DRAW CONCLUSIONS ABOUT WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE

Listening is the ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication process. Listening is key to all effective communication, without the ability to listen effectively messages are easily misunderstood communication breaks down and the sender of the message can easily become frustrated or irritated.

Listening to the film or song may be easier to understand than listening section in TOEFL which is only heard at once. Many who take the TOEFL do not get the score that they are entitled to because they spend too much time dwelling on hard questions, leaving insufficient time to answer the easy questions they can get right.

The listening section is designed to mimic natural speech. This means that the speakers will pause, change sentences or topics abruptly, and occasionally say something incorrect or forget what they were talking about. People may be asked questions about these imperfections, so a familiarity with unrehearsed speech is essential to doing well in the listening section. Hence, the strategy and skill to answer in this section need to be mastered by all student wanting to get good score.


DRAW CONCLUSIONS ABOUT WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE

As you listen to each long conversation, you should be trying to set the situation in your mind. You should be thinking the following thoughts:

• Who is talking?

• When does the conversation probably take place?

• Where does the conversation probably take place?

• What is the source of information for the conversation?

Example

On the recording, you hear:

(man)  Why do you have so many books?

(woman)  I need them for my paper on George Washington. Do you know how I can  check them out?

(man)  Yes, you should go downstairs to the circulation desk and fill out a card for each book.

You think:

    Who is probably talking?                               (two students)
    Where are they?                                              (in the library)
    What course are they discussing?             (American History