The TOEFL Speaking section is a rapid-fire 20 minutes of reading, listening, jotting down notes, and (most of all) speaking. There’s a lot to do and keep track of during this section, and it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. Luckily, we’re here to help.

In this guide, we’ll go over everything you need to know to ace TOEFL Speaking. First, we’ll break down the TOEFL speaking questions you’ll see and give tips on how to answer each question type. Then we’ll go over the best way to prepare for this section and the TOEFL Speaking tips you should keep in mind on test day.

 

Overview of the TOEFL Speaking Section

The TOEFL Speaking section lasts 20 minutes and includes six tasks. The individual tasks will be described in more detail in the next section. You won’t be speaking to a real person during this section. Instead, you’ll hear recorded conversations and respond by speaking into a microphone. After your exam, your responses will then be listened to by TOEFL graders. Each question receives a score from 0-4. These scores are then added together and scaled from 0-30 for your total Speaking section score. Your Speaking section score makes up 25% of your total TOEFL score (out of 120).

This section tests your ability to speak effectively in academic settings. You’ll be graded on how well you answer each question, your ability to speak clearly and coherently, and your vocabulary and grammar.

 

What Types of Questions Are on TOEFL Speaking?

There are three different types of TOEFL Speaking questions, two tasks for each type. In this section, we explain the format and content of the tasks and give an official example question and response tips for each question type.

Tasks 1 and 2

The first two tasks are independent speaking tasks that draw on the student’s own ideas, opinions, and experiences when responding. For each of these questions, you’ll be given 15 seconds to prepare and need to speak for 45 seconds.

Example question

 

1. Talk about a pleasant and memorable event that happened while you were in school. Explain why this event brings back fond memories. Preparation Time: 15 seconds Response Time: 45 seconds

TOEFL Speaking Tips for Answering

• You won’t get much time to prepare for these first two tasks, so you’ll have to think quickly.

• Don’t try to figure out all the details you’re going to discuss in 15 seconds. Just settle on a topic to talk about, and let the details come naturally while you’re speaking.

• If you run out of things to talk about and there’s still time left, don’t be afraid to make things up! There’s no rule that you can only discuss facts. As long as you’re speaking, it doesn’t matter whether what you’re discussing actually happened or not.

 

Tasks 3 and 4

The remaining four tasks are integrated tasks. Students must use more than one skill when responding. Tasks 3 and 4 require students to read, listen, then speak. You’ll be given 45 seconds to read a short passage, then you’ll listen to a short lecture (about a minute in length). After that, you’ll have 30 seconds to prepare, and you’ll then need to speak for 60 seconds.

Example Question

4. Read a passage from a psychology textbook and the lecture that follows it. Then answer the question. (Reading time in an actual test would be 45-50 seconds.) Flow In psychology, the feeling of complete and energized focus in an activity is called flow. People who enter a state of flow lose their sense of time and have a feeling of great satisfaction. They become completely involved in an activity for its own sake rather than for what may result from the activity, such as money or prestige. Contrary to expectation, flow usually happens not during relaxing moments of leisure and entertainment, but when we are actively involved in a difficult enterprise, in a task that stretches our mental or physical abilities. (Male professor) I think this will help you get a picture of what your textbook is describing. I had a friend who taught in the physics department. Professor Jones, he retired last year………….Anyway, I remember…………… this was a few years ago ……….. I remember passing by a classroom early one morning just as he was leaving, and he looked terrible: his clothes were all rumpled, and he looked like he hadn’t slept all night. And I asked if he was OK. I was surprised when he said that he never felt better, that he was totally happy. He had spent the entire night in the classroom working on a mathematics puzzle. He didn’t stop to eat dinner: he didn’t stop to sleep …………….. or even rest. He was that involved in solving the puzzle. And it didn’t even have anything to do with his teaching or research; he had just come across this puzzle accidentally, I think in a mathematics journal, and it just really interested him, so he worked furiously all night and covered the blackboards in the classroom with equations and numbers and never realized that time was passing by. Question: Explain flow and how the example used by the professor illustrates the concept. Preparation Time: 30 seconds Response Time: 60 seconds

TOEFL Speaking Tips for Answering

• These are often considered the trickiest TOEFL Speaking questions because they contain three parts: reading, listening, then speaking, all in a short time frame. The most important tip for these questions is to take good notes while reading and listening. You want to have their information briefly summarized so that when your preparation time starts, you can use it to figure out how you’re going to respond and not waste time going back and trying to figure out what the passages said.

