80 Days to Conquer IELTS Listening (Revised Edition)

Author: Jiang Tao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: For many IELTS test-takers, listening has always been a major challenge. This is due to two key characteristics of the IELTS listening test: , it requires test-takers to fill in what they hear. Unlike traditional listening tests, the IELTS listening test not only assesses whether you understand what you hear but also whether you can write it down correctly. Many test-takers fail here, often losing points due to spelling mistakes. The second characteristic is that the listening material consists of long passages, not short conversations. Most non-native English learners experience a lag in processing listening information, meaning they may feel they understand but struggle to grasp the exact meaning in the short term. If there were gaps between questions, this lag could be compensated for. Unfortunately, the IELTS listening test lacks the 10-12-second intervals found in the former halves of the CET-4/CET-6 and TOEFL exams, leaving test-takers overwhelmed by the rapid flow of information.
To address these two characteristics, test-takers should focus on developing two key skills during preparation:
· Strong dictation skills. For common, frequently heard, and widely used words, it’s not enough to know how to read and listen to them—you must also know how to write them!
· Resilience. For long listening passages, in addition to understanding and keeping up with the content and being proficient in taking listening notes, test-takers must also learn to conserve energy and predict what information will be heard and what key details will appear in the questions, i.e., their predictive ability.
As the philosopher Xunzi said, “Without accumulating small steps, one cannot reach a thousand miles.” This book is divided into three stages: starting with cultivating sensitivity to numbers and locations, gradually connecting the dots to form lines and then planes, and finally meeting the IELTS listening requirements. When doing the exercises in this book, test-takers should pay attention to or avoid the following points:
1. Daily dictation exercises should not be skipped. The filled-in content should be a key focus for memory.
2. Listening short stories interspersed throughout the book should not be ignored. These stories are Chinese retellings of actual listening test questions from past exams, commonly referred to as “test leaks.” The English words in parentheses are often the answers to be filled in. As a supplementary part of listening skill development, this section provides valuable insights into real test questions for many test-takers.
3. If test-takers have a strong foundation in listening, they can do two days’ worth of exercises in one day during the first 50 days, but they should not skip any days.
4. Daily practice sessions are short, and remember—when it comes to English, it’s better to have small, frequent meals.
In short, maintaining a relaxed and progressive mindset is crucial.