IELTS Listening - Solving Map Tips
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
This sort of task is often referred to as “map labelling.” That is because you will listen to someone talking about an area and then you will fill in certain blanks with a list of potential places
This is how you should answer IELTS map labelling questions:
- Read the instructions carefully.
- Look at the map to get an idea of what you will hear.
- Listen and note down the answers as you hear them.
- Take a guess for any answers that you did not hear.
Remember that there will be plenty of words you do not need to pay attention to, so try not to feel overwhelmed by the audio recording. If you miss an answer, just move on to the next part.
Common Language of Location
There can be various phrases to explain where things are, but below are listed some of the most common you'll need for IELTS listening map labelling or diagram labelling.
- Make sure you understand them all.
- At the top / at the bottom
- On the left / on the right
- Left hand side / right hand side
- South / North / East / West
- Southeast / Southwest / Northeast / Northwest
- To the north / to the south / to the east / to the west
- Opposite / in front of / behind
- In the middle / in the centre
- Above / below
- Inside / outside
- Just beyond / a little beyond / just past
- Next to / alongside / adjoining (= next to or joined with)
VOCABULARY FOR PLACES
Finally, it is also important when labelling maps that you know the different names of places. To be honest, this is not quite as vital as the location/direction vocabulary because many of these places will be listed on your test paper. However, it is still an advantage to know it. Here are some words that might help.
- Traffic sign
- Route
- Junction
- Block
- Map
- One-way street
- Side road
- Roundabout
- Crosswalk
- Apartment building
- Intersection
- Entrance
TIPS
When doing this sort of test, you should be careful of a few things. Here is some general advice about IELTS listening and maps:
- Read the instructions carefully before you begin.
- Look at the map and imagine what you may hear.
- Don’t worry about every single word.
- Visualise what you hear.
- Check your spelling (after listening).
- Take a guess for each answer you missed.
- Listen for clues (“We are now approaching…” etc)