• When answering these questions, pay careful attention to any differences between the information in written passage and the information in the audio clip. These differences are often an important part of your response.

• Also, in your response, you should back up any statements you make with evidence from the audio clip or written passage in order to show you were able to understand the information they included and can create a strong argument.

 

Tasks 5 and 6

The final two TOEFL speaking tasks require students to listen then speak. For these two tasks, you’ll first listen to a short audio clip. You’ll then have 20 seconds to prepare, and you’ll need to speak for 60 seconds.

Example Question

6. Read part of a lecture in a biology course and then answer the question. (Female professor) Human beings aren’t the only animals that use tools. It’s generally recognized that other animals use tools as well………. use them naturally, in the wild, without any human instruction. But when can we say that an object is a tool? Well, it depends on your definition of a tool. And in fact, there are two competing definitions—a narrow definition and a broad one. The narrow definition says that a tool is an object that’s used to perform a specific task ………… but not just any object. To be a tool, according to the narrow definition, the object’s gotta be purposefully changed or shaped by the animal, or human, so that it can be used that way. It’s an object that’s made. Wild chimpanzees use sticks to dig insects out of their nests ……… but most sticks lying around won’t do the job ………… they might be too thick, for example. So the sticks have to be sharpened so they’ll fit into the hole in an ant hill or the insect nest. The chimp pulls off the leaves and chews the stick and trims it down that way until it’s the right size. The chimp doesn’t just find the stick ………… it………….. you could say it makes it in a way. But the broad definition says an object doesn’t have to be modified to be considered a tool. The broad definition says a tool is any object that’s used to perform a specific task. For example, an elephant will sometimes use a stick to scratch its back ………. it just picks up a stick from the ground and scratches its back with it…………… It doesn’t modify the stick, it uses it just as it’s found. And it’s a tool, under the broad definition, but under the narrow definition it’s not because, well, the elephant doesn’t change it in any way. Question: Using points and examples from the talk, describe the two different definitions of tools given by the professor. Preparation Time: 20 seconds Response Time: 60 seconds

TOEFL Speaking Tips for Answering

• For tasks 5 and 6, you’ll use many of the same tips for answering as you did for tasks 3 and 4.

• These tasks, since there is no written passage, tend to have longer audio clips, so it’s important to be able to quickly summarize the main points of the clip in a few notes so that you’re ready to speak when the timer starts.

• Throughout your response, you should mention specific parts of the audio clip to strengthen your answer.

 

TOEFL Speaking Study Strategies

If you’re already confident with your English speaking skills, you may feel like you don’t need to study for this section. However, preparation is key for most people to ace this section. Keep these four tips in mind while preparing in order to get the most out of your studying.

 

1. Practice Speaking Regularly

The most important thing you can do to practice for the TOEFL Speaking section is to practice speaking English regularly. If you can practice every day, that would be ideal, but at the very least you should aim to practice speaking English 2-3 hours a week. Remember, this speaking practice doesn’t only have to consist of answering TOEFL Speaking questions; any conversation, even a casual chat with friends, where you’re speaking in English counts.

2. Answer TOEFL Practice Questions

While any practice you get speaking English will help you answer the TOEFL Speaking questions more confidently, it’s also important to practice answering actual practice Speaking questions so you’re more prepared on test day. Answering real TOEFL speaking practice questions will help you better understand the types of questions you’ll be asked, how long you have to prepare, and how long your responses need to be (speaking for 60 seconds straight can feel longer than you’d expect!)

3. Expand Your English Vocabulary

The vocabulary you use is an important part of your TOEFL Speaking score, so it’s important to not just repeat the same handful of words when you speak. You don’t need to sound like a thesaurus, but including a few less common and more challenging words in your responses can help boost your score.

