IELTS Listening Task 2 is the second section of the Listening test. It features a monologue (one speaker only) about a general or social topic, such as a tour, an event announcement, or local services.

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ESSENTIAL INFORMATION

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• Time: Approx. 6–7 minutes

• Number of questions: 10

• Context: Monologue in a social setting (e.g. a guide describing a museum, or a speaker explaining event details)

• Purpose: Understand factual and sometimes organisational information

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YOU NEED TO:

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• Follow the flow of a single speaker giving organised information

• Identify main ideas and supporting details

• Listen for location, timing, directions, and categories

• Understand signposting language (e.g. “First, I’ll talk about…”)

• Be aware of synonyms and paraphrasing

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KEY SKILLS NEEDED:

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• Listening for both general and detailed information

• Recognising structure and how ideas are grouped

• Identifying headings, labels, and categories

• Understanding signposting and transitions

• Keeping focused without speaker interaction

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SUGGESTED PRACTICE ACTIVITIES:

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• Practise listening to audio guides or tour commentaries

• Do matching and labelling tasks (e.g. matching descriptions to places)

• Listen for organisation clues (e.g. sequencing and grouping)

• Practise identifying the speaker’s purpose or topic shifts

• Use diagrams or maps alongside listening to practise labelling