00:00hi there in this lesson we're going to
00:03look at 15 tips for the listening
00:05section of the AL exam now this video is
00:08going to be quite long but stick around
00:11because we're going to get into a lot of
00:13detail throughout the lesson we're going
00:16to look at example questions listen to
00:18sample audio and deconstruct the
00:21transcripts of sample conversations if
00:24you're wanting to improve your listening
00:25score this is the video for you let's
00:29begin with a quick overview of the
00:31listening section this part of the test
00:34takes approximately 30 minutes and is
00:36made up of four sections there are six
00:39main question types overall there are 40
00:43questions each with one Mark and your
00:45band score is determined by your raw
00:48score out of 40 here's a list of the raw
00:51scores you can see how they convert into
00:54an overall band score for the listening
00:56section so if you're aiming for a band
00:59score of 7.5 or higher then you'll need
01:03to get a score of 32 or higher now as I
01:08mentioned there are six question types
01:10in the listening section these question
01:13types are form note table or flowchart
01:17completion multiple choice short
01:23matching sentence completion and plan
01:27map or diagram labeling learn learning
01:30how these six task types work is
01:32essential to getting a high score in
01:34this section and guess what this is the
01:37first of the 15 listening tips tip
01:40number one know the task
01:42types here are those tasks again if you
01:46prepare with expert Al teachers they'll
01:49explain exactly what you need to do for
01:51each question type and you'll learn what
01:54the potential pitfalls are and what
01:56strategies you can employ to maximize
01:59your efficiency iy and Effectiveness in
02:01producing the correct answers I cannot
02:05stress enough how important it is to be
02:07familiar and confident with all of these
02:10question types if you subscribe to this
02:13channel you'll see when we release
02:15videos covering each
02:16task okay tip number two check the
02:21instructions even if you're familiar
02:23with the question types you always need
02:26to check the instructions of the task on
02:28test day why is that well it's because
02:31the instructions always differ slightly
02:34between tests even if it's the same task
02:37type instructions that vary include the
02:40number of words and or a number that you
02:43allowed to use in an answer in multiple
02:46choice questions whether you can use a
02:49letter more than once and whether your
02:51answer should be a letter or a word also
02:55with a short answer question when you
02:57use a word from the audio the word must
03:00remain unchanged let's look at these one
03:03at a time very specific instructions are
03:07given on the maximum number of words and
03:10or a number that are allowed for some
03:13answers the instructions before a group
03:15of questions will look like
03:18this let's work with an audio recording
03:20talking about a college open day and
03:23fair here's an example of some questions
03:27complete the notes below write one word
03:30and or a number for each answer and the
03:34title says evening events look at these
03:37questions here later in the video we'll
03:40talk about the importance of speed
03:41reading and predicting answers but for
03:44now let's focus on the answers and
03:46following the instructions take a moment
03:49to read the questions and the audio will
03:51start soon okay here we go this is just
03:55a short extract of the audio to
03:58demonstrate this type of question
04:00listen carefully and write down the
04:02answer to questions 3 to
04:05six which brings us to the evening
04:07events the highlight of the college's
04:09big Day celebrating with the community
04:12we have a number of exciting activities
04:14happening in and around the campus the
04:17main Performance Event is the dance club
04:19putting on a demonstration of two
04:20contemporary dancers one hipop and one
04:24jazz-based these are choreographed by
04:26the students themselves I was lucky
04:29enough to rehearsal yesterday and I
04:31think you'll be very impressed by their
04:33talent because we are expecting a large
04:35audience the performances will take
04:37place in the Community Hall which is
04:39located at 67 Main Road there will be
04:43two performances at 6:00 and 7:30 the
04:47plight of the Penguins is a project put
04:49together by the students on the
04:50documentary video production course it
04:53will be shown in room 13 at 8:00 p.m. to
04:57book seats you'll need to ring three 337
05:023136 as a culmination of the official
05:04events of the day we are very lucky to
05:06have well-known actor and local
05:08celebrity Ruth Davidson open the new
05:10reading deck outside the main library it
05:14is a beautiful location with fabulous
05:16views of the harbor and mangroves we'll
05:18be serving finger food and celebratory
05:21beverages courtesy of the catering
05:23course students immediately after Ruth
05:25formally opens the deck by cutting the
05:27Red Ribbon I hope you can join us and
05:32off okay let's check the answers
05:35remember the important Point here is to
05:38make sure we follow the instructions the
05:41answer for these specific questions can
05:43be one word and or a number so here are
05:47the answers for number three we can
05:50write either contemporary or two
05:53contemporary because we are allowed to
05:55use one word and or a number the answer
05:59to to number four is 67 Main which is a
06:02number and a word it would be wrong to
06:06write just the word Maine because the
06:08question says Community Hall at we can
06:12say the hall is on Main Road or in main
06:16road but not at Main Road we need the
06:19street number and the street name number
06:22five is room 13 the correct answer is a
06:26word and a number we need to listen very
06:29carefully to determine whether it is
06:31room 13 or room 30 question six is a
06:403136 that counts as one number and the
06:43answer can be one word and or a number
