How to do Cambridge FCE Listening Exam | Part 4

Summary

This video lesson focuses on Part Four of the Cambridge First Certificate Listening Exam, offering insights into the exam's format and providing strategies to enhance test performance. The instructor outlines the interview-based listening section, emphasizing the importance of identifying opinions and attitudes. Tips include thorough pre-listening preparation, understanding the main ideas, and discerning between distractors. A sample interview with a junior reporter is presented, followed by a practice exercise with answers provided, aiming to improve students' listening skills and confidence.

Takeaways

• 📚 The lesson focuses on Part 4 of the Cambridge First Certificate Listening Exam, which involves listening to an interview or interaction between two speakers and answering multiple-choice questions.
• 🔍 There are seven multiple-choice questions with three options each, and the recording is played twice to give candidates a chance to answer correctly.
• ⏳ The interview or interaction is usually 3 to 4 minutes long, and the focus is on identifying opinions and attitudes, as well as specific information and the main idea.
• 👂 Listening for the order of the interaction in the recording is important, as the questions follow the sequence of the conversation.
• ✍️ Reading the questions carefully within the given 30 seconds and underlining the main idea in each question is recommended to have a clear understanding of what to listen for.
• 💭 Listening for the general idea of what each speaker is saying and waiting until they finish before choosing an answer can help in selecting the correct option.
• 📝 Paying attention to the same idea as in the options, even if the words are not the same, is crucial because hearing a word in the recording does not guarantee that the option with that word is correct.
• 🤔 If unsure about an answer, it's better to wait until the second hearing of the recording before making a decision.
• 🎯 The example provided in the script is an interview with a teenager named Luke Fuller, who discusses his experience as a junior reporter for a local radio station.
• 📝 The answers to the example questions are provided at the end of the script, with the correct options for questions 24 to 30 being C, A, C, A, C, and B respectively.
• 📈 The video script also includes tips for improving listening skills and test performance, such as understanding the purpose of the task, preparing with training, and being creative with words in radio reporting.

Q & A

What is the focus of Listening Part Four of the Cambridge First Certificate exam?

The focus of Listening Part Four is on identifying opinion and attitude, requiring test takers to listen for both detail or specific information and the main idea or gist of an interview or interaction between two speakers.

How long is the listening material in Part Four of the exam?

The listening material in Part Four is usually about three to four minutes long in total.

What is the format of the questions in Listening Part Four?

There are seven multiple-choice questions with options A, B, and C.

What is the significance of the order of the questions in relation to the recording?

The questions follow the order of the interaction on the recording, which means the answers can be found in the same sequence as the events or points discussed in the interview.

How many times is the recording played during the exam?

The recording is played twice during the exam.

What is the first tip given for improving performance in Listening Part Four?

The first tip is to spend the given thirty seconds to read each question carefully and think about what it means, to have a clear idea of what you're listening for.

What does the tip about underlining suggest?

The tip about underlining suggests that one should identify and emphasize the main idea in each question to better focus on the key points while listening.

What is the advice regarding when to choose an answer during the listening?

The advice is to listen for the general idea of what each speaker is saying and wait until each speaker has finished before choosing an answer.

What does the script suggest about the relationship between hearing a word in the recording and the correctness of an option?

The script suggests that hearing a word in the recording does not necessarily mean that the option containing that word is correct; it could be a distractor. The meaning should match rather than the exact wording.

What should a test taker do if they are unsure about an answer after the first hearing?

If a test taker is unsure about an answer after the first hearing, they should wait until the second hearing before making their decision.

What is the final tip provided for answering questions in Listening Part Four?

The final tip is that if a test taker still doesn't know the answer after the second hearing, they should guess, as there is a chance they might get it right.

What was the purpose of Luke Fuller's junior reporter role at the local radio station?

The purpose was to encourage teenagers to try being reporters, focusing on ordinary teenagers' stories rather than local celebrities, to show that everyone has a story worth telling.

How did Luke Fuller prepare for his role as a junior reporter?

Luke had some training, familiarized himself with the equipment, and practiced being natural and relaxed, although he admits to jotting down some ideas despite being encouraged to be spontaneous.

How did Luke Fuller's schoolmates react when he started interviewing them with a microphone?

Even his most talkative friends tended to become self-conscious, and sometimes he had to start recording a few minutes before the actual interview to help them feel more at ease.

What was the process like after recording the interviews for Luke?

Everything recorded had to be carefully edited, and Luke had the opportunity to work on this with producers at the station, ensuring he had control over the content.

How did Luke Fuller's experience as a junior reporter change his attitude towards radio?

It made him appreciate the creativity and skill required in radio reporting, especially in expressing oneself effectively without the aid of visual elements.

What did Luke Fuller enjoy most about being a junior reporter?

He enjoyed the fact that he had to take on multiple roles—journalist, producer, and engineer—all at once, requiring specific skills for each.

What was the final question in the sample listening part of the video script?

The final question was 'Has it changed your attitude to radio at all?'

What were the answers provided for the sample questions in the script?

The answers were: 24 - C, 25 - A, 26 - C, 27 - A, 28 - C, 29 - B, and 30 - B.

What is the channel name where this video can be found?

The video can be found on the channel 'Oxford English'.

What action is encouraged for viewers who find the video useful?

Viewers who find the video useful are encouraged to like it, share it with friends and colleagues learning English, and subscribe to the channel.