TOEIC Listening Part Three: Conversations

Summary

This video script is the third in a series designed to help viewers excel in the TOEFL listening section, specifically the conversations part. The speaker emphasizes that it's a free resource and warns against scams. The script outlines strategies for tackling the 45-minute listening test, which includes 10 conversations with three questions each. It highlights the absence of note-taking and visual aids, turning the test into a memory challenge. The tutorial delves into the structure of conversations, common TOEFL tricks like partially correct information, and the importance of synonyms in understanding the material. The speaker also advises against relying on example conversations found in textbooks, as they are often artificial and do not reflect natural speech patterns. The goal is to prepare viewers for the exam by simulating real listening conditions without visual clues.

Takeaways

• 📢 The video is a free resource for TOEFL iBT listening section preparation, and viewers who paid for it should seek a refund.
• 🎓 The video is part of a series focusing on the TOEFL iBT listening test, specifically the conversations section.
• ⏳ The listening section lasts 45 minutes, with the conversations part containing 10 conversations and 30 questions in total.
• 🚫 Note-taking is not allowed in any part of the TOEFL iBT listening section.
• 🔍 The test often includes 'partially correct information' answer choices designed to distract and confuse test-takers.
• 👂 The listening section is primarily a memory test, as there are no transcripts or visual aids provided during the test.
• 🗣️ Conversations in the test are not natural; they are structured to present a problem and move the discussion along without small talk or fillers.
• 🔑 Understanding synonyms is crucial for identifying the correct answer among distractors that contain partially correct information.
• 🧐 The questions in the conversations section follow a chronological order, starting with the reason for the conversation, then the method of action, and finally the problem.
• 📝 Test-takers are advised not to make transcripts or write things down, as example conversations in textbooks are for grammar and vocabulary illustration, not for natural speech patterns.
• 📚 The video transcript should not be viewed until after the mock test to replicate the exam situation as closely as possible.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the video?

The video is a tutorial aimed at helping viewers prepare for the TOEFL listening section, specifically focusing on strategies for the conversations part of the test.

How long is the listening section of the TOEFL test?

The listening section of the TOEFL test lasts for a total of 45 minutes.

What is the structure of the listening section in terms of parts and questions?

The listening section is divided into four parts: Part one has 10 questions, part two has 30 questions, part three (conversations) has 10 conversations with three questions each, and part four (short talks) has 10 talks with three questions each.

Why is note-taking not allowed in the listening section of the TOEFL test?

Note-taking is not permitted to simulate the real-life listening experience where one must rely on memory to recall information, as there is no opportunity to revisit the material.

What is a common challenge in the listening section of the TOEFL test?

A common challenge is the presence of partially correct information answer choices, which can be misleading if a test-taker does not accurately remember the details from the conversation or talk.

What is the significance of the answer choices being visible during the test?

The visibility of answer choices can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. While it allows test-takers to see the options, it also means they must remember these options without the aid of visual or textual support from the conversation or talk.

What is the role of the second speaker in the sample conversations provided in the test?

The second speaker in the sample conversations helps to guide and move the conversation along, asking relevant questions to help the first speaker explain their problem or situation in more detail.

Why are the conversations in the listening section not considered 'real' conversations?

The conversations in the listening section are not real because they are staged exchanges designed to illustrate a single grammar point or vocabulary item, rather than reflecting the natural flow and randomness of actual conversations.

How should test-takers approach the partially correct information distractors in the listening section?

Test-takers should be cautious of distractors containing partially correct information and ensure they reference back to the conversation to confirm the accuracy of the information, focusing on the exact details and avoiding assumptions based on personal experience or similar-sounding words.

What is the importance of understanding synonyms in the listening section?

Understanding synonyms is crucial as the correct answer may use different words that convey the same meaning as those in the conversation, and recognizing these can help test-takers accurately match the information they heard.

How should test-takers prepare for the listening section to improve their chances of success?

Test-takers should expose themselves to as much English as possible to get a good grip on natural English conversations, practice processing information quickly, and work on their memory skills to recall key details from the conversations.

