There are various IELTS listening tips that you can follow to ace your IELTS listening. Some of the common and highly popular tips include familiarizing yourself with various accents, understanding the question types, and having a good IELTS vocabulary. To help you get a Band score of 8 in your IELTS listening section, we have compiled a list of top tips along with some common mistakes you should avoid. Read on!
What Can You Expect in the IELTS Listening Test?
In IELTS listening, you will have to listen to four recordings and then answer around 40 questions related to them. These questions are made to test your understanding of the theme, specific details, and the opinion of the speaker.
These recordings are dialogues and monologues of native English speakers and are usually in various accents. However, you will only get to listen to these recordings once, so make sure during the test you practice active listening.
The test is further divided into four parts, and each of these parts has 10 questions. These parts/recordings are:
1: In this recording, you will get to listen to an audio about the general exchange between two people in an everyday context.
2: Here, you will get to listen to a monologue related to everyday life or some social context.
3: This one will be a recording of more than two people in an academic or training context. For example, a teacher explains assignments to students.
4: The last recording will be a monologue on an academic subject.
Top IELTS Listening Tips for You
One thing to remember while answering the IELTS listening is that even the smallest and silliest mistakes can make you lose points. Below are a few IELTS listening tips that you can follow to maximise your IELTS score:
Understand the Format
This might sound like an obvious one, but understanding the format is one of the tips for listening IELTS that you can’t avoid. There are so many test takers who have little idea about the format of the test. So make sure you take up a few IELTS listening mock test to understand it.
Listen for The Gist and Specific Information
The listening section of the IELTS is made to test how good are your listening sub-skills. For example, in the first two sections, your ability to pick up specific information and cues is tested. So it gets really important for you to understand the gist and listen to specific information to answer them correctly.
Listen for Synonyms and Paraphrases
Our next listening tips for IELTS is to listen for synonyms and paraphrases. This is important because the IELTS test assesses your English level by using various synonyms in the listening. The audio may not use the exact words from the questions, so be prepared to hear synonyms or paraphrased sentences.
Time Management
Another one of the important tips for listening IELTS is to learn how to manage your time properly. Make sure that you use the time between sections smartly and take a moment to read the next questions and guess what the answers might be. Additionally, there are a lot of IELTS mock test free that are available online which you can use to manage your time.
Listen to a Range of Things
The IELTS listening section has two monologues and two conversations. So make sure that you practice both of them. There are a lot of resources available online that you can use. For example, for the monologue section, you can try to listen to various podcasts and TED Talks. Whereas, for the conversation sections, you can check out radio shows and YouTube interviews.
Predict the Content
Our last listening tips for IELTS is to learn to predict the content. You can do this by looking at the question before the audio starts and thinking about the details that might come up. Generally, these details are dates, names, or facts.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in the IELTS Listening Section
Above are some of the common IELTS listening tips that can help you increase your overall band score. But below are a few common mistakes that students make which hamper their scores, so make sure you try to avoid them during your IELTS test:
Word Counts
The first mistake that most students make is exceeding the word limit. For example, in a question, the instruction is to write “one word” and instead you write “the bus” then the answer will be incorrect. Also writing numbers as words or numerals is acceptable, like “three hundred and twenty” or “320.”
Following Instructions and Understanding the Questions
The Listening test has 4 parts. Read the questions and instructions first, underline keywords, and check what type of answer is required. Additionally, review your answers after listening and prepare for the next part.
Spelling
Make sure all the spellings are correct or your answer will be wrong, so try to practice common words with the help of IELTS listening mock test. For paper tests, use the 10-minute transfer time to check answers and spelling carefully.
How to Improve Your Listening Skills
Many students aim for a Band 8 in the IELTS listening section to qualify for visas or scholarships, but sometimes it can get difficult. One way, you can improve your band score, is by improving your listening skills. Below are a few IELTS listening tips to help you improve them.
1. Listen to Podcasts: For anyone who wants to learn English, podcasts can help in understanding daily life in English-speaking countries. There are plenty of podcasts on different topics that you can choose from based on your interests.
2. Develop Key Listening Skills: In order to do this, you can start by paying full attention to what the speaker is saying instead of what you answer should be.
3. Improve Listening Habits: Lastly, improve your listening habits, you can do this by creating a conductive environment and setting aside time to prioritise active listening. Additionally, you can also try to seek feedback from your friends so that you can improve your skills.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are a lot of IELTS listening tips that can help you improve your IELTS band score. However, the one tip that will help you more than anything else is practice. The more you will practice, the better your response time will be and the better your answer accuracy will get.
However, if you are struggling with your IELTS preparation and are looking for tailored support, then you can get help from Gradding.com. Their experts will not only help you in your IELTS preparation but also provide any support you need, including IELTS reading practice test for IELTS reading section.
