Datehao's TOEFL Speaking Tips

TOEFL score 106 (R29 L28 S23 W26)

Speaking: 4 tasks in total, one independent and three integrated 17 minutes of response time

A quick intro to the speaking tasks:

Task 1 — Independent task: read the prompt → 15 seconds to prepare → 45 seconds to answer
It's mostly about your own everyday experience: you describe your preferences. The question asks what you prefer and gives you two positions to choose from. Ex. If you were going on a field trip, would you choose an amusement park or an art museum?

Tips: I give three examples, so you need to practice brainstorming in everyday life. I pick a side right away. Take the amusement park: I'd write down lots of fun rides, you can go with a big group, and there's food so you can stay all day. Those three are what I just came up with now, not what I actually said on the test XD Anyway, you probably get my point. So what's the upside? When I speak, I can calmly walk through my examples without rushing. The first sentence roughly restates the question, then I go straight into the examples. Of course you can add things as you go, and the rest is improvisation. That should lock in Task 1. All you need to practice is this brainstorming and looking at lots of prompts.

Tasks 2 and 3 — Integrated tasks: 50 seconds of reading → 1–1.5 minutes of listening → 30 seconds to prepare → 60 seconds to answer

First you get a reading passage, then a listening clip, and finally you answer the question out loud. It's usually a campus conversation and an academic lecture. I think the campus conversation is easier: you read a passage, listen to a conversation, then describe the conflict between them or one side's opinion. So you have to note down both sides' points, or you'll have nothing to say, which is super awkward...

As for the academic lecture, you usually read an introduction to a term and then listen to a lecture. The lecture usually explains further or challenges a point from the reading. I think this one is the hardest. You first need to explain the definition of the term in your own words, then start talking about both sides. When taking notes, keep track of which points come from the passage and which come from the professor. Never mix them up.

Task 4 — Integrated task: 1–2 minutes of listening → 20 seconds to prepare → 60 seconds to answer

The last task has you speak for 60 seconds with only 20 seconds to prepare, which is really tough. Your brain has to work at lightning speed. For example, the professor defines a marketing term or concept and explains it with two examples, and you have to restate everything he said. So for people who take great notes or have an amazing memory, it won't be hard. If you use the approach I described above, you should handle it with ease!

Prep tips:

Don't hesitate or use too many filler words: hmmm, yeah, but, endless so's, and so on. I'm sure everyone has this habit. It's totally normal in everyday conversation, but here we're preparing for a test, so you need to be very concise. Have a few nice phrases or ways of answering ready in your head that you've already polished many times. Record yourself over and over and listen to your voice, grammar and structure, or ask someone else to listen for you!! Super useful