Identifying the topic 

Practice for the communicative skill of listening, subskill identifying the topic.

The PTE Academic item types where this subskill is tested are
  • Speaking: Re-tell lecture
  • Speaking: Answer short question
  • Listening: Summarize spoken text
  • Listening: Multiple choice, choose multiple answers
  • Listening: Highlight correct summary
  • Listening: Multiple choice, choose single answer
  • Listening: Select missing word
Click on the link below for more information on the resource Summary of how this subskill is practiced in each resource
Academic Connections 1,
Academic Connections 2,
Academic Connections 3,
Academic Connections 4
understanding the main idea of lectures and conversations

Academic Listening Encounters: Human Behavior

listening for main ideas

Academic Listening Encounters: Life in Society

listening for main ideas

Contemporary Topics 1,

Contemporary Topics 2,

Contemporary Topics 3

listening for main ideas

How to Teach Listening

practice and guidance in teaching effective listening skills

Lecture Ready 1

signaling the topic of a lecture

Lecture Ready 2, Lecture Ready 3

recognizing signal language that introduces the topic of a lecture

NorthStar Listening and Speaking 3,

NorthStar Listening and Speaking 4,

NorthStar Listening and Speaking 5

listening for main ideas

NorthStar Listening and Speaking 4

inferring the situational context of what you hear

Open Forum 2

listening for main points, summarizing, identifying key words to understand details

Panorama Listening 2,

Panorama Listening 3

identifying main ideas

Study Listening

understanding main ideas