KEEP TRACK OF THE TIME. BECAUSE YOU CONTROL THE PACE OF THE LISTENI...
5. Keep track of the time. Because you control the pace of the listening test, it’s especially important to keep youreye on the time. Be sure to watch the clock on the computer screen and pace yourself accordingly. Make sure toallow yourself enough time to hear every passage and answer every question. T h e B e s t Te s t - P r e p S t r a t e g y : L i s t e n , L i s t e n , L i s t e n !
Listening to Lectures and Longer Conversations
Everyday conversations and class discussions usually have a main point. But it often takes time to get to that
main idea, and the conversation may cover many different topics and sub-topics along the way. A lecture, on
the other hand, is usually much more organized than a normal conversation or class discussion. And that’s
good news. While lectures may be long and therefore require extra concentration, they offer many organi-
zational clues that can help you better comprehend what you hear.
MAIN
POINT
—SECONDARY
POINT
CLUES
Most lectures are organized around a few main points. These main points are typically followed by second-
ary or supporting points. These points develop the main ideas with more detailed explanations and specific
examples.
A speaker will often announce his or her main points at the beginning of a lecture, as in the following
example:
Freud divided the personality into three distinct levels or forces: the id, the ego, and the superego.
This key sentence tells us the main idea and lays out the structure of the lecture (the professor will dis-
cuss each of the three levels in turn). To help you distinguish between main ideas and their support, listen
for clues. Speakers often use the following phrases to introduce specific examples:
for example others furthermore in part
in addition for instance specifically some
LISTS
Another organizational strategy speakers use is lists. As you listen, be on the lookout for verbal clues like the
following:
■
There are four main events that led to the French Revolution.
■
There are five points that Brauer makes in his argument.
■
The three symptoms of bipolar disorder are . . .
■
Animals mark their territory in several distinct ways.
The introduction to the lecture about Freud’s theory of the personality is another good example. The
speaker lists the three levels of the personality that she will discuss in the lecture.
KEY
WORDS AND
CONCEPTS
Speakers also organize their thoughts by key words and/or concepts. These are easy to spot because they are
typically offered with a definition or some elaboration of what they mean. The introduction to the Freud lec-
ture, once again, is a good example. The professor lists the three key terms that will be defined and described
in the lecture.
Listen carefully for key words and concepts. They will often be unfamiliar words, and the speaker will
often immediately follow the word with a definition. Here are some other verbal clues:
“X, which means”
“X, which refers to . . . ”
“This important concept/idea/term”
“This idea is central to X ’s argument . . . ”
T h e B e s t Te s t - P r e p S t r a t e g y : L i s t e n , L i s t e n , L i s t e n !The best way—indeed, perhaps the only way—to prepare for this section of the TOEFL exam is to put your-
self in situations where English is spoken and practice active listening. The more you listen to spoken Eng-
lish, the more you will understand. Go to movies and watch TV shows in English. Go to places like parks and
museums where you will hear English being spoken around you. Ask English-speaking friends and relatives
to speak to you only in English. The more you practice, the more you will understand. Listen to audio books
in English. They are ideal for when you are traveling or exercising, or whenever you have a few extra moments.
This will not only improve your listening comprehension but also help you become more comfortable with
listening to audiotapes. And there’s a wonderful variety of books now available on tape, including both fic-
tion and non-fiction choices.
Practice
To make the most of this practice section, ask someone who speaks English fluently to read the passages, ques-
tions, and answer choices into a tape recorder. Be sure your reader speaks at a normal, conversational pace.
If that is not possible, read the passages aloud to yourself and answer the questions that follow. You will find
the Answer Key in Appendix A.
P
ART
A: SHORT
CONVERSATIONS