The TOEFL exam is a crucial gateway for international students and professionals seeking to advance their academic and professional careers in English-speaking environments. It assesses your listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills through a standardized test. While there's no single "benchmark" TOEFL score as requirements are relative, scoring well demonstrates your English language proficiency and strengthens your application.
The speaking section of the TOEFL exam can be particularly challenging, as factors like confidence and accent tend to impact speech fluency and overall delivery. Be that as it may, with the right TOEFL speaking practice, you can ace the exam in one trial.
The TOEFL Speaking Section Structure Before we highlight the tips that can help you ace the TOEFL speech exam, let's get vested in its structure. The speaking section typically consists of four tasks, each designed to assess different aspects of your speaking ability:
Task 1: Independent Speaking In this task, you are required to express your opinion on a familiar topic. This task aims to assess your ability to express personal opinions and ideas.
You'll be presented with a prompt that asks you to share your opinion on a given topic. You'll also have a short response time (usually 15–30 seconds) to prepare your response, followed by 45–60 seconds to speak.
Task 2: Integrated Speaking (Reading, Listening, and Speaking) This task targets both your listening, speaking, and reading skills.
First, you'll read a short passage on an academic topic. Next, you’ll listen to a lecture or conversation related to the same topic. Afterward, you'll be asked to summarize the main points from both the reading and the listening materials and explain how they are connected.
You'll also have a 45–60 seconds response time and 60–90 seconds to speak after reading and listening.
Task 3: Integrated Speaking (Listening and Speaking) For task 3, you'll listen to a conversation or lecture and then respond to a question based on what you hear. Your response should demonstrate your ability to synthesize information and express ideas clearly.
You should have 20–30 seconds to prepare your response and 60–90 seconds to speak.
Task 4: Integrated Speaking (Listening and Speaking) Similar to Task 3, you'll listen to a conversation or lecture and then answer a question based on the information provided. However, in this task, you'll also need to provide a preference or opinion, supported by reasons and examples.
You'll have 20–30 seconds to prepare and 60–90 seconds to respond.
Now, here are 10 TOEFL speaking practice exercises to help you prepare for each of these four sections.
1. Focus on Grammar Exercises In the writing and speaking sections, grammar is a criteria used by TOEFL graders to evaluate performance. Using correct grammar ensures that your speaking is clear and coherent, which is essential for conveying your ideas effectively in this section of the TOEFL.
Study more about intonation , stress patterns, grammar rules, sentence structure, verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, articles, prepositions, and punctuation. Focusing on grammar improves your ability to express ideas smoothly and logically within the allotted time frame.
2. Engage in Regular Debates and Discussions One way to learn how to articulate and support your opinions is through constant debates. Take a stance on a controversial issue, such as climate change or the use of technology in education, and argue your perspective convincingly.
Engaging in debates on controversial issues during TOEFL Speaking practice enhances your ability to think critically, construct compelling arguments, and communicate effectively in English. Debates and other conversation practice exercises are essential in helping you to get comfortable with unstructured, spontaneous conversation in English.
3. Expand Your Vocabulary Expand your vocabulary by learning new words and phrases because word choices are crucial for expressing yourself during the TOEFL speaking tasks. Use flashcards, vocabulary apps, or online resources and consume lots of English content to reinforce your knowledge of English vocabulary.
As you do this, observe and clearly note the differences between minimal pairs so that you are not confused. Here are a few ways that you could broaden your vocabulary:
Utilize the BoldVoice accent training app, which offer exercises and quizzes to help you learn and retain new words. Maintain a notebook or digital document to jot down new words, including their definitions, example sentences, and synonyms. Listen to relevant and educational podcasts and audiobooks. Engage with English-language media to encounter vocabulary in real-life situations. Also, pay attention to subtitles to understand the meaning of unfamiliar words and expressions. Make a habit of reading English materials such as books, newspapers, magazines, and online articles.
4. Summarize a Lecture Make it a habit to listen to short lectures or TED talks, then summarize the main points in your own words. All of the tasks in the TOEFL exam require that you listen to lectures and either summarize them, answer related questions, or give an opinion.
Summarizing multiple lectures, therefore, tends to help you practice listening comprehension and expressing ideas clearly and concisely.
5. Leverage the BoldVoice App The BoldVoice app is an accent training tool designed to help non-native speakers and foreign professionals with TOEFL speaking practice. This app employs AI technology to simulate speaking tasks similar to those on the actual exam.
