3 Listening comprehension strategies ………………………………….. 8 4.2.1.3 Influence on general listening ………………………………………… 35
2.3.1 Definition of listening comprehension strategy ……………………… 8 4.2.2 Influence of IELTS Preparation Course …………………………….... 36
2.3.2 Classification of learning strategies ………………………………….. 9 4.3 Discussion …………………………………………………………….. 38
2.3.3 Listening strategies used in this study ……………………………....... 10 4.3.1 Findings of strategy use between Group A and B ……………………. 38
2.3.4 Test-wiseness Strategies ……………………………………………… 11 4.3.2 Findings from Oral Interviews ……………………………………….. 38
2.3.5 Cognitive Strategies ………………………………………………….. 15 4.4 Answer Research Question One …………………………………........ 39
2.3.6 Metacognitive Strategies …………………………………………...... 16 4.5 Comparison of IELTS and non-IELTS group ………………………... 39
2.4 Research on influence of studying in English-speaking countries …… 17 4.5.1 Most Frequently used Test-wiseness Strategies …………………….... 39
3 Methodology …………………………………………………………. 19 4.5.2 Duration of influence after taking IELTS Course ……………………. 40
3.1 Participants …………………………………………………………… 19 4.5.3 Findings from Coded Data …………………………………………..... 40
3.2 Instruments …………………………………………………………… 19 4.6 Answer research question two ………………………………………... 41
3.3 Data Collection Procedures ………………………………………....... 20 5 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………. 42
3.3.1 Setting ………………………………………………………………… 20 5.1 Implications ………………………………………………..………..... 42
3.3.2 Methods and procedures for data collection ………………………….. 20 5.2 Limitations ……………………………………………………………. 42
3.4 Methods used to Analyse Data ……………………………………….. 21 5.3 Ideas for Future Research …………………………………………….. 43
4 Results and Discussion ……………………………………………….. 24
4.1 Analysis in relation to strategy use …………………………………… 24 References …………………………………………………………………... 45
4.1.1 Comparison of application strategies used by Group A and B ………. 24 Appendix 1: Rubin (1981) Language Learning Strategy …………………….. 48
4.1.1.1 Comparison of cognitive strategies used by Group A and B ……….... 25 Appendix 2: Naiman et al. (1978) Language Learning Strategy ……………... 49
4.1.1.2 Comparison of test-wiseness strategies used in Group A and B ……... 25 Appendix 3: O’Malley and Chamot (1990) learning strategy definitions and
4.1.1.3 Comparison of Metacognitive Strategies used in Group A and B ……. 26 classifications …………………………………………………… 53
Appendix 4: Participants’ basic information and strategy-use frequency
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Table ……………………………………………………………. 56
Appendix 5: Tasks used in this study ………………………………………… 58 1. INTRODUCTION
Appendix 6: Tape Scripts of IELTS Listening test …………………………... 59 This research is concerned with the listening comprehension strategies used
Appendix 7: Listening Comprehension Strategies Coding Scheme …………. 61 by Chinese undergraduate students taking the lecture-based part of the IELTS
Appendix 8: Transcription of Participants: Verbal Protocol and Interview ….. 65 listening test. Based on the hypothesis that the application of the listening
comprehension strategies is influenced by students’ language environment and
the experience of taking the test preparation course, this dissertation concentrates
on the listening comprehension strategies used by both Chinese undergraduate
students studying in the UK and Chinese undergraduate students studying in
China. In this chapter, the background and purpose of this study, the research
questions, and the significance of this study will be discussed.
1.1 Background of the study
The IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test is becoming
a required test for non-native students studying in most western countries, for
example, in the UK, Australia, Canada and the USA. The IELTS training course,
therefore, is becoming more and more popular in China. In the IELTS preparation
class in China, the course basically consists of two parts. One part is a foundation
wherein students learn grammar, vocabulary, preliminary listening and
preliminary reading. The other is a ‘sprint part’, wherein students learn test-taking
strategies intensively. Both parts usually last for one month. However, with regard
to the improvement of listening comprehension ability, there are some limitations:
Because the teaching time of an IELTS class is limited, students may improve
their IELTS scores, but may not be able to improve significantly with listening
comprehension.
Having been an IELTS listening teacher who has taught the IELTS preparation
course in both China and the UK, the researcher has had many opportunities to
observe students’ task-solving processes in the IELTS listening test. When the
researcher taught the IELTS listening preparation course in China, students faced
two major problems: Listening comprehension ability, and listening
comprehension strategies. The problem of listening comprehension ability is the
result of the lack of vocabulary, unfamiliarity with certain grammar patterns, lack
of background knowledge and not having enough English listening input practice.
Thus, when listening, it takes time to react and understand, causing the next item
to be missed. The researcher has also taught the IELTS preparation course in the
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UK, and was interested in discovering the reason why students who have studied
in the UK for a certain time have to take this course. Their listening
comprehension ability, presumably improves after being exposed to the English
language environment for a sustained time. The researcher has long been
interested in issues related to the IELTS preparation course and wanted to find
out how this course influences students’ test-taking performance.
The motivation of the researcher is to explore if studying in the UK makes a
difference in students’ listening comprehension, and, if so, the differences in
terms of listening strategy use. Another question to answer is: Does the IELTS
preparation course have a big influence on students’ listening comprehension
ability as well as strategy application. Thus, this study observed the differences
in listening strategy use between Chinese students studying in the UK and
Chinese students studying in China. In addition, this study compares different
listening strategies used by students who have taken the IELTS preparation
course, and those who have not.
Fortunately, there has been a good deal of concern about second language
listening strategy use, for example, cognitive strategy (O’Malley and Chamot,
1990), metacognitive strategy (ibid.), and test-wiseness strategy (Field, 2009).
However, there have been fewer studies on the correlation between studying in
English-speaking countries and listening progress.
1.2 Purpose of the study
The purpose of this study is to examine the differences of listening
comprehension ability and strategy use between Chinese undergraduate students
studying in the UK and Chinese undergraduate students studying in China. In
addition, this study explores the differences in listening comprehension strategy
use between Chinese undergraduate students who have taken the IELTS
preparation course and those who have not. In order to achieve these purposes,
the study has two research questions.
1.3 Research questions
1) Are there any differences in strategy use when taking the IELTS Listening
test between Chinese undergraduate students study in China, and Chinese
undergraduate students study in the UK, and does studying in the UK influence
their listening comprehension?
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IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH
2) When taking the IELTS listening test, are there any differences in strategy
use between students who have taken IELTS preparation course and those who
have not?
1.4 Significance of the study
This study has four aims. The first is to provide ESL teachers a
multidimensional view of Chinese undergraduate students’ listening
comprehension ability. Thus ESL teachers can better help them to improve their
listening comprehension and help them better finish their studies in the UK with
less of a language barrier. Second, this study aims to give Chinese EFL teachers
a view of Chinese students’ listening comprehension ability so that they can find
ways to help Chinese EFL students improve their listening comprehension ability.
Third, this study aims to provide a broad view for Chinese students’ listening
strategy use. Therefore, teachers can better help Chinese EFL and ESL learners
to improve their multi-strategy use—a combination of cognitive, metacognitive,
and test-taking strategies. And fourth,, with regard to the test-wiseness strategy
use of students who have taken the IELTS preparation course, this study seeks to
provide ESL/EFL IELTS teachers a broader view of the influence of the IELTS
course on students’ test performance. This will allow teachers to help students
improve their cognitive, metacognitive, and test-wiseness strategies in listening
comprehension.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
This study investigates the differences of strategy use between Chinese
undergraduate students studying both in China and the UK when they take the
lecture-based part of the IELTS listening test, and the differences in listening
comprehension ability. It also looks at the differences in application of strategies
between students who have taken the IELTS preparation course, and those who
have not. In this chapter, the researcher will investigate what listening
comprehension is, and the different listening comprehension process L2 listener’s
use. In addition, it will also explore the listening strategies L2 listeners always
use while they solve listening tasks. Finally, it will analyse the influence of
studying in English-speaking countries to listening progress.
2.1 Definition of listening comprehension
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Listening is a process by which the listener takes the acoustic signal and
interprets it based on a wide variety of linguistic and non-linguistic knowledge
(Buck, 2001: 2). Listening comprehension consists of processing information that
listeners receive from auditory or visual input in order to know what will happen
and what the speaker intends to say (Rubin, 1990). Much research has been done
to define and explain listening comprehension. Chamot and Küpper (1989)
defined listening comprehension in a theoretical way, as an approach in which
listeners on specific parts of listening input build meaning through passages, and
relate what they hear to their prior knowledge.
Rost (1990) reviewed two frameworks to define listening comprehension. One
is Demyankov’s (1983) ‘the new model of understanding’. The stages of listening
comprehension are as follows:
(1) Acquisition of the linguistic framework of the language in question.
(2) Construction and verification of hypothetical interpretations of what is
heard.
(3) Discernment of the speaker’s intentions.
(4) Assimilation of the spoken language.
(5) Coordination of the speaker’s and listener’s motivation for participation in
the conversation.
(6) Discernment of the tone of the message (from Rost, 1990: 6)
Rost (1990) criticised this model as being unrealistic because real-time
language listening cannot be captured by this stage-like model. This stage model
is more applicable under test conditions, when listeners know what they are
expected to be doing, and can predict what they will hear. Thus, this model may
be applicable in a test preparation course, such as the IELTS preparation course.
The trainees can be trained to follow these processes and can be taught to use test-
taking strategies during processing, for example, to predict strategy. The question,
however, is: Can the listeners comprehend the listening by using this model as in
every day listening?
The other framework reviewed by Rost (1990) is Clack and Clark (1977), as
Rost (1990) commented that this framework “has served as the basis for
psychological descriptions of verbal understanding” (Rost, 1990: 7).
(1) [Hearers] take in the raw speech and retain a phonological representation
of it in “working memory”.
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IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH
(2) They immediately attempt to organize the phonological representation into
constituents, identifying their content and function.
(3) As they identify each constituent, they use it to construct underlying
propositions, building continually onto a hierarchical representation of
propositions.
(4) Once they have identified the propositions for a constituent, they retain
them in working memory and at some point purge memory of the phonological
representation. In doing this, they forget the exact wording and retain the
meaning. (Rost, 1990: 7)
Rost (1990) also commented that this model is more realistic because this is
an empirical based model, as it gives reasonable explanations of what must
happen psychologically and gives the limitations of human memory for verbal
communication to occur. As for the disadvantages, he observed that this model
still takes the listeners as language processors because the model is still in a fixed
order. This perception is similar to Buck’s (2001) definition of bottom-up
listening, which will be discussed below.
The listening comprehension definitions discussed above have their own
advantages, but they all failed to link listening comprehension with listeners’
cognitive behaviour. However, listening comprehension is not merely a process
of auditory input and decoding, but also has to do with listeners’ cognitive
processing. Thus, Buck’s (2001) definition of listening comprehension is a better
definition:
”Listening is a complex process in which the listener takes the incoming data,
an acoustic signal, and interprets it based on a wide variety of linguistic and non-
linguistic knowledge. The linguistic knowledge includes knowledge of
phonology, lexis, syntax, semantics, discourse structure, pragmatics and
sociolinguistics. The non-linguistic knowledge includes knowledge of the topic,
the context and general knowledge about the world and how it works”. (Buck
2001: 247).
2.2 Listening comprehension process
There is much research on listening comprehension processes. Buck (2001)
gave a categorisation; he divided listening processes into bottom-up and top-down
listening. He explains bottom-up listening as:
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“Acoustic input is first decoded into phoneme, and then this is used to identify
individual words. Then processing continues on to the next higher stage, the
syntactic level, followed by an analysis of the semantic content to arrive at a literal
understanding of the basic linguistic meaning. Finally, the listener interprets that
literal meaning in terms of the communicative situation to understand what the
speaker means”. (Buck, 2001: 2).
Bottom-up process focuses on the natural input process, as it is called a “one-
way street” (ibid.). It describes in detail how people process listening from the
input of a single word to the final comprehension of sentences. In bottom-up
processing, listeners make use of their knowledge of words, syntax and grammar
(Rubin, 1994: 210). It requires listeners’ familiarity with single words and certain
grammar, as it closely connects with the listeners’ linguistic knowledge. The
advantage of this model is that it clearly explains in detail the process of how a
listener receives incoming data to finally understand them. However, it has its
own disadvantage: When a listener’s brain comprehending textual material, it
depends not only on linguistic knowledge because that cannot make efficient
comprehension (Ahmadi and Gilakjani, 2011: 979). Buck’s (2001) top-down
process is a better model because it sees the listening comprehension process
interactive.
Buck’s (2001) explanation to top-down process:
“Listening comprehension is a top-down process in the sense that the various
type of knowledge involved in understanding language are not applied in any
fixed order – they can be used in any order, or even simultaneously, and they are
all capable of interacting and influencing each other”. (Buck, 2001: 3).
Carrell and Eisterhold (1983) pointed out that top-down processing is based
on a general and higher level of listening comprehension. They argued that top-
down processing requires background knowledge more than linguistic
knowledge. When a listener fails to understand the incoming data by depending
solely on his background knowledge, he has to depend on his linguistic
knowledge. With only linguistic knowledge, it is hard for a listener to
comprehend, thus, top-down processing may result in failure of comprehension.
Eskey’s (1988) interactive model is the most accepted model nowadays
because it is the interaction between the information gained from bottom-up and
top-down listening.
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IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH
“Interactive refers to the interaction between information obtained by means
of bottom-up decoding and information provided by means of top-down analysis,
both of which depend on certain kinds of prior knowledge and certain kinds of
information-processing skills”. (p. 96).
To sum up, as discussed above, if listeners rely only on bottom-up listening,
they will need enough linguistic knowledge to comprehend. If linguistic
knowledge is lacking, comprehension fails immediately. For top-down listening,
if certain background knowledge is lacking, a listener has to rely only on linguistic
knowledge, and the same thing would happen as a result of failure of bottom-up
listening. However, a combination of bottom-up and top-down listening is the
best solution for comprehension, which is the interactive model proposed by
Eskey (1988). Vandergrift (1997: 494) also comments that interactive listening is
a kind of listening comprehension strategy that can solve both immediate
problems and facilitate long-term listening comprehension learning.
2.2.1 Listening comprehension process in a cognitive perspective
Anderson (1985) analysed three components of cognitive listening
comprehension processes, which are perception, parsing and utilization.
Perceptual processing is the encoding of the acoustic message (ibid.). In this
stage, listeners pay attention to the input and store sounds in their memory, and
Loftus (1976) and Neisser (1967) named this memory as “echoic memory”. The
important character of echoic memory is that specific word sequences cannot be
retained longer than a few seconds because of capacity limitation, and the new
input that listeners receive almost immediately replace the former information
they have retained (O’Malley et al. 1989: 420). In the parsing stage, the words
heard are converted into a mental representation and are stored in short-term
memory (STM).
In the utilization stage, the mental representation of the auditory meaning is
associated with existing knowledge; and existing knowledge is retained in long-
term memory (LTM). These three stages are closely connected, and could occur
simultaneously. Goh (1998) studied 80 Chinese students and analysed 10
problems that occur during the cognitive processing. They can be divided into
three processes based on Anderson’s (1995) listening comprehension process:
Perception: a) Do not recognise words they know; b) understand words but not
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the intended message; c) miss the beginning of texts. Parsing: a) Quickly forget
what is heard; b) cannot chunk streams of speech; c) not understand subsequent
parts of input because of earlier problems.
Utilization: a) Confused about the key ideas in the message; b) neglect the next
part when thinking about meaning; c) unable to form a mental representation from
words heard.
2.3 Listening Comprehension Strategies
Listening comprehension strategies have been widely discussed by many
researchers, and many models have been given to define and categorise listening
comprehension strategies. This section aims to discuss the classification of some
of the major listening comprehension strategies and their definitions. The
listening strategies that were used in the coding scheme in this study will be
discussed in detail.
2.3.1 Definition of Listening Comprehension Strategy
Many researchers have defined listening comprehension strategies. Cohen
(2011) defines listening comprehension strategy as:
“Thoughts and actions, consciously chosen and operationalized by language
learners, to assist them in carrying out a multiplicity of tasks from the very onset
of learning to the most advanced levels of target-language performance (Cohen,
2011: 7)”.
Rubin (1987: 19) defines listening strategy as “any set of operations, steps,
plans, routines used by the learner to facilitate the obtaining, storage, retrieval and
use of information”. These definitions are similar; therefore, listening strategy can
be seen as listeners use tactics in order to understand listening input.
2.3.2 Classification of Learning Strategies
Much research has been completed on learning strategies. For example,
O’Malley and Chamot (1990) reviewed Naiman et al’s (1978) learning strategy
and Rubin’s (1981) learning strategy in second language acquisition, and also
presented their own learning strategies.
Naiman et al. (1978) (see Appendix 1) presented a classification of five types
of learning strategies, which includes active task approach, realization of
language as a system, realization of language as a means of communication and
interaction, management of affective demands and monitoring L2 performance.
They have to do with seeking learning opportunities, practicing language, or
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IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH
analysing/revising language systems in order to make good use of language and
make progress. This framework gives a detailed explanation of each type of
language learning strategy that has been presented; the categories, however, are
not as explicit as Rubin’s (1981) framework.
Rubin’s (1981) (see Appendix 2) classification of learning strategies in second
language acquisition consists of two types of strategies that directly affect
learning, and processes that contribute indirectly to learning. Each strategy has
representative secondary strategies. O’Malley and Chamot (1990) commented
that the classification of directness and indirectness and the secondary strategies
detailed explain the strategies that can help to improve students’ L2 learning:
“Processes which may contribute directly to learning:
clarification/verification, monitoring, memorization, guessing, inductive
inferencing, deductive reasoning, and practice. Processes which may contribute
indirectly to learning: creates opportunity for practice, production tricks: related
to communication focus/drive, probably related to motivation and opportunity for
exposure.” (O’Malley and Chamot, 1990:6).
This classification, however, is still not explicit enough, because it failed to
categorise strategies in a cognitive, metacognitive and social mediation manner
as O’Malley and Chamot (1990) did. In O’Malley and Chamot’s (1990)
classification, learning strategies are classified in three ways: Metacognitive
strategies, cognitive strategies and social mediation strategies. Each strategy has
representative secondary strategies:
“Metacognitive strategies: planning and evaluation. Cognitive strategies:
resourcing, repetition, deduction, imagery, auditory representation, keyword
method, elaboration, transfer, inferencing, note taking, summarizing,
recombination, and translation. Social mediation: question for clarification, and
cooperation.” (O’Malley and Chamot, 1990: 119-200).
If applying Rubin’s (1981) classification into O’Malley and Chamot’s
framework, some strategies overlap. Rubin’s monitoring strategy, for example, is
a metacognitive strategy, and both guessing/inductive inferencing and deductive
reasoning are cognitive strategies in O’Malley and Chamot’s classification.
O’Malley and Chamot’s classification is a more complete and concrete model for
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learning strategies as well as listening strategies. Their classification offers a basis
for later research on language learning and listening strategies.
Goh (1998) studied 16 ESL Chinese students, and found that they used
cognitive and metacognitive strategies. The learning strategy model she used is
O’Malley and Chamot’s (1990) model. After coding the interview data, she found
that the cognitive strategies used by the students are inferencing, elaboration,
prediction, contextualization, fixation and reconstruction. The metacognitive
strategies used are selective attention, directed attention, comprehension
monitoring, real-time assessment of input and comprehension evaluation (Goh,
1998: 133). She also found that students used more cognitive strategies than
metacognitive strategies.
2.3.3 Listening Strategies Used in this Study
Much of the coding in this study is adopted from O’Malley and Chamot’s
(1990) cognitive and metacognitive classification. Social/ affective strategies
have two types which are questions for clarification. This entails eliciting
explanations, rehearsing, examples, or verification, and cooperation strategy,
which comprises working together with one or more peers to solve a problem,
check a learning task, and so on (ibid. 120). These activities happen in language
learning processes, for example, cooperation may happen in group work in
classroom but cannot be applied in test conditions and all four skills. Paris (1988b)
found that cognitive and metacognitive strategies apply in all four skills (listening,
reading, speaking and writing). This study researches the strategy use while
students take the IELTS listening test.
The nature of this test is that the recording can be heard only once; therefore,
activities like discussion or asking for clarification are impossible to happen in a
test condition. Social/affective strategies, therefore, cannot be used in this
