When you take a university course, you need to understand spoken instructions concerning assignments. Sometimes, you will need to report this information to someone else. In this task, you will listen to some recorded speech and follow the directions on the tape.
There are a number of skills that are specific to Task 2.
Skill 1: Summarizing the main points of an academic lecture
As a member of a class you will often be in the position of needing to summarize the main points of an academic lecture for other students who missed the class or as a result of a group or class discussion. Usually, you will have your notes in front of you to remind you of these points. If your notes are well organized, it will be easier for you to identify what to focus on in your talk.
Skill 4: Identifying and describing important details
When you are reading or listening to lectures, discussions, conversations or presentations, you will want to identify important details. Often, you will need to communicate these details to others. In the test, you will be asked to identify important details for a friend who is missing the class.
Skill 9: Explaining a process or procedure that needs to be followed
In academic settings we are often required to follow particular processes or procedures. It is important to be able to explain processes or procedures to others. In the test, you will be asked to explain a process or procedure to another student who needs the information.
Skill 11: Giving directions
Explaining what to do to others is an important part of effective academic work. In the test, you will be asked to explain what to do to a student who missed the class in which the professor explained this.
Skill 13: Speaking clearly and comprehensibly
Speaking clearly and comprehensibly is a critical part of effective oral communication. The test will provide you with important diagnostic information about what is working and what needs work. Overall, the test is designed to evaluate the clarity and comprehensibility of your talk across a number of different academic tasks, levels of formality, audiences, and purposes.
Skill 14: Using appropriate expressions, phrasing, or words in relation to the purpose (formal presentation, group discussion) and the audience (professor, classmates)
The ways in which we say things in English changes in relation to whom we are saying them to and for what purpose (see above). You should for example, find the kind of talking you do in your academic classroom differs in many ways from the kind of talking you do when you meet your classmates outside the class. It is important to be aware of what is appropriate. Overall, the test is designed to evaluate how appropriate your talk is across a number of tasks, audiences, and purposes.
Skill 15: Controlling the task by managing how much detail is included
When you are speaking in any language, it is important to gauge how much time you have to get your message across. The test is timed. You need to take into account how much information you will be able to communicate given the limitations of time.