06:48the answer to number seven is ribbon it
06:51can't be red ribbon because that is more
06:54than one word and or a
06:56number okay hopefully you you see how
07:00important it is to pay attention to the
07:02instructions most importantly the
07:04limitations on the number of words for
07:07these tasks some other instructions to
07:10be aware of are whether you can use a
07:12letter more than once in a multiple
07:14choice question and for some questions
07:17whether to write a letter or a word
07:21finally it is important to know that for
07:23short answer questions you will hear the
07:26word in the audio and the answer will be
07:28the word in exactly the form that you
07:30hear it the same type of word noun verb
07:35adjective and so on and with the same
07:38ending no alteration for tense or
07:41number let's take a quick look at an
07:43example and listen to a short extract of
07:46audio to show you what I mean follow
07:49along and write down the answers to
07:5535 we're going to listen to part of a
07:57lecture on the effects of rise ing water
07:59temperatures on marine life you have
08:03some time to look at the questions
08:04before listening have a skim through
08:10now ready let's listen our main research
08:15has been conducted in latitudes above
08:1845° South in the Pacific Ocean and we
08:22have been able to make some general
08:24observations on changes to behavior in
08:27higher water temperatures which seem to
08:29apply broadly across groups of marine
08:32life firstly we've noted that the rate
08:35of movement of teleost or bony fish that
08:39live in a pelagic environment has slowed
08:42down they appear to swim at lower speeds
08:47temperatures meanwhile larger
08:50cartilagenous species of fish including
08:52sharks choid and other shark-like
08:55species and rays are predating with less
08:59expenditure of energy or apparent
09:01enthusiasm than usual however they are
09:06often marine mammals on the other hand
09:09seem to have responded quite differently
09:11to the higher ambient temperatures they
09:14are carrying less body condition than
09:16previously and are less interested in
09:19courtship or mating as well as being
09:23inactive they are definitely on average
09:26much leaner and nowhere near as bulky as
09:29as they normally would be at this time
09:32year okay how did you go if you're
09:35finding the questions difficult I'd
09:37recommend signing up for one of our a
09:39courses at E2 test prep.com we have
09:43classes with experts and X examiners
09:46let's now look at the answers and I'll
09:49show you what we mean when we say that
09:50you cannot change the word type or word
09:54form from what you hear in the
09:56audio here are the answers 33 3 swim 34
10:02raise and 35 bulky for question 33 move
10:08would also make sense as an answer
10:10however in the audio we heard the
10:13movement of teos or bony fish that live
10:16in a pelagic environment has slowed down
10:19on the audio we heard the noun movement
10:22but not the verb move the answer to the
10:25question has to be a word from the audio
10:27that has not been changed in any way so
10:30move would not be an acceptable answer
10:33the answer to question 34 is rise the
10:36plural form of the noun Ray a type of
10:39fish such as sting rays electric Rays or
10:43manta rays you might have written
10:45choroids or shark-like species but those
10:49answers are wrong what we heard on the
10:51audio was meanwhile larger celogen
10:54species of fish including sharks choid
10:58and other shark-like species and rays
11:01are predating with less expenditure of
11:03energy or apparent enthusiasm than usual
11:07however they are eating more often the
11:10word choid only appears as a singular
11:13form of the noun on the audio kimid not
11:17choroids you can't change the word by
11:20adding an s in order to fill in the Gap
11:22in the question shark like species is
11:26incorrect because you have to write one
11:29one word only for each answer for
11:32question 35 the correct answer is bulky
11:35marine mammals appear to be less bulky
11:39you might have written interested or
11:41active those answers are wrong the audio
11:45said marine mammals are carrying less
11:49body condition than previously and are
11:51less interested in courtship or mating
11:54as well as being much more inactive they
11:56are definitely on average much leaner
11:59and nowhere near as bulky as they
12:02normally would be at this time of year
12:05we can't use the adjective interested by
12:07itself we need to say less interested in
12:11courtship or less interested in mating
12:15the answer has to be one word only so
12:18that is not an option the audio says
12:21more inactive it doesn't say less active
12:26we can't remove the prefix from inactive
12:29the answer to this kind of short answer
12:31question has to be a word from the audio
12:36unchanged active is not an option the
12:40only correct answer is
12:42bulky okay that's enough time spent on
12:45tip number two let's move on tip number
12:51speedread in many ways the most valuable
12:54time in the AL listening test is not the
12:57time that you spend listening but the
12:59time you spend reading before you listen
13:04important at the beginning of the test
13:06the audio states there will be time for
13:09you to read the instructions and
13:10questions and you will have a chance to
13:13check your work throughout the test
13:15there will be times when the audio says
13:18first you have some time to look at
13:19questions 1 to 4 or questions 17 to 20
13:24you need to use this time effectively
13:27and efficiently times spent reading
13:29ahead is time very well spent you need
13:33to utilize the same reading techniques
13:35that you use for the I reading test skim
13:38and scan search for keywords so you can
13:41better prepare yourself to listen for
13:44and predict specific topic related
13:47vocabulary after each of the four
13:49sections the audio tells you that you
13:52now have half a minute to check your
13:55answers you should also maximize your
13:58use of this this time don't look back