condition, and will not be further explained. In addition, test-wiseness strategies
are usually widely used in language tests, thus definitions and explanations of
test-wiseness, cognitive and metacognitive strategies will be discussed.
2.3.4 Test-wiseness Strategies
Several definitions of test-wiseness strategies have been proposed (Diamond
& Evans, 1977; Millman et al. 1965), all of which have similar meaning as
Millman et al. (1965: 707): Test-wiseness strategy is an ability to utilize the
characteristics and formats of the test to achieve a high score.
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IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH
2.3.4.1 Test-wiseness Taxonomy
In order to explain test-wiseness strategy, taxonomy was proposed by Millman
et al. (1965), which later became a conceptual model for test-wiseness strategy
and future research. As can been seen, some strategies overlap with cognitive
strategies. The coding scheme in this study is adopted from this taxonomy:
Taxonomy of test-wiseness principles.
I. Elements independent of test constructor or test purpose.
A. Time-using strategy.
1. Begin to work as rapidly as possible with reasonable assurance of accuracy.
2. Set up a schedule for progress through the test.
3. Omit or guess at items (see I.C. and II.B.) which resist a quick response.
4. Mark omitted items, or items which could use further consideration, to
assure easy relocation.
5. Use time remaining after completion of the test to reconsider answers.
B. Error-avoidance strategy
1. Pay careful attention to directions, determining clearly the nature of the
task and the intended basis of responses.
2. Pay careful attention to the items, determining clearly the nature of the
question.
3. Ask examiner for clarification when necessary, if it is permitted.
4. Check all answers.
C. Guessing strategy
1. Always guess if right answers only are scored.
2. Always guess if the correction for guessing is less severe than a “correction
for guessing” formula that gives an expected score of zero for random guessing.
3. Always guess even if the usual correction or a more severe penalty for
guessing is employed, whenever elimination of options provide sufficient chance
of profiting.
D. Deductive reasoning strategy1. Eliminate options which are known to be
incorrect and choose from among the remaining options.
2. Choose neither or both of two options which imply the correctness of each
other.
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3. Choose neither or one (but not both) of two statements, one of which, if
correct, would imply the incorrect-ness of the other.
4. Restrict choice to those options which encompass all of two or more given
statement known to be correct.
5. Utilize relevant content information in other test items and options.
II. Elements dependent upon the test constructor or purpose
A. Intent consideration strategy
1. Interpret and answer questions in view of the previous idiosyncratic
emphases of the test constructor or in view of the test purpose.
2. Answer items as the test constructor intended.
3. Adopt the level of sophistication that is expected.
4. Consider the relevance of specific detail.
B. Cue-using strategy
1. Recognize and make use of any consistent idiosyncrasies of the test
constructor which distinguish the correct answer form incorrect options.
a. He makes it longer (shorter) than the incorrect options.
b. He qualifies it more carefully, or makes it represent a higher degree of
generalization.
c. He includes more false (true) options.
d. He places it in certain physical positions among the options (such as in the
middle).
e. He places it in a certain logical position among an ordered set of options
(such as in the middle of a sentence).
f. He includes (does not include) it among similar statements, or makes (does
not make) it one of a pair of diametrically opposite statements.
g. He composes (does not compose) it of familiar or stereotyped phraseology.
h. He does not make it grammatically inconsistent with the stem.
2. Consider the relevancy of specific detail when answering a given item.
3. Recognize and make use of specific determiners.
4. Recognize and use resemblances between the options and an aspect of the
stem.
5. Consider the subject matter and difficulty of neighboring items when
interpreting and answering a given item.
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IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH
(From ‘An Analysis of Test-Wiseness’ by J. Millman, C. H. Bishop, and R.
Ebel, 1965, Educational and Psychological Measurement, 25, 707–726.)
Field (2009) studied 29 students who were taking a pre-sessional course and
found the most frequently used test-wiseness strategy (TWS) is a cue-using
strategy, whereby a participant use a word from the text to locate information
from the aural input (Field, 2009: 44). It is also called key word strategy or word
locating strategy in his study. Another often-used TWS is the checklist strategy,
wherein participants use the order of the text as a kind of checklist to approach
information from the aural input (ibid.). Other test-wiseness strategies he found
were guessing and error-avoidance strategies.
Field (2008) listed types of strategies that teachers might introduce:
1) Write down as many words as possible from the speech stream. Decide
how certain you are about each one.
2) From guesses as to the ideas that link these words. Use your knowledge of
the world, the topic of the text, the speaker, the text so far, and similar speech
events. Share your guesses with a fellow learner.
3) Check your guesses when the section of the text is replayed.
4) Check your guesses against the next section of the text.
(From Field, 2008:114)
The first point he mentions is more like note taking strategy, which is defined
as cognitive strategy in O’Malley and Chamot (1990). The rest of the strategies
have more to do with guessing strategy, which is similar to guessing strategy
proposed in Field (2009).
Word/ sentence recognition in listening is the ability of a listener to recognize
listening input correctly and effortlessly. Yamahuchi’s (2001) study focused on
the recognition of words and sentences by auditory presentation in listening
comprehension. She found that the training program could promote word
recognition and sentence recognition in listening comprehension.
Rowley and Traub (1977: 18) summarized an examinee strategy, which was
“answer every question”, because there is no point in leaving any question
unanswered if there is no penalty for wrong answers. Thus, examinees should fill
in every question even if they are not sure if the answers are correct. Sarnacki
(1979: 253) commented on the relation between TWS and cognitive strategies:
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Test-wiseness strategies require a cognitive ability that one may apply in tests,
regardless of the nature of the tests’ content. Therefore, test-wiseness strategies
and cognitive strategies are always applied at the same time in the text.
Gan (2009) conducted a case study in Hong Kong aimed at examining the
potential impact an IELTS preparation course has on IELTS test performance.
The findings showed no significant difference in scores between students who
took the IELTS preparation course and those who did not. He did not look for the
test-wiseness strategies in this study; instead, he found learning strategies such as
speaking in English with other people, practising IELTS alone outside and so on.
Rogers and Bateson (1991a) criticized the statement that by simply using test-
wiseness strategies candidates can achieve a higher score. They stated that the
effective use of test-wiseness strategies based on some partial knowledge or prior
knowledge that candidates obtain; and they proved this statement with their
findings.
To summarize, the test-wiseness strategies presented above are a framework
for developing a coding scheme for a test-wiseness strategy in this study. In
addition, the researcher agrees with Rogers and Bateson’s (1991a) statement that
using partial knowledge and test-wiseness strategies can help test takers achieve
a higher score, and test-wiseness strategies and cognitive strategies are always
applied together in the text (Sarnacki, 1979).
2.3.5 Cognitive Strategies
Much research has defined cognitive strategy. One of them is recognized as
an essential definition: Cognitive strategy is “one that involves mental
manipulation or transformation of materials or tasks and is intended to enhance
comprehension, acquisition, or retention” (O’Malley and Chamo, 1990: 229).
Cognitive strategies, moreover, are the candidates’ on-going mental activities to
use their prior knowledge and language to solve the tasks (Phakiti, 2003: 28).
2.3.5.1 Cognitive Strategy Taxonomy
O’Malley and Chamot’s (1990) study found that students with a beginning
level of proficiency in English identified almost twice as many cognitive
strategies as intermediate level students. In O’Malley and Chamot’s (1990)
framework, cognitive strategies involve resourcing, repetition, grouping,
deduction, imagery, audio representation, keyword method, elaboration, transfer,
inferencing, note taking, summarizing, recombination and translation. Among all
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IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH
the cognitive strategies, elaboration strategies are superior to other cognitive
strategies such as transfer, inferencing, deduction, imagery and summarizing,
because the benefits for comprehension are significant (Küpper, 1989). While
Paris’ (1988b) comparative research found that certain strategies occur together,
for example, elaboration occurs together with inferencing, imagery, and transfer.
O’Malley et al. (1989) differentiate cognitive strategies to metacognitive
strategies, as cognitive strategies are more suitable to specific tests, and
metacognitive strategies are more general and could apply to many types of tests.
They elaborated the activities of cognitive strategies:
“Rehearsal, repeating the names of objects or items that have been heard, or
practicing a longer language sequence
Organization, or grouping information to be retained in ways that will enhance
comprehension and retention
Elaboration, or relating new information to information that has previously
been stored in memory, or interconnecting portions of the new text” (O’Malley et
al. 1989: 423).
Phakiti (2003) found the difference between cognitive strategies and
metacognitive strategies is that cognitive strategies are “likely to be encapsulated
within a subject area (e.g., EFL), whereas metacognitive strategies span multiple
subject areas” (p.30).
2.3.6 Metacognitive Strategies
Metacognitive strategy is a learning strategy that involves planning for
learning, monitoring learning while it is happening, thinking about the language
process, or self-evaluating during or after the task is completed (O’Malley and
Chamot, 1990:230). Phakiti (2003) defined metacognitive strategies as when test-
takers deliberately direct and control their cognitive strategy for more successful
performance.
2.3.6.1 Metacognitive Strategy Taxonomy
The taxonomy of metacognitive strategy by O’Malley and Chamot (1990) is
presented in Appendix 3. Metacognitive strategies involve planning, monitoring
and evaluation (O’Malley and Chamot, 1990). Planning entails advanced
organizers, directed attention, functional planning, selective attention and self-
management. Monitoring includes self-monitoring, while evaluation is self-
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evaluation. O’Malley and Chamot’s (1990) study found that students with a
beginning level of proficiency in English identified 40 per cent more
metacognitive strategies than intermediate level students. Elaboration means
relating new input to prior knowledge, and relating different parts of new
information to each other and then relating them to personal association (ibid.
120). Comprehension monitoring is another important metacognitive strategy.
Goh (1998) gave explanations on comprehension monitoring:
“Comprehension monitoring is the process of checking and confirming how
well one understands the input during listening. The listener notices possible
errors in inferences and confusion or incoherence in different parts of the
interpretation. This strategy is the basic aspect of monitoring – noticing when a
reasonable interpretation has taken place.” (Goh, 1998: 137)
Kulwe (1982) presented the good points of metacognitive strategies, which
help to:
“Identify the task on which one is currently working;
Check on the current process of that work;
Evaluate that progress;
Predict what the outcome of that progress will be” (Kluwe, 1982: 212).
To summarize, the three main types of strategies are essential and important
strategies that test takers use to solve listening problems. Test-wiseness strategies
can help candidates achieve higher scores once they incorporate them with partial
knowledge, and it always happens to apply cognitive and test-wiseness together.
Metacognitive strategy is the process test-takers monitoring themselves during
task-solving procedure, and monitoring strategy seems to be the most important
metacognitive strategy.
Purpura (1997) proposed that strategies’ benefit for test performance does not
depend solely on a single strategy use, but rather on the combination of other
strategies with which test takers use them. Thus, the research of cognitive,
metacognitive, and test-wiseness strategies use is essential. A combination of
three categories of strategies, therefore, helps listeners to have more successful
performance in the texts.
2.4 Research on Influence of Studying in English-Speaking Countries
To the best of the researcher’s knowledge, very limited research on the
influence of studying in English speaking countries was found. The most relevant
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IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH
research on the influence of studying in English-speaking countries is language
immersion study. The term “immersion education” originated in Canada in the
1960s to describe programs in which French language was used as a medium of
instruction for primary school students whose L1 was English (Cummins, 1998).
Based on the features of immersion programs, the similarity of immersion
programs and study in a complete L2 country are that: the immersion curriculum
is the same as the local L1 curriculum, and the classroom culture is local L1
community (Johnson and Swain, 1997).
Wright (2009) studied adult Chinese speakers of English at the beginning and
the end of their ten-month study in the UK. He found that participants showed
response times in English much faster after ten months of study, but no difference
in language accuracy. The results were that immersion benefits fluency more than
accuracy.
Sawir (2005) researched students from five Asian nations studying in
Australian universities. He found that there are two major difficulties for the
students; one is academic English, and the other is conversational English. These
difficulties have to do with their prior learning experience. The reason for the
weakness with academic English is that classroom activities mainly focus on
grammar practice. The reason for the difficulty in conversational English was
reinforced by the lack of exposure to good English speakers at school. Students
reported studying in an English speaking country helps them to improve both their
academic and conversational English. This study implied that the Australian
universities provide language assistance for international students at the
beginning of their study, and teach international students speaking and listening
skills at the same time.
Based on the studies reviewed, it can be seen that studying in an English-
speaking environment can help students improve their English, especially to
improve their fluency.
3. METHODOLOGY
The purpose of this chapter is to present details about the participants, the
instruments used in this study, and the data collection methods and procedure.
Also, this chapter presents methods used to analyse the data.
3.1 Participants
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The participants were 12 Chinese undergraduate students. They were divided
into two groups, Group A (N=6) comprised students studying in the UK, and the
time span of study ranged from one to two years. Group B were students studying
in China. Participant A1 means participant 1 from Group A, and participant B1
means participant 1 from Group B. They were between 21-24 years old. Seven of
the participants have taken the IELTS preparation course, and the other five have
not. All the participants’ L1 is either Mandarin or Cantonese. Appendix 4 shows
participants’ codes, country of study, whether they have taken the IELTS
preparation course, the year of taking the IELTS preparation course and strategy-
use frequency.
The researcher chose the subjects for several reasons. First, all the participants
have IELTS-related experience, having taken the IELTS test, or are preparing for
the test. Second, the researcher knew about some of the participants before this
study, as the researcher had taught four of the participants from Group A and one
of the participants from Group B. Thus, due to the researcher’s and students’ prior
relationship, it was easier to conduct the interview, and it was also beneficial for
the researcher to analyse the data, because the researcher knew the general test
strategies that some students learnt. To ensure confidentiality, all the participants
have signed consent forms.
3.2 Instruments
Two instruments were used in this study. One is the IELTS Listening test, and
the other is the interview. The listening test paper was taken from one of the past
papers (Cambridge ESOL 2007). It was Section 4 of Test 1 (Seminar on Rock
Art). The total number of words in the lecture was 460, and the recording lasted
for 6 minutes, 47 seconds, including the time for reading questions. There were
altogether 10 items and two types of questions. The first five items were notes
completion, and the second five items were sentence completion. The test paper
is presented in Appendix 5. The full tape scripts of the recording are presented in
Appendix 8.
3.3 Data Collection Procedures
3.3.1 Setting
Based on the fact that participants in Group B were in China, and participants
of Group A were in various locations in the UK, the interviews of the two groups
were conducted via Skype audio call one-by-one. Before the interview was
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IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH
conducted, the participants were asked to download Skype. The Skype software
application enables the researcher and participants to conduct interviews. For
most of the interviews, furthermore, Skype was used to transmit audio passages
to the participants, for a few interviews, because of the poor Internet connection,
participants were asked to play the audio themselves and pause after certain items.
The test audio was transferred from CD to iTunes for the purpose of the
research. The recording was played to the participants through iTunes via Skype.
The participants’ verbal reports were recorded using a SUMSUNG YP-VP2
recorder and an iPhone recorder at the same time. They were subsequently
transferred to a MacBook to assist follow-up transcribing.
3.3.2 Methods and Procedures for Data Collection
Before each participant took the research test, there was a short conversation
in order to warm up, so that both the participants and the researcher felt more
comfortable. The conversation started with questions such as how is the study
going, and then they were asked through follow up questions their basic
information: age, have they taken IELTS course, if yes, what was the time of
taking the course, and how long have they studied in the UK (for Group A). Also,
from the warm up conversation, it was found that few participants from Group B
had not yet written an IELTS paper; so they were given another IELTS listening
test to familiarize themselves one day before the interview.
Two data collection methods were used in this study. First was the
retrospective verbal report, and the second was the oral interview. The verbal
report has several advantages: first, ‘verbal reporting methods are premised on
the idea that the decision process that we go through are not just ‘epiphenomena’,
but real phenomena in their own right’ (McDonough & McDonough, 1997: 191).
Second, ‘verbal reporting methods can help us to reveal a fuller picture of our
learning processes’ (ibid: 191). There are two types of verbalization according to
Ericsson and Simon’s (1993) categorization. One is concurrent verbalization,
which also called ‘think aloud’ or ‘talk aloud’, wherein the report happens at the
same time as the input is heard. The other type of verbalisation is retrospective
verbalisation, which happens after information is heard in a short time, and
participants go back to report what they were thinking when they heard the input.
The type of verbalisation used in this study was retrospective verbalisation,
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because it was a listening text, it is impossible to use concurrent verbalization to
report while they are listening to the aural text. The same method (retrospective
report) was used by Field (2009). In this study, participants gave retrospective
reports three times; the first was after they finished listening item 32, the second
was after they finished listening item 35, and the last was when they finished
listening to item 40. The content of the lecture can be divided into three parts in
this way.
Oral interviews were conducted after participants finished the retrospective
interview. There were two types of questions asked based on the research
questions. For Group A, they were asked how they think studying in the UK
influenced their listening, if they think their listening has improved, in which
aspect do they think it has been improved, for example academic listening or
conversational/ daily life listening. And participants who have taken the IELTS
preparation course were asked if they think they have used the strategies they
learnt from the course and, if so, what kind of (test-wiseness) strategies can they
remember that they have used when they were doing this test.
3.4 Methods Used to Analyse Data
As has been discussed in Chapter One, O’Malley and Chamot’s (1990)
cognitive and metacognitive strategies are applicable in this study, and also test-
wiseness strategies are another type of important strategy. Based on the major
three language learning strategies, a coding scheme (Appendix 7) for this study
was developed based on O’Malley and Chamot (1990) cognitive strategies,
Vandergrift (1997) cognitive strategies and metacognitive strategies, Rowley and
Traub (1977) and Field (2009) test-wiseness strategies. The coding scheme was
validated with the aid of two colleagues.
The participants’ retrospective verbal reports were transcribed verbatim (see
Appendix 8). After carefully coding the verbal protocol with the coding scheme,
Brown and Roger’s (2002) model of protocol analyses was adopted to analyse the
data:
1. Responses are transcribed, segmented, and arrayed in the order produced.
2. These are roughly overviewed and patterns looked for in the responses.
3. Codes are devised (or borrowed) in order to label kinds of observed
response.
4. Codes are assigned to response segments.
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IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH
5. Code sequences and combinations are examined for patterns.
6. Coding combinations are compared to see if larger classification of code
types seems possible and, if so, how codes will be so classified.
7. Combinations of codes and coding classes are examined to see if types of
participant strategies can be identified.
8. Other protocols of similar task types are studied to see if the coding,
classification and strategy assumptions prove adequate for analysis of these new
protocols. If not, steps 2-8 are repeated to reconcile the analytical scheme to all
of the available protocol data.
(Brown and Roger’s, 2002:66)
Each participant’s sub-strategy use and total strategy use were coded and a
frequency table is presented in Appendix 4. The first research question was
answered in four steps. First, the differences of frequency of sub-strategy of
cognitive, metacognitive, and test-wiseness strategies between Group A and
Group B are compared. Second, differences of application of cognitive,
metacognitive, and test-wiseness strategies between two groups were compared
respectively. Third, oral interviews of Group A about the influence of studying in
the UK were analysed. Fourth, findings of step one, two and three were combined
to answer research question one.
The second research question was answered in four steps. First, differences of
cognitive, metacognitive, and test-wiseness strategy use among seven participants
who have taken the IELTS course and five participants who have not taken the
IELTS preparation course were compared. Second, cognitive, metacognitive, and
test-wiseness strategy use of seven participants who have taken the IELTS
preparation course were analysed. Third, oral interviews of the IELTS preparation
course’s influence on test performance were analysed. Fourth, findings of step
one, two, and three were combined to answer research question two.
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Two groups are named Group A for students studying in the UK, and Group
B for students studying in China. A student who is labelled A1 is participant
number one from Group A, and B1 is participant number one from Group B. The
raw data that include all the participants’ details, test scores, and strategy use
frequencies are in Appendix 4.
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4.1 Analysis in Relation to Strategy Use 18

