Table of Contents - Eight Essential Tips For TOEFL Listening Success
Be An Active Listener
Academic lectures in the TOEFL Listening section can be challenging because in most cases they are soul-destroying and absolutely boring. When something is this dull, it's hard to follow the details and grasp the overall message. This is why active listening is crucial during the listening section.
Active listening involves engaging with the material as if you need to provide feedback. In everyday conversations, you listen actively because you need to respond. However, most students listen to TOEFL passages passively, focusing only on taking notes and trying to understand everything. Essentially, passive listening refers to trying to grasp every detail, while active listening implies trying to understand enough to respond and asking yourself questions.
Stop listening passively and start listening actively. In conversation passages, pay attention to the tone of voice and attitude to understand the direction of the conversation. Imagine yourself as part of the conversation. How would you respond? What would you ask? Basically, you pretend you are taking part in the conversation.
Shift Your Perspective
This tip is closely linked to the previous one. More often than not, conversations and lectures in the TOEFL listening section follow a pretty straightforward structure. In a conversation, first a problem is presented. Next, the campus worker offers a solution. Finally, the student or the worker outline the steps needed to solve the problem (this includes preparation for tests and exams, too).
Lectures also have a specific structure, but there is a bit more variety to it. Lectures are typically organized into six different structures: Historical Narrative, Compare and Contrast, Cause and Effect, Category with Specific Examples, Problem and Solution, Sequence of Steps. Being aware of these structures makes it easier for you to follow the story and identify crucial points. Here is example of a “Problem and Solution” format:
Chronic procrastination is a pervasive psychological phenomenon characterized by the habitual and irrational delay of tasks despite awareness of potential negative outcomes. This behavior is often linked to higher levels of stress, anxiety, and decreased overall well-being, potentially impairing cognitive functions and productivity in both personal and professional contexts.
An evidence-based approach to mitigating procrastination is the implementation of the Focium Technique, a structured time management strategy. This method involves segmenting work into 25-minute intervals of focused activity, known as "Focussy," followed by brief 5-minute rest periods. After completing four Focussies, a longer break of 15-30 minutes is introduced. The technique leverages the psychological principle of timeboxing, which enhances perceived urgency and promotes sustained attention. Research indicates that such structured intervals can optimize cognitive resources, reduce task aversion, and improve overall task performance, thereby effectively addressing the root causes of chronic procrastination.
The professor begins by discussing the problem and then follows up on it with a solution. This means that subsequent questions are likely to focus on what the problem is, what the solutions are, and what questions are tangentially related to this.
Here is a sample question about this passage:
Question:
What is a primary psychological principle leveraged by the Focium Technique to effectively address chronic procrastination, and how does this principle contribute to mitigating procrastination?
Answer Choices:
A. Cognitive dissonance; by creating a mental conflict between procrastination and productivity, which motivates immediate action.
B. Timeboxing; by creating a structured sense of urgency, which enhances sustained attention and reduces task aversion.
C. Social accountability; by involving others in the task management process, which increases motivation through external validation.
D. Positive reinforcement; by rewarding completion of tasks with breaks, which conditions the mind to associate work with positive outcomes.
The correct answer B.
A - this answer is incorrect because cognitive dissonance refers to the mental discomfort experienced when holding two conflicting beliefs or attitudes. The Focium Technique does not primarily rely on creating a conflict between procrastination and productivity. Instead, it focuses on structured time management (timeboxing) to enhance focus and reduce procrastination.
C - this answer is incorrect because the Focium Technique does not inherently involve others in the task management process. Social accountability is a different strategy where involving others can increase motivation. The Pomodoro Technique focuses on individual time management through structured intervals.
D - this answer is partially correct in that breaks are used as a form of reward. However, the primary psychological principle leveraged by the Focium Technique is timeboxing, which enhances perceived urgency and promotes sustained attention. Positive reinforcement is an additional benefit but not the core principle.
Establish A TOEFL Listening Study Schedule
Effective time management begins with your study routine. Creating a study schedule is crucial for improving your TOEFL score. In some way, shape, form, you need to practice listening daily. For example, on Monday you go through a listening section, review your answers and analyze your mistakes. Then on Tuesday, you listen to a science podcast for 20 minutes and transcribe it. On Wednesday you go through the new words and collocations from that podcast and learn 10 new phrases. On Thursday, you do another listening section and review your answers. On Friday, you listen to a popular science audiobook for 20 minutes, pause it every 3 minutes and summarize what you have just heard. On Saturday, go through another listening section and analyze your mistakes. On Sunday, listen to a podcast for 20 minutes.