14:01there is plenty of time at the end of
14:03the test to check your work use the time
14:05to look ahead and prepare for the next
14:08section of the test speed reading helps
14:11with tip number four predict the
14:14answer let's try predicting the answer
14:17with some example questions the audio
14:19will always give you some background
14:21information about the context of the
14:23section of the listening test let's have
14:26a look and listen you will hear a woman
14:29inquiring about day trips on an island
14:32first you have some time to look at
14:34questions 1 to six we are going to use
14:38this time to speedread and to make
14:40predictions we're going to predict the
14:42type of word and make a few intelligent
14:45guesses at what the answer could be I'll
15:00great now that you've had a chance to
15:02quickly read the first part of section
15:04one let's look at each of the questions
15:07and predict the type of word and Hazard
15:10an educated guess at what the answer
15:12might be this will really help us to
15:15focus when we are listening for the
15:17answer it will mean we will be ready for
15:20the answer and we will hear it when it
15:21comes in the audio track okay let's
15:24start with the first two questions
15:27question one has to be a
15:29the question says private boats with
15:32driver and something available for up to
15:35six passengers driver is a noun so any
15:39word linked to it by and has to also be
15:42a noun let's think about what it could
15:45be it could be the name of a job like
15:47Chef or crew it could be an onboard
15:51facility like cabin or toilet it could
15:53be something like Refreshments or
15:56ice what about question two it has to be
16:00a number if private boats are available
16:03for up to six passengers then larger
16:06boats must be for a number considerably
16:09higher than six it might be 20 or 30 for
16:13example in this case we'll have to
16:15listen carefully to distinguish between
16:2013 let's look at the next two questions
16:23and make our predictions about word
16:25types and possible answers the answer to
16:28question three is to something so it has
16:31to be a plural noun like beaches or Bays
16:36or caves with question four we know from
16:40the capital letter at the beginning of
16:41the word Beach that this will be the
16:43name of a beach and we'll start with a
16:46capital letter it could be an adjective
16:48like Sandy Beach or Shelly Beach or it
16:52could be named after person like cook
16:54Beach it is unlikely to be named that is
16:57difficult to spell like Columbus Beach
16:59or Shakespeare Beach if it is they will
17:03spell the name out c o l u m Buu s on
17:09the audio track okay moving on to
17:12questions five and six the boat tours
17:15feature whale watching the information
17:18tells us to be something by these giant
17:23marine mammals the missing word has to
17:25be an adjective and most likely one
17:27ending in Ed something like astounded or
17:32impressed or perhaps an irregularly
17:35formed past participle compound
17:38adjective like uck we know what kind of
17:42word to listen for question six also has
17:45to be an adjective as it comes before
17:48the noun opportunity it could be a very
17:51positive advertising word like fantastic
17:54or wonderful or it could be something
17:56more factual like seasonal
17:59we'll be listening for an adjective at
18:01rate right time to do the actual
18:04listening get ready to write down the
18:07six answers using our predictions and
18:09calculated guesses to help you here we
18:14closely hello uh tourist information
18:19you hi yes I'm ringing up about day
18:22trips I'd like to find out about how we
18:24can visit the northern side of the
18:26island please certainly the northern
18:29coastline is very spectacular and well
18:31worth the effort of getting there
18:32actually there are a number of ways to
18:34reach the beaches on the northern coast
18:36of the island basically the transport
18:38options are either by boat or by
18:40four-wheel drive vehicle if you choose
18:43to go by boat which I would recommend
18:45you can either Charter a private boat or
18:48Join one of the larger tour operators
18:51obviously the private option is a bit
18:53more expensive but everyone says it's
18:55well worth the extra cost you get your
18:58own driver and guide and you can take
19:00anywhere from 1 to six people the larger
19:03boats are a bit more comfortable and
19:05probably better if you're worried about
19:06getting seasick however they can get a
19:09bit crowded depending on the day as
19:11they're licensed to carry as many as 40
19:13passengers and what about the driving
19:15option the four-wheel drive tours while
19:18a little bit bumpy and involving more
19:20transport time are particularly good
19:23value as they include a lot of extras in
19:25the package there's a delicious buffet
19:27style out or lunch at the top of the
19:29mountain in the middle of the island so
19:31you get to enjoy spectacular views while
19:33eating the trip includes stops at two
19:36waterfalls and you also get the
19:38opportunity to go kaying in either
19:41tandem or single Canadian style canoes
19:43when you arrive at Green Beach on the
19:46trip back you can enjoy an evening
19:48cocktail while watching the sun sink
19:50into the ocean it's a real highlight of
19:53the day that sounds good I do like the
19:56idea of a boat trip though though what
19:58do they include there are a couple of
20:00top features that you can only enjoy
20:03from a boat if you're a lover of
20:05wildlife then one of the boat tours will
20:07be ideal for you in the morning you'll
20:10pass by the migration path of the
20:11humpback Wales and you're virtually
20:13guaranteed to see several of these
20:15beautiful creatures Nothing Compares
20:18with this incredible encounter with
20:20these Oceanic mammals you're sure to be
20:22amazed lunchtime is spent at North Beach
20:25where there are two first class seafood
20:28available on the return Journey your
20:31boat will pass close by the rocky
20:33Shoreline and you'll almost certainly be
