Introduction to Academic Listening Tests 1

Welcome to the academic listening tests course

Course Preparation

Get prepared before you begin.

Digital folder: You will need a specific folder on your computer to put all the Word document materials from this course in.
A notepad and pen: You will need to have a notepad and pen (or a tablet and pen) to take detailed notes when listening to the lectures.

The Materials

NOTE PAD & PEN: You can do the complete course with just a notebook and pen. Follow each exercise, check the vocabulary, study the PPTs (download just the slides), watch the videos and take notes. Then check your notes with the sample answers and transcript.

DIGITAL MATERIALS: We provide a Word document booklet for each lesson at the top of the page in the materials section or you can download them below. Each booklet includes all the exercises for you to work through as you do each lesson. The booklet can be used digitally or printed off.

Download the materials at the top of each page

The Lesson Procedure

Each lesson has the same number of tasks and format.

How to listen to the lectures

Please remember these lessons are for practice so:

You can listen to the lectures as many times as you like.
You can start and stop the recording whenever you need to.
You can listen and follow the transcript at the same time too.
Always compare your answers to the sample answers.
Listen again to listen for answers to the questions you got wrong.
Check the transcript to find the answers to the questions you got wrong and why.

Differentiation

These lessons suit a variety of levels.

Lesson#1: [hard]

1. Listen once & take notes on the PPT slides.

2. Give 5 minutes to tidy notes.

3. Listen again & add to notes (use a different colour pen).

4. Answer comprehension questions: 20-25 minutes.

5. Check answers.

6. Listen again or read transcript to check incorrect or missed questions.

Lesson #2: [medium]

1. Listen once & take notes on the PPT slides.

2. Answer comprehension questions: set 15 minutes for students to answer the questions from their notes.

3. Listen again. Students answer the missed questions as they listen.

4. Give extra 10 minutes to consolidate answers.

5. Check answers.

6. Listen again or read transcript to check incorrect or missed questions.

Lesson #3: [easy]

1. Start b y looking at the comprehension questions: 10 minutes.

2. Listen & answer the questions.

3. 5 minutes to tidy answers.

4. Listen again. Check answers & answer any missed questions.

5. 5-10 minutes to tidy answers.

6. Check answers.

7. Listen again or read transcript to check incorrect or missed questions.

Task 1: Introduction	There will be four or five questions to introduce you to the topic. Task 1: Introduction Do some research and take some notes on the following questions:
Task 2: Vocabulary	You will be given 35 words to check that are used in the lecture. It is a good idea to check meaning and pronunciation in an English-to-English dictionary. E.g., Cambridge English Dictionary Task 2: Vocabulary Check these words from the lecture: There is also a reference section where you should look at the sources used and make a note of the names as these will be referred to in the lecture.
Task 3: The PPT Slides	In this section, you are provided with a set of PPT slides. You should take your time to study these slides. Again, check any unknown words and do any internet research of the key terms. It is also a good idea to try to predict what the lecture will be about. Task 3: PPT Slides Study these slides and try to predict what the lecture will be about:
Task 4: The Lecture	You are now ready to watch the lecture. You should have your slides ready to take notes whether this is on your computer / tablet or a printed version. While you watch the video, add notes to the slides. Task 4: Lecture Video Listen to the lecture and take notes using the PPT slides provided: You can download the video and watch it on your computer.
Task 5: The Comprehension Questions	After you have listened, you then use your notes to answer the comprehension questions. There are a range of question types (open questions, gap fill, table completion, multiple choice) to check your understanding of the lecture and ability to take effective notes. Task 4: Comprehension Questions Now use your notes to answer these comprehension questions: Once you have completed the questions, you can check the answers and give yourself an overall score. You can check your answers in the transcript provided.
Task 6: Post-lecture Tasks	Task 6: Post Lecture Here are some post lecture tasks you can do: 1. Write a 200-word summary of the lecture. 2. Apply critical thinking strategies to the lecture. Use this critical thinking question document: here 3. Research other types of solutions for air pollution. 4. Find and read a case study on air pollution. These key post-lecture strategies will help you to explore the subject in more detail.
Completed	When you have completed the course, just hit ‘complete’