STRATEGY TO ANSWER TOEFL “Listening Comprehension”

What is the TOEFL Test?

The TOEFL test measures the ability of non-native English speakers to use and understand English as it’s read, written, heard and spoken in the university classroom.

There are four parts tested in the TOEFL Test:

1. Listening Comprehension

2. Structure and Written Expression

3. Reading Comprehension

4. Test Of English Written (TWE)

In this time I will review about the listening comprehension. The listening section is the second part of the TOEFL. Students will listen to a both academic lectures at a university level and conversations between professors and students.  They will be required to answer questions following. The listening section of the TOEFL internet-based test (iBT) includes 4-6 academic lecture excerpts (each 3-5 minutes in length) and 2-3 conversations on a variety of general topics relevant to university life (approximately 3 minutes each). Students answer six questions per lecture and five questions per conversation, and total section timing ranges from 60 to 90 minutes. Listening section exercises are delivered by audio recording, and pictures on the computer screen indicate both the context of the exercise and the number of speakers. Listening section scaled scores are from 0 to 30.

TOEFL Listening Purposes

· To obtain basic comprehension, such as understanding the main idea, key points, structure, purpose, conclusion, important facts and relevant details

·   To learn from listening, such as understanding various relationships between ideas (e.g., compare-and-contrast, cause-and-effect, agree-disagree, or steps in a process) and tracing the development of ideas or events throughout the recordings. Note any digression during the talk and any side comments.

·   To make inferences about author’s opinion and what is implied in a recording

Types of TOEFL Listening Questions

1. Short Dialogues (PART A)

Short dialogs are the first part of the listening section. This section consists of two lines of conversation along with a question read by two men and women native people (vice versa). In this section you have to listen to the recorded conversations and the questions then answer the 4 answer choices on the question sheet. This section consists of 30 dialogues and 30 questions. So, the Short Dialogues, also called PART A, have 30 questions that you must answer correctly.

2. Long Conversations (PART B)

Long Conversation is a conversation between two native people around 60-90 minutes about topics related to students or students. In this section you will listen to 2-3 conversations that each conversation has 2-3 questions. So, PART B has 7-9 questions that you have to do.

3. Talks (PART C)

Talks are different from Long Conversation. Talks is a conversation by a lecturer/teacher about 60-90 

seconds on the topic of academic material. In this section you have to listen to 3 talks, each of which 

has 3-4 questions. So, in the Talks section you have to answer 11-13 questions that you have to do.

Strategy and Example

Here are some strategies for answering TOEFL listening tests:

General Strategy

1.      Understand the command forms (Direction of each part (part) well before the day of H).

2.      Read the answer choices for each question when the narrator is reading direction and an 

example question (Direction has been read before the day of H).

3.      Listen to full concentration and focus your attention on the conversation you are listening to.

4.      Maximize listeing's capabilities on the first questions of each part.

Special Strategy

PART A: Short Conversation

5.      Focus on listening to the second speaker.

6.      Don't panic if you don't understand word for word in a compliant conversation, only need to 

capture the ideas and contents of the conversation.

7.      If you cannot understand what the second speaker said, choose the most different answer 

than you heard.

8.      Understand functional expression forms (agreement, suggestion, suprice, etc.), idiomatic 

expressions and situations when the conversation is done.

PART B: Longer Conversation

9.      When the narrator talks about the direction of par B you should read the answer choices at 

a glance then record them and estimate what themes will be discussed.

10.  When listening to the conversation, you must know the theme / topic discussed.

11.  Beware of each question.

12.  Pay attention to the conditions and situations that occur during the conversation 

that are related to the place and time of discussion, what and who is discussed.

PART C: TALK

13.  If you have a lot of time, look at the answer choices listed on the question sheet and 

find the keywords.

14.  Be aware of the conversation in the first sentences because it is usually a topic 

for the following sentences.

15.  Focus listening on things related to 5W+1H questions (What, Why, Who, When, 

Where, and How).

16.  Make a conclusion on the situation that occurred when the conversation was held.

PART A

Directions

In Part A, you will hear short conversations between two speakers. At the end of each conversation, a third voice will ask a question about what was said. The question will be spoken just one time. After you hear a conversation and the question about it, read the four possible answers and decide which one would be the best answer to the question you have heard. Then, on your answer sheet, find the number of the problem and mark your answer.

Man       : Can  you  tell me if today’s matinee is comedy, romance, or western

Women : I have no idea

Narrator : What does the women mean

(A) She has strong ideas about movies

(B)  She prefers comedy over westerns and  romances

(C)  She doesn’t like today’s  matinee

(D) She does not know

Keyword: I have no idea, which means the speaker doesn't have any ideas

(Woman)  : I just got this letter from my sister

(Man)       : So the mail has come already.

(Narrator) : What had the woman assumed?

(A) The man’s sister never wrote to him

(B)  The mail had not yet arrived

(C)  The mail always came early

(D) The mail had already arrived

(Man)       : Why is Bill not at work this week?

