IELTS Listening Map Labelling: Directions Vocabulary and Tips

Map labelling questions usually appear in Part 2. A speaker, often a tour guide or a manager, describes a place, and you match locations on a map or plan to letters or labels.

Many candidates find maps stressful because they have to listen, read and look at the same time. The secret is knowing the direction language before you hear it.

Essential directions vocabulary

Position

Phrase	Meaning
next to / beside	directly at the side of something
opposite	facing it, on the other side
between	in the middle of two places
behind / at the back of	on the far side
in front of	on the near side
in the corner	where two walls or edges meet
in the middle / in the centre	at the centre point
adjacent to	next to (more formal)

Direction and movement

Phrase	Meaning
go straight on / straight ahead	don't turn
turn left / turn right	change direction
go past	continue beyond something
beyond	further than something
at the end of	where a path or corridor finishes
head towards	move in the direction of
take the first turning on the left	the first road or path on the left
cross	go from one side to the other

Compass directions

Maps often show north at the top. Learn north, south, east, west and the in-between directions: north-east, south-west and so on.

"The walled garden is to the east, beyond the old stables."

Floors and buildings

Phrase	Meaning
ground floor	the floor at street level (UK)
first floor	one floor above the ground floor (UK)
upstairs / downstairs	on a higher / lower floor
entrance / exit	where you go in / out
reception	the desk near the entrance

In British English, the first floor is one level above the ground floor. In American English, the first floor is the ground floor.

Step-by-step: how to answer map questions

1. Find your starting point. Before the audio starts, find the entrance, the "You are here" marker, or wherever the speaker is likely to begin.
2. Notice the orientation. Is north at the top? Which way is the speaker facing?
3. Read the labels. Look at every place you need to find, and the letters already on the map.
4. Follow with your finger. As the speaker moves, move your finger or pen along the route.
5. Listen for landmarks. Speakers describe new places in relation to known ones: "opposite the café", "just past the lake".
6. Answers come in order. The speaker usually describes places in the order of the questions.

Example

"From the main entrance, go straight ahead into the entrance hall. The library is the room on your right, and the gift shop is directly opposite it. At the end of the hall, turn left, and you'll find the café in the corner, next to the stairs."

Try drawing this as you read it. Then try it with audio in our historic house and gardens lesson and our museum tour lesson.

Common mistakes

• Mixing up left and right when the speaker is facing a different direction from you on the map
• Confusing opposite and next to
• Losing your place after missing one location: move on and use the next landmark to find your position again

Practise maps and directions

All our Part 2 lessons use the language of tours, buildings and directions. Practise them in dictation mode to learn the exact phrases, then in gap-fill mode to practise catching the key word.