LISTENING SECTION OF IBT TOEFL

LISTENING TO:

1. CONVERSATIONS
A. OFFICE HOURS:
INTERACTIONS TAKING PLACE
IN A PROFESSOR’S OFFICE
(EITHER ACADEMIC OR NON
ACADEMIC)
B. SERVICE ENCOUNTERS:
INTERACTIONS TAKING
PLACE ON A UNIVERSITY
CAMPUS (NON
ACADEMIC)
LISTENING TO:

2. LECTURES
A. A PROFESSOR GIVES A
LECTURE IN A CLASS
B. A STUDENT ASKS A
QUESTION
C. THE PROFESSOR ASKS A
STUDENT FOR A RESPONSE
STEPS OF CONVERSATION:
1. GREETING : THE TWO PEOPLE TALKING WILL FIRST EXCHANGE
GREETINGS.
2. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM / ISSUE : THE CONVERSATIONS TYPICALLY
REVOLVE AROUND A PROBLEM OR AN ISSUE FACED BY
ONE OF THE SPEAKERS
3. RESPONSE : AFTER THE PROBLEM OR ISSUE IS RAISED, ONE OF THE
SPEAKERS WILL RESPOND, USUALLY BY MAKING A
SUGGESTION TO THE OTHER
4. RESOLUTION : THE CONVERSATION WILL END WITH SOME SORT
OF CLOSING OR RESOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.
STEPS OF LECTURE:
1. OPENING : THE TEACHER OR PROFESSOR WILL GREET THE CLASS AND ANNOUNCE THE
TOPIC OF THE LECTURE
2. PURPOSE : AFTER STATING THE TOPIC, THE SPEAKER WILL USUALLY MENTION THE
FOCUS OF THIS PARTICULAR LECTURE
3. DETAILS AND/OR EXAMPLES : THE LECTURE WILL USUALLY INCLUDE SEVERAL
SUPPORTING DETAILS AND / OR EXAMPLES
4. CONCLUSION : CONCLUSIONS IN THE LECTURES WILL NOT ALWAYS BE OBVIOUS. SOME
LECTURES OR TALKS WILL END RATHER ABRUPTLY.
ADDITIONALLY, AN ACADEMIC LECTURE OR TALK IS ALSO LIKELY TO CONTAIN
5. QUESTIONS AND/OR COMMENTS : DURING THE LECTURE, A STUDENT WILL OFTEN ASK A
QUESTION OR MAKE A COMMENT
1. IDENTIFY WHAT THE TOPIC IS
2. FIGURE OUT WHY THE TOPIC IS BEING ADDRESSED
3. NOTE THE SUPPORTING EXAMPLES
BEWARE OF 1. PAUSES
2. INTERRUPTIONS
DISTRACTIONS: 3. INTERJECTIONS
THE FIVE R'S OF NOTE TAKING:

• RECORD : DURING THE LECTURE, WRITE DOWN AS MANY MEANINGFUL FACTS AS POSSIBLE. WRITE
LEGIBLY.

• REDUCE : DON’T TRY TO WRITE EVERYTHING. LISTEN TO PART OF THE LECTURE AND PARAPHRASE
WHAT THE SPEAKER HAS SAID. SUMMARIZING CLARIFIES MEANING, STRENGTHENS
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN IDEA

• RECITE : COVER THE DETAILS OF YOUR NOTES AND ATTEMPT TO SUMMARIZE WHAT YOU HAVE JUST
HEARD USING ONLY THE KEYWORDS. THIS WILL HELP YOU INTERNALIZE THE MATERIAL FASTER

• REFLECT : THE BEST STUDENTS WILL LOOK BACK ON THEIR NOTES AND CATEGORIZE THEM IN THEIR
MIND. PUTTING THINGS INTO CATEGORIES, OUTLINES, OR OTHER STRUCTURES WILL HELP WHEN
TRYING TO ACCESS THE INFORMATION AT A LATER DATE.