TOEFL Speaking Tips for Test Day

You don’t want all your awesome preparation to go to waste on test day, so on the day you do take the TOEFL, keep these final tips in mind during the Speaking section.

4. Use Your Preparation Time Wisely

You’ll be given between 15 and 30 seconds to prepare for each task, and you want to be sure to make the most of this time. During your preparation time, jot down points about the main points you want to make. Don’t try to write out everything you want to say. You won’t have enough time, and reading from a script will sound unnatural and lose you points.

For the four integrated tasks, make note of any specific points you want to mention from the audio clip/written passage. Be sure to finish your notes in time so that when the timer ends and you have to begin speaking, you’ll be able to start your response right away.

5. Speak at a Steady Pace

Many people feel nervous when they take the TOEFL, particularly during the Speaking section. There’s also pressure to fit in as many words as you can in order to gain more points. As a result, many people tend to speak very quickly during their Speaking responses. On the other hand, other people who are nervous or not that confident with their English may speak very slowly, stumbling over words or with long gaps in their responses.

Neither of these situations is what you want. Both rushing through words and struggling to find the right one can lose you points. You want your responses to sound as close to a native English speaker’s as possible, which means speaking at a normal, steady speaking pace.

Practice will help you get better at keeping a steady pace. On the day of the exam, listen to what you sound like when you respond to the first task, and make corrections on future responses to improve your speaking pace. If you’re feeling nervous, take a few deep breaths during the preparation time to help calm your nerves.

6. Stay Focused

A lot happens during the Speaking section, and there isn’t a lot of down time to process it. The section is only 20 minutes, but during that time you’ll have to frequently switch between listening, reading, taking notes, and speaking. With all that going on, it can be easy for you to get distracted and let your mind wander. However, it’s very important to stay focused during this section.

You can get away with taking a 30-second break during the Reading section or while writing your essay, but the TOEFL Speaking section has so much happening so quickly that even getting distracted for a few seconds can hurt you. You could end up missing part of an audio recording (which won’t be replayed), not having anything prepared when it comes time to speak, or, worst of all, having a blank stretch during your answer where you don’t say anything.

Do your best to avoid this. Doing practice TOEFLs will help you get used to staying focused,and, during the exam, you’ll be coming off a 10-minute break, which will help. Use the break to relax, take a mental breather, and prepare yourself for 20 minutes of focus during the Speaking section.

 

Conclusion: How to Do Well on TOEFL Speaking

The TOEFL Speaking section is intimidating to many people, but if you prepare well, it doesn’t have to be! It’s important to understand each of the question types you’ll be seeing and how you should approach each one.

During your studying, you should be sure to speak English regularly, answer practice questions, and expand your vocabulary. Once you make it to the day of the test, follow our TOEFL Speaking tips and remember to use your preparation time wisely, speak at a steady pace, and stay focused.

If you put the effort in to be well-prepared for this section, you may find the Speaking section to be the easiest part of the entire TOEFL!

 

What to Expect from the TOEFL Speaking Section

Speaking has two types of tasks: Integrated and Independent.

Integrated Speaking requires you to respond orally to a question that is introduced by a short text or an audio clip.

Independent Speaking asks you to answer a question based on your own experiences and opinions. There are six tasks in total, and the whole section takes up only 20 minutes. The whole TOEFL takes four hours to complete, so you can see that 20 minutes is not much time.

Despite its relative brevity, the Speaking section requires lots and lots of practice. Why? Besides the obvious—you want to get a high score on TOEFL, don’t you?—you need to learn to time your answers right and to control the speed of your speech. You will have, at most, 60 seconds to record each answer, so you cannot speak too fast or too slow.

You should also work to improve your pronunciation. As a non-native English speaker, you probably have an accent and that is okay, but working on pronouncing words correctly is essential to get better at speaking English in general, not only for the test.

TOEFL Speaking requires you to speak into a microphone instead of talking to an examiner—something to keep in mind and get used to as well.

 

Do I Need to Practice for the TOEFL Speaking Section?

Yes, Speaking definitely needs your attention! But what exactly should you be focusing on?