4.1.1 Comparison of Application Strategies Used by Group A and B 16

Strategy Group A Group B 14

12
Cognitive strategy 16 15
10
Elaboration 6 5
8
Deduction 5 3 6 Group A
Auditory Representation 2 1 4 Group B
Transfer 0 1 2
Inferencing 2 3 0

Note taking 1 0
Summary 0 1
Translation 0 1
Test-wiseness strategy 62 49
Word locating 12 7 Graph 4.2 Graph of cognitive strategy use of Group A and Group B
Checklist 8 4 Graph 4.2 shows the frequency of sub-strategies of cognitive strategy use
Error-avoidance 2 3 between two groups. It can be seen that the difference is not huge, as Group A’s
Guessing 3 3 total frequency is one more than that of Group B. However, Group B’s range of
Word recognition 17 12 cognitive strategy use is wider than Group A, where Group B covers seven types
Sentence recognition 20 20 of cognitive strategies, and Group A covers five types of cognitive strategies.
Metacognitive strategy 3 1 4.1.1.2 Comparison of Test-Wiseness Strategies Used in Group A and B
Comprehension 3 1
monitoring
Table 4.1 Frequency tables of cognitive, test-wiseness and metacognitive
strategy use of Group A and Group B
Based on the data from table 4.1, bar graphs below are presented to show the
differences of sub-strategies between groups more clearly.
4.1.1.1 Comparison of Cognitive Strategies used by Group A and B

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Graph 4.3 Graph of test-wiseness strategy use of Group A and Group B. respectively. Differences appear in the application of test-wiseness strategies,
70 where Group A’s use of test-wiseness strategy is much higher than that of Group
60
B, for the sub test-wiseness strategies, it was found that Group A’s uses of word
locating, word recognition, and checklist is higher than those of Group B. In the
50
application of cognitive strategy, although the total frequency shows Group A is
40 higher than Group B, Group B’s range of cognitive strategy use is wider than
30 Group A. Group A’s use of metacognitive strategy is a little higher than that of
Group A Group B, and comprehension monitoring is the only metacognitive strategy used.
20
Group B 4.1.2 Comparison of Strategies Used by IELTS and non-IELTS groups
10
Strategy IELTS group Non-IELTS group
0 Cognitive strategy 17 (21%) 13 (16%)
Elaboration 6 (8%) 5 (6%)
Deduction 5 (6%) 3 (4%)
Auditory representation 3 (4%) 0
Transfer 0 1 (1%)
Graph 4.3 shows Group A’s test-wiseness strategy use is higher than that of Inferencing 2 (3%) 3 (4%)
Group B. Among which, Group A uses 5 more word locating strategies (e.g., A2 Note taking 1 (1%) 0
4: ‘I simply catch the key word after ‘in’’), and four more checklist strategies than Summary 0 1 (1%)
Group B (A4 31: ‘I heard the second half of the sentence’). Both groups’ Translation 1 (1%) 0
frequency of using guessing and sentence recognition strategies is the same. In Test-wiseness strategy 72 (90%) 39 (49%)
three types of test-wiseness strategies, Group A’s frequency is higher than than Word locating 16 (20%) 3 (4%)
that of Group B, and only in the use of Error-avoidance strategy, Group A is lower Checklist 9 (11%) 3 (4%)
than Group B. So in all, Group A’s total use of test-wiseness strategies is higher Error-avoidance 2 (3%) 3 (4%)
than Group B, the sub test-wiseness strategies which Group A uses more than Guessing 4 (5%) 2 (3%)
Group B are word locating, word recognition, and checklist. Word recognition 18 (22%) 11 (14%)
4.1.1.3 Comparison of Metacognitive Strategies Used in Group A and B Sentence recognition 23 (29%) 17 (21%)
Use of metacognitive strategies is found the least in two groups, and only one Metacognitive strategy 3(4%) 1 (1%)
type of metacognitive strategy was used, i.e., comprehension monitoring. Group
Comprehension 3(4%) 1 (1%)
A uses it three times (A2 27: ‘When I heard ‘a’ I wrote down the answer and
monitoring
checked if it’s reasonable.’), and Group B uses it only once (B2 58: ‘I think I
Graph 4.4 Frequency tables of cognitive, test-wiseness and metacognitive
heard ‘in tight’, I think it makes sense.’).
strategy use of IELTS group and Non-IELTS group in percentages.
4.1.1.4 Findings
Group A’s total use of cognitive, test-wiseness and metacognitive strategy is
higher than that of Group B, as well as the frequency of each strategy, 25
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Because of the uneven number of participants of IELTS group (7) and non- 100%
IELTS group (5), the frequency is shown in percentages. Seven participants in the 90%
IELTS group are A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, and B5. Five participants in the non- 80%
IELTS group are B1, B2, B3, B4, and B6. In order to compare the two groups, 70%
the following graphs are illustrated by percentages. 60%
4.1.2.1 Comparison of Cognitive Strategies Used in IELTS and non- 50%
IELTS Groups 40%
IELTS group
25%
30% Non‐IELTS group
20%
20%
10%