BoldVoice is embedded with features like AI chat for instant feedback and it helps you phrase your sentences to the TOEFL standard. Especially for TOEFL iBT speaking practice, the BoldVoice app is a highly recommended tool as it simulates the internet-based format of the TOEFL exam.
6. Practice Storytelling Speaking with a clear accent and good grammar is important, but the core principle of comprehension is also vital. Do your listeners understand the information you have passed along?
Storytelling is the art of narrating an event so that people grasp its entire intent. Cultivate the habit of narrating events that happen around you. These stories could be your experiences or those of other people. Storytelling improves your ability to organize your thoughts and maintain the listener's interest.
7. Read Aloud Read passages from newspapers, magazines, or online articles out loud to yourself. When you listen to yourself speak, you can self-evaluate and compare your speech with that of native speakers.
To do this more efficiently, record yourself on your devices and replay the audio as many times as you’d like. Another alternative that works is getting an audience—this could be your tutor, family member, friend, or colleague.
8. Role-Reversal Conversations Now, what if you were asked to converse as an examiner, a lecturer, or an official in the U.S. embassy? How would you communicate? Your TOEFL speaking practice prepares you as much as possible, but then you never know what actual speaking tasks the real exams will present.
To minimize the element of surprise as much as possible, make time to play the roles of different speakers in a conversation. This exercise helps you adapt to different speaking styles and develop strategies for engaging in interactive discussions, no matter what the exam throws at you.
9. Mock Speaking Tests Simulate the actual exam in your practice sessions. As we mentioned earlier, the exam consists of 4 sections, and it takes around 17 minutes to complete.
A pro tip is to time yourself and record your responses to see how well you manage the allotted time. Review your recordings to identify areas for improvement and track your progress over time.
10. Describe a Picture
Your TOEFL speaking practice sessions do not have to be boring—in fact, it's best if you incorporate some fun pronunciation practice exercises to stay engaged while you learn!
Study a picture, painting, or random art piece for a few seconds, then describe what you see in detail. When you do this, let your friends or tutor vet your observations and description. Doing this often will prepare you for both integrated and independent speaking tasks.
TOEFL Speaking Test Practice Questions and Answers Task 1: Independent Speaking - Personal Preference
Sample Question: Some people believe that it is better to enjoy your money as soon as you earn it, while others think it is better to save money for the future. Which do you think is better? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
Sample Answer: Enjoying money now fosters happiness through experiences like travel or hobbies. Saving ensures financial security for goals like education or retirement.
I strongly believe in saving money over immediate spending. Saving money lays the foundation for financial security, setting you up to achieve long-term goals such as buying a home or retirement, and dealing with unforeseen emergencies.
Task 2: Integrated Speaking—Campus Situation
Listening Conversation: A discussion between two students about the benefits of studying abroad. Student A passionately advocates for studying abroad, highlighting its numerous benefits, such as cultural exposure, language acquisition, and expanded career opportunities. On the other hand, Student B vehemently opposes the idea, expressing concerns about homesickness, financial strain, and academic challenges abroad.
Sample Question: Which argument do you believe holds more weight in the context of studying abroad? If you were to discredit the opinions of one of the students, what strong opposing views would you give?
Sample Response: Both arguments have merit. Student A’s focus on cultural exposure and career benefits is compelling, but Student B’s concerns about homesickness, financial strain, and academic challenges abroad are valid as well.
However, to discredit Student B’s opinion, the problems of homesickness, financial strain, and academic challenges are common hurdles that can be overcome with proper preparations and support systems in place. Although Student B’s concerns are valid, they are not insurmountable obstacles and should not discourage students from pursuing the valuable opportunities offered by studying abroad.
Task 3: Integrated Speaking—Academic Course
Sample Question: Explain how the Industrial Revolution transformed traditional agricultural practices. Do you think the Industrial Revolution played any part in the developments we see today? Give examples to support your opinion.
Sample Response: The Industrial Revolution transformed traditional agriculture by introducing mechanized farming tools, urbanization, shifting labor, and improving transportation for wider market access. The Industrial Revolution brought about the development of sophisticated transportation infrastructure like railways and canals. Many of these are being utilized in the most advanced cities today.
Final Thoughts The integrated tasks that make up the speaking section of the TOEFL exam may appear to be a bit daunting. However, with strategic preparation, it is possible to ace your exam with confidence.
For a more comprehensive learning experience to take your speaking TOEFL practice to the next level, sign up for a free 7-day trial with the BoldVoice app. With its AI-powered features, BoldVoice will help you refine your speech and prepare you for the TOEFL exam. Download the app to get started right away!
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