TOEFL Listening Notes from Lecture Ready 3:
Chp.1-3
Chapter 1: “New Trends in Marketing Research”
I. Listening Strategy: Lecture Language for Topic and Lecture Plan
- Professors usually tell you the TOPIC at the beginning of the lecture
- They also give a LECTURE PLAN- an overview of the material & how they plan to
present it, like a map
- LISTEN for words & expressions to indicate the TOPIC
- LISTEN for words & expressions to indicate the LECTURE PLAN
-
A. Topic Lecture Language:
Today we’re going to talk about…
What I want to discuss today is…
Today’s topic is…
We’ll be looking at…
I’ll give you an overview of…
Last time we discussed…, and this week we’re going to…
In today’s class we’ll focus on…
-
B. Lecture Plan Language:
There are a few things we’ll be covering today…
We’ll start out with…, and then look at…
I’ll be covering 2 areas in today’s lecture…
First, we’ll look at…, then…, and finally we’ll move on to…
II. Note-Taking Strategy: Outline and Assessing
i. Outline method
 Outlining is a way to visually represent the relationships b/t ideas
 SPACE & INDENTATION show which ideas are MAIN POINTS &
which are SUPPORTING DETAILS
ii. Assess your notes
 Sometimes during a lecture you can miss important points
 Compare w/ classmates to check your notes are complete
iii. Example: Below is an example of a student’s notes. Look at it & try to
summarize it.
Kinds of Market Research
Geographic
Country
Region
e.g. the Midwest
Urban area
e.g city/suburb
Demographic
Age
Sex
Income
Education
Highest level achieved
III. Discussion Strategy: Expressing Your Ideas
A. Express your ideas
 Professors will ask questions during the lecture or in class discussions
 Ss have to express their ideas
 Participation shows that you are interested & actively thinking
 It also helps you learn & remember new info from class
B. Examples
 I think/believe/feel…
 In my opinion…
 Here’s what I think…
 I’d like to say/add/mention…
 Here are my two cents…
 What I’d like to say…
 Personally, I think/feel/believe…
Chapter 2: “Business Ethics”
I. Listening Strategy: Generalizations
- Professors often support GENERAL IDEAS with research, observations, and
stories.
a. Generalization can be before supporting info.
b. Supporting info. can lead to a generalization
i. This leads us to believe that…
ii. I hope you can see that…
iii. We can infer from this that…
iv. What can we infer from this?
v. What can we conclude from this?
vi. This shows/proves/demonstrates that…
vii. Let me back this up w/ a story/some findings…
II. Note-Taking Strategies: Keyword
- Remember to focus on the important words, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, and
adverbs (content words). These hold meaning.
- Avoid function words. You’ll just be wasting time.
III. Discussion Strategy: Giving & Asking for Opinions
- It’s good to participate in a discussion by GIVING YOUR OPINIONS
- It’s also important to HEAR the OPINIONS of others in your class. This can
prove interesting and valuable as well
A. Giving your opinion
i. I think/feel…
ii. In my opinion…
iii. It seems to me…
iv. To me,
v. In my experience…
B. Asking for opinions
i. What do you think about…?
ii. Matthew, how do you feel about…?
iii. I’d like to hear what Matthew has to say.
iv. Does anyone have an opinion on this?
v. In your experience, (question)
vi. What’s your take on this?
Chapter 3: “Trends in Children’s Media Use”
I. Listening Strategy: Generalizations
- Professors often support GENERAL IDEAS with research, observations, and
stories.
c. Generalization can be before supporting info.
d. Supporting info. can lead to a generalization
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
This leads us to believe that…
I hope you can see that…
We can infer from this that…
What can we infer from this?
What can we conclude from this?
vi. This shows/proves/demonstrates that…
vii. Let me back this up w/ a story/some findings…
II. Note-Taking Strategies: Keyword
- Remember to focus on the important words, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, and
adverbs (content words). These hold meaning.
- Avoid function words. You’ll just be wasting time.
III. Discussion Strategy: Giving & Asking for Opinions
- It’s good to participate in a discussion by GIVING YOUR OPINIONS
- It’s also important to HEAR the OPINIONS of others in your class. This can
prove interesting and valuable as well
A. Giving your opinion
i. I think/feel…
ii. In my opinion…
iii. It seems to me…
iv. To me,
v. In my experience…
B. Asking for opinions
i. What do you think about…?
ii. Matthew, how do you feel about…?
iii. I’d like to hear what Matthew has to say.
iv. Does anyone have an opinion on this?
v. In your experience, (question)
vi. What’s your take on this?