CELPIP Listening Part 6: Listening for Viewpoints

Part 6: Listening for Viewpoints tests your ability to understand opinions, attitudes, preferences, and perspectives expressed by two or more speakers. This section is less about facts and more about how people feel and what they believe.

⭐ What You Will Hear

  • A discussion between two or more people

  • Opinions about a topic

  • Agreements and disagreements

  • Reasons supporting each viewpoint

⭐ Key Skills You Need

1. Identify Attitudes

Listen for tone and emotion.
Words showing opinions: I think…, Honestly…, I don't agree…, Personally…

2. Compare Viewpoints

Each speaker will have a different perspective.
Ask yourself: Who supports what? Who disagrees? Why?

3. Focus on Reasons

CELPIP questions often ask why a speaker feels a certain way.
Listen for explanations: because, due to, the reason is…

4. Note Strong vs. Weak Opinions

Some speakers express strong views; others are unsure.
Pay attention to:

  • “I’m absolutely against…” (strong)

  • “I’m not completely sure…” (uncertain)

5. Don’t Get Lost in Details

Unlike earlier parts, you don’t need to catch numbers or instructions.
Your goal: understand thoughts, feelings, and judgments.

⭐ Useful Listening Strategies

✔ Listen for contrast words

Words like however, but, on the other hand, although signal disagreements.

✔ Track each speaker separately

Mentally label them: Speaker A = prefers X, Speaker B = concerned about Y.

✔ Identify the main issue

The discussion often revolves around a single problem or decision.

✔ Pay attention to tone changes

Sarcasm, enthusiasm, annoyance, hesitation—all give clues.

⭐ CELPIP-Style Practice Question (Part 6)

Audio Scenario (summary):
Two coworkers, Daniel and Priya, are discussing whether their company should switch to a four-day workweek.

Daniel’s viewpoint: He supports the idea. He thinks employees will be more productive and less stressed.
Priya’s viewpoint: She is unsure. She worries about customer response times and workload distribution.

Question 1:

What best describes Daniel’s viewpoint?

A. He believes the change could harm work quality.
B. He strongly opposes the four-day workweek idea.
C. He thinks the change would improve efficiency and morale.
D. He is undecided and needs more information.

Question 2:

Why is Priya hesitant about the idea?

A. She feels employees won’t like the new schedule.
B. She is worried about slower responses to clients.
C. She believes the four-day workweek is too expensive.
D. She thinks it will make employees less motivated.

⭐ Final Tip

To improve in Part 6, practice listening to interviews, panel discussions, round-table talks, and debates. These formats mimic CELPIP viewpoints closely.

Minju B