8.3. Listen to Real English
What to listen to between now and test day, and how to listen to it.
The short version
Listen to real English, not more practice papers.
Mix the accents: British, Australian, New Zealand, American.
Play it once, note three facts, then check the transcript.
Get used to the voices
The exam mixes accents on purpose. Use these for everyday listening: not as extra papers, but as voices you get used to.
News, 6 Minute English, and slow explanations, most with a transcript. bbc.co.uk/learningenglish
Interviews and short features from Australian public radio. abc.net.au/listen
News and interviews from New Zealand public radio, with many programmes as short clips. rnz.co.nz
Clear American news at a measured pace, with transcripts. learningenglish.voanews.com
Ten minutes, once a day
- 1Play it once
No pausing and no rewinding. That is the exam condition, and it is the one most candidates never practise at home.
- 2Write down three facts
A name, a number and a place. Spell the name, and write the number in figures, as the test needs it.
- 3Check against the transcript
Where there is one, compare your three facts with it. A missed plural or a wrong digit tells you what to listen for tomorrow.
Ten minutes of a real conversation is more useful than another hour of reading about the test. Then come back and take a Listening mock test.
Recap
Ten minutes of real speech beats another hour about the test.
Play it once, with no pausing. That is the condition you sit in.
Deliberately mix British, Australian, New Zealand and North American voices.
Next: a timed Listening mock test, now that you have met every question type.