0%
15%

10%
IELTS group
Non‐IELTS group
5%

Graph 4.6 Test-wiseness strategy use of IELTS group and non-IELTS group
0%
in percentages.
The difference in test-wiseness strategy use is huge, as it shows the IELTS
group’s use of Test-wiseness strategy is 41% higher than that of the non-IELTS
group. Except for the use of error-avoidance strategy, the IELTS group’s use of
each individual test-wiseness strategy is higher than non-IELTS group. The most
Graph 4.5 - Graph of cognitive strategy use of the IELTS group and non- frequently used test-wiseness strategy is sentence recognition, follow by word
IELTS group in percentages. recognition and word locating.
In graph 4.5, it can be seen that the IELTS group uses more cognitive strategies 4.1.2.3 Comparison of Metacognitive Strategies Used in IELTS and non-
than the Non-IELTS group. The cognitive strategies used by the IELTS group are IELTS Groups
elaboration, deduction, auditory representation, inferencing, and note taking. The The difference of metacognitive strategy use is very small because the
non-IELTS group used all the cognitive strategies the IELTS group used, in frequency is small. The percentage of metacognitive strategy use of the IELTS
addition, they used transfer, summary and translation strategies that were not used group is 4%, which is a little higher than that of the non-IELTS group - 1%.
in IELTS group, which shows that the range of using cognitive strategies of the 4.1.2.4 Analysis of Seven Participants in the IELTS Group
non-IELTS group is wider than the IELTS group. Strategy A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 B5
4.1.2.2 Comparison of Test-wiseness Strategies Used in IELTS and non- Cognitive 1 2 7 3 2 1 2
IELTS Groups strategy (1%) (3%) (9%) (4%) (3%) (1%) (3%)

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Test-wiseness 15 11 16 7 7 6 10 an answer requirement; sometimes it is ‘NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS’,

