Thursday, September 20, 2007

Listening Practice! (TOEFL)

Follow the steps below to listen to a podcast used to prepare for the TOEFL test. (For this example, we are going to listen to #25, so we all hear the same one, but if you want in the future to practice, you have many here- free!)

  1. Go to http://www.eslpod.com/toefl/scripts/scripts.html
  2. Scroll down to TOEFL Podcast #25 "Finding a Roommate"
  3. Right click on the "Podcast" icon under the title of that post.
  4. Select "Save target as" and choose a place on your pc to save the file (desktop?).
  5. Wait while the file downloads and open it when complete.
  6. Media Player (or similar) should launch and play the podcast.

NOTE: The "Audio Index" tells you where on the counter of the file each part of the podcast can be found. Each podcast on this site contains a deliberately slow reading of the dialog, an explanations section where idioms and vocabulary are carefully explained by a narrator, a "fast dialog," or a reading of the dialog at a normal rate for native speakers, and a short section of comprehension questions at the end where you can quiz yourself. The script is also written out for you on the Web site. While you can decide what works best for you, I highly recommend you first try to listen to the "fast dialog" by forwarding on the play bar your Media player to the right place (17:37 on Podcast #25) once or twice before listening to the slow dialog or explanations. See how much you understand, but remember, these are written with idioms and phrasal verbs you are not necessarily expected to know.

Good luck and have fun!

5 comments:

MADV said...

Well, I think this kind of listening exercises help us to improve our listen skills, so Thanks Rusell

Russell said...

Hi madv,
You're very welcome. Glad you'll enjoy those; I think they should be very helpful. Also, look forward to other podcasts in the future that will challenge you more since they will be those that have not been prepared for learners of English. You can definitely do that!

martha said...

Tanks a lot Russell, I think I found what I was loking at, I mean a good way to learn English, and you are helping me. I heard the podcast that you pointed at and others. See you in class.

Russell said...

Hey Martha, you're very welcome!

Cynthia said...

Russell, you´re a great teacher. Thank you for everything. I think it´s the best way for me to improve my english.