How To Approach Map Labelling in IELTS Listening Test?

Zilpah D'Souza Published:
April 04, 2024

The IELTS listening test consists of four recordings depending on the educational and social setting. The listening test consists of forty questions (in total) that must be answered in thirty minutes. The test consists of the following types of questions: multiple choice, matching questions, form, note, table, flow chart, diagram labelling, plan, map, summary, and sentence completion. The IELTS listening map activity requires you to listen to the audio and name the map with the appropriate letter for each question. There will also be questions where you have to hear the audio and label the location that has not been specified. The labelling questions on the map and the plan will follow a similar format: you will be asked to map the town on the map and identify the buildings on the plan.

Strategies For Map Labelling

Gaining a good band score in the IELTS test requires that you comprehend the listening map labelling question type in its entirety. You may mark the map and plan correctly by carefully following these suggestion from IELTS professionals.

To begin, read the directions carefully to figure out how you will respond to the listening map question. You can tell exactly how many words and what sort of words you need to respond to from the instructions.

Before the tape starts playing in the IELTS listening test, you will have some time to consider the question. You have to make the most of this time because it is necessary. Before you label the map or plan, you must first comprehend the question. Study the map or plan and attempt to guess the labels according to their locations.

The title and marked parts of the map and plan question are critical for a good answer. You can determine the premise of the audio you are about to hear by looking at the title. Besides, by being aware of the designated sections, you will be able to concentrate on other information while listening.

Imagine yourself at the location and try to find out what other places are nearby. Predicting the person's starting point and potential locations to the right, left, front, and back can help you get started. Connect the dots between your guess and the supplied question.

You will be able to identify the answers on the recordings in the IELTS listening test by listening to the questions in the correct order. To put it simply, you will hear the answer to question 1 first, followed by question 2.

There is no such thing as obtaining the answer so immediately from the recordings. In certain cases, you may get the answer you want, but the speaker may insert a distractor phrase and add more information to the statement. You should pay close attention to the distracting words in the audio, such as "but" "however," "no," and "sorry."

You may take notes on the question paper during the listening test. Write down the main ideas that are pertinent to the question. Quit scribbling so that your notes are comprehensible. Avoid giving longer descriptions. To prepare for the IELTS listening test, practice taking notes.

The time allotted for you to transfer the answers is an important aspect of the IELTS listening test. Make sure the words, instructions, and places are correctly spelt. Verify if providing an answer in writing is necessary.

After guessing probable answers to the questions, you should focus not only on the specific replies in the audio but also on the synonyms. If the answer you want is books, the speaker may use the terms study resource/material. Learn as many synonyms as you can so that you have more options while speaking.

You must be familiar with basic map-related vocabulary before attempting to listen to the audio. It is not always the case that speakers use straightforward terms such as right, left, close by, or behind to identify locations or explain directions.