IELTS Exam Preparation| How to improve listening

During IELTS preparation, many students encounter the situation of 'reacting too slowly, thus missing important information in the listening section.'

A slow listening response indicates:

• You are not familiar with the words you are hearing, or you are unclear about them.
• You are translating English into Chinese in your mind before responding.
• Ultimately, it boils down to insufficient practice in English.

For such students, it's advisable to start with extensive listening.

Listen to a large number of audiobooks, news broadcasts, and choose listening materials according to your level.

Additionally, you can listen to English anytime and anywhere during your free moments, treating it as background music. Over time, your sensitivity to English words will improve.

Next, you can watch some reality shows without subtitles. Even if you don't understand, keep watching, and you will gradually start to comprehend what they are saying.

Apart from daily extensive listening, it's also important to practice intensively and persistently use Cambridge IELTS listening materials, practicing intensive listening, reviewing after each session, and gradually improving listening skills.

However, it's crucial to note that it must be intensive listening, not aimlessly doing exercises.

The method for intensive listening is straightforward:

1. Listen to the entire passage at a normal speed and answer the questions.
2. Re-listen to the questions answered incorrectly, identify the reasons for mistakes.
3. Transcribe the sentences corresponding to the incorrectly answered questions.
4. Increase the playback speed and listen to the entire passage again, transcribing sentences that you find challenging or unclear.
5. Read the original text, note unfamiliar words, key terms, or synonyms.

During listening, consciously practice "listening to English" and resist the urge to constantly translate English into your mother tongue in your mind. Take minimal notes during the listening process, prioritize listening over note-taking, and only recap the main idea of the passage after completing the entire listening.

Of course, you can underline words in the passage while listening, especially when you hear words from the questions, to avoid drifting off and missing details.