Outlines

00:00

🚫 Avoiding Scams and Test Strategies

This paragraph introduces the video as a free resource for TOEIC and TOEFL preparation, warning viewers to seek refunds if they've paid for it. It also invites viewers to SLC SL, Red Lantern Consulting's YouTube channel for more test strategy videos. The speaker outlines the structure of the listening test, emphasizing the absence of note-taking and the challenge of remembering answer choices without visual aids. The paragraph introduces strategies for the 'Conversations' section of the listening test, highlighting the difficulty of dealing with partially correct information answer choices.

05:01

📝 Understanding Conversation Structure in Listening Tests

The paragraph delves into the specifics of the 'Conversations' section, detailing the format and the nature of the questions that follow the conversations. It explains that while the questions and answer choices are visible, they can be distracting. The speaker provides an example conversation and corresponding questions to illustrate the process. The paragraph also discusses the artificial nature of test conversations, pointing out that they are structured to quickly present a problem without the typical markers of natural discourse, such as greetings or small talk.

10:03

🎭 The Artifice of Exam Conversations

This section further explores the artificiality of exam conversations, contrasting them with real-life conversations that are dynamic and multifaceted. It emphasizes that exam conversations are designed to illustrate specific language points and are not representative of natural speech patterns. The paragraph also discusses how questions in the exam are ordered chronologically and relate directly to the problem presented in the conversation, without any deviation into unrelated topics.

15:03

⚠️ Navigating Distractors and Partially Correct Information

The speaker warns about the presence of distractors in the form of partially correct information, which can confuse test-takers. Using the example questions, the paragraph explains how to identify and eliminate incorrect answer choices that contain elements of truth but are not entirely accurate. It advises test-takers to be vigilant about words with multiple meanings and to rely on their memory to accurately recall details from the conversation.

20:04

🔍 Synonyms and Memory in Test Strategy

The final paragraph focuses on the importance of understanding synonyms and having a good memory for details when taking the listening test. It reiterates the chronological order of questions and the absence of advanced notice of questions or conversations. The speaker provides tips for distinguishing between similar-sounding words and the significance of context in choosing the correct answer. The paragraph concludes with general advice on how to approach the test, emphasizing the need for experience with natural English conversations and the ability to process information quickly.

Keywords

💡Scammed

Scammed refers to being deceived or cheated, particularly in the context of financial transactions. In the video, the speaker mentions that if viewers have paid to watch the video, they have been scammed and should demand a refund, emphasizing that the content is intended to be free. This sets the tone for the authenticity and trustworthiness of the educational content being provided.

💡TOIC

TOIC stands for Test of International Communication, which is a standardized test designed to assess the English language proficiency of non-native speakers. The video is part of a series focused on preparing for the TOIC listening section, making TOIC a central concept around which the video's content is structured.

💡Strategies

Strategies in this context refer to systematic approaches or plans for achieving a goal. The video discusses various strategies to maximize performance on the TOIC listening test, indicating the importance of planning and methodical preparation for test-takers.

💡Listening Section

The listening section is a part of the TOIC that assesses a test-taker's ability to understand spoken English. The video specifically addresses this section, providing insights and techniques for effectively tackling the different components of the listening test.

💡Conversations

Conversations, in the context of the TOIC listening test, refer to the part of the exam where test-takers listen to dialogues between two people and answer questions based on them. The script mentions that there will be 10 conversations with three questions each, highlighting a key component of the listening section.

💡Multiple Choice

Multiple choice is a type of question format where test-takers select the correct answer from several options provided. The video explains that the entire TOIC listening test is in multiple-choice format, which is crucial for understanding the nature of the test and preparing accordingly.

💡Elimination

Elimination, in the context of test-taking, is a strategy where candidates rule out incorrect answer choices to increase the likelihood of selecting the correct one. The video mentions using a process of elimination, which is a common technique for tackling multiple-choice questions.

💡Memory Test

A memory test refers to an assessment where one's ability to recall information is evaluated. The video describes the listening section as essentially a memory test, as test-takers must remember spoken information without the aid of visual or textual cues.

💡Distractor

A distractor is an incorrect answer choice designed to mislead test-takers in multiple-choice questions. The video script warns about distractors, especially those containing partially correct information, which can be particularly confusing and require careful attention to detail.