strategy (19%) (14%) (20%) (9%) (9%) (8%) (13%) and sometimes it is ‘ONE WORD ONLY’. If candidates do not obey the answer
Metacognitive 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 requirement they would lose the score even if the meaning of their answer were
strategy (3%) (1%) similar to the correct answer.
Table 4.7 Cognitive, test-wiseness, and metacognitive strategy use of all seven 4.1.2.4.2 Analysis of Participant A2
participants in the IELTS group Participant A2’s frequency of using cognitive strategy is 3%, and the use of
35% test-wiseness strategy is 14%. This participant used metacognitive strategy.
A2 10 noted: “Because the speaker’s voice goes up.” This is an inference
30% strategy that belongs to cognitive strategy. Here A2 uses available information,
which is the intonation, to predict the answer.
25% A2 19 noted: “It seems reasonable in the question.” This report is a
comprehension monitoring strategy, which belongs to metacognitive strategy.
20% A2 31 noted: “Simply catch the key word ‘that’”. This report is a typical word
Metacognitive strategy
Test‐wiseness strategy locating strategy, which many participants tend to use when they write listening
15%
Cognitive strategy tests.
4.1.2.4.3 Analysis of Participant A3
10%
A3’s frequency of cognitive strategy is 9%, the use test-wiseness strategy is
20%, and 1% for metacognitive strategy.
5%
A3 58: ‘I heard ‘avoid’ and then I was looking for ‘ing’’ A3 looks for ‘ing’ is
0%
deductive strategy, which belongs to cognitive strategy. Here, participant use the
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 word ‘avoid’ to deduce the word after should be a gerund.
A3 6 ‘I heard the front and end part of the sentence’, the participant recognises
Graph 4.8 Cognitive, test-wiseness, and metacognitive strategy use of all
the sentence that he/she heard is the one on the test paper, which is a typical
seven participants in IELTS group in percentages.
sentence recognition strategy, and it belongs to test-wiseness strategy.
The seven bars in graph 4.8 from left to right show strategy use of Participant
A3 12 ‘I feel it’s teacher helps something. Picture here doesn’t make sense.’
A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6 and B5, respectively.
This report is comprehension monitoring and belongs to metacognitive strategy.
It can be seen that metacognitive strategy is the least used, while cognitive
The participant looks back to see if the answer is coherent with the sentence’s
strategy has been used more, and test-wiseness strategy was the most used.
meaning, or does it make a reasonable sentence.
4.1.2.4.1 Analysis of Participant A1
It can been seen that among all seven participants in the IELTS group, A3’s
Participant A1’s frequency of using cognitive strategy is 1%. The frequency
strategy use is the highest.
of test-wiseness strategy is 19%.
4.1.2.4.4 Analysis of Participant A4
A1 12 noted: “I tried to write down ‘rock art’ in this part, but I can’t, because
Participant A4’s frequency of cognitive strategy use is 4%, and test-wiseness
the answer requirement is ‘one word only’”. This is an error-avoidance strategy
strategy use is 9%.
and belongs to the test-wiseness strategy. Every section of IELTS Listening has
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A4 52: ‘They are very fragile, so they are not suitable to be moved. When you
are taking photos, they are not suitable to be moved.’ This report was to explain
the answer of item 39, the answer A4 wrote down is ‘move’. This is elaboration,
which belongs to Cognitive strategy. The original sentence of the test paper for
item 39 is ‘You should avoid __________ or tracing rock art it is so fragile.’
Participant A4 heard the meaning of ‘they are fragile’, then elaborated ‘they are
not suitable to be moved.’ Thus, this a elaboration strategy belongs to cognitive
strategy.
A4 37: ‘Because I heard similar sentence’, this report is sentence recognition
that belongs to test-wiseness strategy.
4.1.2.4.5 Analysis of participant A5
Participant A5 used 3% cognitive strategy and 9% test-wiseness strategy.
A5 11: What’s your answer for 33?
12: 33 is ‘animals’.
13: Why?
14: He took two examples. I missed one, the other is ‘giraffe’.
From this report, it can be seen that A5 deducted the answer ‘animals’ from
the word ‘giraffe’. So this is Deduction that belongs to Cognitive strategy.
A5 26: What’s your answer for 36?
27: I mixed the answers of 36 and 37. If I have to fill the blanks, I will fill
both with ‘culture.’
28: Ok, both ‘culture’. Why 36 is ‘culture’?
29: I didn’t hear it clearly. In 37 I heard something related to culture.
It is interesting and test-wise that A5 fills both 36 and 37 with the same answer,
for make sure at least one answer is correct. So this is test-wiseness strategy,
which echoes Rowley and Traub’s (1977) ‘Answer every question’ strategy. This
strategy not only applicable in listening test, but in many other tests. Students are
taught or told to fill in all the blanks so as to have the chance to get score if there
are some answers that they are not sure.
4.1.2.4.6 Analysis of Participant A6
Participant A6 used 1% Cognitive strategy and 8% Test-wiseness strategy.
A6 11: ‘when I thought I got the answer, I was trying to write down.’ This is
a note taking strategy that belongs to Cognitive strategy.
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IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH
A6 31: ‘I heard the similar sentence.’ This report is a typical sentence
recognition strategy like many other participants reported, which belongs to Test-
wiseness strategy.
4.1.2.4.7 Analysis of Participant B5
Participant B5 used 3% Cognitive strategy and 13% Test-wiseness strategy.
B5 20: ‘when I listen to English, I always can’t help to translate.’ This is
translation strategy that belongs to Cognitive strategy. B5 is the only participant
who used translation strategy amongst all twelve participants.
B5 36: ‘The sentences in the recording are almost the same as the sentences in
the text.’ Again, this is sentence recognition strategy, which belongs to test-
wiseness strategy.
The analysis of seven participants in the IELTS group shows that A3 is the
participant who uses most strategies, for 9% in cognitive strategy, 20% in test-
wiseness strategy, and 1% in metacognitive strategy. The most used test wise-
ness strategies among these seven participants is word locating (see Appendix 4).
The most used cognitive strategy is elaboration, and monitoring comprehension
is the only metacognitive strategy used.
4.1.2.5 Findings
The IELTS group’s total strategy use is higher than the non-IELTS group.
There is difference of test-wiseness strategy use is large, it shows the IELTS
group’s use of test-wiseness strategy is 41% higher than that of the non-IELTS
group. The IELTS group’s use of elaboration, deduction, auditory representation,
note taking, translation strategies are higher than the non-IELTS group. The most
frequently used test-wiseness strategy for both group is sentence recognition,
follow by word recognition and word locating. The IELTS group’s frequency of
using cognitive strategies is higher than the non-IELTS group. However, the
range of using cognitive strategies of non-IELTS group is wider than the IELTS
group. The difference of metacognitive strategy use is not large. The percentage
of metacognitive strategy use of the IELTS group is 4%, which is a little higher
than that of the non-IELTS group--1%. Comprehension monitoring is the only
metacognitive strategy that has been used.
4.2 Interview Analysis
4.2.1 Studying in the UK Influence on Listening
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After each retrospective verbal report, I conducted oral interviews with each
participant. There were two types of questions asked. One was toward participants
in Group A (N=6): do they think their listening improved since they studied in
the UK, if so, in which aspects did their listening improve. The answers were
categorized into three types due to the participants’ responses, which are
academic listening, daily life listening, and overall listening. The other question
was toward participants who took the IELTS training courses (N=7), which
include all the six participants in Group A and participant B5 in Group B.
4.2.1.1 Influence on Academic Listening
Four participants reported that at the beginning of the course they found it was
difficult to follow academic listening.
A1: ‘82 At first I could not follow the lectures, maybe I could understand only
50%’
A2 ‘48 At the beginning, I was struggling in following the lectures’
A3 ‘71 What do you think of your academic listening? Has it improved?
72 Yes absolutely. At first I could only understand maybe half’
A5 ‘59 Do you think your listening has improved since you studied here?
60 Yes, especially on academic listening. Because my course in China
was taught in Mandarin, and I was not used to English-only academic
environment at the beginning’
Participant A1 and A3 both gave estimated percentage of how much they could
understand the lectures, which is 50%. Participant A5 explained the reason of
finding it difficult to follow academic listening is the courses in China was taught
in Mandarin and not used to English-only academic environment. It is always
found that the main reason of finding it difficult to understand English in a native
English speaking country is because people are not used to the English-only
environment, especially with academic English (which is more advanced and
professional), which takes more time for students to comprehend.
Three participants directly reported they improved their academic listening.
A1 ‘I recorded the lectures and listened to them at home, plus I talked a lot
with classmates and tutors, after about 3 or 4 months, I could grasp the main
content, I could understand 80% now.’
A2 ‘48 At the beginning, I was quite struggling in following the lectures, and
then I practiced a lot. Now I think I have improved a lot.’
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IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH
A3 ‘59 Do you think your listening has improved since you studied here?
60 Yes, especially on academic listening.’
Participants A1 and A2 reported their ways of improving their academic
listening which can be divided to input practice and communication. Input
practice is to record the lectures and listen to the recording after class.
Communication is to practice/ talk with tutors and classmates.
One participant reported there is little improvement in academic listening, and
the reason for it was the limitation of the vocabulary.
A4 ‘64 But for academic listening, I still cannot understand it fully because
my vocabulary is limited.’
4.2.1.2 Influence on Daily Life Listening
Three participants reported clearly that their daily life listening has improved.
The reasons for them to improve their daily life listening are the same, which are
listen more and communicate with people. This is same as the way participants
improve their academic listening.
A1 ‘80 as I listened and communicated a lot with people, now I have no
problem in understanding them in life.’
A3 ‘70 I think I have no problem in dealing with daily life issues as time passes
by. ’
A4 ‘64 My daily life listening has improved a lot because I associate with
people a lot. I have no problem in communicating with people at all now.’
4.2.1.3 Influence on General Listening
Participants who did not report clearly whether it is their academic listening
or daily life listening improving, or other aspects of listening has improved, are
categorized as ‘influence of general listening’.
Participant A1 reported ‘78 My listening improved a lot. Especially for
different accents. I have many European flatmates, at first I could barely
understand them, but now I have no problem of understanding them.’ This is a
special report and most probably a phenomenon every overseas Chinese students
face. This could either refer to the improvement of academic listening and daily
life listening, because tutors and classmates can all have accents no matter what
type of English they speak.
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Participant A6 reported listening was improved but did not mention which
type of listening. This could also be on both academic and daily life part.
A6: ‘52 Do you think your listening improved since you studied here?
53 Yes.
4.2.1.4 Findings
All the participants reported studying in the UK improved their listening. Five
participants (A1, A2, A3, A5, A6) out of six reported studying in the UK
improved their academic English, one participant (A4) reported the improvement
on academic listening is little because of vocabulary limitation. Four participants
(A1, A3, A4, A6) reported being in the UK improved their daily life listening, the
reasons that participants gave for the improvement of academic and daily life
listening are the same, which are listen more and practice/ communicate more.
One participant (A1) reported the improvement of general listening, especially
with accents.
4.2.2 Influence of IELTS Preparation Course
There are seven participants that have taken the IELTS preparation course in
China, which includes all the participants from Group A, and participant B5 from
Group B. Figure 4 shows the year each participant took the IELTS courses.
Participant ID Time for IELTS course
A1 2012
A2 2010
A3 2010
A4 2008
A5 2010
A6 2009
B5 2011
Figure 4, Year each participant took IELTS course.
All seven participants reported the IELTS preparation course influenced them
more or less when they are doing the test; they still remember the strategies they
learnt from the course and used them. Five participants simply reported they were
influenced by the IELTS course they took while they were doing the test, and two
participants (A5, B4) reported specifically the main test-wiseness strategy they
used was word locating. In these six participants the most recent year for the
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IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH
IELTS course is participant A1, the previous month before the interview took
place. The earliest one is participant A4, in the year 2008.
The transcription below clearly shows participants’ response toward the
influence of the IELTS course.
A1 85 Do you think the strategies you learnt from the course affected you
when you were doing the test?
86 I think so. Because I took the course last month, and I can still
remember the strategies I learnt, and I used them.
A2 44 Do you think the strategies you learnt from the course affected you
when you were doing the test?
45 Yes, I think so.
A3 77 Do you think the strategies you learnt from the course affected you
when you were doing the test?
78 Yes, I do.
A5 55 Did you use the test taking strategies that you learnt before when you
were doing this test? Or did you pay more attention on listening, just like you
listen to the lecture as usual.
56 I used strategies. Because I was taught before to see what kind of
words are there before the blank, and then circle the key words.
A6 49 Do you think the strategies you learnt from the course affected you
when you were doing the test?
50 Yes, I think so.
B4 49 Did you use the strategies you learn from the course?
50 Yes, most of the time I look for and wait for key words.’
Participant A4 took the IELTS training course four years ago. He thought he
would forget all the strategies he had learnt and had no influence from the course.
However, he admitted that the influence of the IELTS course still existed
unavoidably when he was doing the test.
A4
68 Have you been taken IELTS training courses before?
69 Yes.
70 When did you take it?
71 Quite a long time ago, in 2008.
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72 Do you think the course affected you when you were doing the test?
73 It is supposed to have no effect because it was such a long time ago, but I
have to say there is still a little.
4.2.2.1 Findings
The time span for these seven participants taking the IELTS course ranges
from four years to one month ago when the interview took place. The finding is
interesting that all the participants reported they used the strategies they learnt
from the IELTS course, no matter how long they have taken the course. Five
participants simply reported they were influenced by the IELTS course they took
while they were doing the test, and two participants (A5, B4) reported specifically
the main test-wiseness strategy they used was word Locating.
4.3 Discussion
4.3.1 Findings of Strategy Use between Group A and B
Group A’s total use of cognitive, test-wiseness and metacognitive strategy is
higher than that of Group B, as well as the frequency of each strategy respectively.
Difference shows in the application of test-wiseness strategies, where Group A’s
use of test-wiseness strategy is much higher than Group B. In the application of
cognitive strategy, although the total frequency shows Group A is higher than
Group B, Group B’s range of cognitive strategy use is wider than Group A. Group
A’s use of metacognitive strategy is a little higher than Group B, and
comprehension monitoring is the only metacognitive strategy used
4.3.2 Findings from Oral Interviews
All the participants reported that being in the UK improved their listening.
Five participants (A1, A2, A3, A5, A6) out of six reported studying in the UK
improved their academic English. One participant (A4) reported the improvement
with academic listening is little because of vocabulary limitation. Four
participants (A1, A3, A4, A6) reported being in the UK improved their daily life
listening. The reasons participants gave for the improvement of academic and
daily life listening are the same: listen more and practice/communicate more. One
participant (A1) reported the improvement of general listening, especially with
accents.
4.4 Answer Research Question One
To answer research question one ‘Are there any differences in strategy use
when doing IELTS Listening test between Chinese undergraduate students study
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IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH
in China, and Chinese undergraduate students study in the UK, and does studying
in the UK influence their listening comprehension’. First, students study in the
UK apply more cognitive, test-wiseness and metacognitive strategies than
students study in China. Second, to put it into detail, the total frequency of
cognitive strategy application shows Group A is higher than Group B, however,
Group B’s range of cognitive strategy use is wider than Group A. The difference
between metacognitive strategy applications is very small, and comprehension
monitoring is the only metacognitive strategy used. In the application of test-
wiseness strategy, Group A’s total application of test-wiseness strategies is higher
than Group B. to be specific, Group A’s application of word locating, word
recognition, and checklist is higher than Group B. Third, all the participants in
Group A reported studying in the UK improved their listening. The listening
improvements are in two parts: one is the improvement of academic listening; the
other is the improvement of daily life listening. The finding of the improvement
of students’ listening for studying in English speaking countries echoes Sawir’s
(2005) research finding that study in English speaking countries helps to improve
students’ academic listening and conversational listening.
4.5 Comparison of IELTS and non-IELTS Groups
4.5.1 Most Frequently used Test-wiseness Strategies
The research findings of the interviews regarding the IELTS preparation
course’s influence on test performance are that all seven participants reported they
used strategies learnt from the IELTS course. Two participants especially
reported they used a word locating strategy. As the coding data shows that the
most frequently used test-wiseness strategies are word recognition and sentence
recognition, which echoes Yamahuchi’s (2001) finding that the training program
could promote word recognition and sentence recognition in listening
comprehension. The second most used test-wiseness strategy is word locating
strategy.
For the other five participants who did not take the IELTS course, the most
frequently used strategy is sentence recognition (B2 31: ‘quite similar with the
one the passage had said’), follow by Word Recognition (B4 8: ‘ Because I heard
the word ‘usually’’), and then Word Locating (B5 25: ‘Actually, I located ‘visitor
pressure’ as my key words.’).
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The use of test-wiseness strategies between the IELTS group and non-IELTS
group are quite similar, the only difference is the IELTS group used sentence
recognition and word recognition strategies for the most time, and the group that
did not take the IELTS course used sentence recognition strategy for the most
time.
4.5.2 Duration of Influence after Taking IELTS Course
Participant A1 took IELTS course one month before the interview took place,
and participant A4 took the course four years ago. It would be interesting to find
the difference between these two participants. Participant A1’s total frequency of
test-wiseness strategy use is fifteen, and A4’s frequency of strategy use is seven.
Both participants used word Locating, word recognition, and checklist strategies.
A1 also used sentence recognition and error-avoidance strategies, however A4
did not. The coded data matches participants’ response, participant A1 reported
‘A1 86: I think so. Because I took the course this year, and I can still remember
the strategies I learnt, and I used them.’ A4 reported ‘A4 73: It supposed to have
no effect because (I took the course) such a long time ago, but I have to say there
is still a little.’
The influence of the strategies taught in the IELTS course can last at least four
years as far as it shows in the data in this research. As time passes, some of the
test-wiseness strategies would be forgotten, but the key strategies still remain,
which are word locating, word recognition and checklist strategies.
4.5.3 Findings from Coded Data
The IELTS group’s total strategy use is higher than the non-IELTS group.
There is difference of test-wiseness strategy use. It shows the IELTS group’s use
of test-wiseness strategy is 41% higher than that of the non-IELTS group. The
IELTS group’s use of elaboration, deduction, auditory representation, note taking,
translation strategies are higher than the non-IELTS group. The most frequently
used test-wiseness strategy for both groups is sentence recognition, followed by
word recognition and word locating. The IELTS group’s frequency of using
cognitive strategies is higher than the non-IELTS group. However, the range of
using cognitive strategies of the non-IELTS group is wider than the IELTS group.
The difference of metacognitive strategy use is not huge. The percentage of
metacognitive strategy use of the IELTS group is 4%, which is a little higher than
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IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH
that of the non-IELTS group--1%. Comprehension monitoring is the only
metacognitive strategy that has been used.
4.6 Answer Research Question Two
To answer research question two ‘Are there any differences in strategy use
when doing IELTS Listening test between students who took IELTS preparation
courses and those who did not’. The question can be answered in four points based
on the discussion above. Firstly, all the participants who took the IELTS
preparation course reported they were influenced by the strategies they learnt
when they are doing the IELTS listening test, and the coded data matches the
report. Secondly, the IELTS group’s application of cognitive, test-wiseness, and
metacognitive are all higher than that of the non-IELTS group. Thirdly, to be
specific of each strategy use, there is difference of test-wiseness strategy use, it
shows the IELTS group’s use of test-wiseness strategy is 41% higher than that of
the non-IELTS group. The IELTS group used sentence recognition and word
recognition strategies for the most time, and the non-IELTS group used sentence
recognition strategy for the most time. In terms of cognitive strategy application,
the IELTS group’s use of elaboration, deduction, auditory representation, note
taking, translation strategies are higher than the non-IELTS group. Lastly, in the
IELTS group, elaboration is the most used cognitive strategy; word locating is the
most used test-wiseness strategy. The key test-wiseness strategies still influence
test takers performance for up to four years, which are word locating, word
recognition and checklist strategies, and it echoes Yamahuchi’s (2001) finding.
5. CONCLUSION
This chapter discusses the implications that is drawn from the results of this
study, presents some pedagogical implications, and provides suggestions for
further research.
5.1 Implications
First, from the differences between group in the UK and group in China
investigated in this study, all the participants reported studying in the UK
improves their listening, either academic listening or daily life listening, because
they have been exposed to an English-only environment. Therefore, it is
suggested that EFL teachers use English-only in class, and try to create as many
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English speaking opportunities as possible for students. Thus, students’ listening
could improve faster. Overseas universities could offer listening and speaking
skill classes for international students to better assist their language development.
Secondly, from the difference of strategy use between students studying in the
UK and students studying in China, students studying in the UK used more
cognitive, test-wiseness, and metacognitive strategies than the students studying
in China. Therefore, it is suggested that EFL teachers incorporate a
multidimensional way to combine and improve students’ cognitive,
metacognitive, and test-wiseness strategies.
Finally, as it shown in the results, all the participants used test-wiseness
strategies, whether they have received training or not. From the differences found
between the IELTS group and non-IELTS group, the IELTS group uses more
cognitive, test-wiseness, and metacognitive strategies. Among which, the use of
test-wiseness strategies show difference between the two groups. Therefore, it is
suggested that ESL/ EFL teachers encourage and instruct students to use test-
wiseness strategies in combination with cognitive and metacognitive strategies.
5.2 Limitations
There are several limitations in this study. First, the participant number is
limited. Only six participants were involved in each group in this study and they
cannot represent all the Chinese undergraduate students studying in the UK and
in China. Thus, generalization of the results could be limited. Therefore, the test
scores were not compared in this study.
Secondly, conducting online interviews has some limitations because the
interviewer cannot see the interviewees taking notes, which could affect the
cognitive strategy analysis, some other phenomena while the participant are
taking the test could not be seen either. Some incidents would happen if the
researcher cannot see the participant’s taking the test, for example, in one of the
interviews in this study, one participant reported forgetting two answers. In the
following interview, the researcher knew that the participant did not write down
the answers heard but just tried to remember and report them when she was asked
questions by the researcher. There is also distraction in both interviewer and
interviewees’ sides, for example, noise, or interaction from another person, and
so on. Had interviews been face-to-face these situations would rarely happen.
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IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH
Finally, using online software to conduct interview has limitations. The
software used was Skype. Issues were a) sometimes the quality of speech
transmission is poor, it may need the interviewer/interviewee to repeat
conversation, b) when playing the audio text for the participant via Skype the
sound quality was poor so that the participants had to play the audio text by
themselves, which might influence their performance, c) sometimes it takes time
to hear from the other side.
5.3 Ideas for Further Research
In relation to the findings and limitations of this study, several suggestions for
future research arise. First, this study provided useful data on listening strategy
use between Chinese students studying in the UK and Chinese students studying
in China, and strategy use between students who have taken the IELTS
preparation course and students who have not. However, the number of
participants was too small to compare significant differences. Thus, further study
could conduct research in large use of listening strategies based on large numbers
of participants, the analysis method could be statistical analysis, so as to compare
significant differences.
Second, a research method that enables distance interviews with good audio
quality and visual effect needs to be found. Thus, research data can be presented
clearer, and more strategies can be observed.
Third, more interview questions need to be conducted for participants studying
in the UK and participants who have taken the IELTS preparation course. Thus,
the differences between groups could be clearer.
Last, research on the comparison of Chinese postgraduate students study in
China and in the UK could be conducted, so as to see the differences it terms of
listening comprehension and strategy use between postgraduate students.
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Appendix 1 Naiman et al. (1978) Language Learning Strategy
A. Active task approach
1. Responds positively to learning opportunity or seeks and exploits learning
environments: Student acknowledges need for a structured learning environment
and takes a course prior to immersing him/herself in target language.
2. Adds related language learning activities to regular classroom program:
Reads additional items. Listen to tapes.
3. Practices: Writes down words to memorize. Looks at speakers’ mouth and
repeats.
B. Realization of language as a system
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IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH
1. Analyses individual problems. Makes L1/L2 comparisons: Reads alone to
hear sounds. Uses cognates. Using what is already known.
2. Analyses target language to make inferences: uses rules to generate
possibilities.
3. Makes use of fact that language is a system: Relates new dictionary words
to others in same category.
C. Realization of language as a means of communication and interaction
1. Emphasizes fluency over accuracy: Does not hesitate to speak. Uses
circumlocutions.
2. Seeks communicative situations with L2 speakers: Communicates
whenever possible. Establishes close personal contact with L2 native speakers.
Writes to pen pals.
D. Management of affective demands
1. Finds sociocultural means: Memorizes courtesies and phrases.
2. Copes with affective demands in learning: Overcomes inhabitation to
speak. Is able to laugh at own mistakes. Is prepared for difficulties.
E. Monitoring L2 performances
Constantly revises L2 system by testing inferences and asking L2 native
speakers for feedback: Generates sentences and looks for reactions. Looks for
ways to improve so as not to repeat mistakes.
(Source: O’Malley and Chamot, 1990:6)
Appendix 2 Rubin (1981) Language Learning Strategy
Observation Schedule of Language Learners
I. Processes which may contribute directly to learning
A. Clarification/verification
1. Asks for an example of how to use a particular word/expression
2. Repeats word to confirm understanding
3. Repeats part of word or sentence, asks for the rest:
4. Asks for correct form to use
5. Puts word in sentence to check understanding
6. Asks for translation from native to second language or vice versa
7. Asks question about culture
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8. Asks for repetition (of sentence or word)
9. Asks for meaning of item/sentence/phrase
10. Looks up words in dictionary or structure in grammar book
11. Asks for difference between two words/phrases
12. Asks if given utterance is correct
13. Asks if rule fits a particular case
14. Restates in own words or briefer terms ('just' means 'only')
15. Paraphrases a sentence to check understanding
16. Asks for paraphrase to check understanding
17. Asks to be corrected
18. Asks if a given form is explained by a previously learned rule
B. Monitoring
1. Corrects error in own/other's pronunciation, vocabulary, spelling, grammar,
and style.
2. Observes and analyses language use of others to see how message was
interpreted by addressee
3. Notes source of own errors e.g., own language interference, other language
Interference
C. Memorization
Of words, frequently-used simple sentences, basic sentence patterns, songs,
verb declensions, dialogues/monologues, formulaic chunks
1. Takes notes of new items with or without examples, with or without context,
with or without definitions
2. Pronounces out loud
3. Find some sort of association (semantic, visual, auditory, kinesic).
4. Uses other mechanical devices e.g., puts new words in right pocket, moves
to the left when learned; writes out items to be learned several times, etc.
D. Guessing/inductive inferencing: uses hunches from a wide range of
possible sources of meaning for a particular circumstance.
1. Uses clues from the following to guess the meaning
Other items in the sentence/phrase
Key words in a sentence
Syntactic structure
Pictures
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IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH
Context of discourse
Topic of discourse
Gestures
Word Association or other features which are contingent on each other
Intonation
Own native language or other foreign language
Part of word
Narrative/conversational sequence
2. Correlates word with action
3. Distinguishes relevant from irrelevant clues in deducing meaning
4. Ignores difficult words; tries to get an overall picture
E. Deductive reasoning (looks for and uses general rules)
1. Compares native/other language to target language to help identify regular
similarities and differences (from: A. Cohen).
2. Groups words according to similarity of endings (from: A. Cohen).
3. Looks for rules of co-occurrence restrictions and contextual/stylistic rules
4. Infers grammatical rules by analogy
5. Infers vocabulary by analogy (e.g., if nation = nation; then does relation =
relation?)
6. Recognizes patterns of own pronunciation and grammatical difficulties
7. Notes exceptions to rules and questions rules for this
8. When using dictionary, recognizes limitations of dictionary in providing
equivalents and develops a theory about the nature of these limitations
9. Develops and revises grasp of target language on a continuing basis:
processing new information, discarding hypotheses, formulating new ones
10. Finds meaning of item/word by breaking it down into its parts
F. Practice
1. Experiments with new sounds in isolation and in context, uses mirror for
practice.
2. Repeats sentences until produced easily.
3. Practises intonation contours, e.g., begins with shorter sentences and then
lengthens sentences by adding adjectives and adverbs; maintains rhythm all the
time.
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 JING LI IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH

