How to Get the Most TOEFL Progress When Time Is Limited

Hi everyone, I'm David, co-founder of SK2 TOEFL.

A few days ago, K, a student who took our class a few years back, messaged me asking how to prepare for a TOEFL test a few months away while working full time. We talked about a lot.

K's questions are very typical, so with K's permission, I'm sharing our conversation. I hope it helps you check whether the way you're preparing for the TOEFL actually works!

👩‍💻 K:

Hello David! I took the SK2 intensive class three years ago. I started preparing for the TOEFL again this January and signed up for the test on 8/3.

I work full time, so my time after work is limited. About three hours go to reading and listening, and I haven't touched speaking at all.

I wanted to ask: if I practice speaking English for 25 minutes a day on an online tutoring platform, will it help my speaking? And how should I plan my time overall to "maximize progress"?

🧑‍🏫 David:

The key isn't "how you use your time." It's whether you clearly know what your problems are, and then practice to address them.

For example, in speaking, if you "have ideas but can't say them smoothly," an online tutor might help. But if you "can't develop your content and keep going in circles," you should go back and organize your Word Bank and practice developing examples. An online tutor may not help with that, since TOEFL speaking has strict time limits.

The same goes for reading and listening. Before you spend three hours practicing, ask yourself: What problem are you trying to solve? If you can't answer, you're just "logging hours," and you won't necessarily improve.

👩‍💻 K:

Let me try to sum up where I am:

• Three years ago I barely reached 80, and my foundation is still weak. Last year I spoke English with an online tutor for 25 minutes a day for eight months.

• I started preparing this January. For the first 3 months I did dictation practice & built up my reading, and in April I started doing TPO.

📖 Reading: I read slowly. On hard topics I can take up to 35 minutes and miss 4-5 questions.

• What I do: one passage a day, untimed for now, but reviewed thoroughly

• 5 questions a day, sorted by question type

• Extra reading: English news and advanced articles

🎧 Listening: I understand about 70%, and my accuracy on detail questions is inconsistent.

• Note review + echoing section by section + relistening the next day

🗣️ Speaking: I've barely practiced. I'm reorganizing my Word Bank first, but I haven't started timed answers yet.

• I want to use an online course platform every day and start by talking with a native-speaker tutor for 25 minutes

• One question a day to practice ideas; on weekends, friends quiz me with questions

✍️ Writing: I've finished SK2 parts 1-4, but I still struggle to develop examples, and one essay often takes me 2 hours.

• Read high-scoring essays on weekdays, write 1-2 essays on weekends

🧑‍🏫 David:

You're heading in the right direction with reading and listening. The key is "how do you review?"

You said you go back over the questions, check them against the discussion board, and organize your notes and the reasons for your mistakes. That's great!

You haven't started speaking yet, so it's hard to say where the problem is, but you can try your current plan for a month. Use TOEFL questions when you talk with the tutor and don't time yourself. Practicing fluency and content is what matters.

My advice for writing: After reading a high-scoring essay, cover the paragraph and say what you just read in English. Paraphrasing is fine too. The point is to turn it into language you can produce yourself.

Also, set concrete short-term goals, for example "finish a complete essay within one hour," then gradually cut the time and improve your fluency.

👩‍💻 K:

I wrote down all of this super practical advice! I'll try to:

• Retell high-scoring essays the way you described

• Practice speaking with Engoo + TOEFL questions for the next month

• Send you recordings next month for your feedback!

• Check back at the end of May to see if I've improved

Thank you for replying so patiently~~

🧑‍🏫 David:

Different methods work for different people. As a consultant, I hope I can help you find your own.

The point isn't "whether you're working hard." It's whether you know what problem you're solving.

📣 Want to have a conversation like this with a professional consultant?

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