What is the listening study method to get 600 points in TOEIC?

When taking the TOEIC test, many people may say, "Let's aim for 600 points first!" And set 600 points as one goal. 600 points is a score that is easy to get if you have a solid foundation in English, and it is the minimum line that will be advantageous for finding employment or changing jobs.

In this article, I will explain in detail how to improve the listening part especially for those who are aiming for 600 points in TOEIC. Practice effective listening studies to ensure you reach your goal score.

TOEIC consists of reading and listening!

TOEIC (TOEIC® Listening & Reading Test) is an English test consisting of 200 questions in total, with 100 questions for listening and 100 questions for reading. The time limit is 2 hours, listening is 45 minutes and reading is 75 minutes. The answer is answered by a mark sheet method, which fills in the number of the answer that you think is correct. All tests are written in English only, and there are no problems with English-Japanese translation or Japanese-English translation.

The TOEIC test is roughly divided into two parts, reading and listening, so let's start with a brief introduction to each section.

Overview of the listening section

The listening section consists of Part 1 through Part 4.

Part 1 is a 6-question photographic depiction question. While looking at one photo, listen to four short English sentences and choose the one that suits the photo.

Part 2 is a 23-question response question. After one sentence or question, three answers will be read aloud, and the one that best suits you will be selected.

Part 3 is a 39-question conversation question. After listening to the conversation of two or three people, choose the answer that best fits the question on the question sheet from the four answers.

Part 4 is a 30-question descriptive question. After listening to sentences such as announcements and narration, choose the answer that best fits the question on the question sheet from the four answers. Each talk has three questions.

Overview of the reading section

The reading section, which follows the listening section, is divided into three parts, Part 5 to Part 7.

Part 5 is a 30-question short-filling question. This is a question of choosing from four answers that are most suitable for completing a sentence with holes, and it requires knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary.

Part 6 is a 16-question long fill-in-the-blank question. Read the long text and choose from the four options that best fit the blank words or phrases.

The final part 7 has 25 questions in one sentence and 29 questions in multiple documents, for a total of 54 questions. Read a variety of documents and choose the most appropriate answer to the question printed on the question paper. Each document has several questions.

TOEIC 600 points of difficulty

Before starting specific TOEIC measures, let's first understand how difficult the TOEIC 600 points are.

TOEIC 600 points level feeling

According to the official TOEIC website, the average score for the 283rd test conducted in November 2021 was 595.8 points. In other words, if you achieve 600 points in TOEIC, you will have the ability to be slightly above the average among the examinees.

Next, let's refer to the Communication Ability Level for each TOEIC score called the Proficiency Scale. According to this correlation chart, a person with a score of 600 corresponds to Level C, which is the third of the five levels with a score of 470 to 729. This level allows you to get the point in normal conversation and does not interfere with your response. It can meet the needs of daily life and can communicate on a business basis within a limited range. I have basic grammar and syntax, so I can convey my intentions even if I lack expressiveness. However, it can be difficult to respond appropriately and communicate in complex situations.

Reference:
TOEIC official website Average score / score distribution details
PROFICIENCY SCALE

Study time required to obtain TOEIC 600 points

So how much study time do you need to secure to achieve 600 points in TOEIC? Generally, it is said that it takes about 200 to 300 hours of study on average to get 600 points. This is the study time that can be achieved in about 2 months if you study 3 hours a day.

However, the actual study time required to reach 600 points depends on the individual English level and comprehension level. If you already have basic English proficiency, you will be able to score 600 points in a shorter period than average. On the other hand, if you are just starting to study English and are not familiar with middle school level vocabulary and grammar, you will need longer than average study time.

Benefits of getting 600 TOEIC points

Next, let's think about the benefits of getting a TOEIC score of 600 to keep you motivated to study. In this paragraph, we will introduce the merits of achieving a TOEIC score of 600 for students and working adults.

If you are a student, you can appeal by job hunting!

