This guide gives a working method, an original worked example and the listening mistakes that lose marks.
Listening as a tested skill
Listening is tested on the English as a Second Language route of IGCSE and International GCSE English. You hear recordings such as conversations, talks and announcements, then answer questions about what was said.
Many students think listening is fixed: you either catch the words or you do not. In fact it is very improvable, because so much of it is technique. You can use the reading time, predict where an answer will come, hold information in mind while you write, and stay calm when a word slips past.
The task does not test whether you can write down every word. It tests whether you can find specific information in speech and record it accurately. A student who hunts for the answer catches more than one who tries to understand everything.
A working method
- Read the questions first. Before the recording, read ahead and be sure what each question asks. Now you are listening for something.
- Predict the type of answer. Is it a time, a place, a name, a reason or a number? Knowing the type helps your ear catch it.
- Listen for the main idea first, then the detail. On a first hearing, follow the overall meaning. Do not get stuck on one hard word. Add detail on the second hearing, if there is one.
- Note as you go, but keep listening. Jot key words quickly and stay with the speaker. Writing too much makes you miss the next point.
- Answer exactly what is asked. If the question wants one piece of information, give just that.
- Return to any gap. Leave a missed answer, keep going, and come back. One gap should never cost you the next three.
The number of playings depends on the paper, so we practise the format your paper uses. Reading ahead and listening with a purpose always help.
An original worked example
This is our own material, made for teaching. It shows how reading the question first changes what you listen for.
Question: Where does the speaker suggest meeting, and why?
Transcript (our own): “…so rather than the library, which shuts early on Fridays, why don’t we meet at the café on the corner? It’s open late and there’s plenty of room to spread out our notes.”
A prepared listener has read the question and knows two things are wanted: a place and a reason. They listen for a location and a “because”. They catch “the café on the corner” and “it’s open late”, and write both.
A listener who skipped the question might catch “library”. That is the wrong place, because the speaker is rejecting it.
They would lose the mark. Reading ahead points your ear at the right words.
This is easier to improve with a teacher beside you. A paid one-hour trial starts from your child's own recent work.
The listening mistakes that lose marks
- Not reading the questions before the recording. The student listens with no target and catches the wrong thing, often the option being rejected.
- Writing too much during the recording, so the next point goes unheard.
- Freezing on a missed answer and losing several more.
- Answering more than the question asked, so the right information is buried in a long sentence the marker cannot credit.
- Careless spelling or copying of a word or number that was heard correctly.
Markers reward the exact answer, clearly given. A student who listens with purpose, notes efficiently and writes precisely will often beat one with stronger vocabulary but weaker technique.
How to practise
Practise with real listening. Listen to talks, interviews and discussions in English.
Afterwards, try to say the main points and a few exact details from memory. This trains the two levels the task tests: main idea and detail.
Practise reading ahead on purpose. Before any listening exercise, read the questions and say aloud what type of answer each one needs. Do this every time, so it becomes automatic under pressure.
Practise recovering from a gap. When you miss something, keep listening and notice how much you still catch. Learning that one miss is survivable keeps you calm and scoring.
Vary what you listen to. A talk on an unfamiliar subject, a fast conversation, or a speaker with an accent you find harder will stretch your ear more than comfortable listening. Exam recordings are not always slow or easy, so practise with different voices and speeds.
How our teachers help in 1-to-1 lessons
Students usually get stuck in one of three ways. One never reads ahead, another over-writes, and a third freezes after a miss. In 1-to-1 lessons, our teachers listen to your child’s practice, name the pattern, and drill the technique that fixes it.
This work sits inside our English as a Second Language tuition and speaking and listening preparation. Lessons start from RM70/hr.
If you are a student, book a paid one-hour trial lesson. The teacher who would continue will go through one of your attempts with you.
For more, see the annotated model response for ESL listening: note completion and the practice tasks. Related guides are approaching an ESL form or note task and preparing a speaking topic.