4. Talks to self in target language (e.g., tells self what he/she did all day).
5. Consciously applies grammatical rules when speaking (from: A. Cohen). Appendix 3
6. Drills self on words in different forms (from: A. Cohen). O’Malley and Chamot (1990) learning strategy definitions and classifications
7. Makes use of new words when speaking. Learning strategy Definition
8. When corrected practises correct form, possibly extending it to other A. Metacognitive Strategies
contexts. Planning
9. Listens carefully to what is said and how it is said: accent, intonation, tone Advance organizers Previewing the main ideas and concepts of
and stress, register; tries to imitate pronunciation and other aspects (from Cohen). the material to be learned, often by
II. Processes which may contribute indirectly to learning skimming the text for the organizing
A. Creates opportunity for practice. principle.
1. Creates situation with natives in order to verify/test/practice. Directed attention Deciding in advance to attend in general to
2. Initiates conversation with fellow student/teacher/native speaker. a learning task and to ignore irrelevant
3. Answers to self, questions to other students. distractors.
4. Spends extra time in language lab. Functional planning Planning for and rehearsing linguistic
5. Listens to TV/radio, attends movies or parties or uses advertisements, reads components necessary to carry out an
extra books often first in native language, then in target language. upcoming language task.
6. Identifies learning preferences and selects learning situations accordingly. Selective attention Deciding in advance to attend to specific
B. Production tricks: related to communication focus/drive, probably related aspects of input, often by scanning for key
to motivation and opportunity for exposure. words, concepts, and/or linguistic
1. Uses circumlocution and paraphrase to get message across. markers.
2. Uses synonym to communicate meaning e.g., shut = closed. Self-management Understanding the conditions that help one
3. Repeats sentence to further understanding. learn and arranging for the presence of
4. Uses a cognate, whether right or wrong. those conditions.
5. Uses 'formulaic' interactional focused utterances to keep conversation Evaluation
going (from: L. W. Fillmore). Self-evaluation Checking the outcomes of one’s own
6. Directs conversation to where he/she has sufficient strength; if doesn't language learning against a standard after
know a word, approximates it, describes it (paraphrase), or makes up a word. it has been completed.
7. Uses gestures to communicate meaning. B. Cognitive Strategies
8. Puts into context to clarify meaning e.g., sing (a song). Resourcing Using target language reference materials
9. Uses simple sentences. such as dictionaries, encyclopaedias, or
10. Spells words out to make meaning clear. textbooks.
11. Speaks more slowly or more rapidly.
12. Writes word out.
(Source: O’Malley and Chamot, 1990:6) 49
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 JING LI
Repetition Imitating a language model, including
overt practice and silent rehearsal.
Grouping Classifying words, terminology, or
concepts according to their attributes or
meaning.
Deduction Applying rules to understand or produce
the second language or making up rules
based on language analysis.
Imagery Using visual images (either mental or
actual) to understand or remember new3
information.
Auditory Planning back in one’s mind the sound of
Representation a word, phrase, or longer language
sequence.
Keyword method Remembering a new word in the second
language by: (1) identifying a familiar
word in the first language that sounds like
or otherwise resembles the new word, and
(2) generating easily recalled images of
some relationship with the first language
homonym and the new word in the second
language.
Elaboration Relating new information to prior
knowledge, relating different parts of new
information to each other, or making
meaningful personal associations with the
new information.
Transfer Using previous linguistic knowledge or
prior skills to assist comprehension or
production.
Inference Using available information to guess
meanings of new items, predict outcomes,
or fill in missing information.
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IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH
Note taking Writing down key words or concepts in
abbreviated verbal, graphic, or numerical
form while listening or reading.
Summarizing Making a mental, oral, or written summary
of new information gained through
listening or reading.
Recombination Constructing a meaningful sentence or
larger language sequence by combing
known elements in a new way.
Translation Using the first language as a base for
understanding and/or producing the
second language.
C. Social Mediation
Question for Eliciting from a teacher or peer additional
clarification explanations, rephrasing, examples, or
verification.
Cooperation Working together with one or more peers
to solve a problem, pool information,
check a learning task, model a language
activity, or get feedback on oral or written
performance.
(Source: O’Malley and Chamot, 1990: 119-20)
Appendix 4 Participants’ basic information and strategy-use frequency table
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Appendix 5 Task used in this study

SECTION 4 Questions 31-40
Questions 31-35: Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

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Questions 36-40
Complete the sentences below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
36 If you look at a site from a _______, you reduce visitor pressure.
37 To camp on a site may be disrespectful to people from that ____.
38 Undiscovered material may be damaged by __________
39 You should avoid __________ or tracing rock art it is so fragile.
40 In general, your aim is to leave the site ______________.
(Source: Cambridge ESOL, 2009, Cambridge IELTS 7, Test 1 Section 4,
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge)
Appendix 6 Tape scripts of IELTS listening test
Good afternoon, everyone!
This is the first seminar in preparation for our archaeological field work in
Namibia: we are fantastically lucky to have received partial research funding for
this trip from our Institute, so I shall expect 200% attention and participation from
you all. First in this seminar, I’m going to give a brief introduction to
contemporary research on rock art, and in the second part I’m going to give you
54
IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH
some do’s and don’ts for our fieldwork trip in April- so please listen very
carefully.
I’m first going to focus on the interpretation of rock art in Namibia. We are
very fortunate to be going to an area where you can find some of the most
important sites in the entire world. And I hope to show you how easy it is for
everyone to make mistakes in looking at cultures which are different from our
own—the first and most important lesson we have to learn.
In Namibia there are both paintings and engravings—that’s where the surface
of the rock is cut out. Many of the engravings show footprints of animals and
most scholars used to think that the purpose of these was simple and obvious: this
rock art was like a school book with pictures to teach children about tracks: which
track belongs to which animal—giraffe, lion and so on.
But there were some mysteries. First, when you look at a typical Namibian
painting or engraving, you see the tracks are repeated, there are dozens of tracks
for the same animal. You’d expect just one clear illustration if the reason—the
aim—was to teach tracking.
Now there were two more problems. Why are some of the engravings of
animals very accurate as you’d expect—all clearly identifiable—and others quite
unrealistic?
And another mystery—some of these unrealistic animals—that’s in the
engravings—seem to be half human. Some, for example, have got human faces.
Many researchers now think that these were pictures the wise men engraved of
themselves. They believed they could use magic to control the animals they had
drawn, so the hunters could then catch them for food.
This shows you some of the dangers of coming from one to another, as we’ll
be doing, without understanding it fully. Scholars imagined that children looked
at rock art pictures to learn to track—just because they themselves has learnt skills
from pictures; many researchers now believe that rock art had a much more
complex purpose. And we’ll talk more about it next week!
Now before I invite you to join in a discussion in this second part of the
seminar, I’d like to make some very important points about our fieldworks—and
in fact any field trip to look at rock art.
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 JING LI IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH

(Source: Cambridge ESOL, 2009, Cambridge IELTS 7, pp. 134-135, relating it to knowledge gained from the
text or conversation in order to predict
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge).
outcomes or fill in missing information.
Appendix 7 Listening comprehension strategies coding scheme Metacognitive strategy
Code Full name Definition Reference Monitoring
Cognitive Strategy CM Comprehension The process of checking and Goh (2008)
RE Repetition Imitating a language model, including O’Malley monitoring confirming how well one understands
overt practice and silent rehearsal. and Chamot , the input during listening.
(1990:119) Test-taking strategy
GR Grouping Classifying words, terminology, or Ibid. WL Word locating Using a word from the task sheet in Field
concepts according to their attributes or order to locate the relevant information (2009:44)
meaning. in the listening text.
DE Deduction Applying rules to understand or Ibid. CL Checklist Using the ordering of items on the Ibid.
produce the second language or making worksheet as a kind of checklist with
up rules based on language analysis. which to approach the recording.
IM Imagery Using visual images (either mental or Ibid. EA Error- 1. Pay careful attention to directions, Ibid.
actual) to understand or remember new avoidance determining clearly the nature of the
information. task and the intended basis for response.
AR Auditory Planning back in one’s mind the sound Ibid. 2. Pay careful attention to the items,
Representation of a word, phrase, or longer language determining clearly the nature of the
sequence. question.
TF Transfer Using previous linguistic knowledge or Ibid. 3. Ask examiner for clarification when
prior skills to assist comprehension or necessary, if it is permitted.
production. 4. Check all answers.
IF Inferencing Using available information to Ibid: 120. GS Guessing 1. Always guess if right answers only Ibid.
guess meanings of new items, predict are scored.
outcomes, or fill in missing 2. Always guess if the correction for
information. guessing is less severe than a
NT Note taking Writing down key words or concepts in Ibid. “correction for guessing” formula that
abbreviated verbal graphic, or numeral gives an expected score of zero for
form while listening or reading. random responding.
SR Summarizing Making a mental, oral, or written Ibid. 3. Always guess even if the usual
summary of new information gained correction or a more severe penalty for
through listening or reading. guessing is employed.
TL Translation Using the first language as a base for Ibid. WR Word Word recognition in listening is the Ibid.
understanding and/ or producing the recognition ability of a listener to recognize
second language. listening input correctly and
ST Substitution Selecting alternative approaches, Vandergrift effortlessly.
revised plans, or different words or (1997) SR Sentence Sentence recognition in listening is the Ibid.
phrases to accomplish a listening task. recognition ability of a listener to recognize
ER Elaboration Listing prior knowledge from outside Ibid.
the test or conversational context and
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 JING LI IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH

listening input correctly and 24. Ok, why did you choose that?
effortlessly.
25. I just heard this word, Ha Ha…
AEQ Answer every Candidates fill in every question Rowley and
question even if they are not sure if the answers Traub (1977: 26. Did you hear the sentence ‘why are the tracks usually…’?
are correct. 18) 27. Yeah. They usually, repeatedly.
28. Re- so the answer is repeatedly?
Appendix 8 Transcription of all the participants’ verbal protocol and 29. Yeah.
interview 30. Then 34?
A1 31. HUMAN.
1. Ok. We are stopping at 32 now, so what’s the answer for 31? 32. Ok, why Human?
2. I missed both of them. 33. Um, he just mentioned, ah the animals are half human, and he also said
3. You missed both of them? they have human face?
4. Yeah. 34. Hmm, ok.
5. Why did you miss them? 35. The last one, I heard wise man, with magic to control.
6. Hmm, I heard ‘preparation’. 3.6 So the answer of 35 is…
7. Hmm? 37. MAGIC.
8. ‘Namibia’. 38. Ok, let’s move on.
9. Hmm hm. 39. Ok. 36?
10. But no ‘in’, no others. 40. DISTANCE.
11. Hmm hm. 41. Ok, why distance?
12. I tried to write down ‘rock art’ in this part, but I can’t, coz the answer 42. Um, he first said from a bla la bla, and then he mentioned reduce pressure.
requirement is ‘one word only’. 43. Ok, so you sort of heard the exactly word from a distance?
13. Yes, so you were waiting for the sentence to, to appear, and when you 44. Yeah.
heard Namibia you didn’t hear ‘in’. 45. And then you heard the second half of the sentence?
14. Yes. 46. Yeah.
15. Ok, did you try, did you try to follow the exact word, or did you try to 47. OK. Um, what about 37?
understand the meaning of that paragraph? 48. CULTURE.
16. I tried to find the exact word. 49. Ok, why did you choose culture?
17. Hmm, ok what about 32? 50. He just mentioned culture. He said never come on a site, because this will
18. Ah, 32 I heard the title, but not the answer. show disrespect to people from that culture.
19. Not the answer. You didn’t hear the sentence at all? 51. Ok. 38?
20. Yeah, maybe I heard ‘tracking’, but not the others. 52. FIRE.
21. OK. Let’s move on. 53 .Ok, why did you choose fire?
22. Ok, what about 33? 54. He said ‘by doing so’, but he mentioned ‘fire’ in the past.
23. REPEATEDLY. 59
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 JING LI IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH

55. Mm, ok. So did you understand the meaning of this sentence? 82. Absolutely. At first I could not follow the lectures, maybe I could
56. Yeah. understand only 50%, then I recorded the lectures and listened to them at home,
57. Ok. plus I talked a lot with classmates and tutors, after about 3 or 4 months, I could
58. Ah, maybe he said play fire is dangerous? Erm, undiscovered materials grasp the main content, I could understand 80% now.
and something else maybe damaged by doing so. 83. Have you been taken IELTS training courses before?
59. Ok. 39? 84. Yes.
60. He said ‘never by touching or tracking’ er... ‘tracing’ blah blah blah. 85. Do you think the strategies you learnt from the course affected you when
61. Ok. you were doing the test?
62. Erm, the answer is TOUCHING. Ah, avoid touching. 86. I think so. Because I took the course last month, and I can still remember
63. Ok. The last one? the strategies I learnt, and I used them.
64. INTIGHT? 87. Ok.
65. INTIGHT? Why? A2
66. He said ‘leave the site intight’, but I don’t know how to spell it. 1. What's your answer of 31?
67. You heard this word? 2. APRIL.
68. Yeah. 3. Why did you choose that answer?
69. Are you sure this is the answer? 4. I simply catch the key word after ‘in’.
70. … yes. 5. So you were waiting for the word ‘in’?
71. But you are not sure about the spelling? 6. Yes.
72. Yeah. 7. Ok, what’s your answer for 32?
73. Hmm, can you try to spell it now? 8. REPEATED.
74. Hmm, according to the pronunciation, maybe i-n-t-i-g-h-t. 9. Why did you choose ‘repeated’?
Interview: 10. Because the speaker’s voice goes up in the sentence.
75. How long have you been studying in the UK? 11. Ok.
76. Almost one year. 12. And your answer of 33?
77. Do you think your listening got improved compare to you first arrived the 13. HUMAN.
UK? 14. Why did you choose ‘human’?
78. Yes, my listening improved a lot. Especially for different accent. I have 15. Because the speaker was speaking really slow so that it was not difficult
many European flatmates, at first I could barely understand them, but now I have to answer.
no problem of understanding them. 16. Ok, what’s your answer for 34?
79. So now you don’t have problem in understanding English in daily life. 17. MAGIC.
80. No. as I listened and communicated a lot with people, now I have no 18. Why did you choose ‘magic’?
problem in understanding them in life. 19. Actually I am not very sure about this answer, I just heard the word ‘magic’
81. What do you think of your academic listening? Has it improved, and how and it seems reasonable in the question.
much percent has it improved? 61
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20. What do you mean by ‘you heard the word’? 47. Do you think your listening got improved since you studied here?
21. I just heard it, I don’t know why. 48. Yes, at the beginning, I was quite struggling in following the lectures, and
22. Is it because you understood the meaning of that sentence, or because you then I practiced a lot, now I think I improved a lot.
followed the sequence? 49. How many percentages do you think you could understand the lecture
23. I think I followed the sequence. now?
24. Ok, what’s your answer for 35? 50. About 80%.
25. DISTANCE. 51. Ok. Thank you.
26. Why did you choose ‘distance’? A3
27. The sentence in the test paper is another way round with the listening 1. What’s your answer for 31?
material and when I heard the ‘a’ I wrote down the answer and checked if it is 2. I heard it’s like TERMINAL.
reasonable. 3. ‘Terminal’? Why?
28. And your answer for 36? 4. Um, therminal, or terminal? I just heard it like that. I don’t know why, I just
29. CULTURE. heard it’s like that.
30. Why? 5. Did you hear that sentence? The sentence begins with ‘preparation’? or
31. Same order of sentence and simply catch the key word ‘that’, then I put others?
down the answer as ‘culture’. 6. Yeah, I heard the front and end part of this sentence, I may heard ‘in’, and
32. And 37? then I heard this word. So I think it’s the answer.
33. TOUCHING. But I am not very sure about it. I just heard the word 7. Ok, what’s the answer for 32?
‘touching’, and think it may be the answer. 8. Hmm, I just heard one sentence help picture to learn something.
34. Ok, your answer for 38? 9. Ah, you heard this sentence.
35. CLIMBING. But I’m not very sure, both of these two questions are not 10. Or, the teacher helps picture something like that.
obvious answers. 11. Then what’s your answer exactly, teacher or picture?
36. What’s your answer of the last one? 12. I feel its teacher helps something. Picture here doesn’t make sense.
37. INTACT. But I don't know the word, but I just spelt it as I-N-T-A-C-T. 13. Hmm.
38. Ok. 14. Help teacher? I think it’s definitely not picture, not picture.
39. Interview: 15. Hmm. So what’s your answer finally?
40. Have you been taken IELTS training courses before? 16. Then I have to say TEACHER. I was like just heard ‘Teacher’.
41. Yes. 17. Ok. So when you were listening to it, you were waiting for the key word,
42. When did you take it? the similar sentence. Right?
43. In the year 2010. 18. Yes, I ... yes. Based on the words beside the sentence.
44. Do you think the strategies you learnt from the IELTS preparation course 19. Shall we move on?
affected you when you were doing the test? 20. Ok.
45. Yes, I think so. 21. What your answer for 33?
46. Ok. 63
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 JING LI IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH

22. 33 I chose REPEATED. 45. Why did you choose ‘culture’?

