IELTS Listening Section 3
- is usually a dialogue
- has 2 or more people discussing an Academic subject
- is often a student talking to another student or tutor
- is sometimes an expert being interviewed on an academic subject
The same tips apply to all parts of the Listening Test:
- Read the title, if there is one
- Skim the questions
- Guess the gaps before you listen
- Pay attention to spelling, especially plurals
- Watch out for distractors
- The answers are in the synonyms, so build your vocabulary
In the dialogue, 2 people are often trying to agree on something e.g.
- how to prepare their project or presentation,
- how to improve the resource centre
- how to write their dissertation
- how to choose the best course
So there are very clear signals and signposts that you can train yourself to recognise.
10 signals and signposts that lead you to the answer:
- Emphasis
- Ordering and numbering
- Fillers
- Questions
- ‘That’s good, but…’
- Negative tones
- End of sentences
- Suggestions
- New points
- Rhetorical questions
For more details on all of these points, please click here to see my lesson:
How to recognise signals and signposts in IELTS Listening Section 3.
IELTS Listening Section 3: 2 students
An example of 2 students discussion a project can be found here:
- Thor Heyerdahl (get lots of tips about distractors)
IELTS Listening Section 3: Expert Interviews
Occasionally there is an interview with an expert in Listening Section 3.
You can find examples here:
- Honeybees in Australia (practice with an Australian accent)
Listening Tips: Section 4
Get more listening practice with other sections here:
- How to keep your place in Listening Part 4.
- How to recognise distractors in Listening Part 4.
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