The main idea is to know how to form clear responses to questions or topics you are given. For this you need to be able to think of something to say (fast) and then present it (even faster) using good grammar. The grammar does not need to be complex, but it has to be correct. Clear understanding and proper usage of the Simple Past and Present tenses is much more useful to you than getting lost in the verb forms of Future Perfect Continuous.

After grammar comes vocabulary. To express yourself orally, you need to have a good arsenal of nouns, adjectives and verbs. For TOEFL Speaking you might not need to study vocabulary specifically, but it is a good idea to pay attention to it. You should learn a few fancy words, but you should never use words whose meaning is unclear to you. Play it safe!

Practicing for Speaking requires that you time your responses. They need to fit into the time limit specified by each Speaking task—anywhere from 15 to 60 seconds. You need to cover all the points you want to make within this short time! However, you also do not want to run out of ideas and submit a 10-second response to a task that gives you a full minute to talk.

Last but not least, your pronunciation is also something you need to focus on. Note that it is not your accent that matters. You can have an accent! However, you must focus on pronouncing words clearly and to the best of your ability, so that people can understand you well. Every ESL speaker has some kind of accent. It is best to stop worrying about it early on and focus on points discussed above.

4 Ways to Practice for the TOEFL Speaking Section

Now, there are lots of ways you can prepare for TOEFL Speaking, and the best is practice and more practice. Here are some ideas on how to get talking before your test!

1. By Yourself

This is the most structured way you can go about practicing for the Speaking section. You can choose topics that match the TOEFL exam pattern and standards. You can focus on your weaknesses that need the most work. For example, if you have trouble responding in a certain time limit, then you can spend extra time working on being able to form an answer in under 30 seconds, or on speaking slowly enough despite being nervous.

You can also study in the location where you feel most comfortable talking and repeating things, for example, you can practice at home or in the privacy of a library study room.

You can go at your own pace, laugh at how awkward your voice sounds on the recording and re-try any speaking task you want.

To set up studying by yourself, you will need a pair of headphones and a microphone, both of which connect to your computer or laptop. You will also need a simple recording software (Audacity is a great free tool). Once you compile a list of TOEFL-appropriate topics, you are good to start speaking!

When you practice, record and play back your answers. Take note of any grammar mistakes, pauses, umm‘s and hmm‘s. Notice how you tend to speed up if you are nervous or see the time running out. Your speed of talking is important, but the timing of the response is even more crucial. Regularly practicing these by yourself is optimal.

2. With a Tutor or Teacher

You probably already know that there are tutors out there who teach English to students. But did you know that there are many tutors who specialize in teaching English for the TOEFL exam? They know all about the exam and how to improve your score.

With a private tutor, you can take and review practice tests, drill vocabulary, discuss grammar topics and work on any weaknesses that you may have. It’s all about you and your needs!

To find the right tutor for you, you can start by searching online with Verbling. There are many English tutors with experience in teaching about the TOEFL. Verbling tutors teach online, not in person.

If you would like to see your TOEFL tutor in person, at your house or somewhere like a local cafe, then you can use Wyzant (only in the United States). This website will help you find the best TOEFL tutor for you, who also lives in your local area.

3. In a Study Group

This is a more social experience that has several unique advantages.

If you can get together with a few more TOEFL-takers, you will be able to practice for the Speaking section in a more natural way. TOEFL Speaking is a monolog task, where you will speaking all by yourself, alone.

However, you can structure your sessions with a study buddy as dialogues which help both speakers practice at the same time. You will also be able to get feedback from peers on your pronunciation, on what is clear and what is not. You can agree to time and record your answers and try again, if necessary. You can give each other feedback on the recordings and give suggestions for improvement. It is a study group, after all!

The difficulties with studying in a group are mainly logistical. The group dynamics may make it hard to practice with a microphone (since you can do it by yourself, you do not need a group for that), and you might need to share the microphone if you study with other people.

Another difficulty is actually finding people to study with. You may form a group of like-minded people for free, say, friends who might also be taking TOEFL or students at your current school.

