DSE 2023: Study different text types for English listening exam

Paper 3 requires students to complete two tasks: Part A, which is compulsory, and Part B, which allows students to choose between the easier Part B1 and the more difficult Part B2.

Chan said that sentence completion is the most important question type in Part A. These fill-in-the-blank questions can be difficult because the answers will not be directly provided in the audio recording as dictation.

“The wording [in the recording] may not be the same as on the question paper … So [students] should highlight keywords and complete the sentence with their own phrases,” said the tutor, stressing that it is also important to be grammatically correct when answering the questions.

Chan said long questions are many students’ weaknesses. “Their [the speakers in the recording] speaking pace is so fast, and they may correct their answer. So students should pay attention to the last [words said] as the answers may not appear at first.”

Another important question type asks students about speakers’ attitudes. The tutor reminded DSE candidates to revise adjectives about attitude, such as optimistic, pessimistic, and depressing.

“In recent years, more advanced words have appeared on the paper, such as authoritative, complementary, foreboding, and reassuring,” he explained, adding that students should pay attention to emotional phrases in the recording and not choose a word that overstates or exaggerate the author’s attitude.

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For students who struggle with the speed of the recording, Chan advised paying extra attention to singular and plural nouns. They should also check the capitalisation of proper nouns, such as slogans or the title of a talk.

He also encouraged students to be brave and guess if they miss an answer or cannot spell a word correctly.

“Never give up on any of the questions. Pay attention to the text and [look for] similar meanings or examples. Try your luck; the marking scheme is flexible, so if candidates write [a word with a] similar meaning, they can get some marks,” said the tutor.

When choosing between the two sections in Part B, Chan recommended students always attempt B2, as the listening component of each version is similar. Only students who read and write slowly should consider B1.

Regarding the interpretation and integration of the data file, the tutor mentioned a few writing formats that students should pay attention to, including articles, proposals, speeches, letters to the editor, business letters, and profiles.

Chan said that proposals and business letters, such as invitations and letters of appeal and request, are the two most important formats on this year’s exam. “Speeches have appeared on the exam every year for the past three years due to the cancellation of the oral exam during the pandemic. And no report type has appeared in Paper 3 [yet],” the tutor pointed out.

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But speech is still a vital format to study. “It might still appear this year, and possible topics may be related to technology or cyberspace. It is common to ask candidates to present some ideas about cyberspace,” Chan predicted.

When it comes to interpreting the data file, the tutor reminded students to be mindful of the number of tasks to complete and organise their answers in the correct sequence. “On average, students will have 75 minutes after the [recording plays]. So, they should allocate 25 minutes to each task,” said Chan.

In the last few days leading up to the English exam, Chan emphasised the importance of revision. “Focus on studying how to write different [text] formats and believe you can improve your listening performance.”