5.6 Listening Comprehension Strategies
Develop advanced listening skills for various English accents and contexts.
Listening Comprehension Strategies
Listening comprehension is one of the trickiest skills to improve because you cannot control the speed, accent, or complexity of what you hear. Unlike reading, you cannot go back and re-read a sentence. You get one chance — and that can feel stressful.
But here is the good news: listening is a skill, not a talent. With the right strategies, you can dramatically improve your ability to understand spoken English, even when the speaker has an unfamiliar accent or speaks quickly.
Why listening comprehension matters:
- It is tested on exams (listening tasks with questions)
- It is essential for oral exams (you must understand the examiners' questions)
- It is the foundation for real-world communication in English
- It exposes you to natural language patterns, vocabulary, and pronunciation
Common challenges Norwegian students face:
1. Speed — Native speakers often speak faster than what students are used to in textbook audio
2. Accents — British, American, Australian, Indian, and African accents can sound very different
3. Connected speech — Words blend together: "What do you want?" becomes "Whaddya want?"
4. Vocabulary gaps — Encountering unfamiliar words in real time
5. Concentration — Maintaining focus for an extended listening passage
This chapter will give you practical strategies for each of these challenges.
Effective listening is not passive — it is an active process with three distinct phases.
Phase 1: BEFORE Listening (Preparation)
Before you press play or the audio begins, prepare your brain:
- Read the questions first. If you have questions to answer, read them carefully. They tell you WHAT to listen for.
- Predict content. Based on the title, topic, or questions, what do you expect to hear? Make mental predictions.
- Identify question types. Are you listening for specific facts (names, dates, numbers), main ideas, opinions, or the speaker's attitude?
- Note key words in the questions. Circle or underline the most important words so you know exactly what information to find.
Phase 2: DURING Listening (Active Processing)
While listening, use these strategies:
- Listen for gist first. On the first listen, focus on the main idea, not every word. Ask yourself: "What is this about? What is the speaker's main point?"
- Listen for details on the second listen. Now focus on specific information that matches the questions.
- Take brief notes. Write keywords, not sentences. Use abbreviations and symbols.
- Do not panic over unknown words. You do not need to understand every word. Use context to guess meaning.
- Listen for signal words that indicate structure:
- "The main reason is..." (key point coming)
- "However..." / "On the other hand..." (contrast)
- "In conclusion..." / "To sum up..." (summary)
- "For example..." (illustration)
Phase 3: AFTER Listening (Review)
After the audio ends:
- Answer immediately. Your short-term memory fades fast — write answers right away.
- Use your notes. Check your keywords against the questions.
- Eliminate wrong options. In multiple-choice, cross out answers you know are wrong.
- Trust your first instinct. If you are unsure, your first answer is usually correct.
Imagine you are listening to a news report about plastic pollution. The questions are:
1. How much plastic enters the oceans each year?
2. Which country produces the most plastic waste?
3. What solution does the expert suggest?
How should you take notes while listening?
Read the questions and identify key words:
- Q1: "how much" → listen for a NUMBER + "plastic" + "oceans"
- Q2: "which country" → listen for a COUNTRY NAME + "most plastic waste"
- Q3: "solution" + "expert suggests" → listen for a RECOMMENDATION
During listening — what you write:
As you hear relevant information, jot down brief notes:
Q1: 8 mil tonnes/yr → oceans
Q2: China → most waste BUT pop. huge, per capita = USA
Q3: Dr. Chen → ban single-use, invest recycling infrastr.After listening — convert to answers:
1. Approximately 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans each year.
2. China produces the most plastic waste overall, although the USA produces more waste per person.
3. The expert, Dr. Chen, suggests banning single-use plastics and investing in recycling infrastructure.
Note-taking principles demonstrated:
- Abbreviations: "mil" for million, "yr" for year, "infrastr." for infrastructure
- Symbols: → for "leads to" or "equals"
- Key data only: Numbers, names, and actions — not full sentences
- Organised by question: Each note is linked to a specific question
- Nuance captured: The distinction between total waste and per capita waste
When you receive a listening comprehension task, what should you do FIRST?
Practise the prediction strategy. For each listening task title below, predict three things you might hear and three vocabulary words you should listen for.
