Listen Well, Follow These Tips, and Get a Great IELTS Score!

One of the most well-known tests of English language proficiency in the world is the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). It evaluates your proficiency in four areas of English communication: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. 

The IELTS Listening test is a crucial component of the exam since it evaluates your capacity to understand and respond to spoken English in a variety of situations. We will show the strategies and methods on how to get a good score in IELTS listening.

Related: IELTS Academic v General Training: Which One Fits You Best?

Understanding the IELTS Listening Test

There are four sections of the IELTS Listening test, each with ten questions. You will be asked questions after listening to a tape of a conversation or a monologue. Because the recordings are only played once, it’s important to listen carefully and take notes. They are as follows:

• Section 1: General Conversation. You’ll hear a conversation between two people while they go about their daily business, including ordering dinner or making hotel reservations.
• Section 2: Social Interaction. A lecture or presentation about a social topic will be played for you, such as a tour guide explaining a historical location or a teacher giving instructions to students.
• Section 3: Educational Talks. You’ll hear a lecture or debate about a topic in education, such as a professor laying out a theory or a researcher outlining their findings.
• Section 4: Monologues. You will hear a speech or a report about a broad subject, such as a news story or a documentary.

Your listening abilities will be assessed by the IELTS examiners using four main assessment criteria: retrieval, inference, cohesion and coherence, and overall understanding. 

• Retrieval refers to the ability to recognize and extract particular information from the recording, such as names, dates, numbers, or facts. 
• Inference is your ability to interpret and interpret suggested information from the recording, such as opinions, attitudes, or purposes. 
• The terms “cohesion” and “coherence” describe your capacity to comprehend and connect the main ideas, arguments, scenarios, and conclusions in the audio. 
• Overall understanding is your capacity to comprehend the gist and main theme of the recording, such as the subject, the speaker’s aim, or the tone.

Useful Tips to Get a Good Score in IELTS Listening Test

Applying some efficient pre- and post-test tactics and tips on how to get a good score in IELTS listening will help you perform well on the IELTS Listening test. Here are some of the examples:

Understand the Different Question Types

Knowing what to expect is essential because different question types call for different strategies. In the IELTS Listening test, the following question categories are most typical:

• Multiple Choice: You will be presented with three or four options; you must select the option that most closely matches the recording’s content. You must listen intently for words and synonyms that match the possibilities to provide an appropriate response to this kind of question.
• True/False/Not Given: You will be presented with a statement, and your task is to determine if it is accurate or inaccurate, or whether it is mentioned in the tape. You must compare the statement with the details in the tape and search for proof to respond to this kind of query.
• Fill in the Blanks: Using the information from the audio, you will need to complete a sentence or summary that has certain words or phrases missing. You must listen for words that grammatically and logically fit to provide an appropriate response to this kind of question.
• Matching: You will be given two lists of items, and you must pair them up following the recording’s details. For instance, you might have to pair speakers and statements, or vice versa. You must recognize the words and hints that connect the things to respond to this kind of question while avoiding distractions.
• Diagram Labeling: Using the information from the recording, you must label a diagram or a map that has some labels missing. You must use the proper terms or abbreviations for the labels and follow the speaker’s directions and positions when responding to this kind of question.

Read the Instructions Carefully

Be sure to properly read the directions and understand what is being requested of you before you begin listening. Be careful of details such as the number of words you can use for each answer, if you can use more than one word for each blank, whether or not you can use capital letters, etc.

Listen Actively

Don’t just passively listen to the recording. Instead, try to actively engage with the material by asking yourself questions and taking notes while listening

Be attentive and don’t simply passively play the recording. Instead, make an effort to actively participate with the information by making notes and asking yourself questions while you listen. For instance:

• What is the subject matter of this section?
• Who are the speakers, and what connection do they have?
• What is the speaker’s main argument or goal?
• What instances or supporting details does the speaker provide?
• What are the speaker’s opinions or attitudes?
• How is the information presented in the recording organized and connected?
• What words, phrases, or synonyms best describe the options or the questions?

Use Context Cues

Don’t get worried if you struggle to understand a term or phrase. Use the context to try and figure out what it means. Context clues are hints or clues provided by the speaker or the words surrounding the unknown word or phrase that can assist you in determining its meaning. For instance:

• Definition: If a word or phrase is unfamiliar, the speaker may define it or explain it. For instance, “A tsunami is a huge wave caused by an earthquake under the sea.”
• Example: The speaker may provide an illustration or example of a word or phrase that is not familiar. For instance, “Some examples of renewable energy sources are solar, wind, and hydropower.”
• Contrast: The speaker may draw comparisons between an unfamiliar word or phrase and an established one. For instance, “Unlike mammals, reptiles are cold-blooded animals.”
• Synonym: The speaker may substitute an unknown term or phrase with a synonym or a word that has a similar meaning. For instance, “The weather was muggy or very hot and humid.”
• Antonym: An opposite-meaning word or phrase to an unknown word or phrase may be used as an antonym by the speaker. For instance, “The movie was very boring and dull, not exciting and thrilling.”

Preparing for the IELTS Listening Test

You should routinely and systematically practice listening to get ready for the IELTS Listening test. Here are a few techniques to do that:

Take Practice Tests

A fantastic method to become familiar with the test’s structure and the kinds of questions that are offered is to take simulation tests. Numerous simulation tests that mimic the actual examination settings and offer performance feedback are available online or in books.

Additionally, you can cross-check your answers using the transcripts and explanations offered by the sources.

Practice Listening to Different Types of Recordings

Don’t merely listen to the audio from the IELTS Listening test. Listen to a wide range of recordings, including newscasts, documentaries, podcasts, lectures, speeches, discussions, and more. 

There are many real listening resources available, both online and offline, that span a wide range of subjects and skill levels. Try to listen to English spoken with various dialects and accents.

Use Online Resources to Help You Improve Your Listening Skills

There are numerous online tools available to you that can aid in various aspects of listening skill development. 

Don’t Give Up! 

It takes time and effort to get your listening skills better. If you don’t notice results right away, don’t give up. Simply keep training, and your score will ultimately rise.

Don’t give up if you don’t see results right away; it takes time and commitment to improve your listening abilities. Your success will surely be improved by consistent practice, exposure to various accents, and making use of online tools.

Related: Navigating the Australian Education System: Do You Really Need IELTS?

Keep these strategies and methods on how to get a good score in IELTS listening in mind as you set out on the path to succeed on the IELTS Listening test. You may improve your listening abilities and perform incredibly well on this important IELTS exam task with patience and diligence.