Module 4. LISTENING. Tips & Practice

Updated: Dec 22, 2025

Here are specific tips for your students to tackle each part of this Mass Media & Fake News Listening Exam:

Beware of "Buzzwords": In AI and Tech, speakers often use buzzwords (e.g., synergy, paradigm shift, quantum leap). Don't just match the word in the audio to the word in the question. Focus on the meaning behind the jargon.
Listen for Attitude: Tech speakers often sound enthusiastic or skeptical. Recognizing whether a speaker is a "tech-optimist" (believes tech saves us) or a "skeptic" (believes tech harms us) often helps eliminate wrong answers.

The "Distractor" Trap: In tech reviews (like the air duster extract), speakers will often mention features that other products have, or features they wish the product had.
- Tip: If the question asks "What feature does he demonstrate?", ignore the features he simply talks about. Listen for action verbs (e.g., "Watch as I...", "You can see here...").
Tone Shifts: In the Fabricio Carraro extract (Extract 2), the topic shifts from funny to serious.
- Tip: Pay close attention to transition markers like "However," "On a more serious note," or "But the stakes change when..." This is usually where the answer to the second question lies.

Grammar is Your Safety Net: The word(s) you write must fit grammatically.
- Tip: If the sentence is "The model runs on a user's _______," you know you need a noun. If you hear "It runs locally on mobile devices," writing "mobile devices" fits. Writing "runs locally" would be grammatically incorrect.
Synonyms are Key: You will hear the answer word-for-word, but the context around it will be paraphrased.
- Example:
  - Question: "Sasha criticizes the prevailing industry mantra that '_______ is better'."
  - Audio: "Everyone keeps repeating the old slogan that bigger is strictly superior."
  - Answer: bigger (The word "mantra" in the question replaces "slogan" in the audio).
Numbers and Units: In tech topics, listen carefully for specific units (Megabytes, Gigawatts, degrees Celsius). Ensure you catch the exact figure mentioned in the specific context requested (e.g., Iceland's energy vs. Canada'scapital).

Follow the "Signposts": In a long interview (like the one about the Singularity), the interviewer asks questions that structure the conversation.
- Tip: Use the interviewer's questions to track where you are. If they ask, "What about 2027?", stop thinking about the previous answer and focus entirely on the next one.
Identify the "Consensus" vs. "Opinion":
- Tip: Questions often ask "What does the speaker suggest regarding...?" Be careful if the speaker quotes someone else.
- Example: "Some people say AI will kill us all (Option A), but I believe..." -> The answer is what comes after "but."
Wait for the "But": Tech experts often make a bold prediction and then qualify it.
- Audio: "We might see robots in every home by 2030... although regulatory hurdles make this unlikely."
- Question: What does the speaker think about robots in 2030? -> Answer: They face legal barriers (not "they will definitely be everywhere").

Double Listening: You have two tasks to complete for five speakers.
- Tip: On the first listen, focus only on Task 1 (e.g., "How does the speaker define AI?"). On the second listen, focus only on Task 2 (e.g., "What is their concern?"). Trying to do both simultaneously often leads to panic.
Listen for the "Core Message": Speakers in Part 4 often ramble or give anecdotes.
- Example (Speaker 1 - Christie): She might talk about her kids, breakfast, or her morning routine. Don't get distracted. Her core message was about the difficulty of giving clear instructions (the peanut butter sandwich example).
Cross-Referencing: If a speaker mentions "accountability" or "blame," look for options in both lists that relate to responsibility or ethics.

Inference: (AI predicting the next token/word)
Latency: (Delay in processing)
Anthropomorphism: (Attributing human traits to non-humans, e.g., "The AI wants to help")
Hallucination: (When AI confidently states false information)
Compute: (Computational power/resources)
Sentience: (Capacity to feel/perceive)