A Comprehensive Guide to Improving Your IELTS Listening and Speaking Skills with CD2 (MacMillan,2007)
Improve Your IELTS Listening And Speaking Skills CD2 (MacMillan,2007)
If you are planning to take the IELTS test, you probably know how important it is to prepare well for it. The IELTS test is a widely recognized English language proficiency test that assesses your ability to communicate effectively in English for academic, professional, or immigration purposes. The test consists of four sections: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Each section has its own format, content, and scoring criteria.
Improve Your IELTS Listening And Speaking Skills CD2 (MacMillan,2007)
In this article, we will focus on the listening and speaking sections of the test, which are often considered to be the most challenging ones by many test takers. We will explain what these sections entail, what skills they assess, and what common difficulties they pose. We will also show you how you can improve your listening and speaking skills with the help of a valuable resource: CD2 from MacMillan's Improve Your IELTS Listening And Speaking Skills book.
CD2 is a supplementary audio material that accompanies the book and provides you with authentic practice exercises for both the listening and speaking sections of the test. By using CD2 regularly, you will be able to familiarize yourself with the types of questions and tasks that you will encounter in these sections, improve your comprehension and accuracy in listening, enhance your fluency and coherence in speaking, expand your vocabulary and grammar range, refine your pronunciation and intonation, and ultimately boost your confidence and performance on the test day.
Listening Section
The listening section of the IELTS test lasts for about 30 minutes and consists of four parts. Each part contains a recording of a conversation or a monologue on a different topic, followed by 10 questions. The recordings are played only once, so you have to listen carefully and answer the questions as you listen. The questions are either multiple choice, matching, map/diagram labeling, form completion, note completion, table completion, flow-chart completion, summary completion, sentence completion, or short answer questions. The questions are designed to test your ability to understand the main ideas and specific details of the recordings, as well as the opinions, attitudes, and purposes of the speakers.
Some of the common challenges and pitfalls that test takers face in the listening section are:
Missing important information or keywords due to distractions or lack of concentration
Getting confused by the different accents, speeds, and noises in the recordings
Not being able to follow the structure and logic of the conversations or monologues
Not being able to infer the meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases from the context
Not being able to transfer the answers to the answer sheet accurately and within the time limit
Fortunately, you can use CD2 to practice your listening skills and overcome these challenges. CD2 contains four complete listening tests that simulate the real test conditions and cover a variety of topics and situations. By using CD2 regularly, you will be able to:
Improve your listening comprehension and accuracy by exposing yourself to different types of recordings and questions
Deal with different accents, speeds, and noises in the recordings by training your ear to recognize and adapt to them
Use prediction, inference, and note-taking skills to answer the questions correctly by anticipating what you will hear, deducing the meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases from the context, and jotting down key points as you listen
Familiarize yourself with the format and content of the listening section by getting used to the types of questions and tasks that you will encounter
Monitor your progress and identify your strengths and weaknesses in listening by checking your answers with the answer key and transcript provided in the book
Listening Strategies
To improve your listening comprehension and accuracy, you need to apply some effective listening strategies before, during, and after listening. Here are some of the strategies that you can use:
Before Listening
Read the instructions and questions carefully and understand what you have to do
Use your background knowledge and common sense to predict what you will hear based on the topic, situation, speakers, etc.
Identify the keywords and synonyms in the questions and underline them
Think of possible answers or alternatives for each question
During Listening
Listen for the keywords and synonyms that you identified in the questions and mark them on your question paper
Use inference skills to deduce the meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases from the context or from other clues such as tone, stress, intonation, etc.
