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IELTS Listening: education videos

I've used videos from ted.com in my lessons before, but did you know that there is a YouTube channel called TED-Ed which has some great education videos?

Here's one that I found interesting:

Can anyone summarise the content of this video?

IELTS Listening: multiple choice

Listen to the following talk about unemployment, then answer the multiple choice questions below. Make sure you read all 3 questions carefully before you start.

Click here to listen

1. A year from now, the unemployment rate will be

A) fairly good
B) not as high in California
C) very high for the country as a whole

2. One problem is that

A) employees cannot work for more than 33 hours per week
B) employers will extend working hours instead of hiring new staff
C) there are too many part-time workers

3. If the economy begins to improve

A) more people will be discouraged from looking for work
B) people will think that there are more job opportunities
C) there will be an expansion of the workforce

IELTS Listening: 'clubhouse' or 'club house'?

A lot of people have asked me the same question recently: If the answer in the book is "clubhouse", would "club house" be accepted?

The answer is yes. As long as the question instruction doesn't say that answers must be one word only, the answer "club house" would be fine.

Click here to see a big list of compound words (but don't try to learn them all).

IELTS Listening: my advice

Recently several people have asked me to help them improve their listening scores. I think they were hoping that I would give them a new technique or some clever advice.

Unfortunately, there are no special techniques for the listening test, and my normal advice to students is that they simply need to do lots of practice.

The people who do well in the listening test are those who have a "good ear" for English. In other words, they are able to follow fast speech and distinguish individual words easily. How did they develop a good ear? They listened to a lot of English.

If you're trying to improve your listening score, stop searching for techniques! Spend your time listening to as much English as possible. Expose your ears to the language and they will gradually become better at hearing it.

IELTS Listening: 'handedness' exercise

Listen to the following recording about right and left-handedness.

Click here to listen

What is the probability of right-handed parents having a left-handed child?

A) more than 10%.
B) about 2%.
C) about 17%.

What comparison is made between males and females?

A) 50% of left-handed people are male.
B) Males are less likely to be left-handed.
C) Males are twice as likely to be left-handed.

A child's handedness can be determined for certain

A) when the child reaches two years of age.
B) when the child is six months old.
C) according to which hand the child reaches with in the first year of life.

IELTS Listening: similar words

I often talk about the importance of looking for "keywords" or "similar words" in the reading test, but the same advice applies to many questions in the listening test.

Look at the following question from Cambridge IELTS 4:

Which argument was used against having a drama theatre?

A) It would be expensive and no students would use it.
B) It would be a poor use of resources because only a minority would use it.
C) It could not accommodate large productions of plays.

Find the answer by looking for the "similar words" in the transcript below.

There was, however, much disagreement about whether to build a drama theatre. Just over forty per cent of the respondents were in favour, but a largish minority were strongly against it, claiming that it is elitist and a waste of funds.

IELTS Listening and Writing: spelling

Spelling mistakes can affect your score in the listening and writing tests. If you have a problem with spelling, here are some tips:

1. Type your essays: your computer will find your spelling mistakes.
2. When writing by hand, use a dictionary to check difficult words.
3. Keep a list: write down any mistakes your computer/teacher finds.
4. Memorise: learn difficult words by heart.
5. Test yourself on words you previously spelt wrongly.
6. Never give your teacher an essay that you haven't checked.

If you find that spelling is a big problem, you should work on it every day. Keep a notebook or put posters on your walls. If you do nothing, you will not improve; there is no secret rule that will suddenly solve the problem!

IELTS Listening: another TED video

Here's another interesting video from the TED website. I haven't made an exercise for this one, but I'd like to suggest that you watch the talk 3 times:

1. Watch it once without subtitles - just enjoy the presentation.
2. Then watch it with subtitles so that you understand it fully.
3. Finally, watch again and write and new words or phrases in your notebook.

IELTS Listening: multiple choice

Listen to the following short talk about cave paintings.

