Get the Gist

The gist is the main idea of of a peice information.

You're likely to come cross gist questions when doing language tests.

In real-world communication, getting the gist is often enough. When you listen for the gist, you can understand what is happening even if you don't understand every word or sentence.

Common Gist Quesions:

• What's the conversation mainly about?
• What's the main purpose of the speech?
• Which of the following works best as title of this speech?

Strategies:

• Listen for content words.
• Ignore words you don't know.
• Focus on the beginnings and the endings.

Listen for Content Words

Content words are wrods with meaning. Nouns and verbs are usually the most important content words.

In authentic speech, content words are often stressed.

When you listen, pay attention to these stressed content words, because they can help you form the big picture.

Ignore Words You Don't Know

If you heare a word you don't know, do not panic or dwell on it. Keep listening so you don't miss more information.

Most of the time, missing a word or phrase won't affect your overall understanding of the material.

Key words and ideas are usually repeated several times. Listen for these expressions again and try to get the meaning from the context.

Focus on the Beginnings and the Endings

The first and last parts of the listening materials are exceptionally helpful in helping you find the gist.

This is because:

• The begining usually introduce the general topic and key points.
• The endings often recap key points and offer a final remark.