IELTS Listening Task 4 is the final section and usually the most challenging. It features a monologue on an academic topic, similar to a short university lecture.

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ESSENTIAL INFORMATION

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• Time: Approx. 6–7 minutes

• Number of questions: 10

• Context: Academic lecture or presentation (single speaker)

• Purpose: Understand detailed, structured academic information

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YOU NEED TO:

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• Follow the structure of a talk from introduction to conclusion

• Identify main ideas, examples, and supporting details

• Recognise how the speaker organises information (e.g. problem–solution, cause–effect)

• Understand more advanced vocabulary and complex grammar

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KEY SKILLS NEEDED:

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• Listening for overall organisation and specific details

• Recognising academic tone and formal vocabulary

• Taking notes or matching ideas to diagrams/tables

• Following logical connectors (e.g. “In contrast”, “Therefore”, “As a result”)

• Staying focused during a longer, dense monologue

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SUGGESTED PRACTICE ACTIVITIES:

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• Listen to TED Talks, university lectures, or educational podcasts

• Practise completing summary or sentence completion tasks

• Focus on understanding the lecture’s structure

• Build up vocabulary in common academic topics (e.g. environment, health, technology)

• Note useful expressions for cause, effect, and comparison