Taking Notes for the Listening Section of the TOEFL® Test
Taking Notes for the TOEFL Listening
A Step-by-Step Guide
Let’s start by addressing the big, fat elephant in the room.
Every student’s favorite question…
“Do I have to take notes?”
No, you don’t have to take notes.
Say what?
Seriously. Many students find the TOEFL Listening Note taking process so difficult that they give up and just listen without taking notes.
And, some do well.
However, almost none score above a 25/30 in the TOEFL Listening section.
Most TOEFL Listening passages are at least five minutes long, and they are jam-packed with content.
It’s nearly impossible to remember enough information to answer every question correctly, which is why most who don’t take notes fail to score higher than a 25.
But if you’re anything like us, you want to be at your best. You want to maximize your potential and reach the highest possible score you can in the listening section.
And we want to show you how to do it.
We are going to take you step-by-step through the notetaking process for the TOEFL Listening so you know exactly what you need to do to take more notes in less time.
We will start with the three TOEFL Listening notetaking tips you must master first. And from there, we are going to use those tips to help us write notes for listening to conversations and lectures.
Let’s do it!
Oh snap, before I forget, let me add a link here to our free download of 100 Practice Questions for the TOEFLListening Section.
We specifically designed these questions for students like you who are looking to build their TOEFL Listening note taking strategies.
Check it out and let us know if you have any questions.
How to take notes in the TOEFL Listening section?
All right, back to the lesson.
Three Rules for Taking TOEFL Notes
When it comes to what words to write and how to write them, there are three simple rules you need to follow.
- Write down only nouns, verbs, and adjectives (content words)
- Write down consonants (vowels are hardly ever needed)
- Know your core symbols
Why are these rules so important?
The key TOEFL note-taking strategy is to be succinct. If you spend time writing down unnecessary information, you will miss important content.
Now let’s take a look at these three rules on how to take notes in the TOEFL Listening section in action.
#1 Write down only nouns, verbs and adjectives
Let’s use some fancy vocabulary here.
You should write down only content words, and leave out function words.
Content words are meaningful words that contain significance, such as people or places, actions, and descriptions.
Function words are things like prepositions, articles, auxiliary verbs (have), and
Well, there are
Let’s practice. Only jot down the content words that will be most helpful in aiding your memory.
Insomnia, a consistent difficulty in falling or staying asleep, is the most common of the sleep disorders.
Insomnia common disorder
It is not uncommon for people suffering from insomnia to experience increased levels of anxiety about their inability to fall asleep.
More anxiety falling asleep
Chronic insomnia is almost always associated with feeling overtired and may be associated with symptoms of depression.
Chronic symptoms overtired depression
Not so bad, right?
Now let’s move on to the next rule.
#2 Write down consonants, not vowels
You remember the difference between consonants and vowels, right?
Vowels consist of the letters a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y.
Consonants are all the other letters …b, c, d, f… and so on.
You probably never thought about it much before, but almost every word in English contains at least one vowel.
Here’s the interesting part.
Vowels are so common that you could write a word without any of its vowels and still understand the meaning.
Here are a few examples:
- sleep →
slp - symptoms →
smptms - depression →
dprsn
Seems simple enough, but it will take some getting used to.
If you’re anything like me, you may be imaging some words that need vowels in order to be understood (i.e. apple –> ppl?)
Don’t hesitate to throw in a vowel sometimes when you have a word that you will not understand without one.
- anxiety →
anxty - create →
crete - treaty →
trty
Experiment and find an approach that works best for you.
Let’s try those sentences again, this time incorporating rule #2, only consonants.
Insomnia, a consistent difficulty in falling or staying asleep, is the most common of the sleep disorders.
- Insma cmn dsrdr
Now try the next two on your own…
It is not uncommon for people suffering from insomnia to experience increased levels of anxiety about their inability to fall asleep.
Chronic insomnia is almost always associated with feeling overtired and may be associated with symptoms of depression.
Exciting right?
I know, I know, the TOEFL can be a bit dry sometimes, so, if you are reading this right now I am so proud to be able to share this information with someone as motivated as you are to achieve your TOEFL score.
Let’s get back into it.
There’s one more important rule to consider when taking notes for the TOEFL Listening section.
#3 Know your core symbols
Below is a chart of the nine most important symbols to incorporate in your TOEFL Listening note taking.
Important Symbols |
|
---|---|
Symbol | Meaning |
+ | benefit, positive, also, as well, together, combined |
Ø | not, no, negative, stop |
? | I'm not sure, lecturer not sure, question |
↑ | rising, increase, improve, positive, beneficial |
↓ | going down, decreasing, problematic, hurting |
→ | leads to, results in, follows |
= | is equal to, the same as, something is like/similar to |
≠ | not equal to, not the same as, dissimilar |
/ | and, connected to |
Symbols are important. Not only do they save time, but also increase the amount of information you write down about the listening passages.
