Listening

There are 8 types of questions:

Must types of questions are multiple choice.

Question 1: Main ideas questions:

It asks the overall focus of a conversation or a lecture. It includes the topic of the conversation or the
lecture.

Strategy 1 be familiar with some of the possible topics and the related vocabulary:
For a conversation:

The main idea is a student’s need or a problem how it will be addressed.

It is between a student and a professor/school officer.

It can be : homework, Mark/grade too unfair, Busar fees, academic transfer,…

For a lecture:

The main idea is the topic of a lecture et how the lecturer discuss it. The topic is related to a
academic field taught at American college and universities. So you should be familiar theses fields.

Possibilities: History(American and world), Maths, Anthropology, sociology, ect.

Strategy 2: uses the opening remarks , or hook, as a clue , but don’t confuse the hook
and the main topic.
A hook is used by the lecturer for to get the audience’ attention and to get the audience begin
thinking to the main topic.

Strategy 3: listen for the thesis statement after the hook as a clue to the main idea.
Strategy 4: use a student’s opening request or question as a clue to the main idea of
the conversation.
Conversations don’t have hooks or thesis statements, but after exchanging polite greetings with
someone, the student will use recognizable language to introduce his reason for coming

Example: can you help me with…/I was wondering if…/ I hope I’m not bothering you, but…/I’d like to
discuss…

Strategy 5: anticipate key points and details based on the introduction

Strategy 6 note the type of lecture or academic discussion.
Ask yourself what is the speaker focusing on? How does the speaker feel about the topic? How is the
passage organized?

Strategy 7 follow repeated and related vocabulary to understand the main idea
If some words are mentioned repeatdly, you should be able to make a relation between those word
for to find easily le main idea.
Strategy 8: don’t confuse the supporting points /details with the main idea.
Don’t focus just on one idea.

Strategy 9: Listen for the main topic to be repeated in the conclusion, but don’t rely on
the conclusion to paraphrase the thesis or summarize the whole conversation or
lecture.
You may hear the main topic repeated.

Question 2: Purpose question

It asks about the speaker purpose or what the speaker hope to accomplish in the conversation or
lecture. It is more common for conversation, but it may be asked for lecture.

Strategy 1: Understand the main idea (see also main idea questions above )
Conversation: student may be direct with the professor or the school officer about what he wants.

Lecture: for lecture the lecturer may not be direct sometimes, sometimes he may.

Strategy 2: recognize the kind of passage

We should try to understand if there are arguments, comparisons, explanations, and so forth.

Exemple : if a lecturer give a argument, then her purpose is “to argue”.

Strategy 3: place the lecture in the broader context

Strategy 4: be prepare to identify the purpose as an infinitive
Purpose is expressed as: “infinitive + main topic/main idea

“to change a roommate”

Question type 3: Detail question:

Detail questions asks about:

• People
• Places
• Things
• Definitions
• Reasons mentioned in the lecture.

Strategy 1: Be familiar with the various types of detail and the related vocabulary.
• Description:
• Definitions:
• Numbers:
• Comparisons:
• Contrast:
• Locations
• Times
• Examples
• Explanation
Strategy 2: Identify the main idea, and anticipate the subpoints, or supporting points
(see also general listening strategies)
Strategy 3: focus on the most important datails, and minor ones
Strategy 4: use the turns in a conversation or academic discussion to identify
important and details.
We should pay attention to the questions, because the pronoun are directly related to the answer.

Strategy 5 relate a detail to the main detail.

You must understand how detail supports the main idea. For example if the professor mentions a
school official, will this person help the student?

Strategy 6: listen for key words.

A word is important if it support the main idea or topic.

Question Type 4: Speaker’s attitude questions:

Attitude question ask about a speaker’s

• Emotional state
• Level of certainty
• Confidence
• Agreement/disagreement.

Strategy 1: be prepared to infer a speaker ‘s attitude

The speaker don’t express his attitude explicitly in a statement. Instead you have to infer.

Strategy 2: Use context as a clue to inference

Context refer to situation of the speakers. It include:

• The identity of the speaker

• The time
• The place
• The reason
• The main topic

• The details of the conversation or the lecture.

