LISTENING PREPARATION
LISTENING-LISTENING-LISTENING
Happy new year to all. I am here arranging the listening sections with the basic concepts. Listening is the best place where students have a great opportunities to achieve a big score. Listening ability can be improved by listening songs, different conversations and watching movies. I will prove you some listening tapes which may enhance your listening power. I will request you to practice everyday if you desire for the examination.
IELTS listening test is one of the area where teachers cannot help students as much as they can do in other areas. The skill of listening is one what is developed by practice and there is not much a teacher can say to develop a student's ability at it. What we can do is to give you some hints for doing the test and also show you the type of question that you will come up against when you do the test. Then, as much practice as possible is the way to improve. This practice can be doing original IELTS practice listening or by doing any form of listening in English.
IELTS listening test is approximately 40 minutes in length and there are four sections each with a separate listening paragraph. In each section there are 10 questions making 40 in all. Sections 1 and 2 are based on social survival information in an English speaking country and sections 3 and 4 are based on a more educational and training orientation program. The final tape lasts for about 30 minutes and then you have 10 minutes at the end of the listening in order to transfer your answers to the answer script.
Step 1 Here you will listen to a conversation between 2 people. The conversation is separated into 2 parts. You have to answer 10 questions according to what you hear. At the start of section 1 . you will have an example read out to you and then explained. This is then repeated when the listening begins properly.
Step 2 Here you will listen a monologue though it may include a second speaker asking questions in regarding to stimulate the monologue. The monologue is divided into 2 parts. You have to answer 10 questions according to what you hear.
Step 3 Here you will listen to a conversation between 2, 3 or 4 people. The conversation is separated into 2 parts. You have to answer 10 questions according to what you hear.
Step 4 Here you will hear a monologue though it may contain a second speaker asking questions in order to stimulate the monologue. The monologue is separated into 2 parts. You have to answer 10 questions according to what you hear.
The main problem that candidates get the IELTS Academic listening test is that the listening tape is played once. Therefore you have to be quick and very alert in order to pick up the answers, write them down properly and be ready for the next answer. Another area where students have problems is that they are habituated to listening to a live speaker in front of them when they can look at the lips and the attitudes. IELTS candidates listen to a tape and this is not a natural skill. As I said above, you have to get as much training at this skill as possible in order to maximise your chances of getting a good score.
There are 40 questions in the IELTS Academic Listening Test and 1 mark is awarded for every correct answer. There are no half marks. Your total mark out of 40 is then converted to a band from 1 - 9 using a reading table and this band is then averaged with the other 3 parts of the test to give your final IELTS band. Band result for the listening test and the final band are given as a whole band or a half band. The converting table used to change your mark out of 40 to the band out of 9 changes with each test. However, below you can see a rough guide line that you can use to assess your practice. There is no guarantee that you will do the same in the real test itself as the test converters changes with each test, but it can be a guide to your progress.
IELTS Academic Listening Test Marks, Bands and Results - Rough Guide Converter Score Band 1
2-3 ---------------------------2
4-9 -------------------------- -------3
10-16 -----------------------------------4
17-24 --------------------------------------5
25-31 -----------------------------------------6
32-36 ---------------------------------------------7
37-38 -------------------------------------------------8
39-40 1 -----------------------------------------------------9
IELTS Academic Listening Test Question Types In the IELTS Academic listening test the same types of question taken every time so it will help you to know what these types are. They are as follows:
These question types can all be found in all IELTS practice tests containing the ones in IELTS Practice Now question papers. Genarally, practice is the key. Listening to tapes and doing the practice questions is the best possible solution preparation you can have.
The IELTS Academic Listening Test There are several types of practice that you can do to develop your listening skills for the IELTS exam. The best way, as I've said before, is to practice on specific IELTS practice material. Then though there are other things to do. Listening to the casset is excellent as it is the same skill as the IELTS listening test - listening to a voice without the speaker(s) being present anymore. Listening to the TV is good enough too but you can see the speaker. You should try turning your back to the TV as this will make it so realistic. Listening to the news on TV and radio is probably the best practice you could do with these media. You can also follow English speaking films at the cinema or at home on TV or video. All these things will improve your listening skills.