(Woman)  : His doctor made him take a week off.

(Narrator) : What does the woman mean?

(A) The doctor decided to take some time off from work

(B)  The doctor told Bill he wasn’t too weak to work

(C)  Bill was made when the doctor took some time off

(D) Bill took a vacation on his doctor’s orders

Discussion: “His books were never in the top ten, but I like his style” the man stated that the author's books were never in the top ten, but he liked them, which meant that the man appreciated the author's writing.

PART B

(narrator)    Questions 4 through 7. Listen to a conversation about a trip.

(man)          Are you ready for "The Big Apple"?

(woman)     Excuse me?

(man)          You know, New York City. You are going to New York with us, aren't you? I wanted to show everybody around my old neighborhood.

(woman)     Oh...sure! I wouldn't miss it especially when the tour guide is a native New Yorker.

(man)          I thought we could start at the Museum of Modern Art. Right now there's an exhibit on twentieth-century American painters.

(woman)     Fine with me...but what were you saying about...a big apple?

(man)          "The Big Apple." It's a nickname for New York. I think I heard once that it started with jazz musicians in the 20's.

(woman)     Oh.

(man)          Whenever they played a concert in a city, they called that city an "apple." In those days, New York was the biggest city in the country, so they called it "The Big Apple."

(woman)     Hey, I have an idea! Let's go to a jazz club while we're there.

(man)          Sounds good.

Questions :

4. You will hear: 

(narrator)         What is the man planning to see?

You will read:            

A. An art exhibit. (the answer’s stated on line 6)

            B. A Broadway play.

            C. A modern dance production.

            D. An opera.

5. You will hear: 

(narrator)         What can be inferred about the man?

You will read:            

A. He is a jazz musician.

            B. He wants to join the woman's club.

            C. He is in his twenties.

            D. He was born in New York. (the answer’s stated on line 3)

6. You will hear: 

(narrator)         What does the word "Apple" in the phrase "The Big Apple" refer to?

You will read:            

A. An instrument.

            B. A city. (the answer’s stated on line 12)

            C. A theater.

            D. A concert.

7. You will hear: 

(narrator)         Who gave New York its nickname?

You will read:            

A. Painters.

            B. Tour guides.

            C. Musicians. (the answer’s stated on line 9)

            D. Grocers.

PART C

Directions In Part C, you will hear several talks. After each talk, you will be asked some questions.  The talks and questions will be spoken just one time. They will not be written out for you,  so you will have to listen carefully in order to understand and remember what the  speaker says. When you hear a question, read the four possible answers in your test  book and decide which one would be the best answer to the question you have heard.  Then, on your answer sheet, find the number of the problem and fill in the space that  corresponds to the letter of the answer you have chosen.

Statement Script on Part C

The reason we’re meeting today is to introduce the plan for our new office layout. Starting next month, instead of cubicles, we will have an open office. There will be no cubicle walls or partitions. Instead, desks will be arranged in clusters for each department. The desks in each department will be facing each other in clusters of four or six. We feel this will facilitate better communication between workers in each departments. It will also create a more welcoming environment for clients.

The department managers will still have their own offices, but each will have large windows and glass doors, to make employees and clients feel welcome to come inside. We’re also going to paint the walls and put in new carpeting. The project will start on the first of next month and should take about three weeks to complete. We will be moving to the third floor during that period.

Question Script from Narrator

1.      What is the speaker mainly discussing ?

2.      What does the speaker say about the new layout?

3.      What is NOT true about plans for the office?

Choice of answers in your test book:

1.    A. An office renovation
B. Building construction
C. A marketing campaign
D. New carpeting

2.    A. The desks will be facing away from each other.
B. Department managers will sit in cubicles.
C. It will increase the number of sales to clients.
D. It will improve employee communication.

3.    A. The walls will be painted.
B. New carpeting will be installed.
C. Work will begin next year.
D. The work will take three weeks.

Answers to the above questions:

1.    Answer : (A) An office renovation

Keyword : our new office layout

Discussion : From the keywords above, you can know if the office will be renovated later.

2.      Answer : (D) It will improve employee communication.

Keyword : will facilitate better communication

Discussion : The phrase "better communication" on keywords has the same meaning as the phrase "improve communication"

3.      Answer : (C) Work will begin next year

Keyword : not true; start on the first of next month

Discussion : Because it starts in the next month which takes around three weeks, therefore the wrong or incorrect statement is that the work will begin next year.

Reference :

https://panduantoeflonline.wordpress.com/2016/04/20/bagian-dari-listening/

https://www.manhattanreview.com/toefl-listening/ 

https://www.toeflgoanywhere.org/what-is-toefl 

http://sariputraagnezz.blogspot.com/2014/03/strategi-menjawab-soal-listening-toefl.html 

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8mdskiSlphWVVVmM3ppM1duOW8/edit 

http://www.belajaringgris.net/contoh-soal-toefl-listening-12944.html