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
- Avoid distractors
- The answers are in the synonyms, so build your vocabulary
Listening Section 3 is usually a dialogue, with 2 people 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.
Things to notice:
- 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:
- Why you need to learn Modals of Deduction for the Listening Test.
- How to keep your place in Listening Part 4.
- How to do Multiple Choice Questions in Listening Part 4.
- How to deal with a difficult Listening Part 4.
- How to do a Gapfill Summary in Listening Part 4.
- How to choose from a list in Listening Part 2.
- How to complete a table in Listening Part 2.
- How to label a map in Listening Part 2.
- How to recognise distractors in Listening Part 4.
- Multiple Choice and Tables in Part 4.
- How to review IELTS vocab topics through Listening Part 4.
I have a full 28-Day Listening Course with Mock Tests in the Members Academy.
