2018

ELL SUMMER INSTITUTE SECTION

TOEIC® LISTENING
INSTRUCTIONS
REQUIREMENTS FOR SAVING AND SUBMITTING DOCUMENTS

1. Filename: Save your document with your first and last name plus the ELL Summer
Institute section and the year “2018”.
 Example: Jane Doe TOEIC Listening 2018.doc
2. Identifying Info: Your name should not appear anywhere inside the document. It should
only appear in the filename.
3. Submission Format: Complete the work sample by using the spaces provided on pages 5,
7, 8, 10, and 11. Delete all of the instructional material. Your document should contain
only the item-writing tasks. Insert a page break between each completed task.

OVERVIEW

The Test of English for International CommunicationTM (TOEIC) is an English-language

proficiency test for those whose native language is not English. It measures the everyday
language skills of people working in international business, commerce, and industry.
TOEIC test scores indicate how well people can communicate in English with others in
the global workplace. The test does not require specialized knowledge or vocabulary; it
measures only the kind of English used in everyday work activities.

The TOEIC test is a paper-and-pencil, multiple-choice assessment. The Listening section

consists of 100 questions and is delivered by either audiocassette or CD. It is divided into
four parts. The four parts of the Listening section are as follows:
• Photographs
• Question-Response
• Conversations
• Talks

Candidates listen to a variety of statements, questions, short conversations, and short

talks and then answer questions based on those listening segments. The recordings are
made by four speakers, each with a different English accent.

For more information, we recommend that you read the TOEIC Listening and Reading
Examinee Handbook, and review the example questions that are provided in the TOEIC
Listening and Reading Sample Test. These can be found at:
http://www.ets.org/toeic/listening_reading/test_preparation/sample_questions
 TOEIC Listening Work Sample/p. 2

You will be asked to provide a work sample made up of several item-writing tasks. Each
task is preceded by one or two examples and specific directions.

Useful Terminology

Stem -The part of an item in which the task is described

-It may be a question, an incomplete statement, or a complete statement
that requires interpretation

Key -The correct answer

Options -All of the choices in a multiple-choice item

-There are three or four options in TOEIC test items

Distracters -The incorrect options (answers) in an item

-They should be attractive; that is, they should have some appeal

Stimulus -A spoken or written text that sets up an item and options, such as a
short conversation or a reading passage

Example

Stem: Where is the meeting room?

Key: (A) It’s the first room on the right.
Distractor: (B) To meet the new director.
Distractor: (C) Yes, at two o’clock.

Options: (A), (B), and (C) above are all options.

 TOEIC Listening Work Sample/p. 3

General Guidelines for Writing Good Listening Comprehension Items

 In the stimulus, the language should always sound like natural speech. Contractions
and fragments are appropriate and acceptable. Because the TOEIC test is
representative of many forms of English—not just English in the United States—
avoid the use of slang, colloquialisms, and other language specific to United States
culture.

 Avoid inflammatory, controversial, or unpleasant topics. Dialogues should not have a

suggestive subtext. Language should be free of racist, sexist, or otherwise potentially
upsetting content.

 There should be only one key for every item. Check your distracters to make sure
they cannot reasonably be interpreted as a correct answer. Distracters should be
grammatically correct and plausible answers for some other context, but not be
appropriate responses for the existing stimulus. For instance, in the first example
below, option (B) is attractive because it would be true if the stem began with
“Where” instead of “When.”

 Especially in the stimuli, it is important that the context is clear and plausible. Stimuli
should be realistic so test takers who are familiar with the context are not distracted
by situations that they know are unlikely or implausible.

WORK SAMPLE TASKS

Item Type: Question-Response

In the Question-Response section of the test, candidates hear a question or a statement. A

short sentence is followed by three responses, which are spoken by a second speaker. The
responses are not written in the test book. This is the only item type in the test that has
three, not four, options. Also, it is a convention for the Question-Response item type that
all options end with a period, even if they are not complete sentences. In the examples
below, the keys have been marked in bold.
 TOEIC Listening Work Sample/p. 4

Note: Although you may create distracters from words that sound similar to those in the
stimulus, do not play on sound-alike words for names of people or places.

Example #1—Candidate hears:

Canadian man: When does the training start?

American woman: (A) Using the phone system.

(B) In the main conference room.
(C) Right after lunch.

Example #2—Candidate hears:

British woman: I haven’t received my order yet.

American woman: (A) I’ll have one.

(B) No, not recently.
(C) I’ll check on it for you.
 TOEIC Listening Work Sample/p. 5

Item-Writing Task One: Question-Response Analysis

Directions: In the item below, find at least two elements that violate the general
guidelines for writing good Listening Comprehension items, as described on pages 2 and
3. Write your analysis in the space provided.