But if you are new to using symbols, do NOT try to incorporate all nine of these symbols in your notes at once.
The key is to keep it simple. Start with just two or three. I suggest the arrows since they are the easiest to understand.
As you start to feel more comfortable, incorporate more of these symbols in your note taking listening exercises. Remember, it’s hard to change a habit. You have been taking notes your own way for years. It will take some time to get used to all of this information, so take it slow.
Let’s look at those sentences again. So far we have noted the content words and omitted most of the vowels, now let’s include a few symbols.
Insomnia, a consistent difficulty in falling or staying asleep, is the most common of the sleep disorders.
- Insmna = cmn slp dsrdr
It is not uncommon for people suffering from insomnia to experience increased levels of anxiety about their inability to fall asleep.
- ↑ anxty ⌀ aslp
You try the last one…
Chronic insomnia is almost always associated with feeling overtired and may be associated with symptoms of depression.
See. It’s getting easier already!
Right?
Right…
How to Take Notes for TOEFL Listening Conversations
You know what to write down. That’s a HUGE step in the right direction.
Here’s a quick recap.
- Write down content words
- Write down consonants
- Know your core symbols
It’s time to apply what you have learned.
The good news is that TOEFL Listening Conversations are easy to follow.
You have conversations every day!
And it gets better…
All the conversations follow the same structure:
- The student presents a problem
- The campus worker offers a solution
- They discuss how to solve the problem
When listening to the lecture, try to find these pieces:
- problem
- solution
- steps
To help you organize your thoughts, we suggest creating a table like this:
As you can probably guess:
- S = student
- W = campus worker
When you’re trying to decide what’s important and what’s not important to write down, there are three types of information to consider.
- Things you could write down – relatively easy to remember, so you probably don’t have to write it down
- Things you should write down – important information that is slightly more difficult to remember
- Things you must write down – information that is definitely important and difficult to remember
You could write down the main idea, the student’s problem, the tone of voice, and the inferred mood of the speaker. Nothing here is incredibly important, but might still be useful. Problems and feelings are easier to remember than details.
You should write down possible solutions to the problem and the position of the campus worker. This type of information is more important because when you know the stance of the individual speaking, you will have a better idea of how to answer the questions and eliminate choices. Also, this information is easier to recall. You can probably remember the stance and possible solutions without writing anything down.
Things you must write down include assignment requirements or rules that need to be followed. These details are important to help you answer the questions and may be hard to remember.
The best way to master this skill is to practice.
Get access to TST Prep’s Complete Test #13 so you can learn exactly what to expect on test day.
Go to the listening section and practice taking down notes for the two conversations. Don’t try to write down everything, but instead focus on the structure of the TOEFL Listening conversation and the most important points.
Consider the hierarchical structure of importance when taking notes.
- could
- should
- must
Here’s a handy chart of what you could, should, and must write down in your notes if you are ever feeling lost when listening to a TOEFL conversation passage in the listening section.
Your Notes |
|
---|---|
could |
|
should |
|
must |
|
Stop trying to understand every detail of the listening. Start to focus on points you must write down, like assignment requirements and rules that need to be followed, which are much more likely to help you answer the questions.
How to Take Notes for TOEFL Listening Lectures
Most TOEFL teachers and books tell you that when you are listening to the lecture, you have to write down the main idea. Well, I have some surprising news…
Despite what you might think, the main idea of the lecture is not the most important thing you want to look for.
That’s right, you do NOT have to write down the main idea in your notes.
The main idea is still the most important piece of information you need to find when you listen, but you don’t have to write it down in your notes.
The reason?
Most of the time, the main idea isn’t directly stated. Instead, it emerges as the lecture unfolds. By the end of the lecture, if you understood most of the content, it should be easy to recognize the main idea.
In other words, it’s easy to remember, without taking notes. So, you could write down the main idea.
That’s right, just like in the TOEFL Listening conversation passages, there are some pieces of information that are more important to write down than others.
Let’s take a step back for a second and look at the overall structure of the lecture.
What does an academic lecture look like?
Each lecture is about 5 minutes long, and some take the form of a strict lecture, whereas others are more of a discussion between the professor and some students.
Regardless of the type of lecture, your mission is to identify the main idea, followed by the most important points that elaborate on and support the main idea. The best way to do this is to consider the structure of the lecture.
Instead of asking questions like, “What’s the best answer?” or “What does this word mean?”, ask questions about the structure of the passage and why a particular piece of information has been included. Here are some questions you should ask:
- “Why does the professor say this?”
- “What does the professor want the students to know by the end?”
- “Why is this information important?”
