Tips for the Listening Section

BEFORE LISTENING

· Read the questions – highlighting or underlining key words. What is the question asking you to do?

· Describe / list / compare / contrast / justify / give reasons / predict / explain?

· Take note of glossed vocabulary

· Note the format of the passage and where information is likely to be found within it. Identify who the speakers will be.

· Predict what vocabulary you will need to listen to - Use the question to help you think about words and phrases related to the topic of the listening task – make some notes in Spanish.

· Questions to ask yourself:

· What sort of vocabulary should I be listening out for?

· What is the format of this passage likely to be (monologue, dialogue, instructions, song, etc.)

· Do you need to divide up your listening note box into two columns/a table etc. ?

DURING LISTENING PASSAGES

1. 1st Listen

· Sit back, relax and listen for the overall gist/message

OR

• Write heaps of notes in the order they appear in the listening passage.

· Listen out for key words that you recognise.

· If you hear a word and aren’t sure what it means, write it down phonetically. You can always go back and try to clarify it later.

· Use any pauses to re-read the questions

2. 2nd & 3rd Listen

· Revise and add to your notes.

· Add detail such as “a lot”, “a little bit” as well as listening carefully to numbers

· Write down EVERYTHING you can! You don’t know what may be useful when answering the questions – make sure you write as much detail as possible.

3. Pauses after each passage

· Straight after listening to a passage you have three minutes – use this time to go over your notes and fix anything / add info that is missing / rewrite messy handwriting – do this while it is fresh in your memory it may be too late to remember when you come to write the answers.

AFTER LISTENING

Organising your notes

· Use a highlighter colour for each question or part of question. Go through your notes and mark relevant information for each question with the appropriate symbol.

· Remember: you may be able to use the same information for multiple questions.

· If you have notes that are not going to be used, see what question you might be able to use it for. Remember – you are rewarded for correct, not incorrect, information

Writing your answer

When writing your answer remember the 4 levels of SOLO Taxonomy (see image)