Listening you can actually do
Introduced| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| selection/sɪˈlekʃn/ | Choosing the information, ideas or examples most relevant to a purpose and leaving others out. |
| listening for gist/ˈlɪsənɪŋ fɔː dʒɪst/ | listening for gist |
| predicting/prɪˈdɪktɪŋ/ | predicting |
| context clues/ˈkɒntekst kluːz/ | Information in nearby words or sentences that helps a reader infer an unfamiliar word's meaning. |
Choose what the question needs
- Selection 取舍 means choosing important information, not deciding to ignore meaning. A question about the main message needs a different focus from a question about a bus time.
- You may miss words during continuous speech. Mark uncertainty and keep following the message; if the missing detail is essential, check it when a pause or replay is available.
Gist is more than a topic label
- Listening for gist 泛听 asks what the message mainly says. “A museum visit” is a topic; “the visit continues but the entrance changes” is a useful gist.
- Listening for detail asks for a particular fact. Decide which task you have before making notes, and return to the surrounding sentence to check a number’s role.
You have one listening and a question asking what the talk is mainly about. Which technique fits?
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A main-message question calls for gist: what the talk mainly says. Detail listening has a different target, such as one departure time.
Predict a possibility, not an answer
- Predicting 预测 uses the title or situation to prepare likely vocabulary. Airport delays may involve a gate, departure time or announcement; prediction is preparation rather than proof.
- Check every predicted answer against what you hear. A title saying “Changes to the visit” does not establish that the entire trip is cancelled.
Put these in the order that gets the most out of one listening.
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Read the task and prepare a focus before playback, follow the message while recording relevant details, then use the permitted follow-up to check gaps. Prediction does not establish an answer.
A talk is announced as being about airport delays. Which words are worth loading in advance? Choose all that apply.
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Prepare likely vocabulary related to airport delays. Then verify the actual message; a likely topic word is not a confirmed answer.
Use surrounding evidence
- Context clues 上下文线索 include explanations, contrasts and consequences. In “The train was cancelled, so we took the bus instead”, the alternative transport supports “the train did not run”.
- A clue can narrow a meaning without explaining every unfamiliar word. If more than one interpretation remains possible, keep the uncertainty and seek another clue or clarification.
Recover without losing the next point
- Use a short question mark in your notes for a missed word and continue. A later explanation may help, but it is not guaranteed to repeat the missing information.
- Avoid turning each spoken sentence into a long translation while new speech continues. After the talk, use the permitted transcript, replay or speaker check to repair important gaps.
"The train was cancelled, so we took the bus instead and arrived two hours late." What does cancelled mean here?
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The bus was used instead of the train, which supports the meaning that the train did not run. Use the stated consequence rather than inventing another definition.
You should stop following a continuous talk whenever you miss a word, until you have translated that word.
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Stopping on each unknown word can lose later information. Mark the uncertainty, continue following the message and check important gaps at an appropriate pause or permitted replay.
Write one English sentence saying what you will do next time you miss a word while listening.
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Example: “I will mark the gap and keep following the message, then check an important missing detail afterwards.” A later sentence may help, but it need not repeat the lost word.
Prepare a focus, then verify predictions against the message. Context can help, but missing information may still require a later check.
Title: “Changes to Saturday’s visit”. Message: “The visit is still going ahead, but use the hill entrance.” A cancellation prediction is contradicted by the message.