And also…
- “How does the professor elaborate on, explain, or illustrate the main idea?”
Your job is NOT to understand every word you hear, but instead to identify the main idea and the important points that elaborate on the main idea.
While all this is important to consider during lectures, some of this information will be easier to remember than others, which is why we are going to break it down in terms of could, should and must.
Remember the difference between the three:
- Things you could write down – relatively easy to remember, so you probably don’t have to write it down
- Things you should write down – important information that is slightly more difficult to remember
- Things you must write down – information that is definitely important and difficult to remember
In regards to the TOEFL Listening lecture, you could write down the main idea and the tone of voice of the professor in certain parts. Remember, the main idea is crucial for you to identify, but not much of a challenge to remember.
When the lecture starts, you should write down the type of class. The narrator will begin each passage with the phrase, “Now listen to part of a talk in a __________ class“. True, you will not get a question about the class type, but it will help you narrow the type of information you focus on.
You should also write down the two or three subtopics that are used to illustrate the main idea.
In the TOEFL lectures, you must write down at least one characteristic of each subtopic and an important detail within the first minute.
Your notes are designed to help you prepare for the six questions that follow the passage. The first question is always
The questions go in the same order as the lecture is presented. Trying to identify one important detail in the first minute is designed to help you answer that question and to focus your attention on the listening so you are more attuned to the lecture.
I also included basic characteristics of the subtopics in the must field because this type of information is difficult to remember and you could be asked a detail question about this type of information.
Again, remember the order of importance when taking notes. Focus on what you must write down first.
Here’s a table of what you could, should and must write down in the TOEFL Listening lecture passages.
Your Notes |
|
---|---|
could |
|
should |
|
must |
|
Practice Makes Perfect?
Now you know how to take notes for the TOEFL Listening. Let’s put these new notetaking skills into practice.
Practicing not only helps you get better and faster, but it makes you feel more confident.
You can check out our 100 Practice Questions for the TOEFLListening Section.
I know this TOEFL stuff can get a bit frustrating sometimes. So don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know if you have any questions or concerns: [email protected]
Did we miss anything? Or do you have a comment?
Please add your ideas in the comments section below.
We promise to respond to every single one!
Hey Josh! Thanks for all of your awesome tips. I score mostly 27-8 on my listening practices, but the points I lose are always in the lectures and because I miss some details between taking notes and listening. What do you suggest for this problem?
Hi there and thank you for your question. First of all, congrats on your score. It’s very difficult to score 27 or higher in any section of the iBT. If you are scoring that high, it sounds like you already have a great approach and just once in a while get something wrong. I would track the questions you are missing to see if there is any pattern. Is there a certain type of question? Try to find some pattern and focus on minimizing it. I hope that helps a bit.
Hey Josh, thanks for the lesson!
Please give me any suggestions to improve my listening ability because I am not a native speaker. I found difficulty in understanding the fast speaking English conversation.
Hi there Nimra, you might find this lecture helpful on how to improve your listening skills. I hope it helps. https://vimeo.com/437708258
Hey Josh! I am absolutely grateful for finding this platform. I’ve watched almost all your YouTube videos and I have a long path ahead of me to absorb all this wonderful content you have available here. I just wanted to tell you how I appreciate your work, and that I’m sure you’re helping not only me but a lot of other confused students around the world. Also, I wanted to ask a tip about how to improve my grammar skills by myself (with no one to proofread it). Especially when it comes to the use of punctuation signs, how to write short sentences correctly and how to avoid the “I” overuse. I would appreciate it if you could help me with these questions. Thanks in advance.
Hi Mariana and first of all, thank you for your kind words! It means A LOT. Secondly, in regards to your question, I find that students who get feedback on their writing improve the fastest. So, in other words, instead of buying a grammar book, write a lot and get a lot of feedback. Besides working with a teacher, you could also try using an automatic grammar checker like Grammarly. They have a “premium” version that will give you extensive feedback on your writing. There is one book I sometimes recommend as well, with good exercises and explanations for intermediate to advanced students. I will put a link below. I hope this helps Mariana. https://www.amazon.com/English-Grammar-Use-Self-study-Intermediate/dp/0521189063/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2CCY9QK1H2MCO&dchild=1&keywords=english+grammar+in+use&qid=1587775307&sprefix=english+grammar+%2Caps%2C326&sr=8-3
Thank you, Josh. You’re the best!
Thank you so much for such great tips on how getting improve. Although, my main problem is that I am really slow in note taking the way that I have to listen twice to get all the information especially for speaking question 3-4 where my answer depends on the notes I take. Your advice is really appreciated.
