LISTENING IN IELTS
There are many English learners who have problem with the listening skill. Some accents are hard for them to understand, so they may be afraid of this section while taking an IELTS exam. The listening part is a recording that is heard only once and if the listener loses the concentration for listening the whole speech is lost. For being fast and effective many skills are needed. Skills that need practice before the actual day of the exam. The best thing to do is listening to English speakers. To do so one can find audio and podcasts in English existing in the internet. A wide range of topics are available for the podcasts and can be a great help for your listening practice.
Also, it’s better to read the instructions used for this section in the test so you have an idea of the way it is done on the test. Before the recording is played you will be given a few seconds to read through the questions. If you don’t understand a question don’t stop. A problem many candidates face is that they often get stuck on one question and don’t move on to the nest instead of leaving it.
Don’t leave a question unanswered because there is no negative point for answering incorrectly. Therefore, even if you don’t know guess your smartest answer and continue with the rest. Another advice is to write the answers correctly when transferring them across to the answer sheet. You will be given 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. Make sure your spelling is accurate.
So make sure you:
- Listen to lots of recordings and podcasts in the days before the test
- In the exam try and keep up with the recording.
- Don’t get stuck on one question
- Be accurate when transferring your answers to the answer sheet.
Summery:
If you cannot hear the audio clearly, let a member of staff know straightaway
follow the instructions carefully; they may be different to practice or previous tests
listen for the specific information you want
try and anticipate what the speaker will say; this will require concentration
do not worry if there is a word you do not understand; you may not need to use it
if you do not know the answer to a question, attempt it but do not waste time; move quickly onto the next one
be careful with your spelling and grammar
do not panic if you think the topic is too difficult or the speaker is too fast; relax and tune in
read, write and listen at the same time
focus precisely on what you are asked to do in completion type questions
pay attention to the word limit; for example, if you are asked to complete a sentence using no more than two words, if the correct answer is ‘leather coat’, the answer ‘coat made of leather’ would be incorrect
if the question asks you to complete the note ‘in the…’ and the correct answer is ‘morning’, note that ‘in the morning’ would be incorrect; the correct answer is 'morning'
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