EIKEN Listening: Prediction and Note-Taking
EIKEN Listening checks whether you can follow natural spoken English and select the information a question asks for. At Grades 2 and 3 the section typically has 30 questions in about 25 minutes: short dialogues, longer dialogues, and monologues. At Pre-1 and Grade 1 the talks are longer and more abstract. Each item is heard once, so prediction and note-taking matter.
Before the audio starts
- Use the instruction time to read the answer choices. Underline the difference between them: times, places, people, actions.
- Predict the question type from the choices: numbers signal a calculation; places signal 'where'; verbs signal 'what will she do next'.
- In dialogues, expect the answer in the second speaker's turn; the first speaker often sets a trap.
Worked example
Script: Man: Are you taking the 7:15 train or the 7:45? Woman: I was going to take the 7:15, but the meeting was moved to nine, so I'll take the later one. Question: Which train will the woman take? Choices: A. 7:15 B. 7:45 C. 9:00 D. 9:15 Reasoning: 'The later one' contrasts with 7:15 and refers to 7:45. The meeting time of nine explains why she changed plans, but it is not the train time, so C is a distractor. Answer: B.
Note-taking that works
- Write numbers as digits and mark corrections with an arrow: 7:15 to 7:45.
- For monologues, write the first sentence and any signpost: 'first', 'however', 'the main reason'.
- Do not write full sentences; you cannot read them back in time.
Traps that cost marks
- Hearing a word from an option and choosing it without checking the question.
- Missing a negative: 'not', 'except', 'don't need to'.
- Confusing the speaker's first plan with the final decision; listen for 'but', 'actually', 'instead'.
- Leaving an answer blank; there is no penalty for guessing.
Monologues often begin with the topic and end with the speaker's purpose. If the question asks why the speaker is talking, the answer is usually near the end, introduced by 'so' or 'that's why'.