how I got an 8.5 THREE TIMES in ielts listening//my secret for handling multiple choice questions

Summary

The speaker shares their strategy for achieving high scores on IELTS listening tests, emphasizing the importance of strong reading skills to complement listening. They explain how to effectively use preparation time to read questions and options, especially for multiple-choice parts, and advocate for active listening to English content to improve overall comprehension. The video also provides tips on how to handle different question types and the significance of understanding the context over mere keyword matching.

Takeaways

• 📚 The speaker finds the listening test more challenging than the reading test due to its dual skill assessment.
• 🔍 The speaker's highest score in reading is 9, compared to 8.5 in listening, indicating a slight edge in reading skills.
• 🎯 Reading comprehension plays a crucial role in the listening test, especially for multiple-choice questions.
• ⏱️ The speaker uses the strategy of reading Part 2 and Part 3 twice to enhance understanding and memory before the recording starts.
• 🚀 The speaker emphasizes the importance of reading speed and memory training for efficiently handling information during the test.
• 👂 Active listening to English content outside of test preparation significantly improves listening skills.
• 📈 Listening to fast speakers and complex topics can enhance the ability to follow conversations and speeches.
• 📝 For Part 4, the speaker suggests a careful reading of the sentences containing questions to identify the type of information needed.
• 💡 Understanding the general idea of the speech is as important as focusing on specific details for high scores in listening.
• 📊 The speaker's strategy involves dedicating more time to harder questions, which contributed to achieving an 8.5 score multiple times.
• 🌟 The speaker recommends a combination of practicing IELTS questions, listening to English podcasts, and improving reading skills for better test performance.

Q & A

Why does the speaker find the listening test more challenging than the reading test?

The speaker finds the listening test more challenging because it tests both listening and reading skills simultaneously, requiring the test-taker to process information from spoken language while also reading questions and options.

What is the speaker's highest score in reading and listening?

The speaker's highest score in reading is 9, and in listening, it is 8.5.

Why does the speaker believe that having good reading skills is advantageous in the listening test?

The speaker believes that good reading skills are advantageous because they allow the test-taker to quickly understand the questions and options before listening, which helps in identifying the required information during the test.

What strategy does the speaker use to manage time effectively during the listening test?

The speaker uses the strategy of reading Part 2 and Part 3 twice before the recording starts to play, focusing on multiple-choice questions where there is a lot of information to process.

Why does the speaker skip highlighting keywords while reading questions and options quickly?

The speaker skips highlighting keywords because it is too time-consuming, and instead, focuses on reading all questions and options quickly to retain a rough memory of what has been read.

How does the speaker train their reading and memory skills for the listening test?

The speaker trains their reading and memory skills by practicing to read quickly at home, experimenting to find a reading pace that works for them, and training their memory to retain information after reading.

What does the speaker suggest to improve listening skills for a higher score in listening?

The speaker suggests actively listening to English content regularly, such as podcasts and news shows, especially those with challenging topics or fast speakers, to improve the ability to follow through conversations and speeches.

Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of understanding the whole sentence rather than just looking for keywords in matching questions?

The speaker emphasizes this because matching questions are not just about finding synonyms but about understanding the context and meaning of long sentences to correctly match the information.

How does the speaker approach reading the questions in Part 4 of the listening test?

The speaker approaches Part 4 by reading the sentences containing questions very carefully, analyzing the information to identify the type of word needed, and using the time given to read the questions to understand the context around the blanks.

What is the speaker's advice for improving the ability to answer Part 4 questions effectively?

The speaker advises listening to native speakers who speak fast, as being able to follow fast speech will make it easier to follow the slower speech in Part 4 and understand the context around the blanks.

What overall strategy does the speaker recommend for achieving high scores in listening tests?

The speaker recommends a combination of practicing questions from Cambridge IELTS books, listening to a variety of English content to improve active listening skills, and training reading speed and memory to better process information during the test.