20:36able to observe the very cute melenic
20:39penguins it's a rare chance to see these
20:41birds in warmer Waters you're sure to be
20:44able to capture some brilliant photos of
20:46the Penguins I'm sure you won't be
20:50disappointed okay how did you go did you
20:53get all six answers can you see how
20:56predicting and making sensible guest
20:58before you listen helps you to focus and
21:01make it easier to catch the answer
21:03because you're mentally prepared for it
21:06answers number one private boats with
21:09driver and guide available for up to six
21:13passengers number two larger boats carry
21:17up to 40 passengers 40 not
21:2114 being prepared and listening out for
21:24a number would have helped you to hear
21:26that it was 40 for Zer not
21:301414 number three waterfalls the plural
21:34s is essential number four green
21:39Beach number five amazed there were
21:43other adjectives like beautiful and
21:45incredible but they wouldn't make sense
21:47in the same way as be amazed be
21:50beautiful be incredible they don't make
21:54sense in the context number six rare
21:58makes sense other adjectives like cute
22:03don't so again to recap that tip predict
22:08predict the type of word predict the
22:10answer make intelligent calculated
22:14guesses sometimes your predictions will
22:16be closer to the answer than other times
22:19but it always helps let's move on tip
22:23number five highlight or underline
22:26keywords underlining or highlighting
22:29makes that word stand out for when you
22:32look at the questions both before
22:34listening and while the audio is playing
22:37also the process of underlining or
22:39highlighting the physical action of
22:41doing it helps to cement the keyword and
22:44ideas in your mind if you are doing a
22:47paper based test you will have a pencil
22:50with which you can write on the question
22:51paper you can underline you can double
22:54underline you can Circle you can jot
22:57down notes you can draw little pictures
22:59whatever you want the question paper is
23:02collected at the end of the test and
23:04destroyed the examiner never sees it it
23:08is your working space use it in any way
23:11that works for you you will however only
23:14have a pencil you cannot use a pen or a
23:18highlighter if you are doing a computer
23:20delivered is test you have pencil and
23:23paper you can make notes on the
23:25questions themselves will appear on the
23:27screen there is a highlighter function
23:29on the computer that will be shown to
23:31you before the test so you can highlight
23:34keywords before you listen there is also
23:37a notepad function on the computer which
23:40you can use if you want whether you
23:42underline or highlight the purpose of
23:44the exercise is to help you focus on the
23:47crucial information the keywords that
23:50will help you to make your predictions
23:52and to listen out for the relevant
23:54information while the audio is playing
23:57underlining or highlighting is
23:59particularly useful for multiple choice
24:02questions so which words should we
24:04underline or highlight let's look at an
24:08example here's an example of some
24:10multiple choice questions read through
24:13it quickly and make a mental note or jot
24:15down which words you would underline or
24:18highlight which one or two words in each
24:20question and each answer option carry
24:23the most meaning feel free to pause the
24:26video now so you can quickly read
24:29through okay which words did you choose
24:31to highlight or underline which words
24:34are most important to focus on while
24:36listening to the audio for question 21
24:40next semester are the keywords all of
24:43the options refer to Polynesia so we
24:46don't need to highlight that the
24:48different keywords in each of the three
24:50options are a astronomy B navigation and
24:58question 22 decided because all of the
25:03options mentioned Tonga the key words in
25:06each of the three options are a visited
25:10B spoke and C relatives visited question
25:1523 graduates wants and in the options
25:20postgraduate interpreter and media for
25:24question 24 the important words to be
25:26highlighted or underlined are agree and
25:30Essay all of the options are two words
25:33long and all of the words are important
25:35because we need to distinguish between
25:38Samoan Mai and tahan and also between
25:42stories carving and songs these are the
25:46key words the ones to focus on in order
25:49to be ready to hear the answer in this
25:52case we need to underline all of the
25:55words in the three a b c options this
25:59might seem pointless but the act of
26:01underlining or highlighting fixes those
26:04key words in our mind so we are ready to
26:06listen for them or for words with
26:09similar meanings for question 25 the key
26:12wordss are essay and should and in the
26:16options it's a good idea to highlight or
26:18underline historical overview indepth
26:23one artist and social background so
26:28that's how you should highlight or
26:30underline on test day remember you can
26:33practice this technique with our
26:35practice questions at eest prep.com tip
26:39number six think of synonyms and
26:43Expressions synonyms and parallel
26:46expressions are the key to all four
26:48parts of the AL test not just listening
26:52I is a very well researched and
26:54carefully constructed test it assesses
26:57very very accurately how well a
26:59candidate can actually understand and
27:01use English one way it does this is by
27:05employing synonyms and parallel
27:07Expressions it tests that you can
27:10understand an idea expressed one way and
27:12match it with the same ideas expressed
27:15in different words let's quickly recap
27:18on what synonyms and parallel
27:20expressions are a synonym is a word that
27:23has the same or nearly the same meaning
27:28beautiful and attractive are synonyms
27:31car and automobile are synonyms reply
27:34and respond are synonyms of answer
27:37simple effortless and straightforward
27:40are synonyms of easy a parallel
27:43expression or synonymous phrase is two
