Practise listening with spoken prompts and review your speaking
Listen to original short prompts with a browser voice, explain the details and attitudes you heard, then record and review one spoken response.
Section Component 2 · Listening
Exam scope and assessment notes
Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language (Count-in Speaking) 0511, exams 2027–2029, A*–G grading. Component 3 Speaking is count-in and contributes 25% to the overall grade. Component 1 has four reading and two writing exercises; there is no summary-writing task. StudyForA's browser voice reads original practice prompts, not Cambridge audio. The local speaking recording supports self-review only; it does not award official marks or score pronunciation.
Before you begin
- The syllabus is intended for learners who already have a working knowledge of English. Check the syllabus and your centre's arrangements for the examination year.
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
What should a self-review checklist help you judge?
What you will learn
- Select relevant information for the task
- Explain how wording and context support an answer
- Communicate clearly for the stated purpose
Listen for the target, not every word
Preview the question to predict whether you need a time, item, reason or attitude. Listen for corrections, contrasts and conditions that change an earlier detail.
These short StudyForA scripts are spoken by a voice supplied by your browser. They are original practice prompts, not Cambridge audio, a range of recorded speakers or a timed Component 2 paper.
Review a response without treating it as a grade
Use a prompt to practise a short talk, then replay your own recording. Check that the response addresses the task, develops ideas and remains easy to follow.
The speaking test also includes an interview and a discussion. A browser recording and personal checklist cannot assess pronunciation to Cambridge standards, award the separate endorsement or replace the centre's teacher/examiner assessment and Cambridge moderation.
Keep the recording under your control
StudyForA requests microphone access only after you choose Start recording. The recording is held in the open page for playback and is not uploaded or kept after the page closes; choose Delete recording to remove it sooner.
If the browser cannot record audio, practise aloud and use the checklist. The page does not require microphone access for listening practice.
Pause and explain
What should you do if a browser recording is unavailable?
Worked example
A spoken notice says: 'The tour now leaves at quarter past ten, not ten o'clock. Please meet by the north gate.' What two details should you retain?
Show the worked solution
- The speaker corrects the first time, so use the updated time.
- The meeting place is stated after the time.
- The corrected time is 10.15, and the group meets by the north gate.
Answer The tour leaves at 10.15 and meets by the north gate.
From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
A listener hears: 'The club meets in Room 6. The notice says Room 9, but that room is being repaired.' Which room is current?
Give me a hint
Listen for the correction and its reason.
Compare my reasoning
- Identify the first room mentioned.
- Notice which room is explicitly corrected.
- Use the final location, not the outdated notice.
Room 6; Room 9 is the old notice and is being repaired.
Look for these in your work
- Correction identified
- Reason linked to the change
Listen to the interview prompt. Why did the speaker stay in the garden club, and what limits attendance?
Give me a hint
Separate the reason for staying from the practical difficulty.
Compare my reasoning
- Find what happened after the speaker joined.
- Identify the benefit that made the speaker stay.
- Separate that benefit from the travel limitation.
Useful feedback improved the speaker's project, but the garden is far from home, so the speaker attends only at weekends.
Look for these in your work
- Benefit selected
- Attendance condition distinguished
Record a short response about a skill you learned outside class. How can you review it fairly?
Give me a hint
Check the task, development and clarity; do not assign yourself an official grade.
Compare my reasoning
- State the skill and why you chose it.
- Add a specific example of practice and progress.
- Replay the response and check relevance, development and clarity.
A focused response with a reason and example, followed by a private self-review against the checklist.
Look for these in your work
- All prompt parts addressed
- Specific example included
- No unsupported official mark claimed
Hear an original prompt, then review your own response
The spoken clips use browser speech synthesis in English when a matching voice is available. Voices, accents and pacing vary; these are not Cambridge recordings. Microphone recordings stay in this page and are not uploaded or graded.
Listening practice
A corrected community notice
Listen for an updated time and an item the organiser will provide.
Transcript unlocks after you check each answer.
An interview about a garden club
Listen for the speaker’s reason for staying and a qualification about attendance.
Transcript unlocks after you check each answer.
Short-talk rehearsal
Describe a skill you learned outside class. Explain why you chose it, how you practised and what advice you would give a beginner.
Use about 1 minute to plan your practice response, then speak for about 45 seconds. This practice timer does not reproduce exam preparation rules.
The recording is not transcribed. This optional text and the audio both stay in the open page.
Review your recording
- I covered each part of the prompt.
- I developed at least one idea with a reason or example.
- My ideas followed a clear order.
- I spoke at a pace a listener could follow.
- I noticed a word or phrase to practise again.
This self-review is not an official speaking mark. A teacher or examination centre must assess the speaking endorsement.
Common mistakes
- Reading the transcript before listening
- Choosing a detail that the speaker corrected
- Treating a self-recording as an official speaking result
What can you explain now?
What can you do before a listening clip starts?
Compare with the explanation
Read the question and predict the information you need
Prediction gives your listening a clear target.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
Your review choice appears on Today. Sign in to sync it across devices.
Make it stick
What is the difference between using an audio prompt for practice and receiving an official listening or speaking assessment?
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.