April 28, 2024
Chicago 12, Melborne City, USA

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.

 

  1. 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.
  2. Take Notes: You have 10 seconds after the lecture ends to organize your notes before the microphone turns on.
  3. Retell: You have 40 seconds to summarize the lecture in your own words. Focus on the main idea, key points, and supporting examples.
  4. 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.
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