Listening Comprehension: Dialogues and Monologues
What the section asks
Shiga’s listening questions typically include short exchanges, longer dialogues, and a monologue. You must catch times, places, prices, reasons, and the speaker’s next action, and choose a response that fits the situation. The Japanese instructions and answer choices mean you can predict the answer type before the English starts.
Core moves
- Before each item, read the choices and note the contrast: 7:15 vs 7:50; by bus vs by bike.
- In dialogues, the second speaker often corrects the first; listen for “but,” “actually,” “not…but,” and “instead.”
- Keep a simple note grid: who / when / where / what.
- On the second listening, confirm only the line that decides the answer; do not rewrite everything.
- For “What will the woman do next?” focus on the final imperative or offer.
Worked example
Transcript: “Woman: You usually take the 8:15 bus, right? Man: Yes, but I missed it today, so I took the 8:30. I got to school at 8:50, ten minutes before class.” Question: What time did the man get to school? Reasoning: “usually” is background; “today” changes the bus to 8:30; the arrival time is stated directly as 8:50. “Ten minutes before class” confirms a 9:00 class start but is not the answer.
Traps
Answering with the habitual time; hearing “missed” as “took”; confusing departure and arrival; ignoring a negative (“I didn’t buy the ticket”); choosing a polite response that does not match the function (invitation vs request).