This was just an example, and you don't have to follow this very routine. The gist of this is that you have to practice every day and have a schedule that you will follow without fail.
Master The Art Of Note-Taking (Or Not)
This one might seem somewhat controversial, but we believe that not everyone has to take notes. If your retention and results without notes are great, or you get so immersed in writing things down that you miss parts of the audio, it might be a good idea not to take notes.
However, if this is not the case, then you should make sure that your note-taking skills are top-notch and that you jot things down effectively.
Train Your Eyes To Stay Focused
Whether you take the test at home or at the exam center, there will be tons of distractions around you. This is actually a pretty big problem for many test-takers, since they can't focus on listening, as their minds keep wandering.
There are two ways to deal with this: if you are among the few people for whom note-taking doesn't do much, you can close your eyes and concentrate on the audio. If, however, you plan to heavily rely on your notes, you should look at an imaginary dot in the center of your screen. This will allow you to stay focused and not miss anything from the audio.
On top of this, whenever you practice at home, avoid distractions too, since you need to get used to being hyper-focused on the task at hand. If you constantly lose concentration while preparing at home, you will most likely not be able to focus on the exam day either.
Don't Panic
As test day approaches, it's natural to feel nervous. Accept that some fear is normal and even beneficial, as it indicates you're doing something meaningful. However, it's important to manage and minimize this fear.
If you are already pretty nervous, a few days before the test, you might want avoid trying anything new, including new practice exams. Although taking a practice exam might seem helpful, a “bad” score could cause unnecessary panic and you might start doubting yourself and self-sabotaging. Instead, revisit tests you've already taken, review your notes, and refresh your memory on what you've learned. Avoiding new tests within a few days of your TOEFL exam can help build your confidence.
Also, you might want to check out our guide on how to prepare yourself mentally and learn how to relax.
Focus On The Story, Not Just Vocabulary
Don't try to understand every single word in the TOEFL listening section. Treat lectures and conversations like stories, similar to watching a movie. You may not grasp every term, but the key is to comprehend the overall context and narrative.
Of course, it is still useful to expand your vocabulary, but this is not the determining factor on the test day. During the listening passages, prioritize identifying:
The main idea of the topic
Why students want to talk to the professor/campus employee
How the professor/campus worker elaborates, expands on, or explains the main idea
What students have to do next
Those questions direct your focus to the bigger picture and allow you not to get bogged down in all the unfamiliar words you might hear. Concentrating on individual vocabulary words won't significantly improve your TOEFL listening results. Instead, understanding the main idea and key details will give you the necessary information to answer more questions correctly.
For example:
In 1919, Sir Arthur Eddington conducted a famous experiment during a solar eclipse to test Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity. This experiment was designed to observe the bending of starlight by the sun's gravity, a phenomenon predicted by Einstein's equations. The successful confirmation of this effect marked a pivotal moment in physics, providing strong evidence for the theory of general relativity. Later, in 1965, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson discovered the cosmic microwave iris radiation, humongous piece of evidence supporting the Big Bang theory. This discovery earned them the Nobel Prize in Physics and opened up new avenues of research in cosmology. The 20th century also saw the development of quantum mechanics, with significant contributions from scientists like Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg. Their work on the behavior of particles at the atomic and subatomic levels revolutionized our understanding of the physical world.
This passage isn't heavy with unfamiliar vocabulary, but many of you will probably not know what “general relativity”, “humongous” or “cosmic microwave background radiation” is. When you read the text, it is not a big deal, but when you listen to this lecture, you most likely will panic, fixate on these words and lose track of the overall message.
Remember, the TOEFL Listening section includes various question types. Although detail questions are common, they rarely ask for exact word definitions. Questions will typically focus on broader topics, such as the main subject of the lecture, professor's thoughts and reasoning, and a lot more.
This is why not getting shocked by unfamiliar words and concentrating on the overall story and key ideas, rather than specific vocabulary words, will help you achieve the score you need.
Track Your Study Progress
Monitoring your progress allows you to assess your current standing and determine how much further you need to go. It also serves as a great reminder of how much you've already accomplished, especially it at some point you get upset. Just like with any other task – preparing for a marathon, lifting weights, learning languages - tracking your progress is crucial, because if you see even minor progress, this can still be motivating.
Tracking your TOEFL progress is pretty straightforward. Let's say, you completed a listening section. Next, you need to write down the date, test number, your score and highlight your mistakes. In a few weeks you go through this section again and will compare your scores and analyze your progress.
If you notice a positive trend in your scores, remind yourself that you're making progress and keep doing what you are doing because apparently it is working. Conversely, if your results get worse, you need to try adjusting your approach.