Want O Level Listening Tips?
‘Hang on. Are you telling me you can prepare for listening?’ you must be thinking.
It’s a myth that there is nothing to be prepared for O Level listening.
Both Paper 3 (Listening) and Paper 4 (Oral) combine to make up 30% of the overall EL grade at the O Level. If anything, listening should be the component that is the easiest to prepare for. For the intelligent students, the listening test is a grade-saver. It can compensate for shortfall in other components such as composition.
To help you (your child) prepare for listening, here are 5 powerful tips for the A-Grade students.
1. Read the paper carefully before the start of the audio tracks.
Candidates are given time to read the question papers first so that they know what details they need to pick out. Read them carefully.
It helps to annotate the question paper by underlining and circling keywords so that you are not distracted by the other non-crucial words.
2. Stay Sharp.
Listening is a game of focus. Very often, students’ mind may wander during the listening test, causing them to miss out on important details and leaving them confused of which answer is the correct one.
The most common complaint from my students is anxiety. They panicked when they were encountered an unusually difficult question and were not sure of the answer. Some became anxious when the speaker spoke in a foreign accent. Sometimes, technical glitches may catch candidates by surprise. Their mind quickly spiralled into confusion, further blocking out their senses and the information that was being communicated. There is absolutely no need to be worried.
A quick way to save yourself from a panic is to briefly channel your attention to your breathing before returning to the task. Being in a calm state also helps one perform better. Spend a few moments before the paper to observe your breathing patterns.
3. Practise.
We need not emphasise the importance of practising. Practising improves your familiarity with the kinds of challenging questions you may encounter, and definitely boosts your confidence on the exam day.
There are practices you can find out there on the mighty internet. For a start, you can try out the 2016 GCE O Level Listening Comprehension recording
Fun fact: you can hear the technical glitch I am referring to at around 2:20 in the video.
By following these three steps, you can maximise your chances of obtaining your distinction in the EL Exam. We wish you all the best!