IELTS-Blog

Lately I was thinking a lot of IELTS-Blog and what I should add to it. So far, I’ve decided to continue posting Listening tips, but if you, guys, have better ideas - please let me know.

Anyway, here goes Listening tip # 5 (see the previous 4 under IELTS Preparation>>Listening tips section )

Know your clues

The answer is usually pronounced louder and clearer, it is easier to hear and understand. If you can’t hear something clearly (because the speaker swallows words or whispers), then probably the answer is not there. Practice and you’ll learn to tell the difference.

A good clue to answer is when you hear a repetition of a word, a word being spelled out (G A R F U N K E L) or a number dictated.

The following conversation is a classic example of repetition:

Mary-Joe: “These days there are many changes in our company policy”

Kathy:”Oh, what kind of changes?”

It is clear that the word “changes” is a clue of answer.

Continuing the previous post, here comes

Listening Tip # 4 - Answer as you listen

What I mean here is that you need to listen and write the answer at the same time.
Make no mistake - it is not a very natural thing for you, so you have to practice a lot in it.
The reason you have to “answer as you listen” is that you immediately forget the sentences after you have heard them. This is what stress, foreign language, constant flow of information does - it makes you forget. After hearing the third sentence you won’t be able to repeat the first. It means that when any part of Listening is over - you won’t be able to remember any of answers. So write them as you hear them, leave nothing for later.