Tips for preparing for the listening comprehension in the DELE exam
Do you plan on taking the DELE exam and want to be well prepared for the listening comprehension?
Well, keep reading because we are about to tell you some tips and tricks to help you pass the exam with flying colours.
Furthermore, at the end we’ll suggest a few websites where you can practice various exercises.
If you’ve already read out article “advice for the oral section of the DELE exam”, we are sure you’re going to find this article interesting.
¡Vamos allá! 💪
Tips for generally improving your listening comprehension
Listening to other people and understanding what they are saying can be one of the hardest parts of learning a language.
However, you don’t need to be scared.
Pay attention to the following tips, and I’m sure that you will improve a lot in this aspect of learning a language and it’ll go very well during the exam. 😉
Be patient, there are no shortcuts
You've got no choice, you'll have to be patient.
Your ear needs time to adapt to a new language.
So take it easy.
There are sadly no shortcuts.
Be consistent
Dedicate a bit of time to it every day.
Draw up a new routine for yourself and you’ll see start to see results.
Determination and discipline are essential for perfecting your listening comprehension in any language.
Like we say in Spanish: “sin prisa, pero sin pausa”.
Look for material to listen to that corresponds to your level
Make it easy for yourself and look for audio clips aimed at your level.
Have you ever listened to audios aimed at a level higher than yours and you ended up feeling frustrated?
Try your best to avoid this.
If you listen to audios that correspond to your level , you’ll understand most of the information and you’ll feel as if you’re making progress.
This will encourage you to keep practicing and improving. 😊
Support the audio with the written script
In all the listening comprehension tasks in the DELE exam you'll find the written scripts.
Read them carefully, underline the keywords.
Do this to help you understand the context or the topic of the audio that you’re going to listen to.
Focus on understanding the main message of the audio generally, not the details
Understanding every single detail is difficult and unnecessary.
The most important thing is to understand the general idea of the audio, understand what the audio is about and spend your time addressing the exam questions.
Listen to audio clips at different speeds
In real life, there are people that speak slowly and that pronounce their words very well.
And others that, unfortunately, speak very quickly and barely move their lips. 😑
You need to prepare yourself for all possibilities, and a good way to do this is by listening to audio clips at different speeds.
Have you ever completed a listening comprehension exercise and thought it was easy?
Increase the speed and watch as you change your mind. 😁
Take advantage of any moment you can to practice
Try to practice listening every day.
It could be a case of 30 minutes, one hour, two hours… it depends on your free-time and your needs.
Don’t just practice past exam papers.
There are many ways to work on your listening comprehension skills: podcasts, films, songs, series…
Listening comprehension in the DELE exam
Now I'm going to give you some important data tasks in the DELE exam of the Cervantes Institute, focusing on the listening comprehension.
How much does the listening comprehension count for in the exam
- In our level A1, A2, B1 and B2 the listening comprehension counts for 25 out of 100 marks.
- At C1 level, the listening comprehension is combined with other skills in throughout two tests that make up a total of 50 out of 100 marks.
- At C2 the tests are also combined. The sections which include listening comprehension count for 66,66 out of 100 marks.
How is an average of the exam taken?
- An average of the listening comprehension section and the oral expression and interaction section of the exam is taken at level AXNUMX through to BXNUMX
- At C1, the listening comprehension and the other two tests..
- At C2, there are 3 large sections to the exam and no averages are taken. The listening comprehension is integrated into the other 2 tests that make up the 3 sections of the exam.
What do I need to do to pass?
To pass the DELE exam, you need to be competent in each section of the exam.
What is the minimum grade I need to pass?
From level A1 through to B2, an average is taken of the listening comprehension and the oral expression/interaction. Between the two sections you will need to achieve a minimum of 30 marks.
Meaning, to pass the exam you’ll need to get 30 out of 50 marks across the two parts of the exam, since each part adds up to 25 points.
At C1 level, the exam is divided into two large sections with mixed tests, meaning listening comprehension is in both sections. You need to get at least 30 marks in each section.
At level C2 the exam is split into three large sections . You’ll need to get at least 20 marks in each section.
If you do the maths, you’ll see that the minimum mark you need to pass the DELE exam is 60 out of 100 , no matter what level you are.
Tips and tricks for revising for the listening comprehension section of the DELE exam
Want to know a few tips and tricks for revising for listening comprehension in the DELE exam?
Of course you do… and I’ll tell you them now! 😉
Make sure you know what each section consists of according to your level
It’s very important to know exactly what you need to do in each section of the exam.
