Listening: Identifying the Relevant from Irrelevant Informat

Listening: Distinguishing Between Relevant from Irrelevant Information

Multiple Choice

Distinguish means ....

• recognize or treat (someone or something) as different.

• establish or indicate who or what (someone or something) is.

• interpret or view (something) in a particular way.

Basically 'Distinguish' means 'Differentiate' or indicating differences

So what does it mean by distinguishing between relevant and irrelevant information in Listening?

It is referring to identifying what is important and what is not in listening

Relevant

Relevant information is the details in the audio which support the speaker.

This can be done by highlighting and understanding the key words in the given questions and statements before listening

Irrelevant Information

Irrelevant information are extra details about the main idea or purpose of the speaker/audio which are not important.

Therefore,

you need to be able to understand the purpose of you listening to the audio and then filter the information for the intended purpose

Now let's do some simple exercises

Read and understand the questions or statements first before you listen to the audio

1. What is John Parker's role?

2. What are the TWO factors that can make social contact in a foreign country difficult?

3. What is the disadvantage of private accommodation?

Now let's listen to the audio

Part 1

Multiple Choice

What is John Parker's role?

• Someone who is going to stay in UK

• Representative of the British Council

• A talk show host

John Parker welcomed the group to British Council hence he is a representative of British Council

Multiple Select

2. What are the TWO factors that can make social contact in a foreign country difficult?

• travelling

• language

• customs

• accommodation

But when you're living in a foreign country it can be more difficult, not just because of the language, but because customs may be different.

Multiple Choice

3. What is the disadvantage of private accommodation?

• Buying and getting food is burdensome

• Getting public transportation is hard

• Socializing with people is going to be difficult

Living in private accommodation won't be quite so easy to meet people

Are you able to get the idea on how to distinguish relevant from the irrelevant information?

Now let us listen to the second part of the talk.

Read and understand the questions and statement first.

4. What is the speaker's suggestion to meet people in the UK?

5. The examples of community group that the speaker suggests are theatre, music and ....

6.In which TWO places can information about community activities be found?

Now listen to the audio to get the answers

Part 2

Multiple Choice

4. What is the speaker's suggestion to meet people in the UK?

• Get involved in local community activities

• Read about history

• Go to the theatre

First of all, you can get involved in activities in your local community, join a group of some kind

Or if you like the idea of finding out about local history there'll be a group for that too.

Multiple Select

6. In which TWO places can information about community activities be found?

• town hall

• theatre

• public library

The best places to get information about things are either the town hall or the public library

Hopefully by now you are able to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information

References

https://www.ielts.org/for-test-takers/sample-test-questions