Strategy 3: listen for key words of attitude and connect them to infer a speaker’s
feeling or opinion.
Key word gives us a clue about feeling and opinion. If a professor give a lecture on issac newton, by
example, and uses words such as brilliant , amazing, genius, and revolutionary, she has a positive
attitude toward issac newton.

Key words may be:

• Verbs: guess, like, fear, ect.

• Adverbs/adjectives : likely, probably, helpful, …
• Modals: may, might, should, must,…
Strategy 4 listen for intonation and emphasis:
• Rising intonation usually indicates positive feeling, interest, acceptance, surprise or a
question.
• Failing intonation: suggest negativity, sarcasm, disinterest, rejection or disapproval.

Strategy 5: be familiar with possible answer choices and their subtle differences in
meaning and degree.
Many answers choices may be close in meaning but not exactly the same. So pay attention.

Example:

Happy: pleased, glad, enthusiastic, thrilled,…

Strategy 6: pay attention to changes in attitude:

You can have an attitude at the beginning but not the same attitude at the end.

Question type 5: Rhetorical function questions:

It tests your understanding of how the statements or ideas in a conversation or lecture relate to each
other. They can also test your ability to recognize such ideas as:

• A speaker’s plan
• Apology
• Compliment
• Criticism
• Complaint or joke among many others.

You don’t just hear, but you should understand.

There 2 types of rhetorical questions:

• The first type ask about the role that particular statements or ideas play in the conversation
• The second type asks about the overall organization of a conversation.

Type 1: organisation of details:

Strategy 1: Be prepared to infer:

Strategy 2: pay attention to the context
Strategy 3 Recognises the attitude of the speakers:
Strategy 4 Distinguish between rethorical and interrogative questions.

Strategy 5 Be familiar with the type of detail and their related vocabulary

Strategy 6 Distinguish literal and metaphorical language

Strategy 7 Distinguish between the real and the hypothetical(imaginary)

Strategy 8 Use the key words to recognize the unreal or hypothetical:

Strategy 9 Be aware of the possible rhetorical actions and their meanings.

Strategy 10 Be prepared to think about rhetorical fuction in two related ways:

“infinitive+object”, “by+gerung”
Type 2: organization of a passage
Strategy 2: Be familiar with the possible methods of organizing a conversation or lecture:
• A general category(families , class, species, ) and specific types
• Definitions and examples,
• Cause(s) and effect(s)
• Argument and refutation
• Smallest to biggest
• …

Strategy 2: Be prepared to infer

Strategy 2: Remember the basic outline of conversation and lectures as you take notes
Strategy 2: Listen for key words
Strategy 5: Takes notes on key points, not every detail
Strategy 6 Look for paraphrased ideas in the answer choices, not repeated vocabulary.

Questions Type 6: drag and drop: sequencing questions

Understand the relationship between pieces of information in a passage.

Strategy 1 : Listen actively

Strategy 2 : take notes on major points, not minor details.
Strategy 3 ; pay special attention to sequence.
The order could involve historical events, a natural or scientific process, instructions and so forth.

To not assume that the order mentioned is the correct one.

Strategy 4: be prepare to infer:

Questions Type 7: content relationship questions.
You should perform an action, such as an inference, a deduction, a prediction, or a generalisation in
order to choose the correct answer.

Strategy 1 : Listen actively

Strategy 2: take note on major points not minor details
Strategy 3: pay special attention to categorization:
You have to connect certains caracteristics to a particular word or kind.

Strategy 4: pay special to multiple details:

You should recognize anytime that you have multiple actors, places, causes, effects.

Questions type 8: Inference questions:

Strategy 1: listen actively
Strategy2 : Think critically about details:
Strategy 3: Use context to infer correctly.
Strategy 4: recognize and use idioms:
An idiom refer to a set of expression whose meaning has little or o relation to the letteral meaning of
the words in it. An inference question doesn’t ask about the meaning of an idiom immediately, but
an idiom could be necessary to make an inference.

Strategy 5: think about details together, not individually

Bacause inference requires more than one piece of information such as descriptions, questions,
conditionals, suggestions, advice,…

Strategy 6: Be prepared to perform some actions to connect details correctly;

Conseils:

Pay attention

Take note whenever it is possible (si ut pers des informations arrete des prenre des notes

Be attentive to the information (listen to the information)

Don’t write notes as an essay.

For the strongly it is recommended to take note.