23. Repeated. Why did you choose ‘repeated’? 46. Ah, it’s also… let me think. I think it’s rather obvious, there was a sentence
24. Repeated. I heard one sentence, like erm, what did I hear? Just like erm, sound pretty same as this one, I followed it then I heard CULTURE.
something is very amazing, and then the tracks are repeated. It was a very obvious 47. Ok. 38?
word. 48. 38 is FIRE.
25. ‘Tracks’ appeared obviously and followed by repeated. Is this what you 49. Why fire?
mean? 50. To be honest, I am not very sure, I heard ‘by doing so’, and then the answer
26. Yes. Yes. should be before it. Before it, it’s ‘damaged by’, if it’s undiscovered material, I
27. Ok. What about 34? feel it should be FIRE.
28. 34 I chose HUMAN. 51. Hmm, so which part of the sentence did ‘fire’ appear?
29. Why? 52. In the first half of the sentence, I thought he would say it again at the end,
30. It was also very obvious, I heard ‘unrealistic animal’. He said two kinds, but he said ‘by doing so’, the answer requirement is ‘one word only’, so I think
one is realistic and the other is unrealistic. And then he said, and I heard an adj it’s definitely not the answer.
after it, and a noun. Human. 53. So you understood the meaning, based on the contextual meaning, you
31. So you heard ‘unrealistic animals’, and followed by ‘half’, and then chose this answer.
‘human’. 54. Yes. Yes.
32. Yes. 55. What about 39?
33. Ok, 35? 56. 39 is TOUCHING.
34. 35, hehe.. 35, let me see, let me guess one. Use, use MAGIC? I guessed. 57. Touching. Why?
To be honest, I was waiting for ‘with’, but I didn’t hear ‘with’. But I heard 58. I heard ‘avoid’, and then I was looking for ‘ing’, then I heard before
something like ‘wise people’ or ‘wise men’. I paid attention on listening to this ‘tracing’ it was ‘touching’.
sentence, I heard the word MAGIC. 59. So you chose ‘touching’ based on the grammar?
35. So you thought it should be a noun, and you heard wise men, and MAGIC 60. Yes. Yes.
is in this sentence, so you chose magic as the answer? 61. 40 INTACT.
36. Yes. Yes. Yes. 62. How do you spell intact?
37. Ok. Shall we move on to the third part? 63. I-n-t-a-c-t. It’s very obvious, but this word. I feel if I just read this sentence
38. Yes. without hearing it, I feel, it’s about going to travel, it should be about safety.
39. What your answer for 36? Maybe protect, but intact, I didn’t learn this word, I feel it means not changing.
40. 36 I didn’t hear it. 63. OK. Very good.
41. How did you miss it? Interview:
42. I heard ‘reduce visitor pressure,’ and then I realized I missed the first half. 65. How long have you been studying in the UK?
I just thought it would be said very obviously, but it didn’t. 66. One year.
43. Ok 37?
44. 37 I chose CULTURE. 65
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 JING LI IELTS LISTENING STRATEGY RESEARCH