Use note-taking skills to jot down important information such as names, numbers, dates, locations, etc. as you listen
Pay attention to the structure and logic of the conversations or monologues and follow the sequence of events or ideas
Write your answers on your question paper as you listen using abbreviations or symbols if necessary
After Listening
Check your answers for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and word limit errors
Transfer your answers to the answer sheet accurately and within 10 minutes after listening
Compare your answers with the answer key and transcript provided in the book and analyze your mistakes
Review the vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation points that you learned from the recordings
Listening Practice
To practice your listening skills effectively, you need to use CD2 regularly and systematically. Here are some tips on how to use CD2 for listening practice:
Familiarize Yourself With The Format And Content Of The Listening Section
Listen to each recording once without looking at the questions to get a general idea of what it is about
Listen to each recording again with the questions in front of you and try to answer them as you listen
Listen to each recording a third time with the transcript in front of you and check your answers as you listen
Note down any new words or expressions that you learned from each recording and try to use them in sentences or contexts of your own
Improve Your Listening Skills In Different Contexts And Situations
Speaking Section
The speaking section of the IELTS test lasts for about 11 to 14 minutes and consists of three parts. In part one, you will have a short conversation with the examiner about yourself and some familiar topics such as your home, your family, your hobbies, etc. In part two, you will be given a topic card with some points to talk about and you will have to speak for one to two minutes on that topic. You will have one minute to prepare your talk and you can make some notes if you wish. In part three, you will have a longer discussion with the examiner about some issues related to the topic that you spoke about in part two. The questions in this part are more abstract and complex and require you to express and justify your opinions, compare and contrast different views, speculate and hypothesize, etc. The questions are designed to test your ability to communicate effectively in English on a range of topics and situations.
Some of the common challenges and pitfalls that test takers face in the speaking section are:
Not being able to speak fluently and coherently due to nervousness, hesitation, or lack of ideas
Not being able to use a wide range of vocabulary and grammar accurately and appropriately
Not being able to pronounce words clearly and use correct stress and intonation patterns
Not being able to respond to the questions fully and relevantly due to misunderstanding or lack of preparation
Not being able to express and support their opinions effectively due to lack of confidence or knowledge
Fortunately, you can use CD2 to practice your speaking skills and overcome these challenges. CD2 contains four complete speaking tests that simulate the real test conditions and cover a variety of topics and scenarios. By using CD2 regularly, you will be able to:
Improve your fluency and coherence in speaking by exposing yourself to different types of questions and tasks and practicing how to organize your ideas logically and link them smoothly
Improve your vocabulary and grammar in speaking by learning new words and expressions from the recordings and practicing how to use them correctly and appropriately in different contexts
Improve your pronunciation and intonation in speaking by listening to how native speakers pronounce words and use stress and intonation patterns and practicing how to imitate them
Familiarize yourself with the format and content of the speaking section by getting used to the types of questions and tasks that you will encounter
Get feedback and guidance on your speaking performance by listening to sample answers from other test takers with different levels of proficiency and analyzing their strengths and weaknesses
Speaking Strategies
To improve your speaking skills effectively, you need to apply some effective speaking strategies before, during, and after speaking. Here are some of the strategies that you can use:
Before Speaking
Read the instructions and questions carefully and understand what you have to do
Use your background knowledge and common sense to think of some ideas or examples for each question or topic
Plan how you will structure your answer using an introduction, a body, and a conclusion
Think of some relevant vocabulary and grammar that you can use for each question or topic
Practice your pronunciation and intonation for some key words or phrases that you want to use
During Speaking
Speak fluently and coherently by using connectors, fillers, paraphrases, repetitions, etc. to link your ideas smoothly and avoid long pauses or silences
and grammar that suit the topic and situation and avoiding errors that affect communication
Speak clearly and naturally by pronouncing words correctly and using appropriate stress and intonation patterns to convey meaning and emotion
Speak fully and relevantly by answering the questions directly and providing enough details and examples to support your points
Speak effectively by expressing and justifying your opinions, comparing and contrasting different views, speculating and hypothesizing, etc. as required by the questions
After Speaking
Listen to your own recording and evaluate your performance based on the criteria of fluency, accuracy, pronunciation, and communication
Identify your strengths and weaknesses in speaking and note down what you need to improve
Listen to sample answers from other test takers with different levels of proficiency and compare them with your own answer
Analyze the feedback and guidance provided in the book and learn from the tips and suggestions given
Review the vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation points that you learned from the recordings
Speaking Practice
To practice your speaking skills effectively, you need to use CD2 regularly and systematically. Here are some tips on how to use CD2 for speaking practice:
Familiarize Yourself With The Format And Content Of The Speaking Section
Listen to each recording once without looking at the questions or topics to get a general idea of what it is about
Listen to each recording again with the questions or topics in front of you and try to answer them as you listen
Listen to each recording a third time with the transcript in front of you and check your answers as you listen
Note down any new words or expressions that you learned from each recording and try to use them in sentences or contexts of your own
Improve Your Speaking Skills In Different Topics And Scenarios
Listen to different types of questions and tasks on different topics and scenarios such as education, work, culture, technology, etc.
