Pronunciation Tips: Using Phrasing on the Speaking Section of the TOEFL® test
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Listen to Podcast
Here is the script for the sample independent speaking response* you will hear as you listen. The appropriate places for pauses are marked with this forward slash (/).
I prefer exercising outdoors / First / I spend my whole week at work inside / and the weekend / is my only chance / to see nature / My desk at work / is in a small cubicle with no windows / and by the end of the work week / I’m usually very depressed and restless / Exercising on the weekends / gives me a chance to move / and to improve my spirits / Also / in my hometown / we have a wonderful cycling trail / At my gym / you can rent bikes for free / and ride the trail / Last weekend / I went on a date / with my boyfriend /and we rode the entire trail together/ The weather was perfect/ And at the end / we had a romantic picnic /So I definitely prefer that intimate experience / over a crazy night clubbing.
After you listen to the podcast practice reading the script with correct phrasing.
*sample responses are given in American English
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Pronunciation Tips: Using Linking on the Speaking Section of the TOEFL iBT™
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Listen to Podcast
Here are the examples* you will hear as you listen:
Example of Consonant-Vowel Linking
Can I turn on the TV now?
Can I becomes Ca-ni
turn on becomes tur-non
Example of Vowel-Vowel Linking
Who is going with Jack to the party?
I am.
Who is becomes who-wis
I am becomes I-yam
*pronunciation examples are given in American English
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Pronunciation Tips: Using Contractions and Reductions on the Speaking Section
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Here are some questions to answer while you listen:
- What are some contractions?
- Why should you use contractions?
- What are reductions?
- What are some examples of reductions?
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The Grading Rubric for the Speaking Section of the Test
Students ask me sometimes about how they will be graded on the Speaking Section of the TOEFL® test. You don’t have to wonder. The company that made the test publishes the grading rubric online. Click here to see it.
You are graded on three areas: delivery, language use, and topic development.
If you’d like help improving your score on one or all three areas. Join my online classes. Click here to request more information.
Pronunciation Tips: Sentence Stress on the Speaking Section
Here’s the latest podcast!
Listen to Podcast
Here are some questions to answer while you listen:
- What is delivery?
- What is sentence stress?
- Which kind of words do you usually stress in English: content or function?
- Why is sentence stress important on the speaking section?
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Organizing your Speaking Responses: Questions 5
If you organize your speaking responses your response will be clearer and easier to understand. Here are some suggested phrases and organization for Question 5 on the Speaking Section of the TOEFL® test. Just finish each sentence with information from the task.
Q5: For this question type you will listen to a conversation between a student and another person at the university. Usually the student has some kind of problem or need. The other person is giving the student advice about the situation. The task will ask you to summarize the problem and the solutions offered. Then you will choose what solution you think is the best and include reasons supporting your choice.
Preparation Time: 20 seconds
Speaking Time: 60 seconds
Approximate Length: 7-8 sentences
Sentence 1 (Summarize the problem):
The student’s problem is…
The student needs …
The student wants…but…
Sentence 2-3 (Summarize one of the solutions):
The man/woman advises that the student should…
According to the man/woman the student should …
One solution the man/woman offers is…
Sentence 3-4 (Summarize another one of the solutions):
The man/woman also says the student could …
Another solution the man/woman offers is…
Sentence 5-6 (State the solution you agree with):
I agree with the first/second solution because…
I think the best solution is the first/second one because…
The first/second solution the man/woman offered is the best because…
Sentence 7-8 (Optional: Give more detail supporting your choice):
This is also a good solution because…
Another reason to choose this solution is…
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Campus Vocabulary
For the Listening and Speaking sections of the TOEFL iBT™ it’s important to be familiar with common American campus vocabulary. Here is a quick quiz about the names of places on an American university campus:
Where should the student go on campus? Read the student’s problem and then match it with the office he needs to go to.