IELTS Academic Listening Test Strategies There isn't much you can do but there some things. Firstly, you get time to read the questions at the start of every section and mid-way in each section. Try touse this time (usually 20 seconds) wisely. You should know in advance all the questions before you hear the listening. At the end of the sections you also get more time to check your answers. Use this time to check through and then turn ahead to read the next questions .
you read the questions you can usually assume some of the types of answer that will come next portion. For example, in section 1, if you can see that the test is asking for a mobile number, then you know you'll be listening out for numbers and the word telephone. In the later sections this becomes more tough but the same technique can be used. Think about this when you are on practicing so you can develop this skill.
Tips and Ideas
IELTS Academic Listening Test As in all IELTS tests, the questions get more tough as it goes on. You will see from your practice that the types of listening and questions that you encounter in Section 1 are more difficult in the next section and so on. This does not mean that by Section 4 they are impossible but they are more demanding naturally.
An important tip is to answer all the questions as you listen them; don't wait until later question. Sometimes people in these tests hear the correct answer but decide to remember the answer and write it down naxt so they can wait for the next answer. This I feel is a error. Firstly, people will very often forget this answer and secondly, if you follow this method, you will have to remember up to 5 or 6 answers in a row before you can write them down. Then you'll not forget at all..
As I said above, at the ending of the test you have 10 minutes more to transfer your answers from the question paper to the answer sheet. Some people put their answers directly to the answer sheet. I feel it's better to write the answers on the question paper and use the 10 minutes given at the end for the transfer session. Writing the answers on the question paper allows you to keep your attention on the questions and, if you make a mistake, it's not too difficult to correct.
Another area that applicant don't like is that, in the listening test, good grammar skill and spelling are important. The grammar part is not too important to you can't make many grammar mistakes in 3 words but, if you spell something wrong, it will be marked as negative. People think, quite rightly in my opinion, that the listening test whether you realize what you heard and not how you spell something but these are the rules. Be careful about your spelling.
If the question asks for no more than 3 words, use no more than 3 words. Writing more than 3 words is wrong. You won't be asked to do it in 3 words or less unless it is possible so don't worry about that; it can always be done.
No need to be panic if you miss an answer. If it has really gone, then it is history. Worrying and panicking is only going to make you miss another one. One misssing is probably not going to destroy your mark be calm down and listen for the next one. When you think you have missed it but you are mistaken. If you are calm and keep listening, maybe the answer will come or even be repeated.
Don't leave a question unanswered; especially if it is only an A,B,C,D question or something similar. Predict if you really don't know. There are no marks taken away for wrong answers or even wrong answers. So, have a go, Logic, general knowledge or just luck might give you the right answer!
Anyway,good luck with the IELTS Academic Listening Test!
IELTS listening test is approximately 40 minutes in length and there are four sections each with a separate listening paragraph. In each section there are 10 questions making 40 in all. Sections 1 and 2 are based on social survival information in an English speaking country and sections 3 and 4 are based on a more educational and training orientation program. The final tape lasts for about 30 minutes and then you have 10 minutes at the end of the listening in order to transfer your answers to the answer script.
Step 1 Here you will listen to a conversation between 2 people. The conversation is separated into 2 parts. You have to answer 10 questions according to what you hear. At the start of section 1 . you will have an example read out to you and then explained. This is then repeated when the listening begins properly.
Step 2 Here you will listen a monologue though it may include a second speaker asking questions in regarding to stimulate the monologue. The monologue is divided into 2 parts. You have to answer 10 questions according to what you hear.
Step 3 Here you will listen to a conversation between 2, 3 or 4 people. The conversation is separated into 2 parts. You have to answer 10 questions according to what you hear.
Step 4 Here you will hear a monologue though it may contain a second speaker asking questions in order to stimulate the monologue. The monologue is separated into 2 parts. You have to answer 10 questions according to what you hear.
The main problem that candidates get the IELTS Academic listening test is that the listening tape is played once. Therefore you have to be quick and very alert in order to pick up the answers, write them down properly and be ready for the next answer. Another area where students have problems is that they are habituated to listening to a live speaker in front of them when they can look at the lips and the attitudes. IELTS candidates listen to a tape and this is not a natural skill. As I said above, you have to get as much training at this skill as possible in order to maximise your chances of getting a good score.
There are 40 questions in the IELTS Academic Listening Test and 1 mark is awarded for every correct answer. There are no half marks. Your total mark out of 40 is then converted to a band from 1 - 9 using a reading table and this band is then averaged with the other 3 parts of the test to give your final IELTS band. Band result for the listening test and the final band are given as a whole band or a half band. The converting table used to change your mark out of 40 to the band out of 9 changes with each test. However, below you can see a rough guide line that you can use to assess your practice. There is no guarantee that you will do the same in the real test itself as the test converters changes with each test, but it can be a guide to your progress.
