| One common question I hear from students is, “What should I write down in the listening section?” It can be very difficult to write down everything. Here are some things you should definitely note down, because there are often questions about these topics... |  By Kathy |
- The main topic: During the lectures, you should note what the professor says they are going to talk about. For example, if the professor says, “Today we will discuss the different ways in which butterflies use camouflage” then you should definitely write that down. During conversations, write down the PURPOSE of the conversation. In many conversations a student is going to see a university employee (such as a professor, a housing advisor, and so on.) Always write down why the conversation began.
- Key words or signal words: Sometimes the lecturer will give you a clue about what they are going to talk about. If the professor says, “There are two ways that…” or “First, second, third” or “Now, let’s turn our attention to…” write down what comes next. Also, if the professor says words like “crucial,” “important,” “interesting” those are big clues—write down what the professor says!
- Definitions: Some questions ask about the definitions of technical terms. Listen for the professor to give a definition. The professor might use terms such as, “is known as,” “is referred to as,” “is called” and so on. These definitions are often one of the questions.
- Stories that are off-topic: Sometimes the professor will talk about something that doesn’t seem to be related to the topic. For example, the professor may begin to tell a story about his wife, or a conference he attended, and so on. Although these seem off-topic they are often used to give examples or discuss something further. Write down some notes about the story, so you are ready for a common TOEFL question, “Why does the professor talk about (X)?
- The verbal cues of the speaker: If something is said that has extra emotion to it (doubt, anger, excitement, surprise, and so on) take a note of it. A common question is about attitude, so if you hear strong attitude or emotion, write it down. Then you will be ready to answer a question such as, “What is the student’s attitude towards (X)?
- Information that comes after transition words: Transitions words are words such as however, furthermore, in addition, although, moreover, and so on. These are clues that there may be a question associated with the information after the transition.
- What is going to happen next: If the professor gives instructions to the class at the end of the lecture, or if a student is about to take an action, note it down. Then you will be ready for this type of question: “What will the class do next?” Or “What will the student probably do next?”
