APTIS Listening: Multiple Speaker Matching — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Listen to four people discussing their experience learning a new language as adults. Speaker A says: 'I started with an app, but I only really made progress when I joined a conversation class. Having real people to talk to made all the difference.' Which statement best matches Speaker A?
- She found that practising with other people was more effective than studying alone. (Correct answer)
- She thinks apps are the best way to learn a language.
- She gave up on language learning after her first attempt.
- She prefers studying grammar rules to speaking practice.
Correct answer: She found that practising with other people was more effective than studying alone.
Speaker A says she only made progress after joining a conversation class with 'real people to talk to', meaning she found interactive, social practice more effective than solo app use.
Question 2: Speaker B says: 'I've been at it for three years now. Progress is slow, but every time I travel there and people understand me, it all feels worthwhile.' Which statement best describes Speaker B's attitude?
- He is frustrated by his lack of progress and plans to stop.
- He finds motivation in being able to use the language during travel. (Correct answer)
- He thinks three years is too long to spend on one language.
- He prefers learning languages in a classroom setting.
Correct answer: He finds motivation in being able to use the language during travel.
Speaker B acknowledges slow progress but says being understood when travelling 'feels worthwhile' — his motivation comes from real-world use of the language abroad.
Question 3: Speaker C says: 'I hired a private tutor because the group classes moved too fast for me. I need someone to explain things at my own pace.' Which statement matches Speaker C?
- She prefers group lessons because they are more affordable.
- She chose individual lessons to suit her own learning speed. (Correct answer)
- She finds private tutors move through material too quickly.
- She stopped taking lessons entirely.
Correct answer: She chose individual lessons to suit her own learning speed.
Speaker C explicitly says she hired a private tutor because group classes moved too fast — she needed instruction 'at my own pace', which matches one-to-one, individually-paced learning.
Question 4: Speaker D says: 'Honestly, I watch films and TV shows in the language every evening. I've never taken a formal class, and I wouldn't want to.' Which statement best reflects Speaker D's approach?
- He relies entirely on informal, media-based learning and avoids formal instruction. (Correct answer)
- He takes evening classes in addition to watching films.
- He thinks watching television is less effective than studying grammar.
- He plans to enrol in a formal course in the future.
Correct answer: He relies entirely on informal, media-based learning and avoids formal instruction.
Speaker D says he watches films and TV every evening and has 'never taken a formal class' — nor does he want to — making media immersion his sole learning method.
Question 5: In an APTIS Listening Part 2 multiple-speaker task, what is the most effective preparation strategy before the recording begins?
- Read all the statements carefully so you know what information to listen for. (Correct answer)
- Write down everything you expect each speaker to say.
- Wait for the recording to start before looking at the statements.
- Focus only on the first speaker and ignore the others.
Correct answer: Read all the statements carefully so you know what information to listen for.
Reading the statements in advance gives you a clear target for each speaker — you listen actively for the specific ideas, attitudes, or facts that match each statement rather than trying to process everything at once.
Question 6: All four speakers have discussed a topic, but only one statement can be matched to each speaker. Speaker B mentioned both 'long commute' and 'flexible hours' in his talk. The available statements are: (i) prefers working from home for family reasons, (ii) values flexibility over salary, (iii) finds the journey to work particularly difficult. Which statement should you match to Speaker B?
- Statement (i), because family was mentioned first.
- Statement (iii), because the 'long commute' most directly matches 'finds the journey to work particularly difficult'. (Correct answer)
- Statement (ii), because flexible hours suggests he values flexibility.
- None — no statement matches Speaker B.
Correct answer: Statement (iii), because the 'long commute' most directly matches 'finds the journey to work particularly difficult'.
When a speaker mentions several things, match the statement that most directly paraphrases their clearest or most emphasised point. 'Long commute' is a direct paraphrase of 'finds the journey to work particularly difficult', making statement (iii) the best fit.
APTIS Listening: Multiple Speaker Matching
Listen to four people discussing their experience learning a new language as adults.
Speaker A says: 'I started with an app, but I only really made progress when I joined a conversation class.
Having real people to talk to made all the difference.' Which statement best matches Speaker A?