Listening 2: Note-taking I
Objectives TOEFL iBT Listening Skills:
• Understand why some TOEFL iBT test takers find it helpful to take notes . • Learn what is important to include and exclude when taking notes. • Learn strategies for taking notes quickly. Activity 2.1: Note-Taking Skills for the TOEFL iBT Test What are some helpful note-taking skills for the TOEFL iBT Test? Directions: • Read the following information about note-taking on the TOEFL iBT Test . • Put arrows next to the new information that you want to use .
Note-Taking on the TOEFL iBT Test • Listening, Speaking, and Writing Sections: Taking notes is especially helpful since some critical information isn’t displayed on the screen and is required to answer questions. • Reading Section: Some test takers choose not to take notes since the information is visible on the screen. However, others find that note-taking improves focus and helps identify key points .
Test Center vs. Home Edition: • At a test center, you’ll receive a pencil and paper for note-taking.
• For the Home Edition, you can use a whiteboard or clear transparency paper with an erasable marker. • Your notes are not part of your test answers, and they are not graded . However, you will be required to dispose of them at the end of the test . (In test centers, you must throw them away before you leave the room, and for the home edition, you need to erase them in front of a proctor.) Saving Time • You will not have time to write down every word you hear. If you try, you will probably miss some important information . • One note-taking technique that can save time is to only focus on writing important words and phrases. This means you don’t need to write: ■ articles (a, an, the) ■ prepositions (in, on, at, to) unless they express an important relationship ■ any information that isn’t important—although of course it is hard to judge this in advance of knowing the questions! Abbreviating Words Another useful note-taking technique is abbreviating words . This helps you write quickly and capture important information . Here are a few ways to abbreviate:
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