• REVIEW : IF YOU SPEND TEN MINUTES A DAY REVIEWING YOUR NOTES, YOU WILL SPEND LESS TIME
CRAMMING FOR TESTS. YOU WILL FEEL MORE RELAXED GOING INTO A TEST AND SCORE
BETTER AS WELL!
 YOU SHOULD NOTICE:

1. PURPOSE:
THE SPEAKER WILL USUALLY STATE THE
PURPOSE OF THE CONVERSATION OR
LECTURE WITHIN THE FIRST FEW LINES OF
THE TALK.
2. REASONS / EXAMPLES:
THE REST OF THE CONVERSATION OR
LECTURE WILL CONTAIN REASONS OR
EXAMPLES RELATED TO THE PURPOSE
FOUR QUESTION FORMATS IN THE LISTENING SECTION:
• TRADITIONAL MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS WITH FOUR ANSWER CHOICES AND A
SINGLE CORRECT ANSWER

• MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS WITH MORE THAN ONE ANSWER (E.G., TWO ANSWERS
OUT OF FOUR OR MORE CHOICES)

• QUESTIONS THAT REQUIRE YOU TO ORDER EVENTS OR STEPS IN A PROCESS

• QUESTIONS THAT REQUIRE YOU TO MATCH OBJECTS OR TEXT TO CATEGORIES IN A

CHART
GIST-CONTENT QUESTIONS:

WHAT PROBLEM DOES THE MAN HAVE?

WHAT ARE THE SPEAKERS MAINLY DISCUSSING?

WHAT IS THE MAIN TOPIC OF THE LECTURE?

WHAT IS THE LECTURE MAINLY ABOUT?

WHAT ASPECT OF X DOES THE PROFESSOR MAINLY

DISCUSS?
GIST-PURPOSE
QUESTIONS:

WHY DOES THE STUDENT

VISIT THE PROFESSOR?

WHY DOES THE STUDENT

VISIT THE REGISTRAR’S
OFFICE?

WHY DID THE PROFESSOR

ASK TO SEE THE STUDENT?

WHY DOES THE PROFESSOR

EXPLAIN X?
DETAIL QUESTIONS:

ACCORDING TO THE PROFESSOR, WHAT

IS ONE WAY THAT X CAN AFFECT Y?

WHAT IS X? B WHAT RESULTED FROM

THE INVENTION OF THE X?

ACCORDING TO THE PROFESSOR, WHAT

IS THE MAIN PROBLEM WITH THE X
THEORY?
UNDERSTANDING THE FUNCTION OF WHAT IS SAID
QUESTIONS:

WHAT DOES THE PROFESSOR IMPLY WHEN HE SAYS THIS?

WHAT CAN BE INFERRED FROM THE PROFESSOR’S RESPONSE
TO THE STUDENT?
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE WOMAN’S RESPONSE?
WHY DOES THE STUDENT SAY THIS:
UNDERSTANDING THE SPEAKER’S ATTITUDE QUESTIONS:
WHAT CAN BE INFERRED ABOUT THE STUDENT?

WHAT IS THE PROFESSOR’S ATTITUDE TOWARD X?

WHAT IS THE PROFESSOR’S OPINION OF X?

WHAT CAN BE INFERRED ABOUT THE STUDENT WHEN SHE SAYS THIS

WHAT DOES THE WOMAN MEAN WHEN SHE SAYS THIS

UNDERSTANDING ORGANIZATION
QUESTIONS:

HOW DOES THE PROFESSOR ORGANIZE

THE INFORMATION ABOUT X?

HOW IS THE DISCUSSION ORGANIZED?

WHY DOES THE PROFESSOR DISCUSS X?

WHY DOES THE PROFESSOR MENTION X

CONNECTING CONTENT QUESTIONS:

WHAT IS THE LIKELY OUTCOME OF DOING PROCEDURE X BEFORE PROCEDURE Y?

WHAT CAN BE INFERRED ABOUT X?

WHAT DOES THE PROFESSOR IMPLY ABOUT X?