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Developing TOEFL Strategies:Listening Comprehension

Leonor Rosales Arellano

lrosales@itesm.mx

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Institutional TOEFL

It has three sections:

Listening comprehension: It has 50 questionsand it lasts about 35 minutes.

Structure and written expression: It has 40

questions and you have 25 minutes to answer it.

Reading Comprehension: It has 50 questions (5passages) and you have 55 minutes to answer it.

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Listening Comprehension

There are three parts in the ListeningComprehension section:

Part A cosists of thirty short conversationsfollowed by a question.

Part B consist of two longer conversations

followed by a number of questions (about 8). Part C consist of three talks followed by a

number of questions (about 12).

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General Strategies

Be familiar with the directions.

Listen carefully to the conversations andtalks.

Never leave any answers blank on your

answer sheet.

Use any remaining time to look ahead at the

answers to the questions that follow.

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Listening Strategies: Part A

As you listen to each short conversation,

focus on the second line of the conversation. Keep in mind that the correct answer is

probably a restatement of a key word or idea

of the second line in the conversation.

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Listening Strategies: Part A

Certain stuctures and expressions are

regularly tested in Listening part A Stuctures (passives, negatives, wishes,

conditions)

Functional expressions (agreement, uncertainity,

suggestions, suprise) Idiomatic expressions (two and three-word verbs

and idioms)

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Listening Strategies: Part A

Keep in mind that these questions generallyprogress form easy to difficult.

Even if you do not understand the completeconversation you can find the correct answer. If you only understood a few words or ideas in the second

line, choose the answer that contains a restatement of thosewords or ideas.

If you did not understand anything at all in the second line,

choose the answer that sounds the most different form whatyou heard.

Never choose a sound because it sounds like what youheard in the conversation.

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Skill 1: Focus on the second line

The second line of the conversation probably contains the answer to

the question.

On the recording you hear:(man) Billy really made a big mistake last night.

(woman) Yes, he forgot to turn in his research paper.

(narrator) What does the woman say about Billy?

In your test book, you read:

(A) It was the first time he made a mistake.(B) He forgot to write his paper.

(C) He turned in the paper in the wrong place.

(D) He didnt remember to submit his assignment.

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Skill 2. Choose answers with

synonyms

Focus on key words. If you hear a synonym of the key words, then you

have probably found the answer.

On the recording you hear:(man) Why is Barbara feeling so happy?

(woman) She just started working in a real estate agency

(narrator) What does the woman say about Barbara?

In your test book, you read:

(A) She always liked her work in real estate.(B) She began a new job.

(C) She just bought some real estate.

(D) She bought a real estate agency.

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Skill 3: Avoid similar sounds

Identify key words in the second line. If an answer contains similar

sounds, that might not be the correct answer.

On the recording you hear:(man) Why couldnt Mark come with us?

(woman) He was searching for a new apartment.

(narrator) What does the woman say about Mark?

In your test book, you read:

(A) He was in the deparment office.(B) He was looking for a place to live.

(C) He was working on his research project.

(D) He had an appointment at church.

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Skill 4: Draw conclusions about who,

what and where (Infer)

You could be asked to infer who the speaker is, what will probablyhappen next or where the conversation probably takes place.

On the recording you hear:

(woman) Are you going to read those books here in the library?

(man) I think Id better check them out now and take themhome.

(narrator) What will the man probably do next?

In your test book, you read:

(A) Sit down at the library.(B) Look for some books.

(C) Return the books to the shelves.

(D) Go to the circulation desk.

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Skill 5: Listen for Who and What in

passives

If the conversation contains a passive,the answer to thequestion is often an active statement.

On the recording you hear:(man) Did Sally go to the bank this morning?

(woman) Yes, she did. She got a new checking account.

(narrator) What does the woman imply?

In your test book, you read:

(A) Sally wrote several checks.(B) Sally wanted to check up on the bank.

(C)A new checking account was opened.

(D)Sally checked on the balance in her account.

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Skill 6: Listen for Who and what with

multiple nouns.

When there are multiple nouns in a sentence, it is common forthe answers to confuse which noun does what.

On the recording you hear:(man) Do you know who is in the band now?

(woman) I heard that Mara replaced Robert in the band.

(narrator) What does the woman say about the band?

In your test book, you read:

(A) Robert became a new member of the band.(B) Robert took Maras place in the band.

(C)Mara didnt have a place in the band.

(D)Mara took Roberts place in the band.

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Skill 7:Listen for negative expressions

Negative expressions are very common in short convesations, and themost common kind of correct response is a positive statementcontaining a word with an opposite meaning.

On the recording you hear:(man) How did they get to their grandmothers house in Maine

in only five hours?

(woman) They didnt drive slowly on their trip to Maine.

(narrator) What does the woman say about the trip?

In your test book, you read:

(A) They drove rather quickly.(B) They couldnt have driven more slowly.

(C) They wanted to travel slowly to Maine.

(D) They didnt drive to Maine.

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Skill 8: Listen for double negative

expressions

It is possible for two negative ideas to appear in one sentence,and the result can be quiet confusing.

On the recording you hear:

(man) I cant believe the news I heard about the concert.

