The Retell Lecture task is a part of the PTE Speaking & Listening sections. It tests your ability to listen to a short academic lecture, extract the main points, and retell them in your own words.
- Listen: You’ll hear an audio recording of a lecture lasting 60-90 seconds on a variety of academic topics. You can only listen to it once.
- Take Notes: You have 10 seconds after the lecture ends to organize your notes before the microphone turns on.
- Retell: You have 40 seconds to summarize the lecture in your own words. Focus on the main idea, key points, and supporting examples.
- Scoring: Your response is automatically scored based on these factors:
- Content: Your ability to include the main points and overall theme of the lecture.
- Pronunciation: Clarity and accuracy of your pronunciation of individual sounds and words.
- Oral Fluency: Smoothness, rhythm, and naturalness of your speech. Avoid long pauses or fillers.
- Active Listening: Focus intently on understanding the main ideas and supporting details expressed in the lecture.
- Note-Taking: Use shorthand or symbols that make sense to you. Focus on keywords, key ideas, and important examples. Don’t try to write complete sentences.
- Structure Your Summary:
- Introduction: Briefly state the topic of the lecture.
- Body: Outline the main points and supporting details using words like “discussed,” “explained,” and “mentioned.”
- Conclusion (optional): Summarize the primary message of the lecture.
- Speak Clearly and Fluently: Don’t rush. Speak in a natural voice with a steady pace.
- PTE Practice Websites: Search for “PTE Retell Lecture” on sites like PTE Podcasts.
- TED Talks with Transcripts: Listen to a short TED Talk. Read along with the transcript, and then try summarizing the talk as if it were a Retell Lecture item.
- Lecture Podcasts: Find podcasts featuring lectures on various academic topics. Practice listening, taking notes, and retelling.
- You are not expected to memorize every single word from the lecture. Focus on the big picture.
- There’s no penalty for incorrect information in this task, as long as the content you provide was mentioned in the lecture.