LISTENING SECTION 4

First of all apologies for not posting sooner, as we are getting prepared for our free IELTS Workshops at Istanbul IELTS on Saturday 12 January 2013.  If you would like to take part, please contact: www.istanbulielts.com and reserve your place!

For most people, probably the most difficult section of the IELTS Listening test is passage 4.  This is usually a university lecture or a talk.  There are NO pauses in the middle of IELTS Section 4 of the listening as with the first 3 sections.  So you need to be able to go through the ten questions before the listening starts, underline key words, understand the topic and look for what kind of information you need to be listening out for.  

How can I understand what I hear in passage 4? 

You need to be listening for signpost words.  So, what are signpost words?  Signpost words direct our listening, they tell us what is coming and what kind of information this could be.  There are six directions that the listener can take with signpost words such as: a) stating an opposite; b) introducing an example (especially if it is something technical); c) giving a reason; d) giving extra information; e) setting the stages of a talk – first, second etc.; f) an explanation.

Let’s recap what to expect in IELTS listening:

1)      You only hear the recording once

2)      You have time to read the questions before the start of each section

3)      There is no break in passage 4.

4)      There are ten questions in every section

5)      Spelling must be correct

6)      At the end of the listening test, you have TEN minutes to complete the answer sheet