Strategies for TOEFL Computer Based Test and Paper Based Test Listening Section
Since
its introduction in late 2005, the TOEFL Internet-based Test (iBT) format has
progressively replaced the computer-based tests (CBT) and paper-based tests
(PBT), although paper-based testing is still used in select areas. The TOEFL
iBT test has been introduced in phases, with the United States, Canada, France, Germany,
and Italy in 2005 and the rest of the world in 2006, with test
centers added regularly. The CBT was discontinued in September 2006 and these
scores are no longer valid.
TOEFL
iBT Listening section is delivered immediately after the Reading section. The
Listening section of TOEFL iBT measures your ability to understand spoken
English in academic settings. In TOEFL iBT the listening is done for 3 major
purposes:
1.
Listening for basic comprehension.
2.
Listening for pragmatic understanding.
3.
To connect and combine ideas presented
in multiple information sources.
Each
part of the Listening section (2 or 3 parts) consists of 1 long conversation
and two lectures. The test takers hear each lecture or conversation only once.
Lectures and conversations are 3-5 minutes long. During the listening the time
is not running. The allotted time of 10 minutes for each part is only for
answering the questions.
Preparation Strategies
Listen to spoken
English from multiple sources as much as possible. Listen
to English spoken movies and English spoken TV channels, listen to the radio
and as many other listening sources as you may find. It would be better if your
passages are academic or close to what is in TOEFL iBT. The more you practice
listening, the better listener you will become.
Listen for the main
idea.
It is usually found at the beginning of the listening passages, while the
details are dispersed throughout the lecture. The main idea will give you
understanding of what the conversation/lecture is about. Then you may listen
for details.
Learn
to find how the ideas are presented in the listening passage. Some of
the main relations between ideas include cause/effect, compare/contrast, and
steps in a process.
Learn
to listen
for signal words that indicate different part of the passage -
introduction, major steps, examples, conclusions, etc.
Build your vocabulary.
While listening, try to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words from context. It
is very important since there is a big chance to come across words you don't
know at the real test. Then, you should guess their meaning. Write down every
word you don't know and include it in your wordlist. Try to memorize it and use
it in your speaking and writing. Flashcards could be a great way to improve
your vocabulary.
Listen
to conversations or lectures with variety of accents. In TOEFL iBT Listening
section there is a variety of accents and pronunciations. For this reason, you
should practice listening to a people with different accents and pronunciation
patterns.
Practice note-taking.
Note-taking is allowed during all sections of TOEFL iBT. Effective note-taking
may highly improve your performance. It is almost impossible to memorize all
clues and details provided in the Listening section. Moreover, you can hear the
passages ONLY ONCE. Therefore, to answer the questions you have to rely on what
you remember from the passage and your notes. See also our Effective Note-Taking
Strategies.
Summarize in writing
what you have heard, using your notes. Thus, you will learn
to find the purpose and main idea of the listening, and also the most important
details. You will also learn to take and use notes. It also helps in improving
your writing skills.
Familiarize yourself
with the type of questions in TOEFL iBT. Make sure that
during the preparation you learn what answers are required by the different
types of question. Some questions may ask you to provide two answers, others to
click in a chart box. If you are familiar with the question types, you may save
important time.
At the exam strategies
Forget about the
Reading section. Now it is time to fully concentrate on
the Listening section.
The
clock is ticking only when you are answering the questions and not when you are
listening to the passages. So, when you listen, forget about the clock.
Prepare for
note-taking. Before the section starts, write down the words
'main idea', 'major points', and 'important details'. Under which word you will
place your notes from the listening passage.
Do
not be distracted by the speaker's accent, speaking style and delivery. Focus
on the content and flow of information the speaker(s) deliver.
Listen to find clues that
will help you understand what the speaker's purpose, attitude and degree of
certainty is. Listen for words that show relationship between ideas.
Pay
attention to the visual materials. Some of the visual materials in
the Listening section bring important information. Blackboards show important
words or phrases that are discussed during the lecture. Illustrations and
graphics support the information presented in the lecture. They are available
only when the lecturer refers to them.
Answering is different.
In the Listening section you may not return to the previous questions to
correct your answers. Nevertheless, you have to confirm twice that you want to
move to the next question. First, when you provide your answer you have to
press the NEXT button. After pressing the NEXT button you may alter you answer.
To move to the next question you have to press OK button. Sometimes test
takers forget this and lose important time. Please, set your mind that you have
to press two buttons.
Take a guess.
There is no penalty for an incorrect answer in TOEFL iBT. It doesn't bring any
points. If you see you are running out of time, just take a guess and mark
answers for all remaining questions. There is 25 % chance to guess the right
answer.
Source
:
http://i-courses.org/listening-tips
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_of_English_as_a_Foreign_Language
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