What You Need to Know About TOEFL Speaking

Magesh presents: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TOEFL SPEAKING Though the TOEFL Speaking section is the shortest section of the test, many students struggle with it the most. Speaking in English, into a microphone, under a time constraint, in a room full of other test-takers ... it can be stressful if you're not prepared. Luckily, you have time to prepare! By understanding the format of the Speaking section and practicing some pacing strategies, you'll be able to answer all six speaking questions in the allotted time. Read on for valuable speaking tips. OVERVIEW The TOEFL is separated into four sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. Reading: 60 or 80 min Listening: 60 or 90 min Writing: 50 min THE SPEAKING SECTION Time: Approximately 20 minutes long Number of questions: 6 Tasks: Giving personal opinions, summarizing lec- tures and conversations, reporting other people's opinions. Who you will speak to: You won't speak directly with another person. Instead, you'll speak into the microphone in front of you, which will be attached to your headphones. There's nobody listening- not when you record your responses. Your TOEFL Speaking section score is based on your ability to: • read • listen take notes • pronounce words correctly • use good grammar • manage your time wisely THE QUESTIONS There are two categories of questions in the Speaking section: Independent Integrated The independent speaking tasks (tasks 1 and 2) only test your speak- ing skills. The integrated speaking tasks (tasks 3 through 6) test other skills, in addition to your speaking skills. TASKS 1 + 2: I like to travel. INDEPENDENT SPEAKING QUESTIONS First you will be asked a general question about your life or opinions. You will then have a short time to plan before responding into the microphone. Preparation time: 15 seconds Response time: 45 seconds Tip: Your examples and experience don't have to be true! Be creative if it saves you time. TASKS 3 + 4: INTEGRATED READING, LISTENING, & SPEAKING QUESTIONS For these tasks, you will be asked to read a short text and listen to a lecture on the same topic. You will then explain what you heard. In task 3, you will listen to a recording of students dis- cussing their views on the text you just read. In Task 4, you will listen to a professor's lecture on the same topic as the text. Reading time: 45 seconds Preparation time: 30 seconds Response time: 60 seconds Tip: Use your 30 seconds of prep time to identify key information. Don't try to include every detail in your response! TASKS 5 + 6 INTEGRATED LISTENING & SPEAKING QUESTIONS As you did in tasks 3 and 4, you will listen to a conversa- tion in task 5 and a lecture in task 6. But this time, there are no texts to read. You will be asked a question about each recording. Preparation time: 20 seconds Response time: 60 seconds Tip: Question 5 is tricky; you have to talk about three things: 1. A problem that a student talked about 2. Two solutions suggested in the recording 3. Which solution you prefer and why Be careful to include all three parts! SCORING Each question receives a score ranging from 0 to 4. Your total score is then scaled to a value from 0 to 30. Below, you can see how different scores are rated. Weak Fair Good Excellent 0-9 10 - 17 18 - 25 26 - 30 So, how can you boost your score? Stay Focused Take a 10- or 15-second break. The test room can get noisy with Take Awesome Notes Relax TOEFL lectures are dense, so taking brief notes can help you Close your eyes, sit back, and take stay focused on the main ideas. everyone speaking at once. Prac- tice speaking with distractions in the room. a few deep breaths. Use a Template Don't Plagiarize! Block Out Distractions Create a template with structure words for each task. A phrase like ful! If you memorize sentences "Besides that, the student also and use them on the test, your eyes to clear your head. points out that." will help orga- nize your answer. Templates can help, but be care- If you can't stay focused, try cov- ering your ears and closing your scores may be cancelled because of plagiarism. Feeling more confident about your TOEFL Speaking skills? Remember that the Speaking section is only one part of the TOEFL exam, and that you aren't expected to speak English like a native speaker. Try to practice speaking in English as much as possible in the days leading up to your test so you become more comfortable. Want more TOEFL Speaking help and practice? Check out www.toefl.magoosh.com. Source: http://www.ets.org/toeft Magosh Prep smart, go far. Enjoy the ride. START BREAK FINISH