Listening / Oral Comprehension
Listening (oral comprehension) is included in some Basque PAU English models, typically as a short monologue or dialogue played twice, followed by multiple-choice or short-answer questions. It tests main idea, specific details, inference, and the speaker's attitude. Even if your year does not include listening, the skills overlap with reading and speaking.
Core rules
- Preview the questions before the audio starts. Underline key words (numbers, names, places, verbs) and predict the vocabulary you expect to hear.
- First listen for gist: identify the topic, the speakers, and their relationship. Do not try to write everything.
- Second listen for details: answer the questions, using abbreviations and symbols in your notes.
- Listen for signpost words: 'however', 'actually', 'in fact', 'but', 'although' often introduce the correct answer or a contrast.
- Beware of distractors: the audio may mention an option (e.g., 'train') but then say it was cancelled or not used. The correct answer is what actually happened.
- Check numbers and spelling: 'thirteen' vs 'thirty', 'can' vs 'can't', dates, times.
Worked example
Transcript: 'I was going to take the train, but the strike meant I had to drive, which actually took less time.' Question: How did the speaker travel? A) By train B) By car C) By bus Reasoning: The speaker says 'I was going to take the train' but 'the strike meant I had to drive'. The phrase 'had to drive' confirms the actual means of transport was car. 'Train' is a distractor because it is mentioned but not used. 'Bus' is not mentioned. Answer: B.
Traps that cost marks
- Writing full sentences while listening and missing the next piece of information.
- Assuming an answer because a word appears, without checking the whole sentence.
- Missing negation ('not', 'never', 'hardly') or modals that change certainty ('might', 'probably').
- Confusing similar-sounding words (e.g., 'desert' vs 'dessert', 'live' vs 'leave').
- Not transferring answers to the answer sheet correctly (if required).