LISTENING 1 To learn through listening, practice it naively and actively. Naively means that you listen openly, ready to learn something, as opposed to listening defensively, ready to
Contents
Your future An American classroom An American student Listening overview Question types Academic lectures Conversations Discussions
Types of Questions Benefits
Your Future
The TOEFL listening prepares you for your future stay in the US
Both the campus and the academic situations are very close to real life These are like the day to day interactions
The campus situations are not a mere tests for you, it alerts you to the American campus culture
The conversations tell about the various student related issues, along with the solutions
An American class
The lectures prepare you to the American classrooms
All the lectures are delivered in an organized manner It prepares you to their style of lecturing
Helps in understanding the behavior expected from students
Tells how formal or informal a student can be Tells the kind of language and behavior expected from you and what you can expect from them
An American student
Does not interrupt the lectures
Is expressive in the discussion sessions
Listens to others
Is polite in manner
However is not subservient
Has a perfect student behavior
Listening Overview
Lecture Topics Cover Broad Range Of Topicslike Arts, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences etc. Introductory Level, Prior Knowledge Not Necessary 2-3 Conversations, About 3 Minutes Long, About 12-25 Exchanges-5 Questions Per Conversation 4-6 Lecture,3-5 Minutes Long Each , About 500800 Words-6 Questions Per Lecture Timing -60-90 Minutes
Question Types
Basic comprehension questions
Pragmatic understanding questions
1.Gist- Content 2.Gist- Purpose 3.Detail
4.Understanding the function of what is said 5.Understanding the speaker’s attitude
Connecting information questions
6.Understanding organization 7.Connecting content 8.Making inferences
Academic Lectures
Some have only one speaker
In others the professor may engage the students in discussion
Jot down notes
Some answers depend on the idioms and the intonation pattern
The accent is neutral
Pattern in the Lecture
Introduction to the topic
Explanation with examples and illustrations
Asides , contrasts if any
A recap of the points lectured on
Conversations in an Academic Section
May take place between two people in an office hour with
a professor a teaching assistant a librarian a department secretary a book store employee a student housing in charge and so on
Discussion
The discussions are interactive sessions with one tutor and a group of students
The students actively participate by giving answers and opinions Asides and digressions are made Many idiomatic phrases are used Attitude is based on the tone rather than on the words The complete theme of the discussion must be taken in the notes
Type 1 Gist – Content Questions
The lectures & conversations may be explicit or implicit Look for main idea/general topic Usually the speaker(s) mention the theme at the beginning of the talk Generalize/synthesize information Use notes Eliminate choices which refer to small portions in the listening passage
Typical Gist Content Questions
What problem does the man have?
What are the speakers mainly discussing?
What is the main topic of the lecture?
What aspect of X does the professor mainly discuss?
Type 2 Gist – Purpose Questions
Focus on the purpose not content
Listen for the unifying theme not just facts and detail
Focus on the problem & solution
Understand the students problem
Typical Gist Purpose Questions
Why does the student visit the professor?
Why does the student visit the registrar’s office?
Why did the professor ask to see the student?
Why does the professor explain X
Type 3 – Detail Questions
Based on explicit details
The right choice is NOT based on repeated words
Related to the gist NOT minor details
Questions can be on MAJOR elaborations, examples, support or digressions
Refer to notes as you answer ,look for consistency
Typical Detail Questions
According to the professor, what is one of the way that X can affect Y?
What are X?
What resulted from the invention of the X?
According to the professor what is the problem with the X theory?
Pragmatic Understanding Questions
Tests the understanding of the function of an utterance or the stance Surface expression may not exactly match the speaker’s purpose, Attitude , feelings Involves a replay of a small portion of the listening passage Follow the intonation pattern of the speaker(s)
Type 4 – Function based Questions
Understand the speaker’s attitude to know the implication
Be alert to the exchange of information along with the intonation of the speakers
Typical Function based Questions
What does the professor imply when he says this:(replay)?
What can be inferred from the professor’s response to he student?(replay)
What is the purpose of the woman’s response?(replay)
Why does the student say this: (replay)?
Type 5 - Attitude based Questions
Tests your the understanding of the speaker’s attitude or opinion
- Question can be on speaker’s feelings, likes & dislikes, reason for anxiety, amusement.
Tests your understanding of the degree of certainty - Questions can be on the speaker’s reference to a source a personal opinion, if a fact is accepted or disputed
Typical Attitude based Questions
What can be inferred about the student?
What is the professor’s attitude towards X?
What is the professor’s opinion of X?
What can be inferred about the student when she says this:(replay)?
What does the woman mean when she says this:(replay)?
Connecting Information Questions
You have to make connections between pieces of information
You have to integrate information to make inferences
Draw conclusions to form generalizations
Predictions have to be made from explicit or implicit information
Type 6 - Organizing Questions
Tests the understanding of the overall organization of the passage Tests the understanding of relationship between two portions of the listening Pay attention to comparisons made by the professor The organization of the information is reveal somewhere in the middle of the lecture Take notes systematically and refer to it before answering
Typical Organizing Questions
What can be inferred about the student?
What is the professor’s attitude /opinion of X?(replay)
What does the woman mean when she says this:(replay)?
What can be inferred about the student when she says this:(replay)?
Type 7 - Connecting Content Questions
Measures your ability to understand relationships among ideas in a text Relationship may be explicit or implicit
Organize information in a different way Identify comparisons Cause and effect Contradiction & agreement Classifying items Identifying sequence, steps
Typical Connecting Content Questions
What type of symmetry do these animals have?
What is the likely outcome of doing procedure X before procedure Y?
What does the professor imply about X?
What can be inferred about X?
What does he professor imply about X?
Fill in the chart or complete the table.
Type 8 - Inference Questions
To reach a conclusion based on facts presented in the listening passage
Add up details and the right answer choice will use vocabulary not found in the listening passage
Typical Inference Questions
What does the professor imply about x?
What will the student probably do next?
What can be inferred about X?
What does the professor imply when he says this:(replay)?
Benefits of listening You Learn When You Listen. You Earn When You Listen窶馬ot Just Money, But Respect."