Click here to listen

1. In which continent are the cave paintings that the speaker is describing?

A) Africa
B) Europe
C) Asia

2. How were the painted caves discovered?

A) By children
B) By artists
C) By tourists

3. How can visitors experience the cave paintings nowadays?

A) They can’t see any paintings because the caves are closed
B) They can go on a tour of the original cave
C) They can visit a reproduction of the original cave

IELTS Listening: keep a spelling list

Many of my students have problems with spelling. Simple spelling mistakes can lose you marks in the IELTS listening test, even if you have the right answer.

My advice is to keep a spelling list - a list of words that you have difficulty with. Forget about spelling rules; just learn the words by heart.

Are you sure you can spell the following words correctly?

1. quite and quiet
2. address
3. questionnaire
4. career
5. necessary
6. choose and choice
7. business
8. government
9. environment

IELTS Listening: synonyms

In the listening test, synonyms or similar words are often the key to getting the answer. Try the following multiple choice questions from Cambridge IELTS 7.

Click here to listen

1. The original buildings on the site were

A) houses
B) industrial buildings
C) shops

2. The local residents wanted to use the site for

A) leisure
B) apartment blocks
C) a sports centre

Note:
Which synonyms or similar words did you hear?

IELTS Listening: multiple choice

Watch the short video and answer the multiple choice questions below.

1. What is the speaker interested in?

A) only physics
B) many things, but not physics
C) physics and language groupings, among other things
D) long-distance relationships

2. How old does he think modern language is?

A) 20 to 25 thousand years old
B) not as old as cave paintings
C) as old as cave sculptures
D) at least 35 thousand years old

IELTS Listening: 'money' topic

I'd like to use the following video to get you thinking about the 'money' topic for writing task 2. We'll look at a task 2 question for this topic tomorrow.

If you can't see the video, listen to the recording below.

Click here to listen

Questions:
Can you summarise the speaker's views? To what extent do you agree with him?

IELTS Listening: population in Australia

Listen to the recording and answer the questions below.

Click here to listen

1. Which three things are affected by population growth?

A) environment, housing and architecture
B) jobs, housing and infrastructure
C) jobs, transport and culture

2. What happens every 3 minutes in Australia?

A) one person dies
B) one person is born
C) one person leaves the country

3. What proportion of Australians were born abroad?

4. From which two countries do most immigrants come?

IELTS Listening: CCTV debate

Watch the following news broadcast about CCTV (closed-circuit television). Do you think that having video cameras in public places is a good idea?

If you can't see the video, listen to the recording below.

Click here to listen

Here are some of the points that were mentioned in the film. Try to organise them into arguments for and arguments against CCTV.

- invades privacy
- safety of the community
- invading every part of your life
- prosecutions with CCTV evidence
- crime prevention
- financial and privacy costs
- intrusion
- feel safer
- protection
- an excuse to have fewer police officers

IELTS Listening: matching

Listen to the following information about the facilities provided by a holiday company called PS Camping (Cambridge IELTS 7, page 13).

Click here to listen

What does the speaker say about the following items? Write the correct letter, A, B or C next to questions 1-4.

A. They are provided in all tents.
B. They are found in central areas of the campsite.
C. They are available on request.

1. barbecues
2. toys
3. cool boxes
4. mops and buckets

IELTS Listening: my advice

Here is my list of advice and techniques for IELTS listening:

1. Concentrate - it's really easy to miss the answers if you lose concentration, even for a moment.
2. Read ahead - it's more important to be ready for the next section than to check the questions you have already done (check them at the end when you have 10 minutes to transfer your answers).
3. Highlight key words - when reading ahead, it's a good idea to underline words that you think you will need to listen for.
4. Have the next question in mind - when you're listening for the answer to a question, be ready for the next question as well. It's easy to miss several answers if all of your focus is on one question.
5. Expect 'tricks' - the speaker may try to confuse you - click here for an example.
6. Spelling - as well as testing your understanding and vocabulary, IELTS Listening is also a spelling test. You must work on your spelling if this is a weakness.
7. Difficult questions - don't worry if some questions seem really difficult. The exam needs to have questions that separate band 8 from band 9. If you are worrying too much, you might miss the easier questions that could get you a band 7.

