Top 10 Easy Ways to Improve your IELTS Listening Score

IELTS Listening test assesses your ability to understand various forms of speech.  The test consists of 4 sections. You will have to listen to: 

Section 1: a dialogue (between two people): e.g.,., booking a hotel/inquiring about an event, 
Section 2: a monologue (one person talking at a stretch), 
Section 3: a conversation (between 3 or more people),
Section 4: a monologue – (a lecture on scientific inventions/ seminar).  

We at Rosie Fernando Academy of English will be going through the above in detail and will explain the tips and tricks. 

Here are some steps you can use to improve your listening to score a band 9 in your IELTS listening test! 

1. Breath and relax
Breathing exercises help you to increase your concentration. Breathe a few times and relax your mind till you get the paper!
2. Read the questions and understand the main idea
Roughly go through each section and understand the context or the main idea of the given situation. Ask yourself this question; “what is this about?”. It might be about a competition, an event, a product description, a tourist attraction or asking directions. This step is very useful when you read the questions in detail.
3. Read the questions and underline or circle keywords
When you get the paper, you can have a look at the questions before you listen to the recording. Read and understand the question and the type of the answer (a person’s name, date, event or location) you should find while you listen.  

e.g.,.  Silver members are given             discount. (Keywords: Silver members, discount) 
In this question, you can predict that you have to find a number because of the keyword “discount”. 
4. Beware of distractors!
In the recording, the speakers might give an answer and then add or change the decision. You have to fully concentrate and keep on track to avoid these distractors. 

Take a look at these examples:
Example 1: 
Speaker 1: I will buy the TV and the radio too. Can you deliver these?

Speaker 2: I’m afraid we can’t deliver the TV ma’am. 

Speaker 1: Okay then, bill what I ordered first. 

(He’s will buy only the radio)

Example2:

Speaker 1: Shall we meet at 7 o’clock?

Speaker 2: Yes, let’s meet at 7.

Speaker 1: Oh no, I have a meeting at 7. Shall we meet at half-past?

Speaker 2: Sure. 

(They are going to meet at 7.30, not 7)

5. Notice the negatives 
Sometimes the speakers might use negatives or double negatives which you might misinterpret. 
e.g., We want nothing but clean sheets. (Meaning: We want clean sheets)

6. Identify signal words 
Signal words help understand the development of an argument or a speech. This step is very useful when you listen to monologues in sections 2 and 4. 

Here are some common signal words: 

First                          Equally

In contrast/ on the contrary Substantially 

Consequently           Yet 

7. Paraphrases

Some words/key words/phrases that you find in the questions may be different in the recording. These are called “paraphrases”. 
e.g.,

Question in the test paper: Fred used to work with Jim. (True/False/Not given)
Recording: Fred was one of Jim’s colleagues. 

As you can see the words/keywords are not exactly similar but the meaning remains the same. You can enroll in our course to learn more about identifying paraphrases. 

8. Read the instructions clearly

When transferring your answers to the answer sheet, check the instructions; whether you have to use One word/Not more than two words/ Letter/One word and/or a number. Your answer might be correct, but if you have not accurately followed the instructions, you will lose marks. 

9. Listen to a range of accents

Prior to the exam, listen to a range of native speakers’ conversations and speeches, to familiarize yourselves with different accents. YouTube is a good resource you can use to practice listening. 

10. Practice! Practice!! and more PRACTICE!!!

Guess what! This is the most important step you can take to get the score you always wanted!