67. Do you think your listening has improved compare to you first arrived the 16. Ok.
UK? 17. I heard 34 and 35.
68. Yes, at the beginning I found it was difficult to understand other people. 18. Did you hear the sentence in 33?
And now I feel better. 19. I heard ‘why are the tracks…’, but I didn’t hear usually something. I didn’t
69. Do you have any problem in understanding English in daily life now? hear it.
70. Not exactly, I think I have no problem in dealing with daily life issues as 20. Ok, what about 34?
time passes by. 21. 34 is HUMAN. Half human. I heard the same sentence.
71. What do you think of your academic listening? Has it improved? 22. Ok.
72. Yes absolutely. At first I could only understand maybe half, but now I 23. And then 35 is MAGIC.
could understand 80%. 24. Magic. Why it’s ‘magic’?
73. Have you been taken IELTS training courses before? 25. I heard related sentence.
74. Yes. 26. So when you were listening to it, did you pay more attention on
75. When did you take it? understanding or waiting for some key words?
76. In 2010. 27. Hmm, actually, when I was listening to it, I paid more attention on key
77. Do you think the course affected you when you were doing the test? words. Because I generally understood the meaning.
78. Yes, I do. 28. Shall we move on?
79. Ok. 29. Ok.
A4 30. What’s your answer for 36?
1. Can you tell me your answers of 31? 31. I missed 36. I heard the second half of the sentence, I didn’t hear clearly
2. I didn’t hear them clearly just now. about the first half.
3. Ok. 32. Ok. So you heard ‘reduce visitor pressure’, you realized you missed the
4. I felt I didn’t hear ‘preparation for the field trip’. I didn’t hear he said things answer.
like ‘preparation’. 33. Yes.
5. Ok. 34. What about 37?
6. What about 32? 35. 37 should be from that COUNTRY.
7. Maybe it’s CHILEDREN. 36. Why ‘country’?
8. Ok, why do you think it’s ‘children’? 37. Because I heard similar sentence.
9. Why… 38. Ok.
10. Did you hear similar sentence, or you tried to understand the meaning? 39. And 38?
11. Yes, I heard similar content. 40. Um, maybe damaged by FIRE.
12. Ok, shall we move on? 41. Why?
13. Yes. 42. Um, he said they are fragile, easily to be burned.
14. What’s your answer for 33?
15. I didn’t hear 33. 67
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43. Can you still remember where did ‘fire’ turn up, in the beginning or the 66. Like 70%. I think daily life listening is very different from academic
end of this sentence? listening.
44. Should be at the end of the sentence. 67. Ok, thank you.
45. So you were listening to its main idea. 68. Have you been taken IELTS training courses before?
46. Hmm. 69. Yes.
47. Ok. What about 39? 70. When did you take it?
48. 39 should be REMOVE. Move the rock. 71. Quite a long time ago, in 2008.
49. ‘Move’ or ‘remove’? 72. Do you think the course affected you when you were doing the test?
50. Maybe ‘move’. 73. It supposed to have no effect because such a long time, but I have to say
51. What was the main idea you heard? there is still a little.
52. They are very fragile, so they are not suitable to be moved. When you are A5
taking photos, they are not suitable to be moved. 1. What’s your answer for 31?
53. Hmm. Ok 2. I missed it.
54. They are easily to be broken. 3. Ok. Could you follow the recording and knew he was talking about this
55. Ok, what about the last one? item? Or you could follow the item but didn’t know what the answer is?
56. The last one, to leave the site… Hmm, should be, I think it should be safe. 4. For 31, I heard Namibia, but I couldn’t figure out what the answer is.
I didn’t hear related sentence, but I nearly know the meaning, it’s like we should 5 .Ok, what about 32?
protect it. Leave it forever, FOREVER should be better. 6. 32 is CHILDREN.
57. Forever? Ok. So in the third part, you were mainly listening to the main 7. Why its children?
idea and write the answer. 8. I heard he said will teach children something.
58. Yes. 9. Shall we move on?
Interview 10. Yes.
58. Did you use the strategies you learnt before? Or there were more 11. What’s your answer for 33?
listening? 12. 33 is ‘animals’.
59. It was pure listening, because I didn’t take IELTS for a long time. 13. Why?
60. Ok. 14. He took 2 examples. I missed one, the other is ‘giraffe’.
61. How long have you been stayed in the UK? 15. So you deducted animal from giraffe?
62. 2 years. 16. Yes, I feel it’s animal.
63. How do you think your listening has improved in these 2 years? 17. Did you hear 34 and 35?
64. My daily life listening has improved a lot because I associate with people 18. 34 is HUMAN.
a lot. I have no problem in communicating with people at all now. But for 19. Why?
academic listening, I still cannot understand it fully because my vocabulary is 20. I heard he said there are realistic and unrealistic things, and then from the
limited. unrealistic part, there is ‘half human’.
65. How many percentage could you understand the lecture now? 69
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21. Hmm, ok. So basically you heard similar sentence? 53. When was it?
22. Yes. 54. 2010 summer.
23. 35 I think it’s wrong. MAGIC. 55. Ok, did you use the test taking strategies that you learnt before when you
24. Why did you choose ‘magic’? were doing this test? Or did you pay more attention on listening, just like you
25. 35 I heard he said ‘animal’, ‘magic’ and then it finished. listen to the lecture as usual?
26. What is your answer for 36? 56. I used strategies. Because I was taught before to see what kind of words
27. I mixed the answers of 36 and 37. If I have to fill the blanks, I will fill both are there before the blank, and then circle the key words.
with CULTURE. 57. How long have you been studying in the UK?
28. Ok, both ‘culture’. Why 36 is ‘culture’? 58. 1 year.
29. I didn’t hear it clearly. In 37 I heard something related to culture. 59. Do you think your listening got improved since you studied here?
3.0 So do you think CULTURE is more probably the answer of 37? 60. Yes, especially on academic listening. Because my course in China was
31. Yes. taught in Mandarin, and I was not used to English-only academic environment at
32. What about 38? the beginning, and now I could understand most of them.
33. 38 is FIRE. 61. How many percentages do you think you could understand the lecture
34. ‘Fire’, why? now?
35. I heard the word. 62. I think 90%.
36. Did you hear this sentence in 38? 63. Ok. Thank you.
37. ‘Fire’ maybe in the same sentence as in 38. A6
38. Ok. What about 39? 1. What is your answer for question 31?
39. 39 is TOUCHING. 2. Libya.
40. Why touching? 3. Why did you choose ‘Libya’ as your answer?
41. I nearly heard the same sentence, avoid touching, and avoid tracing rock 4. It was quite clear, it repeated twice ‘Libya’. In the beginning and half of the
art. sentence.
42. Did you use grammar to deduct it should be a v-ing? 5. Ok.
43. Yes. And tracing is a v-ing. 6. What about 32?
44. Ok. 7. They were about to help schoolmen to learn tracking.
45. Let’s see the last one. 8. So your answer is…
46. 40 is ‘intact’. I heard this word but I don’t know how to spell it. 9. ‘School’. I’m not quite sure about the answer, he said a lot of things, but I
47. Ok, you don’t know how to spell it. Why do you think this is the answer? couldn’t write down the information, I’m not quite confident, I missed out one
48. He said site and then intact. important word.
49. So you heard the similar sentence? 10. So when you were listening to 32, did you try to understand the meaning
50. Yes. or you were waiting for some key words to appear?
51. Did you take IELTS training before?
52. Yes. 71
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11. I was trying to understand the whole context, but when I thought I got the 40. Why?
answer, I was trying to write down, but at this moment, I missed out one very 41. I heard the similar sentence.
important word. 42. How do you spell intact?
12. Ok. Why do you think you missed it? 43. I-N-T-A-C-T.
13. I realized when I was writing, some important words have been spoken. 44. Ok.
14. Ahh, I see. Shall we move on?
15. Yes. Interview:
16. What is your answer for 33? 45. Have you been taken IELTS training courses before?
17. REPEATED. 46. Yes.
18. Why did you choose ‘repeated’? 47. When did you take it?
19. Because it said so, very direct and clear. 48 .In 2009.
20. Ok, what’s your answer for 34? 49. Do you think the course affected you when you were doing the test?
21. Human. 50. Yes, I think so.
22. Why? 51. Ok.
23. As the last one, it said very clear and direct. 52. Do you think your listening got improved since you studied here?
24. Ok, what’s your answer for 35? 53. Yes,
25. MAGIC. He said use magic to control wild animals. 54. How many percentages do you think you could understand the lecture
26. What about 36? now?
27. DISTANCE. I heard the negative meaning of this sentence. He said 55. Right now, may be about 90%.
something like not look at a site from a distance, and then he said ‘visitor 56. Ok. Thank you.
pressure’. B1
28. What’s your answer for 37? 1. Number 31, what is your answer?
29. CULTURE. 2. I chose SEMINAR.
30. Why? 3. Ok, why did you choose ‘seminar’?
31. I heard the similar sentence. 4. I got it from the listening information, but I don’t know if it’s right.
32. Ok, what about 38? 5. What did you hear exactly?
33. FIRE. 6. I remember he said ‘Namibia in seminar’, ah, and…
34. Why? 7. Did you hear the exact word ‘Namibia’, ‘seminar’.
35. He first said don’t play fire, although it’s romantic, then he said fire might 8. ‘Seminar’ is very clear.
destroy undiscovered materials. 9. Ok. So you just focused on independent words?
36. Ok, what’s your answer for 39? 10. Yeah.
37. TOUCHING. He said not by touching or tracing it. 11. What about 32?
38. Ok, and the last one? 12. CHILDREN.
39. INTACT. 73
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13. Children. Ok, why did you choose ‘children’? 42. I can’t remember it clearly, I just don’t know how to spell it.
14. Hmm, the um, the sentence in the listening seems like it teaches children, 43. Ok, that’s fine, shall we move on?
and so on. 44. Ok.
15. Alright, you heard it teach children. So you think ‘teach’ replaced the word 45. What your answer for 36?
‘help’. 46. DISTANCE.
16. Yes. 47. Why did you choose ‘distance’?
17. Ok, let’s move on, shall we? 48. I heard it from the listening.
18. Yes. 49. Ok, did you hear the sentence as in the text.
19. What’s your answer for 33? 50. Yeah, it’s…
20. I forgot the answer. 51. You wanted to explain more?
21. You forgot the answer? 52. Yeah, it is similar sentence, but not exact sentence.
22. Yes. I heard it just now but I forgot it immediately. The word is a little not 53. Ok, number 37.
clear. 54. Sorry I missed it.
23. Why do you think you forgot it? 55. Ok, 38.
24. Ah? 56. 38, I heard ‘by doing so’, but I know this is not the answer, but I can’t
25. Do you think it’s because you were paying attention on the next sentence, remember clearly about the information in the sentence.
or because the word was spoken too fast? 57. Ok, what about 39?
26 Hmm, I think I familiar with the information, I can understand it, but 58. TOUCHING.
immediately I forget it usually. 59. Touching. Why?
27. Ok. What about 32? 60. I heard it.
28. HUMAN. 61. The last one?
29. Why did you choose ‘human’? 62. Intact.
30. This is a very clear sentence. 63. Why did you choose intact?
31. So you think you heard the exact sentence. 64. The same reason, I heard it.
32. Yeah. 65. You heard the similar sentence?
33. Did you understand the meaning of this sentence? 66. Its half sentence is similar. I just heard the answer. I didn’t pay more
34. I just heard 34, I saw the similar sentence in the front. attention to the second half.
35. Ok, let move on to 35. What’s your answer?
36. COUNTRY. I heard it like ‘country’, but I don’t know how to spell it. B2
37. Ok, why did you choose that word? 1. What’s your answer for 31?
38. I just heard it but I don’t know how to spell it. 2. 31 is archaeological.
39. Ok, why do you think that’s the answer? 3 .Archaeological?
40. Just from the listening.
41. From the listening? Can you remember more? 75
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4. No, I think it should be ‘archaeologic’, should be used as a noun as in this don't know why, so the sentence here why are they usually, so I chose ‘repeated’
gap. to fill in the gap.
5. archaeologic? 28. Ok good, so you were trying to understand the meaning?
6. Yes. 29. Yes.
7. Why did you choose this answer? 30. Ok, good.
8. Hmm, they said that ‘in preparation, in the archaeological field’, I think 31. And 34 is half HUMAN, and I think this sentence is quite familiar, quite
before this gap there is a preposition ‘in’, so I think this gap should be filled with similar with the one the passage had said, and it is almost just the same, they said
a noun, so I will choose ‘archaeologic’. unrealistic things sometimes are half human. So I choose ‘human’.
9. What’s your final answer? 32. 35 I wrote down the answer MAGIC. With ‘magic’.
10. ARCHAROLOGIC. 33. Ok, can you explain it?
11. Move on, what’s your answer for 32? 34. Before the question, they said something about … and then they said they
12. They were used to teach children learn about tracking. may have been, they can control the wild animals with magic, I think this ‘they’
13. So your answer is … refers to wise men, so this gap I choose ‘magic’, so wise men may have been
14. TEACH CHILDREN. trying to control wild animals with magic, that's my answer.
15. Ok, why did you choose ‘teach children’? 35. Ok, good. All right, shall we move to the last part?
16. I think the answer would just change for the formula, and from the passage 36. Ok.
he said that they will use it to help children, sorry I just saw the requirement is 37. What’s your answer for 36?
‘one word only’… so the answer is CHILDREN. 38. 36 I’m not very sure, but I just wrote down DISTANCE.
17. So just ‘children’ right? 39. ‘Distance’. Ok, can you explain it, why?
18. Yes, the recording said they used to teach children, I heard teach children, 40. I heard the passage says that if you look at a site, observing, erm at a
but I didn't see the requirement ‘one word only’, so I chose ‘children’. distance maybe, maybe observing at a distance, I think look at that from a distance,
19. Ok, it’s ok, so finally the answer is ‘children’? maybe just it is the same meaning. So I chose ‘distance’.
20. Yes. 41. Ok.
21. Ok, good. Shall we move on? 42. But I’m not sure whether it’s right or not.
22. Ok. 43. Ok. What about 37?
23. All right. 44. Hmm, 37 I chose CULTURE. Because the passage said that don't ever go
24. What’s your answer for 33? on a site, then it said it may be disrespectful to the people from that culture. So I
25. 33 is REPEATED. Why the tracks are usually repeated. And 34 is why are chose ‘culture’.
the unrealistic animals sometimes half HUMAN. 45. Ok, good. 38?
26. Ok, good. Then why did you choose repeated as the answer of 33? 46. 38 I chose FIRE. Because before the question, the passage said that don't
27. Coz the passage said so, and they just changed the sentence, and the make fire, because some of the material may be damaged by, maybe burning, they
meaning of the passage is, um there are some problems and, I didn't remember didn't say ‘damage’, they said ‘burning’, so I think may be damaged by ‘fire’, fire
quite well, and they say the tracks are usually repeated. The meaning maybe they can destroy the undiscovered material.
77
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47. Ok, good. So you understood the meaning of what he said. 8. So what’s your answer?
48. Yes. And 39, I feel the answer is TOUCHING. 9. Oh, the answer requirement is ‘one word only’, the second blank I choose
49. Why did you choose ‘touching’ as your answer? CHILDREN.
50. You should avoid touching or tracing rock art as it’s so fragile. And the 10. So let’s go back to 31, why did you choose April?
passage said so, they said that don't touch or trace rock art, so I think may be we 11. I just listened to this lecture, this man tells something about some art trip,
should fill it with ‘touching’, its appropriate. And the 40th I heard the passage said let those children know actually the structures. And in this period of time, I just
you should leave the site ‘intight’. I think there are two words, first is ‘in’, the heard, how can I describe it, I don't know why.
other is ‘tight’, but he asked one word only. 12. So you, you chose April, you wrote down April because you were, you
51. Yes. understood the meaning of the recording, or you heard some words like
52. So I choose ‘tigtenly’ as the answer I think. ‘preparation’, ‘Namibia’, ‘in’?
53. How do you spell it? 13. I can’t describe it, but I think I just listened to it, and hmm, in this lecture,
54. Hmm, T-I-G-H-T-L, sorry, sorry, I still think the answer is ‘leave the site I need to accept this pronunciation, this man’s pronunciation.
tight’. I think the gap has to be filled with adj, I think leave something can plus 14. Ok, no problem. Let’s go to 32, why did you write children?
adj, so I still choose ‘tight’, not ‘tightenly’. 15. This man said he wants to help those children to understand those pictures
55. Ok, so when you heard the phrase ‘in tight’, as you said so, did you on the books.
understand the meaning of the sentence, or you heard the similar sentence again? 16. Ok, so you heard the similar sentence.
56. I think the meaning of this sentence may be, erm, don't move or don't touch 17. Yeah. I think so.
anything, just leave it as it is. It means that don't change it. Before you come, it is 18. All right, can we move on?
that, after you leave, it still is the same. 19. Yeah.
57. Right. So you understood the meaning? 20. What’s your answer for 33?
58. I think that I heard in tight, I think it makes sense, but the gap should be 21. 33, I heard the word is accurity.
filled with one word only, so I think ‘tight’ is the answer, but I’m not sure whether 22. ‘Accurity’, how do you spell it?
I heard ‘in tight’ are real words. 23. A-C-C-U-R-I-T-Y.
60. Ok. 24. And 34 is HUMAN.
B3 25. ‘Human’.
1. What’s your answer for 31? 26. 35, use their mind, this time I’m not clear about this.
2. I think the first one I can’t hear clearly. The second, I can tell you what I 27. Ok.
have heard. 28. For 33, why did you write down ‘accurity’?
3. Ok. 29. Because may be he said, erm, those pictures’ size may be realistic, usually,
4. And first, the field trip in Namibia, in APRIL. May be, I think. I can’t hear it so clearly, you know, he said so quickly, and I just wrote down this
5. Ok, so your answer is ‘April’? word.
6. Yes. 30. Ok.
7. In the second, I think they were used to have school children to learn about
tracking. 79
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31. And another is, this man said erm, these pictures are unrealistic, and this 58. Yeah.
word, I heard clearly, 59 .Ok.
32. Which word did you hear? B4
33. ‘Half human’. 1. What’s your answer for 31?
34. And may be 35 wise men try to control wild animals with, this I can’t hear 2. I missed it.
clearly, but I just heard some words, some sentences, may be human will control 3. Ok, did you hear 32?
animals use their wisdom, and understand the meaning use their mind. 4. I missed it too. I couldn't follow the recording.
35. Ok. So finally you chose the word ‘mind’. 5. What’s your answer for 33?
36. Yeah. 6. 33 is REPEATED.
37. Ok. All right, shall we move on? 7. Ok, why it is ‘repeated’?
38. Yes. 8. Because I heard the word ‘usually’.
39. What’s your answer for 36? 9. Ok, What about 34?
40. 36 if you look at a site from a, I write down this word ‘working’. 10. I Missed it.
41. Working? Why? 11. How did you miss it?
42. I heard he said the ‘work station’, may be then I read this sentence, and 1.2 I was looking at 33, and then I missed 34.
then I think may be this word. 13. Did you hear 35?
43. And 37 is camp on site may be disrespectful to people from that CULTURE. 14. No, I didn’t.
44. ‘Culture’, ok. Why did you choose ‘culture’? 15. Could you follow 34, and 35?
45. I just heard this man said may be this word. 16. I knew the scale.
46. Did you hear similar sentence? 17. Were you trying to understand the meaning or waiting for key words?
47. Yeah, I think this man said may be using this word to fill this sentence. 18. I was waiting for key words.
48. Ok. 19. Ok, shall we move on?
49. 38 undiscovered material may be damaged by ‘romantic’. 20. What’s your answer for 36?
50. Romantic. Why? 21. I think it’s literature.
51. I didn't hear it clearly. But I guess this word may be romantic. 22. Why?
52. 39 You should avoid ‘climate’. 23. I heard the word ‘a’.
55. ‘Climate’, ok. Why? 24. Ok, what about 37?
53. I didn't hear it clearly. But I guess this word may be climate. I think may 25. 37 is CULTURE.
be this art is located outside, may be climate influence them, may be those places 26. Why did you choose ‘culture’?
700 years or 7000 years, may be influenced by climate. I just guess so. 27. Because he said it clearly.
54. 40 in general you should leave the site ‘entact’. 28. So this sentence is a similar sentence?
55. ‘entect’. Ok. 29. Yes.
56. To spell this word is e-n-t-e-c-t, right? But I dot know if it’s right. 30. Ok, what about 38?
57. Ok. For number 40, you heard the sentence clearly, right? 81
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31. 38 he said many words in this sentence. 15. hmm, ‘repeated’, ok. Why?
32. What do you think the answer is? 16. To locate the sentence, there was an ordinal numeral locating, which is
33. I think the answer is ‘look at it’. ‘first’, the next one follows after it should definitely be the answer.
34. What about 39? 17. And then 34 is HUMAN.
35. I missed it. 18. Why?
36. What about 40? 19. Because as long as I can hear ‘realistic’ or ‘unrealistic’, the second
37. Intact. sentence should be passed. The third, HALF HUMAN appeared very clearly. I
38. How do you spell it? think it’s quite easy.
39. I-n-t-a-c-t. 20. 35 I’m not very sure, may be MAGIC. I didn't know which word I should
40. Ok. Why did you choose this word? use to locate, based on my memory, there was like have something before
41. I guessed it. ‘control’, I guess it may be ‘Magic’. When I listen to English, I always can’t help
42. You guessed it? to translate, and I think it’s not a good habit.
43. Because I heard the word ‘leave’ before the blank. 21. It’s ok, shall we move on?
44. Ok. Thank you. 22. Yes.
B5 23. 36 is ‘damage’.
1. What’s your answer for 31? 24. Why did you choose ‘damage’?
2. 31 should be APRIL. 25. He said something like damage, but I really don't know what he is talking
3. Ok, Why did you choose ‘April’? about here in this sentence. It seems like ‘visitor pressure’ appeared at the very
4. First I was looking for the key word, because this man said in the beginning end. Actually I located ‘visitor pressure’ as my key words, but he said from, I
in the place Namibia, sort of research, could I say this? subconsciously thought the word after it should be the answer.
5. Hmm. 26. Ok, What about 37?
6. So ‘Namibia’ cannot be the key word. I set ‘field work trip’ as my key words. 27. I missed it. I really don't know the answer.
He said this lecture divides into two parts, the first is something, I couldn’t 28. How did you miss it?
remember, the second is in ‘April’. 29. Just feel like it just flashed.
7. Ok, what about 32? 30. Ok. And 38?
8. 32 should be CHILDREN. I generally understood what he said, he said these 31. 38 is ‘fires’. I remember he said ‘don't make fires’, and he then said
things can be like textbooks to help children learn something. something will be damaged.
9. Ok, so based on its meaning. You weren’t looking for key words for 32? 32. So you understood the meaning?
10. There were sort of key words, because ‘footprint’ in here is very clear, and 33. Yeah.
the answer was just followed straight after it. 34. I couldn’t remember the original sentence, but it’s like don't make fire
11. Ok, shall we move on? because it’s very dangerous.
12. Yes. 35. What’s your answer of 39?
13. What’s your answer for 33?
14. 33 should be REPEATED. 83
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36. 39 is TOCUHING. I really didn't use key words here for 39 and 40, I just 14. The answer is DISTURBS. I am not fully convinced that my answer is
followed the recording and heard the answer. The sentences in the recording are correct, but I did hear it. And I think my answer conforms the logic,
almost the same as the sentences in the text. There was a paraphrase, I can’t pronunciation & main idea of the audio.
remember which one. 16. Ok, what’s your answer for 37?
37. Ok, a paraphrase, but you still followed the sequence? 17. It’s CULTURE.
38. Yes, yes. 18. Why did you choose ‘culture’?
39. What’s your answer of 40? 19. Because I heard the similar sentence.
40. 40 is intact. 20. What’s your answer for 38?
41. How do you spell it? 21. It’s ‘visitors’.
42. I-n-t-a-c-t. I don't know the meaning, but I could spell it based on it’s 22. Why did you choose ‘visitors’?
pronunciation. 23. Because I heard the sentence. And this showed up in the initial few
43. Have you taken IELTS preparation course before? sentences of this audio.
44. Yes. 24. What about 39?
45. When did you take it? 25. It’s TOUCHING. Because I heard the sentence.
46. Last year (2011). 26. What was the sentence like?
47. Did you use the strategies you learnt from the course? 27. It said that never by touching or tracing it.
48 Yes, most of the time I looked for and waited for the key words. 28. Ok. What’s your answer of the last one?
49 Ok, thank you. 29. I don't know the answer. I did hear not only the sentence but the answer.
B6 The pronunciation of it seems like “intite” or something. Nevertheless, I don’t
1. Ok, what is your answer for 31? know the exact word the man said maybe because of my limited vocabulary. And
2. I don’t know. I do know the answer was hidden in the initial few sentences, still further, I often talk with American people and watch American TV shows, so
but I did not follow it. Further, I guess this answer here is not direct and clear. I speak American English. British accent is different from it. I don’t know the
3. What’s your answer for 32? reason why I couldn’t find out the answer, maybe it is due to the differences
4. It’s ‘children’. between the two accents.
5. Why did you choose ‘children’? 30. Ok. Thank you.
6. Because I heard the sentence.
7 .Ok, your answer for 33?
8. It’s REPEATED. Because again I heard the sentence. it was very clear and
similar sentence.
9. What’s your answer for 34?
10. HUMAN. I heard the sentence, it said ‘half human’ very clearly.
11. Ok, what’s your answer for 35?
12. THEMSELVES. Also, I heard the sentence.
13. Ok, what about 36? 85
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