Tips on TOEFL listening section

Listening section in TOEFL predominantly tests the English listening skills of the applicants. It comprises of 3 parts which are 1 long conversation generally between a man and a woman and 2 lectures. The duration is 3-5 minutes. You can improve on this section in the following manner.

• Start listening to spoken American style English well before the exam. Try to be in tune with channels like CNBC, NGC, and Discovery channel and so on. These channels cover a range of topics like academic, social and political which generally find their place in the final exam.

• Try and expose yourself to as many different types of accents and pronunciations as possible.

• A time period of 1 week prior to the exam should be sufficient. Practice note taking. You will hear the passage only once. It is not possible to memorize every single detail while listening. The only solution is to develop a hang of writing important points while listening. Make sure that you do not miss critical points while jotting down the points. This will develop only with practice. You can refer to Official ETS study Guide for your preparations. It also features a CD for listening section. The TOEFL iBT Big CD can also be very useful. It consists of 3 tests with look-a-like screens and same pattern as the actual exam. This software also provides a detailed review of each section.

• Familiarize yourself with the type and the format of questions. There are certain fixed types of questions that generally appear. This will help you finding the answers even before you have read the question.

• The clock is ticking only when you are answering the questions, not when you are listening. So, forget about the time constraint when you are listening.

• One effective way of notes taking is writing down the words “main idea”, “tone of the passage”, “details” and “main points” even before you start listening to the passage. While taking down the notes, fill in the above points.

• Do not ignore visual materials provided when the lecturer is referring to them. Some visuals like the blackboard in the background, the graphics or the illustrations may give clues about the theme of the passage.

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