iTestSuccess The Great Big Listening Section Strategy Guide!
General Info about the Test 1. Concentrate! Be prepared, the test center will be noisy. Some people may start their Speaking Section while you are still doing the Listening Section. Some people may take their breaks while you are still on the Listening Section. Be prepared for these distractions, and do not let them distract you!
General Info about the Test 2. The general ideas are more important the specific details. A lecture may be 7 minutes long, but only have 6 questions, and only 2 or 3 of the questions will be about specific details! So do not stress if you miss a word, or did catch a particular phrase. Keep listening!!! It will be OK! Stay focused on the ideas of the listening.
General Info about the Test 3. Both the lectures and the conversations use natural speech. This means you will hear people say the wrong thing, and correct themselves. People will say “uh....” and “um....” People will hesitate, repeat, interrupt etc... It is nothing to worry about, but it is different than most English listening tests, so just be prepared!
General Info about the Test 1. Concentrate! Be prepared, the test center will be noisy. 2. The general ideas are more important the specific details. 3. Both the lectures and the conversations use natural speech.
Now lets look at some TOEFL specifics!
Speci;ic TOEFL Listening Tips The first question after a conversation is almost always like this: “Why did the man go to see his professor?” In other words: “What is the purpose of the conversation?” This will usually be stated at the beginning of the conversation AFTER a brief greeting!
Example
Example Man: Hi professor, how are you? Woman: Good, good. I’m really looking forward to our up coming vacation! Man: Oh yeah, me too. I’ll be going back home to visit my parents. Woman: Oh that’s great! Myself, I’ll probably just stay in town and relax. Now what can I help you with today? Man: Well, I have a few concerns about our up coming final exam. I’m not sure what to study exactly.... Woman: Ah, I see. Well I can tell you that.........
“Why did the man go to see his professor?”
A) To find out more information about his grades. B) To request a new exam date.
✓C) To get advice on preparing for the final exam. D) To request a vacation.
Speci;ic TOEFL Listening Tips The first question after a lecture is almost always like this: “What is the lecture mainly about?” In other words, a MAIN IDEA question. However, sometimes the lecture will start with the professor announcing class business or briefly reviewing the previous lecture. This is not the main idea, though it may also be one of the questions! Separate class business or review from the main idea!
Example
Example Good morning everyone. First off I’d like to tell you that I’ve gotten a bit behind in grading your reports. Don’t worry, I’ll have them done by next week, so you will still have plenty of time to review my comments on them and prepare for the final exam. But still, I apologize I don’t have them for you today as I had previously stated, I had a family issue and wasn’t able to work on them as much as I had hoped. Now, let’s get to today’s topic, The Great Depression. Now the Great Depression is said to have started in 1929, but actually......
Note: Conversations almost always start with a greeting, but lectures only occasionally start with class business or review.
Speci;ic TOEFL Listening Tips Photos do not matter! Photos provide no useful information and there will be no questions related to the photos.
Blackboards do matter!!! Special terms, scientific words, important ideas may appear written on a blackboard. There will be a question related to the word or term that appears!
Speci;ic TOEFL Listening Tips Which is a color?
Which are colors?
Monkey
Monkey
Blue
Blue
Pancake Car
Pancake Yellow
Some questions on the listening section may ask you to make 2 choices. In that case the question will say to select two answers. Also, instead of an OVAL, the answers will have SQUARES. If you only choose 1 square and press NEXT, a warning will appear, you will have to read it and close it, and then answer again..... wasting time!
Speci;ic TOEFL Listening Tips Do you remember tangents from geometry class? (You might remember sine, cosine and tangent......) Tangent means something that touches the other object, but is not part of it.
This line is a tangent to the circle
For our purpose: a tangental story is a story that relates to another story but is still a separate story.
Speci;ic TOEFL Listening Tips For our purpose: a tangental story is a story that relates to another story but is still a separate story.
Listen for tangents!!! When the professor tells a story or relates an experience that is not directly about the subject of the lecture, listen carefully. The professor’s story will relate to the main idea of the lecture, and it will be one of the questions!
Note  Taking 3. Lectures typically either describe something or compare two (sometimes three) things. ABOUT TYPE Statue of Liberty
PROCESS TYPE Lake formation
NYC
Snow Mts
French
Snow Melt
Roman goddess
Sm collect Rvr form Basin fills
Note  Taking 3. Lectures typically either describe something or compare two (sometimes three) things. Bear
Cat
big small mammal
Note Taking Keep it Simple! 1. Don’t write whole sentences 2. Abbreviate 3. You only need to “jog” your memory 4. Listening is more important than note taking!
Abbreviations Some simple standards and tips because - bc opposed to - vs probably - prob
regarding - re with - w without - wo
Use the first syllable of a word reference => ref Remove vowels people => ppl