Best Ways to score high on the TOEIC listening part: TOEICのリスニングパートで高得点を取るための学習法
Many individuals take the TOEIC exam for various reasons like job hunting, career changes, or aiming for promotions. In Japan, achieving a high TOEIC score holds significant value. In this article, our focus is on the TOEIC listening section. We’ll delve into understanding why your score might not be improving and how to excel in this aspect.
First start with Self-analysis to see where you can Improve your TOEIC Listening Score
In order to improve your TOEIC listening part, it is essential to analyze where your weakness is.
Try solving actual questions and dictating to analyze where you are getting stuck.
“What is dictation?” “Please let me know how to do dictation” Please refer to this article.
＞＞（COMING SOON）
How to analyze yourself
When you do self-analysis using a TOEIC question booklet, etc., try to figure out what stage you are at.
There are several stages in the “I can’t comprehend the listening.” problem.
- Don’t understand words
- Words and sounds do not match
- Cannot grasp the connections between sounds
- Cannot keep up with the speed
This may vary depending on the difficulty level and which part of the question. Try solving several questions and analyze which stage you are at on average.
Tips for Improving your TOEIC Listening
1. Don’t understand words
When “You do not understand words”, it is the case that you cannot understand the meaning of the words even after looking at the script.
In this case, it is recommended to improve your basic English skills rather than your listening.
2. Words and sounds do not match
When “words and sounds do not match”, you may be able to understand the meaning when you look at the script, but you may not be able to pronounce the word, or you may have misremembered the word.
First of all, it is essential to make sure that you know the pronunciation of the words you do know.
3. Cannot grasp the connections between sounds
In English, there is a phenomenon called “linking,” in which words are attached to each other and become different sounds.
If you are not familiar with this “linking,” you will hear sounds that are different from the sounds you know, and you will not be able to immediately convert the meaning in your head.
4. Cannot keep up with the speed
In some cases, you may be able to understand at slower speeds, but not at natural speeds.
In this case, practice listening at a slower speed first, and then gradually increase the speed.
How to study to achieve a High TOEIC Listening Score
Now that you have identified your challenges, you need to take measures to meet them.
The following are recommended methods of learning listening
- Study with vocabulary book with audio
- Perform shadowing
- Learn linking
Let me explain each of these.
Study with vocabulary book with audio
We recommend using a vocabulary book with audio to learn vocabulary, especially for those who don’t understand the meaning of words or whose pronunciation does not match the words.
Many people may think of word study as looking at a vocabulary book or writing words over and over again, but learning the sounds of words is very important.
Use a vocabulary book with CDs or downloadable audio to learn by listening to and pronouncing the words.
By doing so, you will be able to hear the listening audio as well.
Perform Shadowing
Shadowing is a very effective way to improve your listening skills.
It is important to do shadowing as regularly and diligently as possible.
Rather than doing it once a week for 60 minutes, do it six times a week for 10 minutes each time and make shadowing a habit.
Continuous shadowing will also help you get used to the word order of English, and you will be able to listen to faster English sentences.
Learn Linking
Once you have a good vocabulary and are getting used to learning English, you may want to learn about linking.
Once you have mastered the rules of linking, the number of expressions you can listen to will increase dramatically.
This resource serves as a guide, providing detailed insights into pronunciation rules and practices. By exploring this book, you can enhance your understanding of English phonetics and develop clearer speech patterns.
Interested in diving deeper into the world of English pronunciation? You can find these insightful books on Amazon, where they’re readily available for purchase.
Final thoughts on How to score high on the TOEIC listening Part
In this article, we have introduced how to analyze why your score on listening on TOEIC is not improving, and how to learn to improve your score.
In order to improve your listening skills, it is important to study steadily and continuously.
Please use the study methods introduced in this article to prepare yourself, and get a high score to get a new job or promotion!
If you are thinking “I want to improve my listening skills to study abroad” please refer to this article.
