Listening Comprehension: Dialogs, Monologues, and Speaker Attitude
What this domain tests
Listening Comprehension checks understanding of spoken dialogs and monologues. Questions target gist, specific detail, inference, speaker attitude, and functional language. The audio may be played once or twice, so preparation and focused note-taking matter.
Core rules
- Preview: read the question and options first when permitted. Predict the situation and likely vocabulary.
- Signposts: listen for however, actually, the main reason, in contrast. These words often introduce the answer.
- Corrections: speakers often revise information: not Tuesday, Wednesday or I meant two-thirty. The correction is usually the answer.
- Note-taking: use abbreviations and arrows; record key nouns, verbs, numbers, and times, not full sentences.
- Inference and attitude: notice stress, hedges (I'm not sure, it might be better to), and indirect refusals.
- Monologues: identify the introduction, supporting examples, and conclusion; examples usually support one main point.
Worked example
Dialog: Weren't we supposed to meet at the library at three? - Oh, did I say three? I meant two-thirty, but I'm running late. Question: When will they meet? Reasoning: I meant two-thirty corrects the earlier three. Running late suggests a possible delay but does not replace the stated time. The answer is 2:30, not 3:00.
Traps
Choosing the first number or name mentioned; missing a self-correction; confusing one speaker's opinion with the other's; over-interpreting a single word instead of the whole exchange.