Part 5: Listening to a Discussion
Format
- 8 questions, 3 minutes to answer all questions.
- A conversation between 2-3 speakers discussing a topic where they may agree, disagree, or offer different perspectives. You must attribute opinions to the correct speaker.
- A single audio followed by 8 dropdown-style questions displayed on screen.
- Example scenarios: coworkers debating new software adoption, managers discussing schedule changes, a team weighing whether to expand a program, colleagues discussing a vegan menu proposal.
Strategies
1
Learn to distinguish speakers immediately
When the audio starts, focus on identifying each speaker's voice. Note their initial position on the topic, as this is your baseline for tracking their views throughout.
2
Track who says what
Many questions ask "According to Speaker A…" or "Which speaker believes…" Keep a mental tally of each speaker's position. Speakers may also change their mind during the discussion.
3
Listen for agreement and disagreement markers
"I agree with you on that," "That's a good point, but…", "I see it differently." These phrases are critical for questions about consensus or divergence.
4
Pay attention to qualifications and concessions
A speaker might say "You're right about X, but I still think Y." Questions may test whether you understood that they partially agree.
Example
Note: In the real exam, the audio plays once with no replay and no pause. The questions are also audio-only and will not appear as text on screen. The discussion is presented as a video rather than a static image.
You will watch a discussion among three people, one woman and two men. They are discussing the potential adoption of new project management software for their team.
left
Emily
center
David
right
Alex
Listen to the conversation.
How to apply the strategies
- Strategy #1 (Distinguish speakers): Identifying Emily's voice early helps you attribute this statement correctly.
- Strategy #2 (Track who says what): The question asks about Emily's main argument, so you need to identify which statements belong to her.
- Emily specifically says ProjexFlow "could really streamline our workflows." The word "streamline" maps to "make work processes more efficient."
- The other options may be discussed by other speakers or not mentioned at all.
Practice Listening Now
Apply these strategies with real CELPIP-style listening questions.
Start Practicing