(woman) Well, it isnt impossible for the concert to takeplace.

(narrator) What does the woman say about the concert?

In your test book, you read:

(A) Theres no possibility that the concert will take place.(B) The concert will definitely not take place.

(C) The concert might take place.

(D) The concert cant take place.

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Skill 9: Listen for almost negative

expressions

Certain expressions in English have almost negativemeanings. These expressions are common on the TOEFL testand need to be reviewed.

On the recording you hear:(man) Were you able to pay the electric bill?

(woman) I had barely enough money.

(narrator) What does the woman imply?

In your test book, you read:

(A) He had plenty of money for the bill.(B) He did not have enough money for the bill.

(C)He paid the bill but has no money left.

(D)He was unable to pay the bill.

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Skill 10: Listen for negatives with

comparatives.

Negatives can be used with comparatives. A sentence with a negativeand a comparative has a superlative, or very strong, meaning.

On the recording you hear:

(woman) What do you think of the new student in Math class?(man) No one is more intelligent than she is.

(narrator) What does the man say about the new student?

In your test book, you read:

(A) She is not very smart.

(B) He is smarter than she is.

(C) Other students are smarter than she is.(D) She is the smartest student in the class.

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Skill 11: Listen for expressions of

agreement.

The following example shows agreement with a positivestatement.

On the recording you hear:(man) I think the hypothesis is indefensible.

(woman) So do I.

(narrator) What does the woman mean?

In your test book, you read:

(A) She is unsure about the hypothesis.(B) The hippopotamus is behind the fence.

(C)She thinks the hypothesis can be defended.

(D)She agrees with the man.

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Expressions of agreement

Agreement with positive statements.

So do I. Me, too.

Ill say!

Isnt it!

You can say that again!

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Expressions of agreement

Agreement with negative statements:

Neither do I. I dont either.

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Skill 12: Listen for expression of

uncertainty and suggestion.

The following example shows an expression of uncertainty.

On the recording you hear:

(man) Do you know anything about the final exam inPhysics?

(woman) Its going to be rather difficult, isnt it?

(narrator) What does the woman mean?

In your test book, you read:

(A) The exam is not going to be too difficult.

(B) Shes positive that its going to be hard.(C)She thinks that it might be hard.

(D)She has no idea about the exam.

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Skill 13: Listen for emphatic

expressions of surprise.

When surprise is expressed, it implies that speaker did notexpect something to be true.

On the recording you hear:

(woman) Did you see Paul driving in his Mustang?

(man) Then, he DID get a new car.

(narrator) What had the man thought?

In your test book, you read:

(A) Paul would definetely get a Mustang.

(B) Paul did not know how to drive.(C) Paul did not like Mustangs.

(D) Paul would not get a new car.

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Skill 14: Listen for wishes

The important idea to remember about wishes is that a wishimplies the opposite of the wish is true.

On the recording you hear:

(woman) Its too hard that you have to stay here and workduring the school break.

(man) I really wish I could go with you and the others toPalm Spring.

(narrator) What does the man mean?

In your test book, you read:(A) Maybe he will go with the others on the trip.

(B) He is unable to go on the trip.

(C) Hes happy to be going on the trip.

(D) Hes going on the trip but not with the others.

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Skill 15: Listen for true conditions

The important idea to remember about conditions isthat the opposite of the condition is true.

On the recording you hear:(man) Do you think that you will be able to go to the

party?

(woman) If I had time, I would go.

(narrator) What does the woman say about the party

In your test book, you read:

(A) Maybe shell go.

(B) She has time, so shell go.

(C) Shes going even if she doesnt have time .

(D) Its impossible to go.

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Listen for two-and three-part verbs

The verbs are expressions that include a verb and one or twoparticles (such as in, on, or at); that particle changes the

meaning of the verb.On the recording you hear:

(woman) What time does the meeting start?

(man) Didnt you hear that it was called off by thedirector?

(narrator) What does the man say about the meeting?In your test book, you read:

(A) The director called a meeting.

(B) The director phoned her about the meeting.

(C) The director called the meeting to order.

(D) The director cancelled the meeting.

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Listening comprehension: Part B and C

General Strategies

If you have time, preview the answers to theconversation or longer talk.

Listen carefully to the first line of theconversation.

As you listen to the conversation, draw

conclusions about the situatuion of theconversation: who is talking, where theconversation takes place, or when it takesplace.

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Listening comprehension: Part B and C

General Strategies

As you listen to the conversation follow along

with the answers and try to determine the

correct answers.

You should guess even if you are not sure.

Use any remaining time to look ahead at the

answers to the questions that follow.

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Skills 18, 19 and 20

Anticipate the topic.

Anticipate the questions. Determine the topic

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Skill 21: Draw conclusions about who,

what, when and where

As you listen to the conversation, you shouldbe trying to set the situation in your mind.

You should be thinking the following: Who is talking?

When does the conversation probably take place?

Where does the conversation probably take

place? What is the source of information for the

conversation?

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Skill 22: Listen for answers in order

There are two possible methods to use while

you listen to the conversation.

You can just listen to the conversation (and ignore

the answers).

You can follow along with the anwers while you

listen.