Hi Shahd and thank you for your question. It sounds like you need to build your listening and notetaking skills a bit. So, start small. Do not try to write down everything you hear. Instead, write down just 5 words, that’s it, and then try to answer. If you feel comfortable with 5 words, try to write down 6 words tomorrow, and so on, building your skills along the way.
I hope that helps!
Please help me, on the all of segment of the toefl. Because I need to somebody help me and get a top score on the toefl.
Hi Hakim and thank you for your question. Well, everything on the site is designed to help you. However, if you still need further assistance, you might want to check out our private lessons here – https://tstprep.com/toefl-store/toefl-private-lessons/
Hi, I just want to say thank you for putting an article about note taking for the TOEFL exam. I took the exam a long time back right out of college, now that I’m going to apply for a few universities for masters I was looking for info specifically about note taking. I can manage pretty well without notes, but as you’ve rightly mentioned in the article, I wouldn’t want to leave out the 3-5 marks that I could otherwise get by taking proper notes.
I tried few exercises from Official TOEFL book and Kaplan and it worked very well for me. Thank you again.
Sadana, thank you for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful remark. It took a lot of trial and error to figure out a note taking approach that helps, so I’m glad you found it useful as well. Good luck on the test!
That was a great lesson thank you so much! Still I have a big trouble with toefl listening. I can listen and understand many sites such as VOA(Voice Of America) but when it comes to TOEFL, i cannot understand even slow lectures. The problem is I cannot take notes, when I take I miss the following informations. I am a native Turkish speaker by the way and unfortunately almost all my friends do not take notes. And they say we are not skilled enough to take notes and listen at same time.
Hi Omer and thank you for the comment. I would start by taking a few notes, just a couple of words that you feel are important and then build up your skills.
Also, try some of these short listening passages. Start small, focusing on shorter passages and fewer notes and then have small goals, for example, today I will write five words down and tomorrow six.
https://tstprep.com/courses/toefl-listening-practice-pack-sample/
Setting small, incremental goals will help you build your skills for the TOEFL over time.
You might also want to consider enrolling in classes with a teacher that can help you build these skills over time. https://tstprep.com/toefl-store/toefl-private-lessons/
I hope that helps.
How can I be familiar with the native speaker accent?
Good question and we are currently working on a program to address this very issue. For now, I will recommend Rachel’s English, a website devoted to American accent training. https://rachelsenglish.com/
Check back around November and the course/materials on accent should be available then.
It was a clear and straight forward write up, thank you so much. Though opening the sample exercise is difficult, but sure to use other device when I get home after work today. Ho many months do you suggest for practice if I practice an hour or more daily before the exams. thank you.
Hi there and good question. A lot depends on your strengths and weaknesses and how you study exactly. Also, I do not know your current level or what score you need, so a lot depends on various factors and it is impossible for me to tell each individual student what they need without meeting him or her. Sorry I can’t give you a more specific response. If you are really curious, you might want to consider a trial lesson at this link – https://tstprep.com/toefl-store/toefl-private-lessons/ – the teacher will give you an idea of your current level and what you need to do to get to your desired score.
Great content.. very informative.. will definitely apply these tips and tricks.. 🙂 🙂
That’s great Amruta! Let me know if there is any other way I can help.
Wow! I can’t explain you that how you are made me feeling. I’m really sure everyone who hsa read it would mede a huge difference. It’s more than tips. I really appreciate into my deep heart Josh .
Wow! What a sweet compliment Elhadi, thank you. Glad to hear you found it helpful!
Hi Josh,thanks for the lesson
Am sure this will help me excel
Thanks for commenting Stella and I hope it helps. Let me know if there are any other topics you would like me to discuss in the future 🙂
It was very helpful thank you
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment Stella. Happy to help 🙂
I just want to say thanks for being so unselfish and not putting profit ahead of test takers success.
Thanks for the useful materials.
Hi Jennifer and thank you for the support. Well, without any financial support, we are not able to support ourselves or our families, but we try to give a fair amount of material away for free for those who can not afford it.
Thanks for noticing!
awesome, I really appreciate.
Thanks for commenting Isaac. Happy to help!
really, this is good useful article.
Hi Hamza and thank you for the comment. Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
That’s pretty good lesson
I’m really excited about the tips
Awesome
HI Ramin and I’m so happy to hear that you found this useful. Let me know how it goes and if you have any recommendations 🙂
Thank you sir really was new tips and important.
Great! I’m happy to hear you found them helpful. Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any other questions or concerns 😉
Josh MacPherson your articles really helped me a lot. I didn’t know what to do, since I stucked between 23-24 in Listening and Reading but after reading your articles and solidifying them (your tips and tricks) I could boost my scores to 27-28, thank you so much, you are our saver, wish you all of the best!!!
That’s great news Bema! Always happy to hear when a student can get the score they need and move on with their life. What’s next?