1. I need to find out if I can get a scholarship to help pay for my tuition
2. I need to get a copy of my transcript (school records)
3. I need to start looking for a job for after graduation
4. I need to do a chemistry project
5. I need to turn in my application
___________________________________________________________________
a. The Registrar
b. Admissions Office
c. The Office of Financial Aid
d. The Science Lab
e. The Office of Career Services
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Make Your Independent Speaking Response Interesting
You are graded on three areas of your speaking: Delivery (pronunciation, pausing, intonation, etc.), Grammar & Vocabulary (variety of sentences, correct vocab use, advanced vocabulary, etc), and Topic Development. To score well on questions 1 and 2 you need to speak well in all of these areas.
Here are three tips to help you do well with grammar, vocabulary and topic development.
1. Use interesting vocab
Don’t use generic, boring words like good, nice, and beautiful. Those are words that you learned in your first English class. Try to use more interesting vocabulary or try to use words that help the listener imagine what you are explaining.
Do use the 5 senses to explain what the thing or the experience was like that you are talking about.
Example: I prefer the beach because of the rich taste of salt in the air. I like to feel the warm sun on my skin and the cool wet sand in between my toes.
2. Use a variety to sentences.
Don’t use only simple sentences (S+V)
Do use a variety of sentence types: simple, compound, complex
Negative Example: I like the beach. The beach is nice. The sun shines at the beach. There is water at the beach.
Positive Example: I like the beach because the sun shines often, and there is always water to play in. When I went to the beach last summer, I learned how to surf. Now surfing is my new favorite sport.
3. Use personal examples
Don’t only give reasons to support your answer.
Do give reasons and examples from your own life experience
Negative Example: I like the beach because it’s nice. Also, because there is water there. Another reason is I can get a good tan at the beach.
Positive Example: I like the beach because there is a lot of water there. In my childhood, I grew up in the desert region of my country. There was a lot of sand, but not very much water. The first time I went to the beach I was overwhelmed by the size of the ocean. It was big like the desert, but instead of sand it was all water.
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Organizing your Speaking Responses: Question 3
If you organize your speaking responses your response will be clearer and easier to understand. Here are some suggested phrases and organization for question 3 on the speaking section of the TOEFL® test. Just finish each sentence with information from the task.
Q3: For this question type you read an announcement or notice about a change at a university. Then you listen to a conversation about the announcement. The conversation is between a student and someone else at the university. It could be another student, a professor, or someone else who works at the university. Usually, the student or the other person will have an opinion about the announcement. The task will ask you to summarize one person’s opinion and give reasons for that opinion.
Preparation Time: 30 seconds
Speaking Time: 60 seconds
Approximate Length: 7-10 sentences
Sentence 1 (Summarize the announcement or notice):
According to the announcement, …
The university is going to …
The notice says…
Sentence 2 (Summarize the person’s opinion or how he/she feels about the announcement):
The man/woman thinks the announcement is …
The man/woman disagrees/agrees with the change at the university …
The man/woman believes…
Sentence 3 (Give the first reason the man/woman mentions):
First, the man/woman says …
Her/his first reason is…
Sentence 4-5 (Give some details from the conversation supporting the first reason):
(This part of the response will vary according to the conversation.)
Sentence 6 (Give the second reason the man/woman mentions):
Next, he/she thinks …
He/she also says …
Sentence 7-8 (Give some details from the conversation supporting the second reason):
(This part of the response will vary according to the conversation.)
Organizing your Speaking Responses: Questions 1 & 2
If you organize your speaking responses your response will be clearer and easier to understand. Here are some suggested phrases and organization for questions 1 and 2 on the speaking section of the TOEFL® test. Just finish each sentence with information from the task.
Q1-Q2: Remember for these question types you are giving your opinion about a topic or you are choosing one of two options and explaining why you prefer that option.
Preparation Time: 15 seconds
Speaking Time: 45 seconds
Approximate Length: 5-8 sentences
Sentence 1 (Make your choice):
In my opinion, …
I believe that…
I prefer…
Sentence 2 (Give your first reason):
First of all, …
My first reason is…
I believe this because…
Sentence 3 (Support your first reason with an example or details from your life experience):
For example…
In my life I…
Sentence 4 (Give your second reason):
Secondly, …
Also, …
Another reason is …
Sentence 5 (Support your second reason with an example or details from your life experience):
For example, …
In my life, I…