IELTS Academic Listening Test Marks, Bands and Results - Rough Guide Converter Score Band 1
2-3 ---------------------------2
4-9 -------------------------- -------3
10-16 -----------------------------------4
17-24 --------------------------------------5
25-31 -----------------------------------------6
32-36 ---------------------------------------------7
37-38 -------------------------------------------------8
39-40 1 -----------------------------------------------------9
IELTS Academic Listening Test Question Types In the IELTS Academic listening test the same types of question taken every time so it will help you to know what these types are. They are as follows:
- short question answer
- sentence completion
- notes/summary/diagram/table completion
- labeling a diagram with numerical parts
- classification questions
- matching phrases
These question types can all be found in all IELTS practice tests containing the ones in IELTS Practice Now question papers. Genarally, practice is the key. Listening to tapes and doing the practice questions is the best possible solution preparation you can have.
The IELTS Academic Listening Test There are several types of practice that you can do to develop your listening skills for the IELTS exam. The best way, as I've said before, is to practice on specific IELTS practice material. Then though there are other things to do. Listening to the casset is excellent as it is the same skill as the IELTS listening test - listening to a voice without the speaker(s) being present anymore. Listening to the TV is good enough too but you can see the speaker. You should try turning your back to the TV as this will make it so realistic. Listening to the news on TV and radio is probably the best practice you could do with these media. You can also follow English speaking films at the cinema or at home on TV or video. All these things will improve your listening skills.
IELTS Academic Listening Test Strategies There isn't much you can do but there some things. Firstly, you get time to read the questions at the start of every section and mid-way in each section. Try touse this time (usually 20 seconds) wisely. You should know in advance all the questions before you hear the listening. At the end of the sections you also get more time to check your answers. Use this time to check through and then turn ahead to read the next questions .
you read the questions you can usually assume some of the types of answer that will come next portion. For example, in section 1, if you can see that the test is asking for a mobile number, then you know you'll be listening out for numbers and the word telephone. In the later sections this becomes more tough but the same technique can be used. Think about this when you are on practicing so you can develop this skill.
Tips and Ideas
IELTS Academic Listening Test As in all IELTS tests, the questions get more tough as it goes on. You will see from your practice that the types of listening and questions that you encounter in Section 1 are more difficult in the next section and so on. This does not mean that by Section 4 they are impossible but they are more demanding naturally.
An important tip is to answer all the questions as you listen them; don't wait until later question. Sometimes people in these tests hear the correct answer but decide to remember the answer and write it down naxt so they can wait for the next answer. This I feel is a error. Firstly, people will very often forget this answer and secondly, if you follow this method, you will have to remember up to 5 or 6 answers in a row before you can write them down. Then you'll not forget at all..
As I said above, at the ending of the test you have 10 minutes more to transfer your answers from the question paper to the answer sheet. Some people put their answers directly to the answer sheet. I feel it's better to write the answers on the question paper and use the 10 minutes given at the end for the transfer session. Writing the answers on the question paper allows you to keep your attention on the questions and, if you make a mistake, it's not too difficult to correct.
Another area that applicant don't like is that, in the listening test, good grammar skill and spelling are important. The grammar part is not too important to you can't make many grammar mistakes in 3 words but, if you spell something wrong, it will be marked as negative. People think, quite rightly in my opinion, that the listening test whether you realize what you heard and not how you spell something but these are the rules. Be careful about your spelling.
If the question asks for no more than 3 words, use no more than 3 words. Writing more than 3 words is wrong. You won't be asked to do it in 3 words or less unless it is possible so don't worry about that; it can always be done.
No need to be panic if you miss an answer. If it has really gone, then it is history. Worrying and panicking is only going to make you miss another one. One misssing is probably not going to destroy your mark be calm down and listen for the next one. When you think you have missed it but you are mistaken. If you are calm and keep listening, maybe the answer will come or even be repeated.
Don't leave a question unanswered; especially if it is only an A,B,C,D question or something similar. Predict if you really don't know. There are no marks taken away for wrong answers or even wrong answers. So, have a go, Logic, general knowledge or just luck might give you the right answer!
Anyway,good luck with the IELTS Academic Listening Test!