The merit of getting a TOEIC score of 600 for students is that it will be a material that can be appealing in job hunting. When writing a TOEIC score on an entry sheet or resume, 600 points is the minimum line.

Generally, it is said that the average TOEIC score of university students is about 500 points. In other words, if you have a TOEIC score of 600, you will be able to appeal that you have above average English proficiency.

If you are a member of society, it is advantageous when you change jobs!

If you are a member of society, having a TOEIC score of 600 will be an advantage when you change jobs. Many companies place importance on English skills when hiring, and the lowest line is TOEIC 600 points. It may be advantageous to have a TOEIC score of 600 or higher not only when changing jobs, but also when promoting in-house or selecting personnel expatriate.

Listening study method to get TOEIC 600 points

If you aim for 600 points in TOEIC, what should you aim for your listening score? Looking at the average score of the 283rd, the reading was 324.3 points and the listening was 271.4 points, for a total of 595.8 points. In other words, if you want to get 600 points in TOEIC, you need at least 270 points in listening.

Now let's take a look at how to study to get 270 points or more in listening.

Reference: TOEIC official website Average score / score distribution details

Dictate

The first study method I want to practice is to do dictation. Dictation is the process of listening to English audio and writing out what you hear.

When dictating for TOEIC listening measures, first prepare a TOEIC question book and sound source. At the beginning, listen to the end without stopping the English voice and get a rough idea of the meaning. Then listen to the same sentence again, this time stopping the voice as needed and writing out the English sentence you heard. When you finish writing, compare it with the text and check what is wrong.

Dictation improves your listening comprehension by listening carefully to try to write out each word accurately. It also makes it easy to see what you couldn't hear in the English sentences you heard, which helps you to identify words and grammar you don't know and deepen your understanding.

Do shadowing

The second effective method is shadowing. Shadowing is a practice method in which you listen to the English voice and follow it immediately behind it to pronounce the English you hear in the same way.

When shadowing, all you need is a TOEIC test book and a sound source. First, listen to the voice several times to get used to your ears, and then read aloud the English text to get an overall picture. Then play the same sound again, this time shadowing. Check the text for sentences that did not repeat well, and try again.

By shadowing, you can get used to the pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation unique to English. By moving your mouth while listening and understanding the meaning, you will also be able to understand English in the English word order. English sounds that initially sounded very fast will gradually become slower as you practice shadowing many times.

Two things to keep in mind when listening

When aiming to improve your score with TOEIC, it is also important to know the techniques that can be used in the actual test. So, here are two points you should know when taking the listening exam.

Read the questions in advance

The first is to read the questions provided before the listening question is heard.

For example, in Part 1's photo depiction problem, take a quick look at the photo to get an idea of what it is. If you see a person, keep in mind what you are doing before listening to the audio. Even if you don't see a person, keep an eye on what you see and keep track of keywords like fountain, lawn, and ladder.

This will make it easier for you to choose the right answer because it will be clear what you should pay attention to when listening.

Answer within 1 second even if you are uncertain about your choices

The second point is to answer within 1 second even if you are uncertain about your choices. If you listen to your listening audio and don't immediately know which answer you have, you may want to ponder and find a convincing answer. However, as many admit, the TOEIC test is a race against time. In the listening part, it is necessary to answer in order at a good tempo as the listening voice is read aloud. You don't want to miss the listening audio for the next problem as a result of tripping over one problem and taking a long time.

If you don't know which option you have right away, it's important to think about it and decide which one to answer within a second, then quickly switch to the next question.

A must-see for anyone who wants to get a TOEIC score of 600! 5 Recommended Reference Books for Listening

When preparing for the TOEIC test, you can take effective measures by using a reference book specialized for the TOEIC test. The point when choosing a reference book is to consider the part and level you want to capture. If you want to improve your listening skills, choose a reference book that is specific to your listening part. Also, when aiming for 600 points, it is important to avoid things that are too easy or too difficult.

In this paragraph, we will take up 5 reference books that can be recommended for those who want to get 600 points in TOEIC, and introduce the features of each.

