Should you practice dictation when self-studying IELTS Listening at home?

Self-studying IELTS Listening is one of the articles in the Sharing series. In addition, PREP would like to introduce academic consultant Mai Trang to Preppies. In this article, Mai Trang will assist you with the question of "whether or not you should practice dictation when self-studying IELTS Listening?". Let's refer to the article together with PREP to have the most effective exam preparation, Preppies!

I. Should you practice dictation when self-studying IELTS Listening?

Dictation is perhaps one of the most "classic" listening practice methods. This method has been passed down from one generation to another. Even when I googled the keyword "dictation," there were nearly 12 million results.

However, few people know that the question "Is dictation effective?" is quite meaningless. It's no different from asking, "Is Panadol effective?" Well, Panadol is effective for relieving headaches, but it's certainly not effective for stomachaches. So, a more accurate question we should ask is, "Who will dictation be effective for?"

II. The dictation definition

The process of dictation essentially consists of two parts: Listening and Writing. It means that you have to listen clearly and even accurately to most of the words that the audio is referring to. Only then can you have the ability to write down the words you have heard on paper.

To reach this excellent level, you need to have sharp language-sensitive ears (to hear the words clearly) and a fairly extensive vocabulary (to recognize the words and write them down). These are two factors that those at an intermediate level (below 5.0 IELTS) are still weak in. Dictation is certainly not a suitable practice method for this target group.

III. What is the appropriate "medicine" for your ears when self-studying IELTS Listening?

The listening ability in a foreign language in general, and English in particular, will "evolve" through various levels. It's similar to different types of illnesses. Each level will require a specific practice method or different medicines. Let's try a Listening test in the Free IELTS Listening-Reading Practice Package. Then, come back here, and we can diagnose and find the "cure" together!

1. Patient 1: Can't hear anything!

Of course, I mean that you're in a situation where you can't hear any English words at all. The audio just flows from one ear to the other, muffled and... gibberish. This situation is likely to occur when your vocabulary is too limited, typically at a beginner level - below 4.0 IELTS.

The most suitable "medicine" for this patient is to read the transcript of the audio before listening. Then, look up the meanings and learn new vocabulary/structures to expand your vocabulary. Don't worry about knowing the answers in advance.

Because it's highly likely that even after reading the transcript, you still haven't understood anything. Practice this method when self-studying IELTS Listening. After only 3 months of continuous practice, you will definitely see a noticeable improvement in your scores.

In addition, please refer to PREP's Vocabulary Course from Basic to Advanced Levels. The course provides a wider range of vocabulary across various topics. When you combine practicing test exercises with self-studying IELTS Listening, the effectiveness will be multiplied by 100.

2. Patient 2: Thought it was correct, but turned out to be wrong!

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you clearly heard the answer as ABC? Excitedly, you filled in ABC, feeling happy because the question seemed easy. But when it came to scoring, the answer turned out to be XYZ, right? If your answer is "yes," then the reason could very well be that you often mispronounce words!

In language learning, Listening and Speaking are interrelated skills. If your Listening is weak, it's difficult to have good Speaking skills. And if your Speaking is weak, it's also challenging to have accurate Listening. Just imagine, if you normally mispronounce the word "island" as "ˈaɪs.lənd," then when you hear the word "Iceland" in the audio, you will fill in the wrong answer as "island." This mistake is also mentioned by Ms. Hà Trang in the Basic Pronunciation course by Prep.

For these "patients," what you need to do after completing a test is to spend additional time shadowing (imitating) the audio you just heard. Focus on the parts where you misheard or misunderstood to practice pronouncing those areas accurately. The shadowing technique is also instructed by Ms. Hà Trang in the lesson on Final Sounds in the Basic Pronunciation course!

3. Patient 3: Understand when listening, but write it completely wrong!

This is the main group of people who can benefit the most from the "Listening and Dictation" method when self-studying IELTS Listening at home. This group can maximize its effectiveness. The weakness of this group is that their pronunciation is decent, and their vocabulary is not bad either.

However, due to not remembering the spelling or writing too slowly, they often miss out on the answers, which is extremely regrettable, especially with words that have many letters. For example, you often miss the letter "n" in the word "government." or words that change their spelling when their form changes. For example, the verb "explain" becomes "explanation" when it changes to a noun, without the letter "i" anymore.

Therefore, listening and dictation will help those of you who are experiencing this situation improve your visual memory of words and train your hands to react quickly to what your ears hear. Therefore, you can gradually improve your band score!

A learning method is not "right" or "wrong." It is only "suitable" or "not suitable" for each individual! A method that works for one person does not necessarily mean it will be effective for you. So, keep experimenting and continuously making changes! If you have any questions or requests regarding the next content you want to read, don't hesitate to leave a comment below to let PREP know! Good luck to all you Preppies in mastering the "Listening and Dictation" skill when self-studying IELTS Listening at home!