IELTS Listening Task 3 involves a conversation between two to four speakers in an academic or training setting, such as students discussing a project or a student speaking with a tutor.

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ESSENTIAL INFORMATION:

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• Time: Approx. 6–7 minutes

• Number of questions: 10

• Context: Educational or training discussion

• Purpose: Understand more complex ideas, relationships between speakers, and academic vocabulary

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YOU NEED TO:

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• Follow a conversation with multiple speakers

• Recognise attitudes, opinions, agreements/disagreements

• Identify the purpose of the discussion and the roles of each speaker

• Follow the logical development of ideas

• Distinguish between facts and opinions

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KEY SKILLS NEEDED:

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• Understanding academic or semi-formal language

• Tracking who is speaking and what each person’s view is

• Listening for tone and implied meaning

• Identifying key points, especially when opinions differ

• Managing more abstract or theoretical topics

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SUGGESTED PRACTICE ACTIVITIES:

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• Listen to student discussions, seminars, or group talks

• Practise identifying who says what and what their opinion is

• Do multiple choice and matching tasks

• Focus on functional language (e.g. agreeing, suggesting, clarifying)

• Review vocabulary related to education, assignments, and research