Not sure what the tests are like at your level?
We’ll take a look at them together next, using the Instituto Cervantes DELE exam guide as a reference.
DELE A1
The listening comprehension in the A1 DELE exam consists of 4 sections that are made up of 25 items . You have 25 minutes to complete this section.
In this section you will listen to conversations, public messages and announcements over a loudspeaker.
Answers are usually multiple choice (3 options to choose from) or matching phrases to images or texts.
DELE A2
The listening comprehension in the A2 DELE exam consists of 4 sections that are made up of 25 items . You have 40 minutes to complete this section.
Similar to AXNUMX, the test includes many conversations or monologues and the answers are usually multiple choice.
They are a little longer than the previous level and there are more of them.
DELE B1
The listening comprehension in the DELE B1 exam consists of 5 sections made up of 30 items . You have 40 minutes to complete this section.
The listen to texts and answer questions or match texts with various statements.
DELE B2
The listening comprehension in the DELE B2 also consists of 5 sections made up of 30 items and lasts 40 minutes .
In this section there are questions about various conversations and other audio texts. The audios are usually quite long and be spoken by a variety of accents and nationalities.
DELE C1
In the DELE C1 the listening comprehension is divided into two types of tests:
- Test 1: is made up of 4 sections, 30 items and lasts 50 minutes.
The student will listen to conversations, texts, statements, etc and respond to multiple choice questions of gap fill sentences.
- Test 2: is made up of 2 tasks y that last 80 minutes.
After listening to some audios, you’ll need to write an 180-250 word essay.
DELE C2
In the DELE C2 exam the listening comprehension is also divided into two tests.
- Test 1: listen to texts and conversations and answer questions or match announcements to the correct person.
- Test 2: write an essay of 400-450 words about the different oral and written sources.
Start preparing for the exam plenty of time in advance
Want to find out some more how to pass the exam and listening comprehension ?
Here’s a basic, but very important, piece of advice:
Start preparing for the exam plenty of time in advance.
Give yourself a few months to prepare and practice all you can. This is the best way to crush the listening section of the exam. 👂💪
Keep an eye on which topics usually come up in the DELE exam
What are the the main topics that come up in the listening comprehensions in the DELE exam?
There are a few reoccurring topics:
- Science and Technology.
- Health.
- Studies.
- The world of work
- Travels and trips.
And many more.
Topics are adapted to each level and are used throughout the conversations, monologues, radio announcements, public advertisements, interviews, etc.
Active listening
When you practicethe listening comprehensionmake sure you practice your active listening skills.
What does that mean?
I'll explain it to you now.
Take notes while you listen
It basically means that you should take notes while you listen.
Do you find it difficult to do two things at once?
If you revise for the listening comprehension , you will get the hang of it quickly. 😀
Identify the main topic of the audio clip
The first thing you need to do when taking notes is identify the main topic of the audio clip.
Once you understand the topic, everything else will will fall into place.
The sooner you are able to identify the topic, the quicker you can start writing notes about other things.
Write down how many people are speaking
There are often different people speaking on the audio clips.
Try to differentiate the voices and write down the number of people that speak.
What does each person say?
Once you know how many people speak during the audio clip, make a mental note of what each one says so you don't forget what is going on.
Write down the most important part of what each person says.
This is really important as in some of the questions, you'll be asked to match several statements with the correct person.
If there are words that are repeated frequently, write them down and look them up later
Perhaps you are wondering: “How do I know which words are the most important?"
A good trick to help identify this keeping an eye on which words are repeated the most. If a word is repeated many times it most likely means it is important.
Pay attention to these words and write them down.
If you're practising and come across a word you don't know, you can look it up in the dictionary.
But, don't get used to this as you won't be able to do it during the exam.
Write down the sentences that you find interesting or useful and try to incorporate them
If you find some particularly interesting repeated sentences.
Then follow our previous tip: write them down and try to use them later if you need to write an essay based on the audio clip.
This will show that your listening comprehension is very good and that you pay attention to details. 👌
Before starting: carefully read the questions or the written information on the exam
Another tip for for getting a great grade in the exam is... read the questions well. 😁
I know it seems so obvious, but a lot of people forget about it.
Read each question very carefully and take in all the information available.
Underline the important words and write notes about anything necessary.
By doing this you will obtain a lot of information about the audio clip before even having listened to it.
Don’t just listen once
In the exam you will listen to the audio clip twice.
Take advantage of this opportunity and listen to the audio clip twice with the same amount of attention.
We are positive that you’ll get more information on the second listen than the first.
