Listening and Speaking: Oral and Aural Skills
What this domain tests
Listening tasks check gist, specific detail (numbers, names, times, prices), instructions, and speaker attitude. Speaking tasks check clarity, pronunciation, stress and intonation, organisation of a talk, and interactive skills such as turn-taking and polite disagreement.
Listening strategy
- Read or preview the questions first, so you know which details to catch.
- Listen for signposts: 'first', 'however', 'on the other hand', 'in fact', 'what I mean is'.
- Take notes in abbreviations and symbols, not full sentences; writing during the first listening makes you miss the next point.
- Use a second listening to confirm figures and corrections, because speakers often revise themselves ('Thursday - no, Friday').
Speaking strategy
Structure a talk: greet, state your topic, signpost two or three points with examples, then conclude. In discussion, use turn-taking language ('Could I come in here?'), clarification ('Do you mean...?') and polite disagreement ('I see your point, but...').
Worked example
A: 'So you'll be joining us for the trip on Friday?' B: 'Friday? I thought it was Thursday. Well... I suppose I could rearrange things.'
Question: What does B's reply suggest about her attitude?
Reasoning: the repeated question word with rising intonation signals surprise and correction of a wrong assumption; 'I suppose I could' is hedged, reluctant agreement, not enthusiasm. Best answer: B is surprised about the day and agrees unwillingly. A weak answer, 'B is happy to go', ignores both intonation and hedging.
Pronunciation points that are marked
- Word stress shifts with word family: PHOtograph, phoTOgrapher, photoGRAPHic.
- Contrast sounds that change meaning: ship/sheep, full/fool, thin/tin, sheep/cheap.
- Final consonants and -ed endings must be audible; mumbling loses clarity marks.
Traps that cost marks
- Writing full sentences while the recording plays.
- Ignoring the speaker's self-correction.
- Answering a question about attitude with your own opinion.
- Reading a memorised speech in a monotone and failing to respond to questions.