💡Synonyms

Synonyms are words that have similar meanings. The video emphasizes the importance of understanding synonyms for correctly interpreting questions and answer choices, as they can help identify the correct response even when words are not exactly the same as those used in the conversation.

💡Chronological Order

Chronological order refers to the sequence of events or information as they occur in time. The video explains that the questions in the listening test follow the order in which the information is presented in the conversation, which helps test-takers to track and recall details more effectively.

Highlights

The video is free and a scam if paid for, and is part of a series on TOEFL listening strategies.

Introduction to strategies for maximizing performance on the TOEFL listening test's conversations section.

The listening test consists of 45 minutes with various question formats and no note-taking allowed.

The test features multiple-choice questions with different numbers of answer choices depending on the section.

The listening section is essentially a memory test with no visual or text support for the material.

The partially correct information answer choice is a common trick used in the test to create confusion.

Sample questions from the examination handbook are used to illustrate the test's format and challenges.

The importance of not looking at the transcript to replicate the authentic exam situation during preparation.

Conversations in the test are not natural; they are structured to illustrate a single grammar or vocabulary point.

The conversation structure typically involves one speaker presenting a problem and the other providing relevant questions.

Questions in the test are ordered chronologically and relate to the basic details of the conversation.

The test uses distractors with partially correct information to challenge test-takers' comprehension and memory.

Understanding synonyms and the context in which words are used is crucial for selecting the correct answer.

The ability to process information quickly and accurately is essential for success in the listening test.

Final thoughts emphasize the artificial nature of test conversations and the importance of real-world English exposure.

Note taking is not allowed, requiring test-takers to rely on their memory of the conversation for answering questions.

The tutorial concludes with an invitation for questions and comments, and a预告 of the next part of the series.