When revising, we recommend that you listen to the clip three times and do the following:
On the first listen identify the general theme
Devote the first listen for identifying the overall topic.
Also use this first time to employ your active listening skills that I spoke to you about before: write down how many people are speaking, key words and phrases, etc.
On the second listen try to answer the questions or complete the indicated exercise
On the second listen you should answer the questions or complete the indicated exercises , without needing to listen to the clip again.
On the third listen check your answers or fill in any doubts that you have
In this additional listening, you should confirm that your answers are correct and settle any doubts you might have.
Correcting your errors is one of the best ways to learn a language… and any skill in life really, don’t you think?
But remember, this third listening is additional and will NOT be in the exam.
You will have to finish the exam after listening just twice to the audio clip.
Read the listening comprehension transcript
What happens if, there are still words that you don’t understand after listening to the audio clip for the third time and you don’t know what to write down?
Don’t worry,when we practice past exam papers , we have the transcript to the audio clip.
Taking a look at the transcript will help you settle any doubts you might have and you’ll see all the words you heard written down.
I lose sleep over incomplete or unresolved tasks.
Are you the same?
Well it’s a good job that transcripts.
Thanks to the transcripts, we’ll all sleep like babies! 😴
Listen to podcasts about popular topics
What is the one thing that’s going to make you feel confident during the exam?
Come one, you know what I’m talking about.
Let’s say it together on 3:
One…
Two…
Three!
Knowledge!
But I’m not just talking about knowledge of the Spanish language or the DELE exam.
Of course that is essential.
But I'm talking about knowing a bit about the reoccurring topics that appear in the exam.
We’ve taken a look at some of the topics that reoccur in the listening comprehension exam.
Listen to podcasts about these topics. There are some really interesting programmes.
Expand your understanding about these topics, this will help you answer the questions in the exam, including those you don’t know the answer to.
Knowledge is power or better said… “La sabiduría es poder.” 🙌
Use movies, TV series and music to practice.
Not a big fan of podcasts?
Don’t worry about it, there many other resources.
We are sure you like music. There are some very interesting Spanish music groups and songs. Listen to them a few times and try to understand whats being said.
Then you can take a look at the lyrics online.
More into cinema than music?
Watch moviesor TV series in Spanish with or without subtitles is another great way to practice your listening comprehension.
Enjoying yourself whilst practicing Spanish will help you achieve much more effective results.
Listen to audio clips or friends speaking with different accents.
The audio clips on the DELE exam are often filled with people speaking in various accents.
We already know that Spanish is spoken in many different countries and thus, its own unique characteristics in each one of these places.
Familiarise yourself with these accentsby listening to audio clips featuring a variety of accents.
If you have friends or acquaintances from different regions in Spain or various Hispanic speaking countries, talk to them as much as you can, so you have the chance to tune your ear into a different type of accent.
Show the DELE examiner that you’re capable of understanding any Spanish accent they throw at you. 😃
Apply our advice on how to improve your listening skills
Apply the advice we have given you to improve your general listening comprehension: :
Have you forgotten already?
Let me remind you: 😉
- Be patient and consistent.
- Practice with material that corresponds to your level.
- Back up the listening with the written transcript.
- Concentrate on the main point, not the details.
- Listen to the audio clip at different speeds.
- Practice whenever you can.
Trust in your abilities and keep calm in the exam
Our last piece of advice is one of the most important.
Trust in your abilities.
Try to keep calm.
The best way to achieve this is, knowing that your ability is higher than whats required for the exam.
And how can we achieve this?
There is only one way to do so: devote time to it and practices a bucket load.
Platforms and links for practicing
We’ve come to the end of our advice for revising for the listening comprehension.
We hope that you’ve found it helpful.
Want to practice some proper exercises??
You can do so through the Instituto Cervantes and the DELE exam past papers that they offer. You’ll find papers for every level.
Below we’ll leave you three links to practise listening comprehension exercises that are suggested by the Instituto Cervantes during the DELE exam::
Past paper for listening comprehension in the A2 DELE exam: :
- Task 1:question and answers page.
- Audio clip 1: audio clip for the listening.
- Transcription 1: Transcript to the audio clip.
This is an example of a super funky and upbeat online listening test that you can find amongst many other DELE examples GIVE examples.
If you want to take in-person or online lessons to help prepare for the DELE exam ,at Hispania, escuela de español , we have a variety of courses at your disposition that will help you pass the DELE exam and listening comprehension with flying colours.
¡Hasta pronto!
Article written by Carlos Martínez for Hispania, escuela de español
More articles
