Aiming for a high band score (7, 8, or 9) in IELTS Listening? Moving beyond the basics requires mastering advanced skills and strategies.
Achieving Band 7 or higher means demonstrating a strong ability to understand complex language, follow detailed arguments, recognise opinions and attitudes, and handle challenging question types accurately.
High-level questions rely heavily on paraphrasing. Don't just listen for exact keywords from the question; focus on understanding the *meaning* being conveyed. Train yourself to quickly recognize synonyms and different grammatical structures expressing the same idea.
Action: Actively build your vocabulary, focusing on synonyms and related word forms. When reviewing practice tests, note down how information was paraphrased.
Sections 3 and 4 often feature more complex sentences, longer arguments, and academic language. Practice listening to lectures or academic discussions to get comfortable following extended speech with complex grammar.
Action: Listen to university lectures online (e.g., TED talks, Coursera samples) and try to summarise the main points and supporting details.
Some questions require you to identify a speaker's opinion, attitude (e.g., agreement, doubt, certainty), or purpose. This often relies on understanding intonation, tone of voice, and subtle language cues, not just literal meaning.
Action: Pay attention to tone and stress when listening to conversations or discussions. Notice words that signal opinion (e.g., "surprisingly," "unfortunately," "I believe," "It seems").
Speakers sometimes provide information and then correct it or add a contrasting point. High scorers can filter this effectively and identify the final, intended answer. Be alert for words like "but," "however," "actually," "oh wait," etc.
Action: Practice identifying these shifts in practice tests. Don't write down the first potential answer you hear immediately; wait a moment to confirm if it's corrected or changed.
The listening test requires sustained focus for 30 minutes. Sections 3 and 4, being more academic and complex, demand high concentration levels. Any lapse can cause you to miss crucial information.
Action: Build your listening stamina by practicing with full-length tests under exam conditions. Minimize distractions during practice sessions. Ensure you are well-rested on test day.
While basic prediction involves identifying the type of word needed, advanced prediction involves anticipating the *content* more precisely based on the flow of the conversation or lecture context.
Action: As you read questions beforehand, think actively about the topic and what information is logically likely to come next in the discussion or explanation.