Listening task title: "An interview with a teenage climate activist"
Listening task title: "A radio report on the rise of e-sports"
Listening task title: "A conversation between two students about their exchange year"
One of the biggest challenges in listening comprehension is that real spoken English sounds very different from textbook English. Here is why — and how to deal with it.
Connected speech: In natural English, speakers blend words together:
| Written form | Spoken form | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| "What do you want to do?" | Whaddya wanna do? | "Wodjawanado?" |
| "I am going to" | I'm gonna | "Ahmgona" |
| "Do you want to" | D'you wanna | "Jawana" |
| "Could have" | Could've | "Cudov" |
| "Would not have" | Wouldn't've | "Wudonov" |
Major English accents you may encounter:
British English (RP / Received Pronunciation)
- Often considered the "standard" British accent
- Non-rhotic: the "r" in "car" is not pronounced (sounds like "cah")
- Common in BBC broadcasts and British films
American English (General American)
- Rhotic: the "r" is always pronounced
- "Water" sounds like "wadder" (flapped t)
- "Can't" rhymes with "ant" (not "ahnt")
Australian English
- Rising intonation at the end of statements (sounds like questions)
- "Day" may sound like "die" to untrained ears
- Very relaxed vowel sounds
Tips for understanding unfamiliar accents:
1. Expose yourself regularly. Watch films, YouTube, and podcasts with different accents
2. Focus on context. Even if you miss individual words, the overall meaning is usually clear
3. Use subtitles strategically. Start with English subtitles, then try without
4. Do not panic. If you miss something, keep listening — the next sentence often clarifies
A student hears the following in a listening task and writes: "She said she wooden of gone if she new." Decode what was actually said and explain the connected speech patterns.
"She said she wouldn't have gone if she'd known."
Decoding the connected speech:
| What the student heard | What was said | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| "wooden of" | "wouldn't have" | "Wouldn't have" contracts to "wouldn't've" which sounds like "woodentov" or "wooden of" |
| "gone" | "gone" | Correctly heard |
| "she new" | "she'd known" | "She'd" (she had) blends into the next word, and "known" in fast speech can sound like "noan" or "new" |
The full sentence in slow, clear English:
"She said she would not have gone if she had known."
Key connected speech patterns to recognise:
1. Contractions: would not → wouldn't → wooden (informal fast speech)
2. "Have" reduction: "have" after modals often sounds like "of" or "a" → "could've" sounds like "could of"
3. "Had" contraction: "she had" → "she'd" → often barely audible
4. Past participles: "known" in fast speech can lose the final consonant cluster
Strategy: When you hear something that does not make grammatical sense (like "wooden of"), ask yourself: "What English phrase COULD this be?" Your grammar knowledge helps you decode what your ears miss.
Decode these connected speech phrases. Write what each phrase actually means in full, clear English.
"Djuwanna cuppa tea?"
"He musta bin workin late."
"I shoulda told ya sooner."
"Whereya gonna go fer the holidays?"
Some listening questions ask not just WHAT the speaker says, but HOW they feel about it. This requires listening for attitude and tone.
How speakers signal their attitude:
1. Tone of voice
- Enthusiastic: Higher pitch, faster pace, emphasis on positive words
- Sarcastic: Flat or exaggerated tone, emphasis on unexpected words ("Oh, that's GREAT" when they mean the opposite)
- Serious: Lower pitch, slower pace, measured delivery
- Uncertain: Rising intonation, hesitations, hedging language
2. Hedging language (signals uncertainty or politeness)
- "I think...", "I suppose...", "It seems to me..."
- "Perhaps...", "I am not entirely sure, but..."
- "It could be argued that..."
3. Intensifiers (signal strong feelings)
- "Absolutely", "definitely", "without a doubt" (strong positive)
- "Honestly", "frankly", "to be perfectly honest" (signals strong opinion coming)
- "I am afraid...", "unfortunately" (signals negative news)
4. Discourse markers (signal the speaker's purpose)
- "Actually..." (correcting a previous idea)
- "To be fair..." (acknowledging the other side)
- "The thing is..." (introducing the real point)
- "Mind you..." (adding a qualification)
- "Having said that..." (about to contradict themselves)
Exam tip: When a question asks "What is the speaker's attitude towards...?", listen for:
- The words they EMPHASISE
- Whether their tone is positive, negative, or neutral
- Whether they use hedging language (uncertain) or intensifiers (certain)
- Whether they agree or disagree with the topic
Two speakers are discussing online learning. Based on their language, identify each speaker's attitude.