Will Miss Lee be discussing the budget at tomorrow’s meeting?

(A) I agree that it’s misleading.

(B) Nope—it’s not on the schedule.

(C) She was fired yesterday.

Analysis:

Item-Writing Task Two: Question-Response Completion

Directions: Write three options for the following question. Highlight the key in bold,
and make sure each option is three to seven words in length.

1. Which airport will you be flying in to?

(A)

(B)

(C)
 TOEIC Listening Work Sample/p. 6

Item Type: Conversation

In the Conversation part of the test, candidates hear short conversations between two or
three people. Each dialogue contains at least three exchanges. Test takers then hear and
read three questions about the conversation. The speakers are often a man and a woman
(to make the difference between their voices clear), but that is not a requirement. In the
example below, the keys have been marked in bold.

Note: In each Conversation set, the three points being tested should be memorable and
important in the context of the whole stimulus.

Example—Narrator says: Questions 1 through 3 refer to the following conversation.

Australian man: I received this shirt as a gift for my birthday, and I’d like to return it, please.

British woman: Of course, I can take care of that for you. Is there something wrong with the
shirt?

Australian man: No, the shirt is fine; it’s just that I already have one that looks a lot like this
one. I don’t have the receipt, but I was hoping that I could get a cash refund.

British woman: OK, do you have a gift receipt? I need that to process the refund.

Australian man: Sorry, I don’t.

British woman: Hmm…I’m sorry, but without a receipt, I can only exchange the shirt or give
you store credit.

Candidate hears and reads:

1. What item does the man want to return?

(A) A shirt
(B) A sweater
(C) A jacket
(D) A hat

2. What does the man say about the item?

(A) It is damaged.
(B) He has a similar one.
(C) It is too small.
(D) He does not like the color.

3. What does the woman say she needs?

(A) A receipt
(B) A credit card
(C) A product code
(D) An address
 TOEIC Listening Work Sample/p. 7

Item-Writing Task Three: Conversation Composition

Directions: Choose one of the following three settings and write a conversation between
two people that is relevant to that setting. The conversation should be 70 to 115 words in
length and between three and seven exchanges.

 An advertising agency
 An accounting firm
 A manufacturing plant

Word count: ______

 TOEIC Listening Work Sample/p. 8

Item-Writing Task Four: Conversation Stems and Keys

Directions: For the conversation you wrote in Task Three, write the stems and keys for
three items. Each item should test a different salient point about the conversation, and the
answer to one item should not help indicate the answer to any of the other items. You do
not need to write distracters for any of the items.

#1 Stem:

#1 Key:
________________________________________________________________________

#2 Stem:

#2 Key:
________________________________________________________________________

#3 Stem:

#3 Key:
 TOEIC Listening Work Sample/p. 9

Item Type: Talk

In the final part of the Listening section, candidates hear some short talks and answer
three questions about each one. In the example below, the keys have been marked in
bold.

Note: In each Talk set, the three points being tested should be memorable and important
in the context of the whole stimulus.

Example—Narrator says: Questions 1 through 3 refer to the following announcement.

Australian man: Attention, all employees. The power outage in plant number two has been
resolved. However, our main computers are still down. We will be closing
the production line early at 2:30 today so that technical services can correct
the problem. Please make sure all manufacturing equipment is turned off
before you leave. Thank you.

Candidate hears and reads:

1. Where is the announcement most likely taking place?

(A) In a factory
(B) In a computer store
(C) In a shopping center
(D) In a school

2. Why is the building closing early?

(A) It is a holiday.
(B) Bad weather is expected.
(C) There are problems with the computers.
(D) Employees will be taking inventory.

3. What are listeners asked to do?

(A) Report to work early
(B) Turn off some equipment
(C) Turn in their assignments tomorrow
(D) Remind customers of a sale
 TOEIC Listening Work Sample/p. 10

Item-Writing Task Five: Talk Stems and Keys

Directions: Choose one of the following two contexts and write a short talk that is
relevant to that context. The talk should be 75 to 115 words in length.

 A telephone message
 An excerpt from a meeting

Speaker:

Word count: ______

 TOEIC Listening Work Sample/p. 11

Item-Writing Task Six: Talk Stems and Keys

Directions: For the talk you wrote in Task Five, write the stems and keys for three
items. Each item should test a different salient point about the talk, and the answer to one
item should not help indicate the answer to any of the other items. You do not need to
write distracters for any of the items.

#1 Stem:

#1 Key:
________________________________________________________________________

#2 Stem:

#2 Key:
________________________________________________________________________

#3 Stem:

#3 Key: