So what are we listening for?
A comparison of the English listening constructs
in the Japanese National Centre Test and TOEFL® iBT

Appendix H: Sample TOEFL® iBT
pragmatic understanding questions


4. Understanding the function of what is said: Listen to a conversation between a student and a housing office secretary




Conversation:

Student: Okay. I'll just pay with a credit card. [pause] And where do I do that at?
Secretary: At, um, the housing office.
Student: Housing office, all right.
Secretary: Do you know where they are?

Q: What is the woman trying to find out from the man?
Where the housing office is
Approximately how far away the housing office is
Whether she needs to tell him where the housing office is
Whether he has been to the housing office already
Another example: Listen to a conversation between a student and an advisor




Conversation:

Advisor: Well, good. So, bookstore isn't working out?
Student: Oh, bookstore's working out fine. I just I — this pays almost double what the bookstore does.
Advisor: Oh wow!
Student: Yeah. Plus credit.
Advisor: Plus credit.
Student: And it's more hours, which . . . The bookstore's — I mean it's a decent job 'n all.
Everybody I work with . . . that part's great; it's just . . . I mean I'm shelving books and kind
of hanging out and not doing much else . . . if it weren't for the people, it'd be totally boring.

Q: What is the student's attitude toward the people he currently works with?
He finds them boring.
He likes them.
He is annoyed by them.
He does not have much in common with them
Source: ETS (2006a)
Main Article Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E
Appendix F Appendix G Appendix H Appendix I Appendix J Appendix K
2006 Pan SIG-Proceedings: Topic Index Author Index Page Index Title Index Main Index
Complete Pan SIG-Proceedings: Topic Index Author Index Page Index Title Index Main Index

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