Transcripts

this is a free video if you have paid to

watch this video then you have been

scammed and you should demand a refund

immediately you can watch this and many

other toic and tol preparation videos

and my YouTube Chann channel are SLC SL

redlantern Consulting thanks for

watching this video is not endorsed or

licensed by

etss hello ladies and gentlemen and

welcome to this third in a series of

videos looking at the to listening

section in this uh particular video

we're going to be looking at strategies

that can be used to maximize your uh

performance on the conversations section

of the listening test so once again just

to recap there are 45 minutes in total

part one is the photograph section where

there were 10 questions for that and we

looked at strategies for um solving

those particular questions part two the

question and response video was the

previous video that you should have

watched um there were 30 questions uh on

that particular section this section as

we said is part three we're going to be

looking at the conversations there will

be 10 conversations with three questions

each and in the next video part four the

final video we'll look at the short

talks there'll be 10 talks with three

questions each on that particular video

so before we begin let's just remind

ourselves note taking is not permitted

on any section of the listening section

of the

Tok there are some things that are that

all of these activities all of these

different sections have in common and um

each section will have its own

individual challenges we're looking more

and more at a particular one that's

quite nasty it's the partially correct

information answer Choice we'll look uh

at that in a little bit more depth on

this

video now the entire test is multiple

choice um some of the sections you will

see three answer choices a b and c for

the last four for the last three

sections sorry um conversations short

talks and question response there will

be four possible answer choices a b c

and d the entire test is multiple choice

we can use a process of elimination a

little bit but it's made a little bit

more difficult because um because uh we

have to basically remember what the

answer choices

are and of course because it's a listing

section you cannot see the transcripts

for any of the listing test nothing will

be written down sometimes you just see

the question and the answer choice but

um for the vast majority of the time

especially the transcripts especially

the actual material you're being asked

questions about you will not be able to

see any of that written or uh you will

not see any visual

information so essentially the listing

section is basically a memory test

you're given the choices and you yeah

you have to remember the answer choices

and you also have to remember key

information that you hear in the

conversation or the

talk the memory test appears in

different types of challenges some of

the uh some of the answer choices in

part one or all of the answer choices in

part one you didn't get to see those

answer choices at all so you have to

remember uh what a b and c actually

match up with in terms of the answer

choices

um but generally there will be no visual

or text support in the video for this

section and we're going to be trying to

replicate the exam situation as much as

possible so all you'll see basically is

you'll you'll hear the uh the

conversation you hear the talk but we

will not be giving you any kind of

visual Clues we'll be analyzing the

transcript that's true but um to to kind

of reenact or to give you as much

authentic realistic preparation as

possible for the test we won't be

showing um any information about the uh

about the actual material that You' be

ask questions

about now the toque has introduced some

of the tricks to us in part one

photographs um the problem is that now

we won't have any visual or textual

information to see and you'll basically

be listening to the conversation um

there is one like I said before we're

looking at a particular toic trick which

is uh the partially correct information

answer choice where you'll see um B

basically an answer Choice that's 50 50%

wrong and 50% correct now all of these

sample questions are taken from the

examine handbook and there should be a

link in the video description down below

but please do not look at the transcript

just yet we'll be going through that

after um we've done the mock test if you

like um but don't look at the transcript

just yet try and make it as authentic

and as realistic for you they won't be

giving you doing you any favors on the

exam so don't do yourself any favors at

this part of your exam preparation a

quick look at the questions number 41

why is the woman going to the city

number 42 how will she get there and

number 43 what is the

problem so what we can see straight away

is that we're showing the question and

the answer choices this could be an

advantage and a disadvantage we're going

to explore this later but first of all

um we just need to realize that it's not

really a advantage or a disadvantage uh

it's not really an advantage that um we

see the questions as we're listening um

because many of the wrong answer choices

will definitely try to distract you as

you're listening okay so get ready to

listen you will need a piece of paper

there are five questions your answer

choices will be either A B C or D so

here we go part three

conversations you will hear some

conversations between between two people

you will be asked to answer three

questions about what the speakers say in

each conversation select the best

response to each question and mark the

letter A B C or D on your answerers

sheet the conversations will not be

printed in your text textbook and will

be spoken only one

time I think I'll have to take the train

to the regional sales meeting up in the

city next

week don't you usually drive when you go

to those meetings I thought you didn't

like to take the

train I don't but the highway is being

repaired and I'm afraid I might be laid

if I have to make a detour through an

area I don't know very well you're right

and it'll be expensive to park up there

too so let's go back and have a look at

the questions here number 41 why is the

woman going to the meeting

to attend a sale to go to a meeting to

get her car repaired to go on a tour

number 42 how will she get there by car

by bus by Train by airplane and number

43 what's the problem the trains are

often late the meeting may be cancelled

the tour is expensive and the roads are

being

fixed so before we actually go on to

solving these questions let's have a

look at the transcript here the woman

says I think I'll have to take the train

