TOEFL Listening Comprehension

The Listening Comprehension consists of 28 questions and is 36 minutes long:

• Three lectures that are 2-5 minutes long, some with classroom discussion, each of which is followed by 6 multiple-choice questions.

• Two 3-minute conversations, each of which is followed by 5 multiple-choice questions.

Strategies:

1. If a lecture presents a term and definition, note the definition.

2. If  a lecture presents examples, know what each example is an example of. 

3. If a lecture presents a theory or concept, pay special attention to what the theory or concept is.

4. Make note of the problem or question a student has at the beginning of a conversation. (By the time the conversation is over, you may forget how it started, and you will always be asked what the question/problem was.)

5. Don’t sacrifice listening for note taking! There is really one key to the listening section— and it is simply to listen! The biggest mistake you can make is to write too much, write full sentences, and write out long words. In fact, I would recommend note-taking for the sole purpose of maintaining concentration rather than getting down key information. 

6. Listen for cues such as repeated words or such phrases as, “So, as I was saying…,” “Going back to…,” or, “Again,..”

7. Read the transcript at least three times for any segment that you had any trouble with. Rereading the transcript will reinforce the vocabulary and cues you were missing. 

Still having trouble? Schedule a call today!