IELTS Listening: fill the gaps

Watch the video or listen to the recording below it.

Click here to listen

Listen to the first speaker and fill the gaps in the following text.

The plane has been developed by lots of people ______ the years, but the Wright brothers certainly made it work and made it ______. Planes existed before, people had made aeroplanes fly before, but I always have a huge ______ for the inventor who really makes it work; Henry Ford I have the same admiration for because he made a car ______, and made it ______, and made it work. So the Wright brothers for me are probably the most - should be the most - ______ people when it comes to aeroplanes.

IELTS Listening: gap-fill

Listen to the recording and fill the gaps in the summary below.

Click here to listen

How to save money and stop spending

It's impossible to stop spending completely, but you can stop ______ spending, or ______ it. You really need to set up a ______; just take a look at how much money you bring home in your ______, and write down everything you spend on a piece of paper. The aim is to get a ______ on how much money you are bringing in and where it is going. Whether you use plastic or ______, record what you bought, where you bought it, and how much you ______. At the end of the month it's a real ______. You'll see a whole lot of ______ you can do.

IELTS Listening: tricks!

In the IELTS listening test you need to be really careful; the IELTS people will try to trick you!

Sometimes more than one possible answer is mentioned, or the speaker gives an answer and then changes it. Look at these questions (from Cambridge IELTS 5) then listen to the recording.

1. Cost to join per year (without current student card): £ ....................
2. Number of items allowed (members of public): ....................
3. Creative Writing class: Held on .................... evenings

click here to listen

Can you hear the tricks? What are the correct answers?

IELTS Listening: New Year's Resolutions

A listening exercise for the new year. Have a great 2013!

Here's a recording in case you can't see the video:

Click here to listen

Fill the gaps in the following summary.

The speaker ______ the lives of 5000 people as they attempted to achieve their New Year's resolutions. 10% of the people were successful, and they all followed five simple ______. First, they broke their goal into a ______ of smaller steps. Second, they told friends and family what they were trying to achieve. Third, they regularly ______ themselves about the benefits of obtaining their goal. Fourth, they gave themselves a small ______ each time they obtained one of their small steps. Finally, they ______ ______ their progress, so they knew exactly where they were.

IELTS Listening: 'home' topic

Watch the following interesting video and answer the questions below.

1. How many people live in Hong Kong?
2. What commodity is lacking in Hong Kong?
3. What nickname does the owner use for his home?
4. How many different room combinations can he make?
5. What two advantages do the mirrors have?

IELTS Listening: try these techniques

Here are 4 techniques that you could experiment with when practising IELTS listening tests from the Cambridge books:

1. Work on specific sections rather than doing full tests. For example, you could focus on section 1 this week, then do lots of examples of section 2 next week.
2. Do a full test, but allow yourself to listen two or three times. See how many extra answers you get the second or third time you listen to the recording.
3. Do a full test, but give yourself as much time as you want during the breaks (by stopping the recording). This takes away the problem of not having time to read the questions properly, and allows you to focus more on your listening skills.
4. Change the listening test into a reading test. Instead of listening to the recording, use the transcript at the back of the book. Did you get a higher score than usual? If you did, your listening skills need more work. If you didn't, maybe your problem is related to vocabulary.

The suggestions above might help you to find where your weaknesses are. They might also make exam practice a bit more interesting!

IELTS Listening: how to use the breaks

On Saturday I said that my main piece of advice for the listening test is to use the breaks well. There are breaks between the four sections of the listening test, and there are breaks in the middle of sections 1, 2 and 3 (there is no break in the middle of section 4). You will hear instructions like this:

1. First you have some time to read questions 1 to 5.
2. That is the end of section 1. You now have half a minute to check your answers.

1. 'Some time' means about 20 seconds, or up to 40 seconds before section 4. It's important to use this time to read the questions, make sure you understand them, and think about what kind of answer is needed (e.g. number, name, noun, verb, singular, plural).

