3.4 Listening Tarea 4: Seven Messages Matched to Ten Statements
Key Takeaways
Tarea 4 has seven messages (items 19–25) of 30–50 words, each matched to one of ten statements; three are left over.
Messages are public-address or radio announcements and answering-machine messages about practical matters such as timetables, rules, appointments and requests.
The official specification says the recordings are slow and clear, with no distortion or background noise, and each is played twice.
Statements paraphrase the key point, so match the meaning (for example, phones must be off = you can't use the phone), not a repeated number or word.
Quick Focus: Listening Tarea 4 has seven short messages (items 19–25), plus an example. Each message is 30–50 words long and played twice. You match each message to one of ten statements: in the model exam the statements run from A to K, eleven including the example, and you use seven of them. The texts are public-address or radio announcements and answering-machine messages about practical matters. The official skill tested is extracting the essential information.
What the Official Specification Says
| Parameter | Official detail |
|---|---|
| Items | 7 (items 19–25) |
| Input | Seven short messages of 30–50 words |
| Text types | Notices, instructions or advertising broadcast over public-address systems or radio (timetables, offers, safety precautions); answering-machine messages about everyday practical matters: appointments, notices, requests |
| Sound | Spoken slowly and clearly, with no distortion or background noise |
| Domains | Personal and public |
| Answer format | Match each message to one of the available statements; three are left over |
| Playback | Each message twice |
How the recording is paced
According to the model transcript:
- Instructions, then an example message (Mensaje 0) with its answer given.
- 45 seconds to read all the statements.
- Each message plays, then a 15-second pause, then the repetition, then Elija la opción correcta and about 10 seconds.
- After message 7: Complete ahora la Hoja de respuestas, with 45 seconds.
The Messages in the Model Exam
The official model shows the range of situations. Here they are in summary, with the statement given as the answer in the official key. The statements left unused are El tren va a estar parado 30 minutos, La cita es a las dos and Hoy el precio es más barato.
| Message | Situation | What the matching statement captures |
|---|---|---|
| Example | A clinic changes a patient's appointment | Tiene una cita con el médico. |
| 1 | Trains running 30 minutes late; buses free this morning | Pueden usar otro transporte sin pagar. |
| 2 | Theatre: play starts in 5 minutes, no eating or drinking, phones off, 15-minute interval | No se puede usar el teléfono. |
| 3 | Traffic authority: coastal road closed for works; take another road | Los coches tienen que ir por otro camino. |
| 4 | Train on-board announcement: film and café service during the 2.5-hour trip | Se puede comer o beber algo. |
| 5 | Son leaves a message: with friends, bought cinema tickets, home for dinner at 10:30 | Va a ir a su casa después del cine. |
| 6 | Department store: a 6-year-old boy is looking for his parents | Están buscando a una familia. |
| 7 | Employee missed the 8:20 train and won't make the meeting | Va a llegar tarde al trabajo. |
Notice how the statements paraphrase. The theatre message never uses the word teléfono: it says los móviles tienen que estar apagados, and the statement says No se puede usar el teléfono. The station message says media hora tarde; a distractor says El tren va a estar parado 30 minutos. That uses the same number, but "stopped for 30 minutes" is not what was said.
Why This Task Is Different
Tarea 4 is a one-to-one matching task with extra options, so answers affect each other:
- Each statement can be used only once.
- Three statements (plus the one used by the example) are left over. Some of these are designed to fit two messages partly.
- If you are unsure, eliminate statements you are confident about first; the remaining choices get easier.
Reading the ten statements in 45 seconds
Group the statements by situation type as you read:
- Transport (trains, buses, roads);
- Rules (you can / can't do something);
- Appointments (doctor, meeting, time changes);
- People and family (lost child, coming home).
Then, when a message starts, the opening words usually tell you which group to look in:
| Opening | Likely situation |
|---|---|
| ¡Atención, señores viajeros! | Station or train announcement |
| ¡Señoras y señores! | Theatre, event, shop |
| La Dirección General de Tráfico informa… | Roads |
| Este es un mensaje para…, Llamo de… | Answering machine: appointment or request |
| Hola, papá / Hola, Ernesto… | Personal message |
| ¡Atención, señores clientes! | Department store or supermarket |
Method
- During the 45 seconds: read all statements, group them and underline the key verb (puede, no se puede, tiene que, cambiar, gratis).
- First listening of each message: identify the situation from the opening, then the main practical point (what changes, what is allowed or forbidden, what must be done).
- Pause: choose the best candidate statement and note one alternative.
- Second listening: confirm with a detail such as the number, time or rule.
- After all seven: check you haven't used a letter twice; use the 45-second window to transfer answers.
Common Traps
- Same number, different fact: 30 minutos late vs parado 30 minutos.
- Topic word without the action: a message mentions a café, but the statement you want is about being allowed to eat or drink.
- Time confusion: la cita es a las dos vs a message that says el jueves a las seis.
- Leftover statements that describe something the message only suggests. Choose the statement that states the main point.
What do candidates do in DELE A2 Listening Tarea 4?
Answer seven multiple-choice questions about one long radio interview.
Listen to seven short messages and match each one to one of ten statements.
Decide whether seven statements refer to the man, the woman or neither.
Choose one of three pictures after each of seven dialogues.
A theatre announcement says: «La obra va a empezar dentro de cinco minutos. No se puede comer ni beber, y los móviles tienen que estar apagados.» Which statement matches it best?
No se puede usar el teléfono.
La obra dura cinco minutos.
Se puede comer algo durante la obra.
Los coches tienen que ir por otro camino.
Which fact about the Tarea 4 recordings comes from the official specification?
They are recorded in noisy stations to test listening in real conditions.
Each message is played only once, to test quick comprehension.
They are spoken slowly and clearly, without distortion or background noise, and each is played twice.
They include accents from several Latin American countries in every message.
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.