ELSA Listening Strategies & Note Taking 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which abbreviation strategy is MOST useful when taking notes during a fast-paced lecture?
- Writing every word in full to ensure accuracy
- Creating personal shorthand symbols for common terms (Correct answer)
- Recording only the speaker's jokes and anecdotes
- Copying text directly from projected slides
Correct answer: Creating personal shorthand symbols for common terms
Personal shorthand symbols allow you to capture information quickly without missing important content.
Question 2: When a speaker says 'to summarize,' what should a skilled listener do?
- Stop taking notes since the lecture is ending
- Pay extra attention because key points are about to be restated (Correct answer)
- Begin reviewing notes from the beginning
- Ask the speaker to slow down
Correct answer: Pay extra attention because key points are about to be restated
Transition phrases like 'to summarize' signal that the speaker is condensing the main ideas for emphasis.
Question 3: What does the Cornell Note-Taking method's 'cue column' primarily contain?
- Verbatim quotes from the lecturer
- Questions, keywords, and prompts for review (Correct answer)
- Detailed paragraph summaries
- Diagrams and illustrations
Correct answer: Questions, keywords, and prompts for review
The cue column holds questions and keywords used during self-testing and review after class.
Question 4: A student hears: 'There are three main causes—economic, social, and political.' What is the BEST note-taking response?
- Write only 'causes' and move on
- Number and list all three causes with space for details (Correct answer)
- Underline the word 'main' and skip the rest
- Wait until all three are explained before writing anything
Correct answer: Number and list all three causes with space for details
Numbered enumeration signals a structured list, so noting each item ensures no point is missed.
Question 5: Which listening habit MOST interferes with accurate comprehension during an ELSA-style listening task?
- Predicting content based on the topic
- Mentally translating every word before processing meaning (Correct answer)
- Focusing on the speaker's tone and stress
- Visualizing the situation being described
Correct answer: Mentally translating every word before processing meaning
Mental translation slows processing and causes listeners to miss subsequent information while still decoding earlier words.
Question 6: After a lecture, which review action BEST reinforces retention of notes?
- Recopying notes in the same format without additions
- Expanding abbreviations and adding questions while memory is fresh (Correct answer)
- Highlighting random sentences in the notes
- Storing notes without reviewing until the exam
Correct answer: Expanding abbreviations and adding questions while memory is fresh
Reviewing within 24 hours and filling in missing details leverages the memory consolidation window.
Question 7: If a speaker emphasizes a point by repeating it three times, what should the listener infer?
- The speaker has forgotten what was already said
- The repeated information is likely central or will appear on an exam (Correct answer)
- The point is unimportant and can be skipped in notes
- The speaker is unsure of the information
Correct answer: The repeated information is likely central or will appear on an exam
Repetition is a deliberate rhetorical device speakers use to highlight information they consider critical.
ELSA Listening Strategies & Note Taking 2
Which abbreviation strategy is MOST useful when taking notes during a fast-paced lecture?