2. Ignore this instruction - don't check a section that you have just finished. It's much more important to be ready for the next section. If you're not ready when the recording starts, you will find it very difficult to read the questions and listen to the answers at the same time. So use this time to read ahead.

IELTS Listening: 'video games' topic

Listen to the following talk about the effect of video games, then fill the gaps in the summary below.

Click here to listen

Video games are arguably the best technologically-based teaching ______. When playing a video game, you are an active player who drives the ______ and makes decisions that change the ______ of what is going on. Psychologists would say that you are learning behavioural ______.

Video games are ______ driven. The medium itself is ______; we give the valence of good or bad or ______ to it. Unfortunately, the most popular video games are the ones that reward you for doing ______ against others.

IELTS Listening: 'vegetarianism' topic

Do you have an opinion about vegetarianism? Could you write an essay about the arguments for and against a vegetarian diet? Today's video will give you some ideas.

Fill the gaps in the following summary.

The speaker states that eating a hamburger every day can ______ the ______ of dying by a third, and that the meat we eat comes from animals raised in ______ ______ ______. He argues that meat production causes more ______ than ______, and beef production uses ______ ______ the water that it takes to produce most vegetables.

IELTS Listening: gap-fill

Watch the presentation below, and fill the gaps in the following short summary of the first 2 minutes.

Aristotle called happiness the ______ ______, the end towards which all other things aim. The reason we want a big house, a nice car or a good job isn’t that these things are intrinsically ______, it’s that we expect them to bring us happiness. The paradox of happiness is that even though the ______ conditions in our lives have improved ______, we haven’t actually gotten any happier. In the last few years there’s been an ______ in research on happiness; we’ve learnt how things like income, education, ______ and ______ relate to it.

IELTS Listening: similar words

In yesterday's lesson I wrote about 'similar words' in the reading test. It's the same in the listening test: first read the question, then listen for words with a similar meaning. As an example, try answering the following questions by reading the transcript below.

1. The course takes place on

A) Monday, Wednesday and Friday
B) Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
C) Monday, Thursday and Friday

2. Which argument was used against having a drama theatre?

A) It would be expensive and no students would use it
B) It would be a poor use of resources and only a minority would use it
C) It could not accommodate large productions of plays

Transcript from listening test:

The course is on three consecutive mornings starting on a Monday.

A largish minority were strongly against the drama theatre, claiming that it is elitist and a waste of funds.

(Cambridge IELTS 4, test 3)

IELTS Listening: section 4

Section 4 of the IELTS listening test is the most difficult part for several reasons: there is no break in the middle, you hear only one speaker, and the vocabulary is more advanced.

Listen to the lecture and fill the gaps in the summary below.

Click here to listen

Both anthropologists and archaeologists study the way people live together. Anthropologists study humans’ physical, social and ______ development, and they ______ research by going to locations to ask questions and make ______.

Archaeologists study past societies through their material ______. They recover and examine evidence such as ruins, ______ and pottery in order to understand the history, customs and living ______ of earlier ______.

These scientists also examine aspects of living societies such as ______ differences, physical ______, music or religion. Their field is the wide ______ of human social experience.

IELTS Listening: great website

I've just watched a few videos on the RSA Animate website (there's an example below). I think these videos are a fantastic resource for English learners. If you can't watch the YouTube version, go to the RSA link above and choose the download option.

IELTS Listening: spelling and capitals

People often ask me about spelling and capital letters. Here's my advice:

1. Correct spelling is very important. I know students who have lost up to 10 points in their IELTS listening tests because of spelling mistakes.
2. Capital letters, on the other hand, are not important. You can write all of your answers in capitals or in lower case - it won't affect your score.
3. Plurals are very important. e.g. If the question asks you to fill the gap "There are many ______", the answer could be "reasons" but not "reason".

Note: I don't recommend learning spelling rules. It's better to keep a list of your mistakes, and learn correct spellings by heart.