2015
ELL SUMMER INSTITUTE SECTION
TOEIC LISTENING
INSTRUCTIONS
REQUIREMENTS FOR SAVING AND SUBMITTING DOCUMENTS
1. Filename: Save your document with your first and last name plus the ELL Summer
Institute section and the year “2015”.

Example: Jane Doe TOEIC Listening 2015.doc
2. Identifying Info: Your name should not appear anywhere inside the document. It should
only appear in the filename.
3. Submission Format: Complete the work sample by using the spaces provided on pages 4,
6, 7, 8, and 9. Delete all of the instructional material on pages 1–8. Your document
should contain only the item-writing tasks. Insert a page break between each completed
task.
OVERVIEW
The Test of English for International CommunicationTM (TOEIC®) is an English-language
proficiency test for those whose native language is not English. It measures the everyday
language skills of people working in international business, commerce, and industry. TOEIC test
scores indicate how well people can communicate in English with others in the global
workplace. The test does not require specialized knowledge or vocabulary; it measures only the
kind of English used in everyday work activities.
The TOEIC test is a paper-and-pencil, multiple-choice assessment. The Listening section
consists of 100 questions and is delivered by either audiocassette or CD. It is divided into four
parts. The four parts of the Listening section are as follows:
• Photographs: 10 questions
• Question-Response: 30 questions
• Conversations: 10 conversations with 3 questions each
• Talks: 10 talks with 3 questions each
Candidates listen to a variety of statements, questions, short conversations, and short talks and
then answer questions based on those listening segments. The recordings are made by four
speakers, each with a different English accent.
For more information, we recommend that you read the TOEIC Listening and Reading Examinee
Handbook, and review the example questions that are provided in the TOEIC Listening and
Reading Sample Test. These can be found at:
http://www.ets.org/toeic/listening_reading/test_preparation/sample_questions
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You will be asked to provide a work sample made up of several item-writing tasks. Each task is
preceded by one or two examples and specific directions.
Useful Terminology
Stimulus

A spoken or written text that sets up an item and options, such as a short
conversation or a reading passage
Item

A test question, including the question itself, any stimulus material provided
with the question, and the answer choices (for a multiple-choice item), or the
scoring rules (for a constructed-response item)
Stem


The part of an item that describes the task
It may be a question, an incomplete statement, or a complete statement that
requires interpretation
Key

The correct answer
Options


All the answer choices in a multiple-choice item
There are three or four options in TOEIC test items
Distracters

The incorrect options (answers) in an item
They should be attractive; that is, they should have some appeal
Illustration Stem
Key
Distracters
Where is the meeting room?
(A) It’s the first room on the right.
(B) To meet the new director.
(C) Yes, at two o’clock.
Options
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General Guidelines for Writing Good Listening Comprehension Items

In the stimulus, the language should always sound like natural speech. Contractions and
fragments are appropriate and acceptable. Because the TOEIC test is representative of many
forms of English—not just English in the United States—avoid the use of slang,
colloquialisms, and other language specific to United States culture.

Avoid inflammatory, controversial, or unpleasant topics. Dialogues should not have a
suggestive subtext. Language should be free of racist, sexist, or otherwise potentially
upsetting content.