Alternatively, you can sign up for TOEFL preparation classes and have not only a study group, but an instructor to mentor you as well. If you can afford these, great. If you cannot afford these options or prefer to save money, you can also go online and find people in your area who want to practice before TOEFL for free (check out StudyPal.co, for example). They do not have to be people you know. You might even make new friends that way!

To make practicing in a group setting effective, make a list of TOEFL-appropriate topics, agree on how your conversations are going to go, and alternate between dialogue and monologue exchanges. If you can, invite a native English speaker to oversee your session at least once before the test. Ask for her feedback regarding your skills, and you will be able to adjust your study strategy accordingly.

4. In a Social Setting

The goal of TOEFL is to ascertain you can communicate in English clearly. It is, however, a very specific test that cannot measure your ability with a 100% accuracy. Speaking English “in the wild” is a very important skill that will benefit you long after you have successfully survived TOEFL. Therefore, practicing English in a relaxed social setting with native speakers is a great addition to your study sessions.

The opportunities are truly limitless, especially if you live a big city. You can go to a regular gathering of people who wish to practice foreign languages—English will surely be at the top of their list.

You can go to a specific English-language Meet Up (check out your local Meetup.com listings). You can also socialize with the expat and travel community in your city: Events organized by travelers are among the friendliest to new people (see Couchsurfing.org and their events).

The advantages of practicing Speaking this way are obvious: You are exposed to so much English that you become used to it very quickly and lose the fear of speaking bit by bit. It is an excellent way to practice speaking and listening at the same time, which is very useful for TOEFL. And best of all, these types of events are usually free or very inexpensive to attend and they happen regularly.

Practicing English socially cannot substitute studying for the Speaking section formally. For one, you will not always be able to choose topics that you need to practice. Timing or recording your dialogues is also out of the question for these more casual events (you do not want to scare people away). What you can do, if you find yourself in a social situation speaking English, is give yourself small tasks that will help your TOEFL preparation.

For example, make it your goal to use one or two new words you have just learned in conversation. Try to start a little discussion on the TOEFL topic you recently practiced. Observe how people react to you speaking and note if they have difficulty understanding you.

A social situation can be a great addition to your more formal studying sessions.

See, you can have some fun with it and practice your English speaking too!

How to Actually Prepare for the TOEFL Speaking Exam If You Want a High Score

The TOEFL Speaking section can be intimidating: You have to record yourself talking for an exam? What kinds of TOEFL Speaking questions will you be asked? How many questions are there? What will you need to talk about? How long will you need to speak?

In this guide, we answer all those questions and more so you’ll know exactly what to expect from this challenging section and how to do well on it. We explain every type of question you’ll see on TOEFL Speaking and how you should answer it, plus offer 12 TOEFL Speaking topics for you to practice with as you study for the exam.

An Introduction to TOEFL Speaking Topics

The TOEFL Speaking section lasts 20 minutes and includes six tasks. You’ll be able to take notes during this entire section. In TOEFL Speaking, there are two independent speaking tasks and four integrated tasks. For integrated tasks, test-takers will need to use more than one skill when responding. The individual tasks will be described in more detail in the next sections.

Also, it’s important to know that you won’t be speaking to a real person during this section. Instead, you’ll hear recorded conversations and respond by speaking into a microphone. After your exam, TOEFL graders will then listen to your responses. This section tests your ability to speak effectively in academic settings. You’ll be graded on how completely you answer each question, your ability to speak clearly and coherently, and your vocabulary and grammar.

The following three sections explain the three format types you’ll see on the Speaking section. There are two tasks for each format type, and for each format type I’ll give an official sample question, explain the format of the tasks, and end with tips on how to approach the tasks.

 

TOEFL Independent Speaking Tasks

The first two TOEFL iBT Speaking topics are independent speaking tasks that draw on the student’s own ideas, opinions, and experiences when responding.

• Preparation Time: 15 seconds
• Speaking Time: 45 seconds

OFFICIAL SAMPLE QUESTION

46. If friends from another country were going to spend time in your country, what city or place would you suggest they visit? Using details and examples, explain why?

PREPARATION TIME: 15 SEC

RESPONSE TIME: 45 SEC

THE TASKS

There are two main types of independent speaking tasks you’ll see on the TOEFL.