Record yourself answering each question or task using a timer to simulate the real test conditions
Listen to your own recording and evaluate your performance based on the criteria of fluency, accuracy, pronunciation, and communication
Listen to sample answers from other test takers with different levels of proficiency and compare them with your own answer
Analyze the feedback and guidance provided in the book and learn from the tips and suggestions given
Conclusion
In conclusion, we have discussed how you can improve your listening and speaking skills for the IELTS test with the help of CD2 from MacMillan's Improve Your IELTS Listening And Speaking Skills book. We have explained what the listening and speaking sections of the test entail, what skills they assess, what common challenges they pose, and how you can use CD2 to practice your listening and speaking skills effectively. We have also provided some useful listening and speaking strategies that you can apply before, during, and after listening or speaking. By using CD2 regularly and systematically, you will be able to boost your confidence and performance on the test day.
If you want to further improve your listening and speaking skills for the IELTS test, here are some additional tips and resources that you can use:
Listen to a variety of authentic English materials such as podcasts, radio programs, documentaries, lectures, etc. on topics that interest you or that are related to the IELTS test
Speak English as much as possible with native or non-native speakers on topics that interest you or that are related to the IELTS test
Use online tools or apps such as Quizlet, Memrise, Anki, etc. to learn new vocabulary and review them regularly
etc. to improve your grammar and check your errors
Use online tools or apps such as Youglish, Forvo, etc. to improve your pronunciation and listen to how native speakers pronounce words
Use online tools or apps such as ELSA Speak, Cambly, etc. to practice your speaking skills and get feedback from native speakers or tutors
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about CD2 and their answers:
Q: Where can I buy CD2 and how much does it cost?
A: You can buy CD2 online from Amazon or other online retailers or from your local bookstore. The price may vary depending on the seller and the country, but it is usually around $20.
Q: Do I need to buy the book as well or can I use CD2 alone?
A: CD2 is a supplementary material that accompanies the book and provides you with audio recordings for the listening and speaking sections of the test. The book contains the questions, tasks, transcripts, answer keys, feedback, guidance, tips, and suggestions for each recording. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you buy the book as well and use it together with CD2 for maximum benefit.
Q: How often should I use CD2 and how long will it take me to improve my listening and speaking skills?
A: The answer to this question depends on your current level of proficiency, your target score, and your personal preferences. However, a general guideline is to use CD2 at least once or twice a week and complete one listening test and one speaking test each time. You should also review your performance and learn from your mistakes after each test. It may take you several weeks or months to see significant improvement in your listening and speaking skills depending on how much effort and time you put into your practice.
Q: Can I use CD2 for other purposes besides preparing for the IELTS test?
A: Yes, you can use CD2 for other purposes besides preparing for the IELTS test. For example, you can use CD2 to improve your general English listening and speaking skills, to learn new vocabulary and expressions on different topics and situations, to practice your pronunciation and intonation, to enhance your communication and presentation skills, etc.
Q: What are some other resources that I can use to improve my listening and speaking skills for the IELTS test?
A: There are many other resources that you can use to improve your listening and speaking skills for the IELTS test. Some of them are:
The official IELTS website (https://www.ielts.org/) where you can find information about the test format, content, scoring criteria, registration process, test dates and locations, etc.
The official IELTS practice materials (https://www.ielts.org/en-us/usa/prepare-for-ielts/free-ielts-practice-tests) where you can find free sample tests for all four sections of the test with answers and explanations
The official IELTS podcasts (https://www.ielts.org/en-us/usa/prepare-for-ielts/podcasts) where you can listen to expert advice and tips on how to prepare for the test
The official IELTS YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/IELTSOfficial) where you can watch videos of real test takers taking the test and learn from their experiences
pronunciation, test tips, etc.
Other books and materials from reputable publishers and authors such as Cambridge, Oxford, Collins, Barron's, etc. that provide you with practice tests, exercises, strategies, tips, etc. for the IELTS test
Other online platforms and resources such as IELTS Liz (https://ieltsliz.com/), IELTS Buddy (https://www.ieltsbuddy.com/), IELTS Advantage (https://www.ieltsadvantage.com/), etc. that provide you with free or paid courses, lessons, videos, podcasts, articles, etc. on how to prepare for the IELTS test
71b2f0854b