Understand how Listening works — 4 sections, 40 questions, played once only.
Predict the kind of answer a gap needs before the audio starts.
Spell names accurately from spoken letters, including doubles and tricky pairs.
Catch numbers, dates, prices, and phone numbers in British conventions.
Identify who is speaking and what they're doing (suggesting, correcting, confirming).
How today is paced
Audio drills are paired with read-aloud drills the instructor can run with no audio at all — so if the group is fast, the Extension Bank at the bottom keeps everyone working for the full 90 minutes.
Paper: 10 min at the end. Computer: 2 min to check (no transfer).
Quick check — true or false?
The recording is played twice so you can check.
Section 1 is the hardest part.
On the computer test there is no separate 10-minute transfer time.
You should read the questions before each section is played.
FALSE — once only. Focus is everything.
FALSE — Section 1 is the easiest; Section 4 is hardest.
TRUE — computer test gives 2 minutes to check; you type as you go.
TRUE — always use the reading time to predict answers.
0:10 – 0:25
Predicting Context Before You Hear It
Before the audio plays, you get time to read the questions. Use it to predict what kind of word fits each gap — a name? a number? a noun? This is the difference between catching the answer and missing it.
Sample form — Section 1 style
Name: ____________ · Date of arrival: ____________ · Number of guests: ____________
Room type: ____________ · Daily rate: £____________ · Contact number: ____________
Predict the answer type
For each gap above, write what kind of answer you expect (a name spelt out / a date / a number / a noun / a price).
Name →
Date of arrival →
Number of guests →
Room type →
Daily rate →
Contact number →
A name — likely spelt out letter by letter. Listen for the alphabet.
A date — day + month (e.g. "the 3rd of May").
A small whole number (e.g. two, four).
A noun — single or double, en-suite, etc.
A price — listen for pounds/pence.
A long number — a phone number, read in groups.
When you know the type of answer, your ear filters the audio for it automatically.
0:25 – 0:42
Spelling: Letters, Doubles & Tricky Pairs
Section 1 almost always spells a name aloud. Three things trip students up: confusable letter sounds, "double", and British letter pronunciation.
The dangerous pairs
B / P / V · G / J · M / N · S / F / X · I / E / A
"Double L" = LL. "Z" is "zed" (British), not "zee".
Speakers say "A as in apple" to disambiguate — listen for the keyword.
Track 03 — the alphabet & letters
Track 04 — spelling in context
Dictation — write the names you hear
Surname 1:
Surname 2:
Street name:
No audio? The instructor can read these aloud instead, spelling each one once:
Read each aloud once at natural speed:
"F-A-double R-E-L-L" → Farrell
"K-A-U-F-M-A-N-N" → Kaufmann
"G-L-O-U-C-E-S-T-E-R Road" → Gloucester Road (note: spelt out, not the spoken "Gloster")
Lesson: when in doubt, write the letters you hear, not the sound you expect.
0:42 – 0:58
Numbers: Dates, Prices & Phone Numbers
British number conventions
0 in phone numbers = "oh". "double 0" = 00.
Dates spoken as "the third of May" → write 3 May or 3rd May.
Prices: "two pounds fifty" = £2.50. "fifteen" vs "fifty" — listen to the stress: FIF-teen vs FIF-ty.
Decimals: "nought point five" / "zero point five" = 0.5.
Track 05 — numbers & prices
13 or 30? The stress trap
The instructor reads each pair; you circle the one said. Or use the audio. Write your answer.
13 / 30 →
14 / 40 →
15 / 50 →
19 / 90 →
The rule
"-teen" has stress on the second syllable and a longer ending. "-ty" is stressed on the first syllable and ends abruptly. When unsure, the context (a price, an age, a year) usually decides it.
In Sections 3 and 4, you must follow who is speaking and what they're doing with language — suggesting, agreeing, correcting. The exam loves to test the moment a speaker changes their mind or corrects a number.
Accepting an idea. "Good idea", "That sounds great", "Pizzas it is, then!"
rejecting an idea
Turning down a suggestion politely. "Actually, I think we're better off…", "We'd better not."
correcting
Fixing wrong information. "Actually, it's just gone up to £250." (The exam answer is the corrected figure.)
confirming
Checking shared understanding. "You said you'd prefer…, didn't you?"
checking information
Asking for clarification. "Sorry, was that N or M?"
Track 10 — function extracts
"They changed their mind" trap
Read the transcript. What's the correct answer the examiner wants?
Transcript
A: "So shall we meet at 3 o'clock?"
B: "Hmm, actually, could we make it half past two instead? I have to leave early."
A: "Sure, 2:30 works."
Meeting time the examiner wants:
2:30 / half past two — not 3 o'clock. The word "actually" almost always signals a correction. The first number is the trap; the corrected one is the answer.
1:15 – 1:30
Mini Practice: Section 1 Form-Filling
Read the form, predict each answer type, then listen and complete. One play only — just like the real test.
Track 06 — Section 1 practice
Complete the booking form
Customer surname:
Number of nights:
Room type:
Price per night: £
Phone number:
Marking note
Check spelling and number format before you submit. "Twin" spelt "twn" is wrong. "£19.9" is wrong if the answer is £19.90 — match what you hear exactly.
Extension
Extension Bank — No Audio Needed
These run entirely on the instructor's voice — perfect when class moves quickly. Read each set once at natural speed.
Recap: the recording plays once. What three things will you predict during the reading time before each section?
Tonight's homework
Listen to one Cambridge 19 Section 1 from the Hub audio. Pause nothing. Mark yourself, then re-listen and note every word you missed because of spelling or a number trap. 30 minutes.
That's the end of your free Day 1. Every day in the Full Class works exactly like this — timed handouts, instant answer keys, and homework with personal feedback. Tomorrow (Tuesday) the class continues with Listening Day 2 — Paraphrase & Maps, and the week builds all the way to a full mock test under exam conditions.