It looks like you are taking a charismatic teacher's class! "The easiest to understand in the world" series

"The World's Most Easy-to-Understand TOEIC Test Class [Part1 ~ 4 Listening] " is a listening preparation book of the "World's Most Easy-to-Understand" series with a cumulative total of over 400,000 copies. The charismatic instructor of the TOEIC perfect score holder will thoroughly explain the reason why you cannot hear English. Taking advantage of the experience of taking the test almost every time for 8 years, I analyze the tendency of the TOEIC listening test and disclose the strategy, so check it out. Don't miss the knack for improving your score, which will give you results in all of Listening Part 1-4.

This book is perfect for those who aim to exceed 600 points for the first time in the TOEIC test. It will teach you while "visualizing" the sounds of English that Japanese people are not good at, so if you are worried that there are sounds that you cannot hear, please pick them up.

Solve a lot of problems! Bible for Korean TOEIC test takers

" Unravel! Listening Drill-TOEIC TEST Part1 & 2 " is a listening drill by Lee Iku-hun, an English charisma in Korea. Lee Iku-hoon has a master's degree and a doctorate in English literature after studying abroad in the United States, and has the ability to serve as a reporter for the Dong-A Ilbo in the United States. The "Unravel!" Series is a bestseller in South Korea with over 1.7 million copies.

The feature of this book is that it contains the number of questions for 8 TOEIC tests. Part 1 has 80 questions and Part 2 has 240 questions, so you can master only the parts you are not good at in a drill format.

This book is recommended for those who want to take measures specific to TOEIC Part 1 and Part 2, or those who want to get used to the TOEIC question format by completing the number of questions. If you are not good at Part 1 or Part 2, please take this book thoroughly.

If you want to finish Part 1 and Part 2 perfectly, this one book!

" Top Conquest TOEIC (R) Test Listening Part1 & 2 Ultimate Technology " is a listening comprehension book by Robert Hilke and others called "God of TOEIC". Based on many years of teaching experience in Japan, a total of 7 exams of real questions are recorded. Frequent example sentences are included for each category such as "present tense", "current progressive tense", and "passive voice", so you can efficiently deal with areas that you are not good at. There are many problems that even advanced users can easily make mistakes, such as Part 1 "Passive + Present Progressive" and Part 2 "Answer to the declarative question".

This book is recommended for those who are gradually becoming unsatisfied with the basic TOEIC measures. Perfect for those who want to challenge difficult problems while aiming for a TOEIC score of 600. You can aim for a perfect score in Part 1 and Part 2, so you will be able to continue studying with this book even after achieving 600 points.

Get used to your ears with shift listening! Preparation materials for parts 3 and 4

If you want to take measures for Part 3 and Part 4 of listening, we recommend " TOEIC® Test Part 3 & 4 Demon Shift Listening 1 ". Five levels of question sentences are recorded, from slow 0.7x speed to super high speed 2.5x speed, and you will be able to hear speedy English by listening repeatedly.

Dictation and shadowing can be applied to various levels by using the variable speed voice in this book. If you can't keep up with the speed of English, or if you can't hear the native pronunciation, start with 0.7x speed.

Needless to say, a long-selling product! Learn phonetic symbols to improve your listening skills!

" English Ear " is a famous teaching material that has been a long-selling material for nearly 20 years in the field of pronunciation. Since "I can't hear sounds that I can't pronounce," I aim to learn English phonetic symbols first so that I can pronounce them correctly. By learning the basics of pronunciation, it will be much easier to hear sounds that are not found in Japanese.

This book is recommended for those who want to learn phonetic symbols well and who want to improve not only listening but also pronunciation. The points that Japanese people tend to trip over are carefully explained, so let's practice repeatedly using the attached CD.

summary

When you take the TOEIC test, it will be easier for you to study if you set a target score and take measures. The TOEIC score of 600 is not too difficult for learning English. It is quite possible to reach 600 points if you solidify the basics of English and take measures in advance. Use this article as a reference to prepare for listening and achieve your target score.