So right after the thesis statement is the first topic sentence. That is why it is helpful to recognize the thesis statement because you know what's next is the topic sentence.
When you previewed.
Before you listened, you might have been able to predict the topic sentence by looking at the title in the preview and how you thought it might be organized. The thesis statement may have told you the different ideas there would be in the introduction.
To predict the topic sentence.
You can always look for one of three things:
signal word or cues,
a change in topic
or the type of organization.
You won't always have 3 and often you don't but you typically have at least one of these.
Let's look at each of those three in more depth:
1.Signal words or cues. Listen for vocabulary and typical ways to create topic sentences in presentations. The speaker may begin with a question. The speaker could begin with transitions like first/first of all/another/in addition or the speaker could simply just use so, okay or now.
2.Watch for a change of topics. We’ll talk more about this later.
3.Watch for types of organization. Here are those types and the associated vocabulary:
cause-effect: the cause/the factor, the effect of, the result of
problem/solution: issue, the solution to/how to/the treatment of
Process: process, steps, methods, phases, stages, strategies
Comparison/contrast: similarities, differences
Why: the reasons for, because
Logical division/classification: types/kinds of, qualities/characteristics/traits, advantages, positive aspects, disadvantages, negative aspects. Nouns, phrases. Ex: principles
Chronological order: the history of/time phrases like in 1990.
NOTE: You can also look for 2 other items:
For slides. If there are slides, you can easily see the topic sentence because it will be the titles of each slide.
For pausing and slowing down. Most speakers pause and slow down for a new topic sentence.
Note: If you can’t hear the topic sentence, it may not be your listening; the speaker may not be organized. There may not be one. Most professors and lecturers do put topic sentences though.
That was a brief explanation of step 3. Let's now practice with the types of organization to help you become familiar with them.