27:46or more words that have the same or
27:48nearly the same meaning as another group
27:51of two or more words beautiful view and
27:55attractive Outlook are synonyms small
27:58car and compact automobile are synonyms
28:02reply promptly and respond rapidly are
28:05synonyms of answer quickly parallel
28:08expression and synonymous phrase are
28:13Expressions Okay let's listen to the
28:16audio track about Polynesian studies
28:18that we used as an example for
28:20underlining and highlighting listen out
28:23for synonyms and parallel expressions
28:25for the highlighted keyword
28:28this will help you to choose the correct
28:29answer let's do it you will hear Mary
28:33who is in the Polynesian studies
28:35department at her University talking to
28:38her tutor Tom first you have some time
28:41to look at questions 21 to
28:5425 now listen carefully and answer
28:5921-25 good morning I'm Tom mcfallen your
29:01tutor you must be Mary please call me
29:04Tom hi Tom nice to meet you before I
29:06forget I must tell you that there's been
29:08a late change to the program for this
29:10semester you will still be studying the
29:12Polynesian interpretation of the stars
29:14and planets this ties in closely with
29:17our course looking into the way our
29:19ancestors found their way back and forth
29:21across the ocean using the Stars to
29:23guide them we usually teach those two
29:26courses in conjunction with our study of
29:28food sources and the hunting and
29:30Gathering practices and traditions that
29:32were followed however P Karana our
29:35expert on all aspects of food is on an
29:38extended field trip to newa so that
29:40course won't start until the second half
29:42of the academic year it will swap with
29:44poly 107 the impact of
29:47colonization and of course your final
29:50course for this term is Polynesian arts
29:52and culture which I'm teaching thanks
29:54for letting me know well as this is our
29:57first meeting it would be good to find
29:59out a little bit about you why did you
30:02choose Polynesian studies my mom is
30:05tongen she talks about her Village and
30:08Island a lot I have been there once but
30:11I really want to spend more time there
30:13that's great do you speak tongen I can
30:17understand quite a lot we always had
30:19cousins and aunties from the islands
30:21coming and staying and I listen to them
30:24talking a lot I guess that's what really
30:26created my interest in the language and
30:28the culture I want to learn more I like
30:32the enthusiasm do you have any plans for
30:34after you complete your bachelor's
30:36degree well it is early days yet but I
30:39do kind of have a plan I might continue
30:43on to do a master's or a PhD but
30:46probably not I feel like I need to get
30:48out in the real world I can always come
30:51back to it later I'm really interested
30:54in reporting on Pacific Affairs either
30:57th in print or on radio or television so
31:01I'm going to aim for an entry position
31:03in that area I toyed with the idea of
31:06getting into translation work but I
31:09don't think I have the necessary level
31:11of fluency very good it's good to have
31:14plans but it is also good to stay
31:16flexible getting back to the present
31:19have you had any thoughts on the topic
31:21of your term paper for Polynesian arts
31:23and culture this semester you might find
31:26the oral tradition of Storytelling
31:28interesting I thought about that but I
31:31think I'll wait until next year it's
31:33such a rich area I'm also interested in
31:36The Woodworking traditions of Samoa and
31:39in Maui Performing Arts but my real
31:42passion is traditional music I've always
31:46really loved the traditional singing
31:48from French Polynesia and from Tahiti in
31:51particular I'd really like to write my
31:53essay on the French influence on the
31:56vocal music tradition
31:57that sounds like an interesting angle
32:00often students opt to take a generalized
32:02look at the history of Polynesian Visual
32:04and Performing Arts but I think it
32:05sounds like you already have a good
32:07handle on that and can do something more
32:09specialized however I always advise
32:12against focusing on the work of a
32:14particular creative individual at this
32:16stage a broad look at an area of
32:18Performing Arts within the context of
32:20the society in which it was produced is
32:22ideal why don't you put together an
32:24abstract of about 50 words if it's clear
32:27I can approve it and you can get started
32:30that would be great I have a heavy
32:32workload next month so it would be cool
32:34to be able to get a head start on this
32:36essay now thanks very good I look
32:41it how did you go did you notice that we
32:44heard almost none of the key words that
32:46we had highlighted what we heard were
32:49synonyms and parallel Expressions let's
32:52have a look here are the answers and
32:54some of the phrases from the audio that
32:56were synonymous us 21 the question
32:59referred to food Gathering whereas the
33:02audio spoke about food sources and the
33:05hunting and Gathering processes question
33:0822 mentioned that many relatives from
33:11Tonga visited while the audio spoke
33:13about cousins and aunties coming and
33:16staying the media appeared as in print
33:20or on radio or television in question 23
33:24for question 24 option C was tahan songs
33:28the audio never referred to this in so
33:31many words instead saying from Tahiti in
33:34particular and talking about singing and
33:37the vocal music tradition finally while
33:41question 25 mentioned social background
33:44on the audio Tom spoke about the context
33:47of the society in which it was
33:50produced synonyms and parallel
33:52Expressions appeared right throughout
33:54the audio not only in the correct
33:57answers for example next semester was
34:01the second half of the Year navigation
34:05was the way our ancestors found their
34:07way back and forward across the ocean
34:09and postgraduate was a Masters or a
34:13PhD in the AL listening test you are
34:16being tested on your ability to
34:18understand Concepts that are written