Speaker A: "Honestly, I think online learning has been a complete game-changer. Students can learn at their own pace, access resources from anywhere, and the flexibility is just incredible."
Speaker B: "Well, I suppose online learning has some benefits. But to be perfectly honest, I am not convinced it can replace face-to-face teaching. The thing is, students need human connection, and I am afraid that is something a screen simply cannot provide."
- Signal words: "Honestly" (strong opinion incoming), "complete game-changer" (intensifier + positive metaphor), "just incredible" (intensifier)
- No hedging language — speaks with certainty
- Lists multiple benefits without acknowledging drawbacks
- Language is confident and decisive
Speaker B's attitude: Sceptical / cautious
- Hedging: "I suppose" (not fully convinced), "I am not convinced" (directly states doubt)
- Discourse markers: "Well" (hesitation), "to be perfectly honest" (about to disagree), "The thing is" (introducing the real objection), "I am afraid" (signalling a negative point)
- Acknowledges benefits ("some benefits") before disagreeing — diplomatic but firm
- Core concern is clearly stated: human connection cannot be replaced by screens
How this might appear as an exam question:
Q: "What is Speaker B's attitude towards online learning?"
a) Completely opposed to it ← Too extreme
b) Cautiously sceptical — sees some value but has serious concerns ← CORRECT
c) Neutral — does not have a strong opinion ← Wrong — clearly has opinions
d) Enthusiastic but wants improvements ← Wrong — not enthusiastic
A speaker says: "Well, I suppose some people might argue that fast food is convenient, but frankly, I think the health consequences are devastating and we are not taking them seriously enough." What is the speaker's attitude?
Match each discourse marker with the attitude or function it signals.
"Actually..."
"To be fair..."
"The thing is..."
"Having said that..."
Create a personal listening practice plan. Based on your current skills and interests, design a one-week plan to improve your listening comprehension.
Choose 3 English-language podcasts, YouTube channels, or TV series you could listen to regularly. Explain why each would be useful.
For each day of the week, plan a 15-20 minute listening activity. Vary the difficulty and type.
Summary: Becoming a Better Listener
The three phases of active listening:
1. Before: Read questions, predict content, identify key words
2. During: Listen for gist first, then details. Take brief keyword notes.
3. After: Answer immediately, use notes, trust your first instinct
Dealing with accents and connected speech:
- Expose yourself to different accents regularly (films, podcasts, YouTube)
- Learn common connected speech patterns ("gonna", "wanna", "shoulda")
- Use context to fill in words you miss — you do not need to catch every word
Listening for attitude:
- Tone of voice tells you HOW the speaker feels
- Discourse markers ("actually", "to be fair", "the thing is") signal the speaker's purpose
- Hedging language = uncertainty; intensifiers = strong feelings
Daily practice tips:
- Listen to 15-20 minutes of English content every day
- Vary your sources: news, podcasts, films, music, YouTube
- Start with subtitles, then gradually remove them
- Practise note-taking while listening to build your working memory
Active listening challenge: Choose a 3-5 minute English-language video (news clip, TED Talk, or podcast segment). Complete the following tasks.
Before listening: Write down what you predict the video will be about based on the title. List 5 vocabulary words you expect to hear.
During first listen: Take keyword notes. After the first listen, write a 2-3 sentence summary of the main idea.
During second listen: Note 3 specific details you missed the first time. Write down any words or phrases you did not understand and try to guess their meaning from context.
After listening: Write 3 questions that an examiner might ask about this audio clip. Then answer your own questions.
Accent exposure challenge: Listen to short clips (1-2 minutes each) from three different English accents and compare the experience.
Listen to a clip of British English (e.g., BBC News). Note three features of the accent that you notice.
Listen to a clip of American English (e.g., CNN or a popular podcast). Note three differences from British English.
Listen to a clip of a less familiar accent (Australian, South African, Indian, or Scottish English). What did you find most challenging? What strategies helped you understand?
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