ePrepz has a few posts about different aspects of IELTS test. If you are facing a specific IELTS challenge, I highly recommend you browse our IELTS tips section. This post will focus on how to improve your IELTS listening skills.
Learn how to interpret tones and sentence transition. The tone of the voice can determine a lot on what the speaker is trying to share. Be aware of the attitude of the speaker or the people in the conversation.
Focus on improving your comprehension of different sounds in English. For example, listen to a song and really focus on trying to hear the lyrics. A good exercise is to try writing down the lyrics of the song while it’s playing and then comparing it with the actual lyrics. This also works well with speeches if you’re able to listen to the transcript while writing down the speech. Check out tedtalk to listen to speeches and lectures in English.
If you continue to practice these exercises you will notice a difference when listening to someone speak in English. Everything will sound clearer and also make sense.
These exercises will also improve your ability to take notes and keep pace with what you hear. When taking the IELTS listening test half the battle is to keep up with the speed of the recording. A useful tip is to always make sure you read the question before you start listening, remember you only get to hear the recording once.
There might be occasions when you don't know the meaning of the some keywords you are listening to. You always can try to figure it out by looking at what else the speaker says, meaning the context surrounding the word.
Make sure you are aware of how much time you spend on each question, click here to learn more about the IELTS listening format.