34:20about using a particular collection of
34:22words and are spoken about using
34:25different vocabulary and matical
34:28structures okay here's tip number seven
34:31focus and follow with your eyes and your
34:34ears in Al listening apart from one kind
34:38of multiple choice question where you
34:40have to choose from up to eight options
34:42the answer always comes in order you can
34:46answer the questions as you hear them in
34:49other words you will hear the answer to
34:51question number six after the answer for
34:54question number five and before the
34:57answer to question seven it is very
34:59important to be aware of this with just
35:02one exception you always hear the
35:04answers to the question in the same
35:07order as they appear on the question
35:09paper or screen in front of you so that
35:13is the first thing you need to know to
35:15focus and follow throughout the
35:16listening questions the answers come in
35:19order what's also important to know is
35:22that you should stay alert throughout
35:25the introduction the intro is the lead
35:28in time at the beginning of the audio
35:30that helps you become accustomed to the
35:33voice and accents of the speakers the
35:36answer to the first question each
35:37section won't come at the very start of
35:40the audio but up to 20 or 30 seconds
35:43later you also need to switch off and
35:46divert your attention to the next
35:48section during the outro the outro is
35:52more speaking at the end of each audio
35:54section after you've heard the answer
35:56answer to the final question we call
35:59this outro time the opposite of intro
36:02time now another important point is to
36:06signposts signposts are headings
36:10subheadings and words that stand out
36:13from the text particularly proper nouns
36:16names of people places months and so on
36:20that are written with a capital letter
36:22they can also be the key words that you
36:25have highlighted or underlined
36:27basically a signpost is any word that
36:30helps you track where you are on the
36:31paper in relation to the part of the
36:34audio track that is playing following
36:36the signpost with your eyes will help
36:39your ears to follow the relevant
36:41information in the audio track let's
36:44take a look at an example here's the
36:46transcript to the audio about day trips
36:49we listened to earlier see how there is
36:52quite a lot of text before we get to
36:54question number one this addition
36:56additional text provides us with
36:58signposts through the intro guiding us
37:01to where we will begin to hear the
37:03information to answer each of the
37:05questions in turn the heading and
37:08subheadings are very obvious signposts
37:11notice how these and the other words on
37:13the page come in the same order on the
37:16audio track a phrase like can travel by
37:20four-wheel drive vehicle or boat doesn't
37:23give us the answer to a question but
37:25importantly it shows us where we are on
37:28the audio and alerts us to be ready for
37:30the questions coming up let's listen to
37:33the beginning of this audio again whilst
37:35following the signpost listen
37:38particularly for the words private and
37:41driver because they will come just
37:43before the first answer hello uh tourist
37:47information center can I help
37:49you hi yes I'm ringing up about day
37:52trips I'd like to find out about how we
37:55can visit the northern side of the
37:56island please certainly the northern
37:59coastline is very spectacular and well
38:01worth the effort of getting there
38:03actually there are a number of ways to
38:04reach the beaches on the northern coast
38:06of the island basically the transport
38:08options are either by boat or by
38:11four-wheel drive vehicle if you choose
38:13to go by boat which I would recommend
38:16you can either Charter a private boat or
38:18Join one of the larger tour operators
38:21obviously the private option is a bit
38:23more expensive but everyone says it's
38:25well worth the extra cost cost you get
38:28your own driver and guide and you can
38:30take anywhere from 1 to six people the
38:33larger boats are a bit more comfortable
38:35and probably better if you're worried
38:36about getting seasick however they can
38:39get a bit crowded depending on the day
38:41as they're licensed to carry as many as
38:4340 passengers and what about the driving
38:46option the four-wheel drive tours while
38:51bit so I've got one more strategy for
38:53this tip that'll help you focus if your
38:56tip taking the paper based test use your
38:58writing hand to hold the pencil to write
39:01your answers and your other non-writing
39:04hand to track between signposts this
39:07helps you focus on where you are in the
39:09text it takes a bit of practice but it
39:12can be a good way to maximize your
39:13capacity to listen read and write all at
39:16the same time okay moving on to tip
39:20number eight focus on two
39:23questions for example if you have just
39:26heard and written the answer to question
39:27number six shift your focus to question
39:30number seven and question number eight
39:33always try to keep an eye on the
39:35question ahead just in case you miss the
39:38answer to a question you don't want to
39:40be left behind and Miss more answers
39:43think of it as an insurance policy again
39:47this takes a bit of practice but it is
39:49well worth doing in order to avoid one
39:52tricky question or a momentary lapse of
39:55concentration having disastrous
39:58consequences answers can come very
40:00closely together and also there can be
40:03long gaps between answers be prepared
40:06for this the signpost will
40:09help this technique requires practice so
40:12I definitely recommend accessing our Al
40:15listening practice questions or mock
40:17tests at E2 test prep.com you can sign
40:21up for free today all right next tip
40:25number nine beware of
40:28distractors so what are distractors
40:32distractors are words or phrases that
40:34have been designed to lead you away from
40:37the correct answer the writers of 's
40:39listening tests insert distractors to
