IELTS LISTENING PART 1 OR SECTION 1 TIPS

I. INTRODUCTION
In this section, you will hear a conversation between 2 people. There are 10 questions in
this section and it is divided into 2 listening parts. The answer can be one/two/ three
words or a number about personal information such as name, age, address, job, time,
price and common places. You will be listen ONCE.
II. FORMS
- Forms
- Notes
- Table completion
- Sentence completion
III. STRATEGY
1. Read instructions, questions carefully and identify the key words.
- The first thing you need to do is to read the instructions and questions carefully and
identify the key words. Instructions and key words are important because they tell you
what to do.
- Look at the words before and after the gaps and think about what kind of information
you will be listening for. For example, you might need to listen for a day, a time, a price,
a place or a telephone number. You should try and guess possible answers for each gap.
2. Write no more than one word/no more than 3 words and/or a number for each
answer.
You need to know that you should write just one word or no more than 3 words /number
for each blank. Always keep it in your mind when writing your answers.
The questions will tell you what kind of information is required. As reading questions
while listening will distract you, it is better to read them while the speaker is reading the
example question.
3. Use Your Prior Knowledge
Then you can use your prior knowledge to predict the words. Prior knowledge refers to
your own knowledge and life experience. Most situations in IELTS listening section one
or part 1 are familiar with students. Here is a list of common situations and
related vocabulary in this section.
3.1. Names
3.1.1. Females

3.1.2. Males

3.2. Places
- Britain: (Edinburgh, Sheffield, Coventry, Swansea, Birmingham, Bristol, Bradford,
Aberdeen, Leeds, Leicester, Nottingham, Dundee, Glasgow, Cardiff, Belfast, Newport…)
- USA: (New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia , Detroit,
Seattle)
- Canada: (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Quebec, Ottawa)
- Australia: (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide)
- Others: Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul
3.3. Country names

3.4. Accommodation
- Payment: cash, check, credit card, money order
- House type: house, flat, dorm, homestay, student hostel
- Facilities: gym, laundry, furniture, household appliances
3.5. Library
- ID: ID card, passport, driving license/license, student card
- Book type: novel, magazine, newspaper, fiction, non-fiction, journal, reference book
- Rules: due date, loan period, fine, renew a book
3.6. Bank
- Types of bank account: saving account, checking account, deposit account, debit card,
credit card
- Activities: withdraw money, transfer money, deposit money, open/suspend/activate an
account
- Required information: billing address, phone number, bank statement
3.7. Booking a flight
- Basic information: departing date, returning date, first/business/economy class
- Types of ticket: one-way, round-trip, multi-destination, non-stop flight
3.8. Buying insurance
- Types of insurance: home insurance, medical and dental insurance, life insurance, travel
insurance, critical illness insurance
- Other related words: coverage, third party, monthly/half-yearly/annually payment,
insurance terms
4. Example section 1 or part 1
IELTS LISTENING SECTION 1