To start with the first post in the listening forum, I would like to talk about one of the first and the most important skills in the Listening section of the IELTS test.
What I am talking about is CONCENTRATION!
Very often, examinees take a test, and can give correct answers to, let's say, 23 questions out of 40. The next time, they take a similar test,and cannot even get close to that score!!! The problem here is lack of concentration in the second test.
Having a good listening is not enough to get an acceptable scorein the listening test. I have seen lots of cases of "lack of concentration" which have ended up in disasters. Therefore, if you really want to get the score you deserve in the listening test, please have the following factors in mind:
· DO NOT talk to others while taking the listening test, or practicing for it.Whenever you start talking, your mind switches its state into a conversation rather than a test, and it will take some time for it to switch back to the previous condition.
· DO NOT even talk toyourself when a section ends. Doing so means you’re telling yourself that the test is over, so your brain starts to relax, and forgets what information it has just received. After a section ends, instead of saying ”Phew, it was difficult!”, try to think about the answers to the questions you have missed. Your brain will do the rest for you.
· DO NOT stick on aquestion you have missed. This is a very common problem. Your brain is adjusted to follow the events in a chronological order, so when you miss aquestion on the test, it sticks on it until it may find the answer. The problem here is that the test doesn’t wait for your brain, and you will miss many more questions. Practice to adapt yourself with moving further as the test progresses.
· DO NOT rely on your guesses. Another common problem in the IELTS test is the reliance of students on the guesses they have made when reading the questions. Remember,guessing helps you find the answers, but the problem of relying on your guesses is that when you rely on a guess, your brain tries to hear it in any way possible during the test, so you will miss the actual answer!
· DO NOT stop listening when you get an answer. The IELTS test is a standardized one. In any standard test, there must be a number of distracters for each question, so if aquestion is about a date, there will be a number of dates presented in the conversation or lecture. One of the problems which occurs most, is the problem of students leaving a question as soon as they feel they have got the answer to it. Listen carefully and concentrate on the rest of the talk. It is really common that an answer you have thought is correct is changed during the conversation.
· Empty your mind before starting to listen. Do not start a test with a preoccupied mind. Practice stopping your thoughts before a listening test. There are books which can help you, andif you want, you can ask your questions about this practice in the comments for this post.
I hope these suggestions have been useful for you. If you have any questions regarding the listening test, feel free to ask. I’ll be happy to answer you as well and soon as I can.
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