40:42make sure that you fully understand the
40:44meaning of the language that you hear
40:47rather than simply recognizing familiar
40:49words or sounds there are some good
40:52examples of distractors in the audio we
40:54heard earlier when Mary was talking to
40:57her tutor Tom about her Polynesian
41:00studies course let's take another look
41:03in question 21 we have to identify which
41:06course will begin next semester all
41:09three multiple choice options astronomy
41:11navigation and food Gathering are
41:14mentioned but only one of the courses is
41:17starting next semester identifying the
41:20other courses from the use of synonymous
41:22phrases in the audio can distract us
41:25from choosing the correct answer notice
41:27how the audio used parallel expressions
41:30for the distractors as well as for the
41:32correct answer instead of astronomy the
41:36audio said interpretation of the stars
41:39and planets rather than using the phrase
41:42navigation methods for the second
41:44distractor the audio said the way our
41:47ancestors found their way back and
41:49forward across the ocean the correct
41:52answer was also presented using
41:54synonymous phrases as was the
41:57information in the question stem a
41:59little later Mary mentions that she has
42:02visited Tonga and that her mother is
42:04Tongan these are distractors for the
42:07next question the audio contains some of
42:09the same information as options A and B
42:16carefully well as this is our first
42:19meeting it would be good to find out a
42:21little bit about you why did you choose
42:24Polynesian studies my mom is tongen she
42:28talks about her Village and Island a lot
42:30I have been there once but I really want
42:33to spend more time there that's great do
42:36you speak tongen I can understand quite
42:39a lot we always had cousins and aunties
42:42from the islands coming and staying and
42:44I listen to them talking a lot I guess
42:47that's what really created my interest
42:49in the language and the culture I want
42:51to learn more looking at the audio
42:54script we can see that there are
42:56distractors involving partial
42:58information Mary relates that her mother
43:00is tongen and that she has been to Tonga
43:03only once the information in options A
43:06and B is only partially correct she
43:10hasn't visited Tonga often and there is
43:13no mention of her mother usually
43:15speaking to her in tongen these
43:18distractors are tricky beasts let's look
43:21at one more example from the same
43:23audio question 23 remember how Tom asked
43:27Mary if she had any plans for the future
43:30after completing her course B is the
43:32correct answer there are distractors
43:35employed for both option A and option C
43:39with regard to postgraduate studies Mary
43:41says I might continue to do a master's
43:44or a PhD but probably not and when she
43:48talks about the possibility of becoming
43:50an interpreter she says I toyed with the
43:54idea of getting into translation work
43:56but I don't think I have the necessary
43:58level of fluency the words and phrases
44:02might probably not and toyed with like
44:06used to and going to undermine the
44:10information making those options
44:12incorrect these distractions are
44:15everywhere let's now move on to some
44:18less complex and perplexing elements of
44:20Al listening the next tip is much more
44:24straightforward tip number 10 is
44:26spelling matters if an answer is not
44:29spelled correctly it is wrong simple as
44:32that that said the answers to 's
44:35listening questions won't be weird or
44:37difficult words they will be everyday
44:39words that you would be expected to be
44:41able to spell they will be words like
44:44walk and doctor not words like
44:49anesthesiologist if the answer is a
44:51person's name or the name of a place you
44:54will hear it spelled out letter by
44:56letter on the audio for example in
44:59section one often one of the speakers
45:01will give their address they will say
45:04something like 21 riverlet Street that's
45:08r i v e r l e i g h Street be sure to
45:15use a capital letter for the beginning
45:17of the word street or road as well as
45:20the first letter of the street name like
45:23this sometimes in section one you might
45:26have to write down a phone number or a
45:28postcode it's good to be aware that
45:31British postcodes include letters as
45:34well as numbers so you may have to write
45:36something like S w11 3
45:40p if you do have to write a word and you
45:43are not sure of the spelling just write
45:45it down quickly and use the extra time
45:48at the end of the test to experiment
45:50with different ways of spelling it write
45:52it down a few times and see which one
45:55look looks right even native English
45:58speakers do this sometimes like this
46:02which one looks right the second one
46:05trust your gut feeling very often your
46:08first attempt will be the correct one
46:10don't overthink it do pay attention to
46:13spelling take time to proofread and
46:16double check it's a real shame to get a
46:19question wrong because of the spelling
46:21one wrong answer can mean the difference
46:26let's move on tip number 11 check
46:31grammar let's take a look at some
46:33examples paying close attention to
46:36articles a and the and singular and
46:40forms listen to this audio and try
46:44questions you will hear a student
46:46inquiring about accommodation options at
46:50university first you have some time to
46:52look at questions 1 to
47:00hello accommodation office Karen
47:02speaking hi Caren my name is Jack I'm
47:05ringing to find out about the
47:06accommodation options on campus I'm due
47:09to start next year am I too late hello
47:11Jack no you're not too late we're
47:14accepting applications right up to the
47:15end of the month are you interested in
47:18the halls of residence or the
47:19self-catering apartments the halls of
47:22residents can you tell me if the rooms
47:24are furnished yes all the rooms are
47:26fully equipped with everything you need
47:28including bedding and a bed of course