There should be only one key for every item. Check your distracters to make sure they
cannot reasonably be interpreted as a correct answer. Distracters should be grammatically
correct and plausible answers for some other context, but not be appropriate responses for the
existing stimulus. For instance, in the first example below, option (B) is attractive because it
would be true if the stem began with “Where” instead of “When.”
WORK SAMPLE TASKS
Item Type: Question-Response
In the Question-Response section of the test, candidates hear a question or a statement. A short
sentence is followed by three responses, which are spoken by a second speaker. The responses
are not written in the test book. This is the only item type in the test that has three, not four,
options. Also, it is a convention for the Question-Response item type that all options end with a
period, even if they are not complete sentences. In the examples below, the keys have been
marked in bold.
Note: Although you may create distracters from words that sound similar to those in the
stimulus, do not play on sound-alike words for names of people or places.
Example #1—Candidate hears:
Canadian man:
When does the training start?
American woman:
(A) Using the phone system.
(B) In the main conference room.
(C) Right after lunch.
Example #2—Candidate hears:
British woman:
I haven’t received my order yet.
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American woman:
(A) I’ll have one.
(B) No, not recently.
(C) I’ll check on it for you.
Item-Writing Task One: Question-Response Analysis
Directions: In the item below, find two elements that violate the General Guidelines for Writing
Good Listening Comprehension Items, as described on page 3. Write your analysis in the space
provided.
Will Miss Lee be discussing the budget at tomorrow’s meeting?
(A) No, it’s misleading.
(B) It’s not on schedule.
(C) Yeah, that’s disgusting.
Analysis:
Item-Writing Task Two: Question-Response Completion
Directions: Write three options for the following question. Highlight the key in bold.
1. What’s the best way to get to the airport?
(A)
(B)
(C)
4
Item Type: Conversation
In the Conversation part of the test, candidates hear ten short conversations between two people.
Each dialogue contains three or four exchanges. Test takers then hear and read three questions
about the conversation. The speakers are often a man and a woman (to make the difference
between their voices clear), but that is not a requirement. In the example below, the keys have
been marked in bold.
Example—Narrator says: Questions 1 through 3 refer to the following conversation.
Australian man:
I received this shirt as a gift for my birthday, and I’d like to return it,
please.
British woman:
Of course, I can take care of that for you. Is there something wrong with
the shirt?
Australian man:
No, the shirt is fine; it’s just that I already have one that looks a lot like
this one. I don’t have the receipt, but I was hoping that I could get a cash
refund.
British woman:
I’m sorry, but without a receipt, I can only exchange the shirt or give you
store credit. Can I interest you in one of the new sweaters for this season,
or perhaps a jacket?
Candidate hears and reads:
1.
What item does the man want to return?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
2.
What does the man say about the item?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
3.
A shirt
A sweater
A jacket
A hat
It is damaged.
He has a similar one.
It is too small.
He does not like the color.
What does the man request?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
A cash refund
A gift box
An exchange
A store credit
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Note: In each Conversation set, the three points being tested should be memorable and important
in the context of the whole stimulus.
Item-Writing Task Three: Conversation Completion
Directions: Write a “why” question and four short options based on the conversation below.
Highlight the key in bold.
Canadian man:
Would it be OK if I worked in your office on Thursday? My office is
being painted then.
American woman:
Sure. I’m leaving for a conference on Wednesday afternoon and won’t be
back until next week, so it’s all yours.
Canadian man:
That’s great. I’ve got a lot of work to get done by the end of the week.
Stem: Why _______________________________________________?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
Item-Writing Task Four: Conversation Composition
Directions: Choose one of the following three settings and write a conversation between two
people that is relevant to that setting. The conversation should be 60 to 125 words in length.



A restaurant
A travel agency
A human resources office
Speaker 1:
Speaker 2:
Speaker 1:
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Speaker 2:
Word count: ______
Item Type: Talk
In the final part of the Listening section, candidates hear ten short talks and answer three
questions about each talk. In the example below, the keys have been marked in bold.
Note: In each Talk set, the three points being tested should be memorable and important in the
context of the whole stimulus.
Example—Narrator says: Questions 1 through 3 refer to the following announcement.
Australian man:
Attention, all employees. The power outage in plant number two has been
resolved. However, our main computers are still down. We will be closing
the production line early at 2:30 today so that technical services can correct
the problem. Please make sure all manufacturing equipment is turned off
before you leave. Thank you.
Candidate hears and reads:
1. Where is the announcement most likely taking place?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
In a factory
In a computer store
In a shopping center
In a school
2. Why is the building closing early?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
It is a holiday.
Bad weather is expected.
There are problems with the computers.
Employees will be taking inventory.
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3.
What are listeners asked to do?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
Report to work early
Turn off some equipment
Turn in their assignments tomorrow
Remind customers of a sale
Item-Writing Task Five: Talk Composition
Directions: Choose one of the following three contexts and write a short talk that is relevant to
that context. The talk should be 75 to 140 words in length.



A radio broadcast
An introduction to a tour
An excerpt from a meeting
Speaker:
Word count: ______
Item-Writing Task Six: Talk Stems and Keys
Directions: For the talk you wrote in Task Five, write the stems and keys for three items. Each
item should test a different salient point about the talk, and the answer to one item should not
help indicate the answer to any of the other items. You do not need to write distracters for any of
the items.
#1 Stem:
#1 Key:
8
________________________________________________________________________
#2 Stem:
#2 Key:
________________________________________________________________________
#3 Stem:
#3 Key:
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