Free WACE English as an Additional Language or Dialect Flashcard Review
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How many aural texts are in Section One, and how often is each played?
Two separate texts, each played twice from a sound recording with a short pause between the readings, followed by time to answer.
Are your Section One notes marked?
No. You may make notes at any time and they are not marked, so use abbreviations and symbols freely.
Can you return to Section One later in the examination?
Yes. The instructions allow you to come back to the Listening section at any time during the working time, so you can tidy answers after the recording ends.
Suggested working time for Section One (2026 cover)
35 minutes, for 31 marks (25% of the written examination). The time includes both playings of both texts.
In what order do Section One questions appear?
In the order in which the information is given in the text, so the answer to each question sits between the material for the questions before and after it.
How many multiple-choice items does the design brief allow in Section One?
One or two one-mark multiple-choice items; the rest are short answers. Recent papers label the options (a) to (d).
What should you do in the reading time before the recording starts?
Read every Section One question, underline the instruction verb and key nouns, and predict what kind of answer (number, name, list, reason) each needs.
How does this hub present listening texts, and why?
As printed, clearly labelled ORIGINAL transcripts, because the hub cannot play audio. Read each one twice, as you would hear it twice; real listening is harder than reading.
Best use of the first playing
Follow the structure, link sections of the text to the questions, and note answers that come easily.
Best use of the second playing
Targeted listening for gaps: figures, names, and the second or third component of multi-mark questions.
Lecture (as a listening text)
An extended talk by one speaker that explains or argues, usually with signposted sections ('My second point...'); listen for the structure to locate answers.
Interview (as a listening text)
A question-and-answer exchange between a host and a guest; the host's questions act as headings that tell you which question is about to be answered.
Speech (as a listening text)
A prepared talk to an audience, often persuasive, using rhetorical devices and ending with a call to action or memorable closing statement.
News broadcast (as a listening text)
A short, dense report of events, usually answering who, what, where, when and why early; expect figures, place names and quoted sources.
Conversation (as a listening text)
An informal exchange between two or more speakers; track who says what, because questions often ask for one speaker's view.
Narrative (as a listening text)
A spoken story told in time order; listen for time markers ('three years later') and changes in the speaker's feelings.
Signposting language in a lecture
Phrases that announce structure, such as 'There are three reasons', 'Turning now to' and 'To sum up'; note them, because they mark where answers begin.
Why do the voices and accents vary between listening texts?
The design brief requires different voices and accents of Standard Australian English; the 2024 report advises practising with a range of voices.
Note-taking symbol: ↑ and ↓
Increase/rise and decrease/fall. They let you record a trend in one stroke while the speaker keeps talking.
Note-taking symbol: →
Leads to / causes / becomes, or 'to' in a range (2015→19). Useful for cause-and-effect questions.