47:32built-in cupboards and storage space and
47:35a desk that's great it'll make moving
47:37into the city from my parents Farm much
47:40easier what about the food we provide
47:43full board the food is very good we know
47:46the importance of a good nutritious meal
47:48to young people especially if you're
47:50studying for long periods we provide
47:53breakfast lunch and dinner 7 days a week
47:57our students love the meals not only for
47:59the food but also for the socializing
48:02we're all set up for anyone with a
48:04special diet diets we cater for include
48:08vegetarian vegan and glutenfree and
48:11there's no additional charge for these
48:14okay is there any help provided with the
48:17studying side of things yes there is
48:20professional advice is available to all
48:22our students appointments with academic
48:26and pastoral counselors can be made at
48:28the front desk and the staff there can
48:30help with everyday matters
48:33too how did you go let's look at the
48:36answers remember the focus here is on
48:39how grammar can determine the correct
48:41answer the answer to number one is bed
48:45the audio also mentioned bedding
48:48cupboards and storage space but because
48:51they are uncountable or plural nouns
48:53they can't be the correct answer
48:56the sentence with a gap for the answer
48:58to question one says all rooms are
49:01furnished with a because of a the
49:05indefinite article the answer has to be
49:08a singular noun bed not bedding number
49:12two has to be meals not meal both words
49:16were heard on the audio but because of
49:19number three the answer has to be plural
49:23the answer for number three is diets it
49:26has to be diets not diet because there
49:31special although Karen first of all
49:34mentions professional advice the answer
49:37is counselors not advice professional
49:41counselors are available if we write
49:44advice then the sentence would be
49:47grammatically incorrect advice is an
49:49uncountable noun to put it in a sentence
49:52we would need to say professional advice
49:55is is available not professional advice
49:59available grammar can be an important
50:01clue to the correct answer when you have
50:04time available at the end of the test
50:06it's a good idea to read back through
50:08the answers and check on the grammar
50:11particularly plurals and the use of
50:14Articles the next tip is number 12 write
50:19notes in a paper based test you can
50:22write on the question booklet in
50:24computer delivered a you are supplied
50:27with pencil and paper mostly it is
50:30easier to type directly onto the screen
50:33while you are listening but some test
50:35takers find it easier to write down long
50:37numbers such as telephone numbers and
50:39postcodes if an answer is quite long it
50:43can be useful to either type in or jot
50:46down a short form or abbreviation which
50:49you can go back to later and write in
50:51full if the answer is psychology
50:54department or Environmental Studies for
50:57example it's a good strategy to just
51:00write or type psych Dept or and and fill
51:05it completely in at the end of the test
51:08this can help you to keep looking ahead
51:10ready for the next answer also it's
51:13important not to get bogged down in
51:16worrying about spelling at the stage
51:18there is time at the end to focus on
51:20this tip number 13 leave no blanks
51:25if necessary leave a question blank But
51:28be sure to come back to it at the end
51:31and fill it in a blank answer cannot
51:34score a point and there's no penalty for
51:36an incorrect answer if the answer is a
51:39word sometimes a calculated guess might
51:43hit the mark and if it's a multiple
51:45choice question there's a good
51:47probability that you could guess the
51:49correct answer remember that the
51:51difference between band scores is only
51:56an intelligent or lucky guess for a
51:58question that you left blank while the
52:00audio was playing can be the difference
52:03between a 6.5 and a seven so don't leave
52:07anything blank at the end let's take a
52:10moment to recap the AL listening tips so
52:12far know the task types check
52:17instructions speed read
52:20predict highlight or underline
52:23keywords think of synonym and parallel
52:27Expressions focus and follow with your
52:29eyes and ears focus on two
52:35distractors spelling
52:38matters check grammar write
52:44blanks these are important to be aware
52:47of and keep in mind while you are doing
52:50test the final two tips are for before
52:55being prepared is very important not
52:58only for the listening test but also for
53:00Reading Writing and speaking the most
53:03obvious way to be prepared is to have
53:05practiced a lot that's tip number 14
53:11practice I know that's pretty obvious
53:14but knowing how to prepare efficiently
53:17is a skill that will save you time
53:18before test day my advice is practice
53:22using authentic tests and audio when you
53:25come to mark your practice test ideally
53:28get someone else to check your answers
53:30for you and get expert
53:33feedback a great place to go for
53:35authentic preparation materials is E2
53:38test prep.com we have mock tests
53:41practice questions live classes with ex
53:44examiners everything you need to help
53:46you get the score you're aiming for now
53:49finally tip number 15 have the basics
53:53covered it's easy to go into test day
53:56focused entirely on the specific details
53:59of the a but preparing properly requires
54:02effort in other ways for example eat
54:06drink rest and sleep well arrive early
54:09on test day constantly immerse yourself
54:13in English in the days leading up to the
54:14test all of this helps so once more
54:19here's a list of all 15 tips from this
54:21video hopefully some of these were
54:25I'd recommend testing these tips out on
54:28some of the 's practice questions on E2
54:31test prep you can get access to a bunch
54:33of them for free thanks for watching
54:37don't forget to subscribe to this
54:39channel for more Al videos good luck
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