listening tips (british council)

Listening tips

@meestergijs

MEESTERGIJS.NL/vaardigheden/luisteren

All advice are from British Council

MEESTERGIJS.NL/vaardigheden/lezen

http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/exams/listening-exams

Which words do I need to understand?


While you are listening to the text you won't understand every word,

and you don't need to. That's a fact! But it is important to know which

words you need to understand so that you can complete the tasks.

You don't have to understand every word. Don't panic if you don't understand

everything!

The first time you listen, just listen for the general idea or gist.

The important, key words or ideas will be stressed. They are usually said

louder and slower than other words.

The words that are not stressed are not usually as important as the words that

are stressed.

In general, listen for the important, key words. Even native speakers don't

listen to every word!

I don’t understand an important word!


What can you do while you're listening and you don't understand an

important word? These tips will help you.

If you hear a word that you don't understand, but you think it's

important, think about the context. Does it sound like another word

that makes sense in that context?

Don't think about the word for too long. Continue listening to the rest

of the text.

It's important to continue listening to the rest of the text so that you

don't miss any more important information.

Sometimes key words or ideas are repeated later in the audio, so

listen out for the word or idea again.


What can you do while you're listening and you don't understand an

important word? These tips will help you.

Sometimes you might hear a word you know, but you don't recognise

the pronunciation. Use the context to help you work out the word and

remember that when people speak quickly they often use weak

sounds, or drop sounds from a word.

Don't stop listening! If you don't understand part of the listening, don't

panic! Continue listening to the next part.This is a very important

skill when listening. Learn to move on and continue listening!

I don’t understand an important word!


The context is the situation of the listening text. So this will give you

a lot of extra information to help you in the test. The more you know

about the situation, the easier it is to help you imagine the scene.

The context can help you think about what the speakers are saying.

What do you know about the context?

If you hear a word you don't know, think about how it might relate to

the context.

If you are not sure about an answer, use your common sense. What

makes sense in the context?

Where are the speakers? Does the background noise give you any

extra information?

context


You often have to spell words, understand numbers, dates and times

in listening tests. These are things you can prepare for before the

test.

Do you know the alphabet in English? Practise spelling words in

English.

Do you know how to say different types of numbers in English? Learn

how to say phone numbers, big numbers, fractions, etc.

Do you know how to say dates in English? Practise saying the date.

Do you know how to tell the time in English? Learn different ways of

telling the time.

spelling, numbers, dates and times


Be aware of words that use contracted or short forms.

We use a lot of contractions in spoken English. Listen carefully for

contractions, e.g. 'd, 's, 'll, 've, etc.

It's amazing how much one sound can change the meaning of

something. For example, compare 'I'll go' (the speaker will go) and 'I'd

go' (the speaker is advising someone else to go).

Usually the context helps you work out which contraction is

appropriate. For example, when talking about hopes and dreams, the

contraction 'd (would) is common.

Check the question carefully for contractions.

Ask your teacher for extra practice to listen and compare sentences

with and without contractions.

contradictions


We can get a lot of information from how something is said and the

tone of voice that the speaker uses.

Listen to the intonation to help you understand the speakers'

emotions and how they feel.

Do the speakers sound happy, sad, worried, frightened, annoyed,

etc.?

Voices are often high to express strong emotion, e.g. when we are

excited, happy, frightened or annoyed.

Voices are often low when we are bored or uninterested.

Understanding the emotions of the speakers will help you understand

what they are saying.

intonation and emotion


Listening tests often ask questions about the speakers’ opinions.

Listening for certain expressions will help you in this area.

Listen for language of opinions, e.g. In my view..., I believe..., I

think..., I disagree that..., I can't stand..., I'm keen on...

Listen for reactions to help understand opinions, e.g. You're

absolutely right! You're wrong! How awful! That's fantastic! etc. They

are often said with a high voice.

opinions

All advice are from British Council

MEESTERGIJS.NL/vaardigheden/lezen

http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/exams/listening-exams

Listening tips

@meestergijs


listening tips (british council)

Education