to the regional sales meeting up in the

city next week the man says don't you

usually drive when you go to those

meetings I thought you didn't like to

take the

train the woman again I don't but the

highway is being repaired and I'm afraid

I might be laid if I have to make a

detour through an area I don't know very

well the man finishes the conversation

with you're right

and it'll be expensive to park up there

too so let's have a look briefly at the

conversation structure now this is as as

we've said before in videos um that

we've done before um these are not real

conversations you will notice straight

away that the speakers get to the point

quite quickly the first speaker will be

talking about some kind of a problem and

the second speaker will just be there to

help explain explain the to help the

first Speaker explain the problem in a

little bit more detail so um the two

people are actually playing specific

roles here and it's important to know

that it's important to understand that

they're not real conversations you can

go in you won't be hearing any discourse

markers you won't be hearing any fillers

you'll just be hearing straight up a

problem and then uh secondary speakers

will help move the question along

they'll help move the problem along and

they'll help the first Speaker explain

the problem in more detail as the

conversation progresses so if we look at

um I think I'll have to take the train

up to the regional sales meeting up in

the city next week you'll probably

notice that this is not really a very

natural place to um start a conversation

we go straight into the problem there's

no hi Joe hi Jim there's no greetings

there's no introductions it goes

straight into the problem that the

primary speaker has the second speaker

gives the woman uh a chance to explain

why this is the problem he will always

be asking relevant questions um he won't

be uh kind of breaking off and talking

about the TV the a TV program that was

on last night he will be asking relevant

questions that move the move the first

Speaker

along so uh one of the questions that we

need to ask ourselves is is this a real

conversation and the answer is no most

textbooks and exams don't feature real

conversations this is why um I always

tell my students don't write things down

don't make transcripts of anything the

example conversations are just there to

illustrate a single grammar point and

possibly a single or uh one or two

vocabulary points um people don't speak

in conversations just in a single

grammar point they just don't use one

grammar structure all the way through

they jump around they chop and they

change and they use the past tense and

then the simple past they use the simple

past and then the present perfect and

then the past simple they go back and

then the present uh present progressive

they they use a mix of different um

tenses and they use higher level

vocabulary they use uh more phrasal

verbs in spoken English than we use um

that you will see in written English it

just is not natural conversations

they're there just to help you

learn real conversations will often

start on one topic and then go off in

random uh random directions um people

will pick up on things they will ask

questions things that have being talked

about in the conversation will remind to

speaker of something else that happened

and then that uh line of questioning

will uh take the conversation off in a

different direction um the questions the

second speaker asked in this

conversation sound realistic but they

really are just there to help the first

Speaker explain their problem they're

not really having a conversation they're

having a really staged um a staged

exchange of sentences basically they're

not really having a conversation it

looks like it it smells like it but it's

not most of the questions will be about

the problem or the situation there will

be no questions about um what the person

did the weekend um how the marriage what

is or how the wedding was or how their

son's birthday party you'll hear none of

this small talk um all the questions

will be connected with the problem at

hand

so let's have a look at these uh

questions again um and you'll see that

these questions actually will um

progress through the conversation in

time order um you'll hear the reason the

answer for question 41 will be the first

thing um question 42 will be the second

thing and then question 43 will be the

final thing that is is mentioned um you

won't see any questions that appear as

question

43 referencing any information that you

heard at the start of the conversation

in the same way you won't hear any um

information that's required in question

41 at the end of the conversation so

question 41 will be the beginning 42

will be the middle and 43 will be the

end the questions will occur in Chron in

natural chronological order and they ask

about the basic details of the women's

problem there's nothing really specific

there's no names of places um mostly

because the conversation was quite short

and didn't have that much detail um and

none of the questions are about the

other speaker um there's no uh there are

no Tag questions like didn't you or

there'll be no questions inquiring about

the health of the other person or what

you know how about you what did you do

the weekend you won't hear any of this

um it's quite common the toic unless

unless both speakers actually share the

same problem which takes us to a next uh

the next important uh segment here is

that we need to have a look at the

distractors that will encounter on this

part of the test now the distractors are

the answer choices that are wrong uh for

many different reasons even though you

can see the answer choices the to will

still try to distract you even why while

you

listen we see a new trick here partially

correct

information now the test can use words

that have different meanings for example

to meet someone and the meeting room uh

this is this is an old joke that you'll

hear in English that uh in English uh in

British English you'll hear people

talking about um in Victorian times uh

they don't have a living room or a

lounge they will have a drawing room um

and nobody draws in the drawing room

people watch TV people drink uh tea

people have conversations um it's the

same here there will be uh in the

meeting room you won't really be meeting

anybody new um you might be meeting all

colleagues uh you'll probably be having

a conversation with all colleagues um in

the same company um you might be meeting

an overseas representative or something

like that we don't actually call it the

meeting room because we meet people we

have meetings in the meeting room so in

