Listening Strategies TOEFL PBT/ITP: Avoid Similiar sound

Listening Strategies TOEFL PBT: Avoid similar sound

On the Listening Part A, You will hear conversations between two people. The conversation commonly talks about daily life. The TOEFL PBT or ITP test, The Listening Section tested firstly, and the first section is Listening Part A in which have thirty questions that must be answered by understanding all conversation. How if we don’t understand the conversation?

Most non-native English speakers have some problem with understanding the conversation, it’s because they are not familiar with the words used in the conversation, even they know the words, sometimes they are confuse to differentiate which one is the word because in English the words have the same and also different sounds. So, in these skills, I will share how to answer the questions on the Listening Part A by choosing the answers only by avoiding similar sounds.

Look at the example below:

Example

On the recording, you hear:

(Man) : Why couldn't Mark come with us?

(Woman):  He was searching for a new apartment.

(Narrator): What does the woman say about Mark?

In your test book, you read:

(A) He was in the department office.

(B) He was looking for a place to live.

(C) He was working on his research project.

(D) He had an appointment at church.

See Also: Grammar TOEFL book

Explanation:

The first thing you can listen carefully to the second speaker, try to keep the keywords on the second speaker. On the example above, the keywords are “Searching and Apartment”. So you should think about the possible answer that has similarities to those words.

On the test book, you have Department, The word “department” has a similar sound with” Apartment”

Choice A is incorrect. If we see the meaning, choice A also has misunderstanding the second speaker says that Mark was looking for a home/place to stay but on Choice A, He was in Apartment.

Choice C also has a similar sound; “research with Search”. Then choice D Appointment has a similar sound with Apartment and then Church similar to Search. The possible answer is B because the answer is a restatement of the second speaker that Mark didn’t come with them because he was busy looking for new home or place to live, Apartment is the place to stay.

Strategy:

At first, focus on the second line or speaker, then Identity the keyword on the second line.

Identity the answers that contain similar sound and don’t answer those answers.

Now, look at another example:

(Woman) :  I heard that Sally just moved into a new, big house near the beach.

( Man ) : But Sally doesn’t have a cent!.

(Narrator) : What does the man mean about Sally?

A. Sally has no sense of responsibility

B. Sally sent her friend to her house

C. Sally has no money

D. Sally is on the beach with Sean.

Explanation:

First, we can identify the keywords on the second line. We have a Cent.

Then identify the answers that contain a similar sound with the keyword.

The sense in choice A, Sent in Choice B, Sean in the choice D.

So, we can conclude that those answers that contain the keyword is not correct because those have similar sounds with the keyword, a Cent. if we take a look at the meaning,  Those are not paired with Man says. The correct answer for the second example of avoiding similar sound is C, Sally doesn’t have money.

To make you familiar with the questions on the listening Part A, you should do practice TOEFL test, and do it regularly.

That is the Strategy for Listening Comprehension section on PBT TOEFL; Avoid similar sound.

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