Listening is one of the most important sections of the IELTS exam.. How to succeed in it?

Is there a listening section in the IELTS test, and what is it like?

Yes, the IELTS test includes measuring listening skills, as it is one of the four basic skills. It is the first part of the test and takes about 30 minutes. We will learn what listening consists of in the IELTS test in this article.

IELTS Listening Section

The IELTS Listening section is designed to test your ability to understand spoken English. The section is divided into four recordings of a mixture of monologues and dialogues, taken from books, magazines, newspapers, notices, advertisements, company brochures and public announcements.

Each part contains a number of questions. The student will be given a question booklet with an answer sheet to answer and write what he hears.

You will listen to four recordings of native English speakers and then write your answers to a series of questions, up to 40 questions in the Listening section. The test takes 30 minutes (plus 10 minutes of transfer time). The questions will gradually increase in difficulty as you progress through the section.

Question types vary, but the aim is always to test your ability to understand main ideas, detailed factual information, attitudes and opinions.

Here are some tips to help you prepare for the listening test .

• Lots of practice listening to many different accents of English to get used to it and quickly understand the different ways of speaking and speed of speech.
• Listen to lectures, programmes and any recordings of conversations and try to get to the point of the topic and the overall idea.
• Record and write down what you understand when you hear any conversation, and take any notes to help understand the topic.
• Practice having a conversation with someone, listening carefully to what they say, and following along.
• Get sample listening sections for more than one passage and practice them.

What is the best way to practice listening in the IELTS test?

The IELTS test is a difficult test for many reasons, but one of the most difficult aspects is the Listening section.

In order to perform well on this part of the test, you need to be able to listen for main ideas, details and conclusions. Some of the best ways to practice listening are:

1. Make sure you have a good understanding of the conversation or recording. Before you start listening, make sure you know what you are supposed to listen to. This will help you focus on the right things while listening.
2. Don't try to write down everything you hear. It's important to focus on understanding what is being said rather than trying to write down every word, because if you miss a few words here and there, it won't affect your understanding of the overall meaning.
3. Try to anticipate what will be said next , when you listen think about what might happen, this helps you understand the whole idea and speed up your response.

How do you answer the map questions in the listening test?

The map questions in the Listening test can be quite difficult, but with a little practice, you can definitely master them.

The key is to pay attention to detail and be able to identify different features on the map with some tips:

• Read the question carefully before you start listening, this will help you know what you are listening to.
• Listen for specific information. Map questions usually ask you about specific places or roads on a map.
• Record any names, numbers, or other details mentioned, often these are clues that will help you answer the question.
• If you are unsure of an answer, try eliminating any obviously wrong answers first. This can help narrow down your choices and make it easier to choose the correct answer.

Whendeveloping your listening skills for the IELTS test, there are the most important words in the listening section that you must be careful to hear correctly, which are:

• Vocabulary: Words such as (noun - verb - adjective - adverb) that describe parts of speech.
• Grammar: Words such as (tense - mood - voice) that describe the grammatical functions of words in a sentence.
• Pronunciation: Words like accent, intonation, rhythm that describe the way English sounds are pronounced.

Is IELTS Listening Practice Test available?

This listening practice test is designed to help you improve your listening skills and get the highest score on the test.

The British Council and IDP IELTS websites provide a set of model tests for all sections of the IELTS test to practice the exam format. You can also obtain trial models for the listening section from the leading educational platform, Al-Madrasa.com, which offers complete courses for the IELTS test. These courses are characterised by the following:

• Courses covering all sections of the test: listening, reading, speaking and writing.
• School.com courses focus on the practical side of skills.
• Many assessments are done to find out the weaknesses and work on them.
• The courses on the platform are characterised by flexibility in determining the time allocated for the lesson to suit the student.
• There are more than one specialized teacher available at Al-Madrasa.com, whether Arab or foreign .
• There are many exercises in the listening section, from long conversations or recordings and discussing them to reach an advanced level.
• The platform also cares about working on experimental models for each section according to the time allocated to it, simulating the real test.