How to make IELTS Listening easier for your students

[UsingEnglish]

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[Edward B]

In my most humble of opinions, listening (and reading) comprehension starts and ends with vocabulary.
The rest is practical experience.

I have made lessons for all levels that offer example questions and plays actual snips from Cambridge tests.
Then we go though every question so the kids understand what they are listening for, and to use the clues in the questions.
That gets harder at B1, but the same rules apply.

 

[Alex Case]

It'll be a while before it is up, but you have inspired me to write an article called "20 things that are more useful than just another IELTS Listening practice test"

 

[Edward B]

Another method suggests starting with the correct answers already on the question sheet, and then listening to the recording or reading the transcript to understand why those answers are correct.

I use this method and have found it useful. However, it must be followed up with a practice test with one or two questions from each section. As I use Cambridge, I download sample tests from the official site, chop up the audio, then display the appropriate questions on screen - it saves a lot of printing if they just use a scrap piece of paper or their notebook to answer on.
I ask the class to tell me their answer after each section, but I believe it's important to show the correct answers on the next slide. That allows the weaker and/or shy students to check without peer pressure or fear of ridicule.