this part of the test we have more

information so uh the uh the distract

will include partially correct

information many incorrect answers will

only have one word or idea that makes it

incorrect you need to have your wits

about you 90% of all the problems that

we come across um in exams at University

level especially that I encounter um we

will see people just not reading through

the question you will see qualifiers at

this level you will see things like

mostly or um if you hear mostly in the

conversation but you don't see them the

answer choice you need to be careful

about this so let's have a look at these

questions in a little bit more detail so

number 41 why is the woman going to the

city to attend a sale to go to a meeting

to get her car repair to go on a tour

now there are two pieces uh there are

two answer choices here that contain

partially correct information

A and C so um now

she her car is being repaired but she's

not going to the city to get it

repaired she's not going to go on attend

to attend a Sal she's going to go and

attend a sales meeting um and that's the

thing that we're looking at here they're

actually splitting things in two um a

sales meeting is a meeting she's not

it's not the same as a sale she's not

selling anything she's just going to a

meeting to be selling uh D you will see

here um is

this is one of those things that sounds

like uh the word detour now tour sounds

like the word detour she said she some

she said mentioned something about

making a detour um and that's been

that's come up as a distractor in answer

Choice D here don't get confused um a

lot of people will not be able to hear

these uh reduced sounds at the start of

um some of these two syllable words so

be careful it's to T not

detour so here we can see uh we can

instantly get rid of answer Choice a and

answer Choice C because they contain the

partially correct information and answer

Choice D um just has a similar sounding

word so the answer is actually B in this

case she's going to be go going to a

meeting um how will she get there a by

car B by bus C by train or be by

airplane um by car well she can't get a

car there because it's being

repaired um she's not going to go by

plane there was no mention of this um in

the uh in the conversation at all so

this we can get rid of this um all

together um by bus uh she wasn't really

mentioning a b the only thing that she

really mentioned here was either train

or a car so it's between a and c and the

answer is uh here uh see by

train question number

43 what is the problem the trains are

off and late B the meeting may have to

be cancelled C the toy is expensive and

D the roads are being fixed now there is

uh we have to be careful with this here

um because there are just so many

possible choices if we can't remember

remember by the time that we get to the

end of the uh the three questions we're

at the end of the conversation so um we

can't see the conversation we can just

rely on our memory um with a personal

experience will could tell us that

trains are of and late so we might be

tempted to choose that one

B some of this information is correct

she is going to a meeting and we know

that meetings can get canceled see also

um there is some partially collect

correct

information um and it does have this

similar siging word tour we have to be

careful with this one it's a tour not a

detour uh and if we look at uh option uh

answer Choice c d the roads are being

fixed then this is actually the correct

answer but we need to be aware that A B

and C are both very very um clever

distractors that will try and confuse Us

by mixing in some of the partially

correct information and playing on on

our knowledge our personal

experience um of of what could happen in

these situations and what uh but we need

to be able to reference it back to the

conversation if we can remember it um

answer Choice D is the correct one to

choose here the roads are being

fixed so in terms of processing

information um you need to be able to uh

recognize what what is the 100% accurate

information don't fall for these

partially correct distractors that will

try and trick you the correct answer

will often times not include all the

exact same words we need to be looking

at some of the syn synonyms here we need

to be looking uh recognizing that fixed

is the same as repaired so the roads are

being fixed the roads are being repaired

we need to be able to um to notice this

as a synonym and we need to be able to

isolate this is the correct answer your

understanding of synonyms is important

and it will help you find the correct

answer few final thoughts just before we

end the conversations are not real none

of the conversations that you will

encounter in a classroom are real you

need to try and expose yourself to as

much English as as you can um to get a

good grip on what is a natural sterning

conversation the more experience that

you have in this the better one speaker

in this exam will explain a problem or

situation and the other speaker will

guide and move the conversation

along this is a problem when two

speakers have the same

issue we'll see many of the old tricks

that we've uh come to be familiar with

over the course of these videos similar

signing words and words are ideas that

are used in the wrong context need to be

careful of that we're listening um that

we noticing the difference between tour

and Detour we need to be looking at uh

the difference between a sales meeting

and a

sale a new trick that we've

encountered is uh distractors that

contain partially correct information

the

ability for you to process information

quickly will help enormously and using

synonms is the key to solving the

question on this part of the

test

on this part of the test we can't see

the questions we can't see the

conversation we need to rely on uh uh

reminding ourselves and having a good

memory reminding ourselves of the key uh

information here um the questions are

going to be in time order you won't see

anything out of time order um there will

be no questions at the end the reference

information that you heard at the start

of the

conversation it's usually concerned with

only the basic details of the

conversation so no specific details um

you won't see any questions on those

those the answer choices are visible but

they will distract you focus on the

questions and as always note taking is

not allowed that brings us to the end of

this particular tutorial I hope you

found it useful we'll see you again in

part four if you have any questions or

comments please do leave them uh in the

comment section and I will do my best to

answer all your queries thanks for

watching and and we'll see you next time

bye-bye