 

Task 1: Choose From One Option

For the first task, you’ll be given a situation where there are many possible answers, and you’ll need to choose one option. The above question is an example of this type of task. After making your decision (which you’ll need to do quickly since you only have 15 seconds to prepare!), you’ll then need to support that choice.

 

Task 2: Choose From Two Options

For the second task, you’ll be presented with two options and need to make a choice between the two of them. You may be choosing which one you prefer, which you think is a better idea, or something similar. Like the first task, after making your choice you’ll need to support that decision with specific examples.

 

HOW TO APPROACH THE TASKS

The two independent speaking questions will ask a question on a familiar topic you can speak about without the help of outside materials. You’ll be giving your opinion or describing information you know. Many students find these two to be the least challenging of the Speaking tasks, but that doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to be easy or that you can just talk about whatever you want.

The most important part of these questions is the “why”. You’ll always be asked to support your answer, whether by explaining why you feel a certain way or by giving examples that justify your answer. The key to answering these questions well is to give specific examples and details to support your main idea. Don’t be vague or wishy-washy with your answers; make a strong argument for your opinion and let the grader know exactly why you feel the way you do.

TOEFL Integrated Speaking Tasks With Reading and Listening

Tasks 3 and 4, the first two integrated TOEFL iBT Speaking topics, require students to read a short passage, listen to an audio recording, then answer a question based on material from both the written passage and the audio recording.

• Reading Time: 45 seconds
• Listening Time: Varies, but about 60 seconds
• Preparation Time: 30 seconds
• Speaking Time: 60 seconds

 

OFFICIAL SAMPLE QUESTION

THE TASKS

Task 3: Explain an Opinion on a Campus Issue

The third Speaking task will be based on a topic similar to one you’d likely encounter in class or on campus. It could be related to campus dining, transportation, extracurriculars, sports, or course requirements, among other topics.

First, you’ll have a short passage to read, which will likely be an announcement or clip from a newspaper. You’ll then hear an audio clip of two people discussing the written passage. They will usually disagree with each other. In general, the question will ask you to summarize and explain the opinion of one of the speakers. For this task, you’ll be explaining someone else’s opinion, not giving your own opinion on the issue.

 

Task 4: Explain a Lecture Topic

Task 4 follows the same format as Task 3, but it focuses on a lecture rather than a campus issue. The written passage typically comes from a textbook and explains a term or concept. The audio recording is usually of a professor giving a lecture on that topic, along with students in the class asking and/or answering questions. The question will then ask you to explain a concept discussed in the lecture.

 

HOW TO APPROACH THE TASKS

These tasks can be challenging because there’s a lot going on–listening, reading, and speaking–in a short amount of time. For both tasks, the spoken conversation is more important than the written passage. The passage is generally only used to give background information while the spoken conversation contains information key for answering the question well. The questions will often ask about something specific from the audio recording.

Also, in your response, you should back up any statements you make with evidence from the audio clip or written passage in order to show you were able to understand the information they included and can create a strong argument.

TOEFL Integrated Speaking Tasks With Listening Only

Tasks 5 and 6 are the final two integrated tasks. For these TOEFL iBT Speaking topics, students will listen to an audio recording then answer a question on it.

• Listening Time: Varies, but about 60-120 seconds
• Preparation Time: 20 seconds
• Speaking Time: 60 seconds

 

OFFICIAL SAMPLE QUESTION

THE TASKS

Task 5: Explain a Campus Life Problem

For this task, you’ll hear a conversation between two people about a problem relating to campus life, similar to the topics discussed in Task 3. The two speakers, who are usually students, will discuss possible ways to solving the problem. The question will ask you to summarize what the problem is and the solutions each of the speakers recommended. You’ll then need to state which solution you think is best and explain why.

 

Task 6: Explain a Lecture

For the final Speaking task, you will hear a short portion of an academic lecture. This is similar to the audio clip you hear in Task 4, except for this task only the professor will be talking, no students. The lecture will be at about the difficulty level of a first-year university class. The question will ask you to summarize a particular part of the lecture, and you’ll often need to include specific examples the speaker mentioned.

HOW TO APPROACH THE TASKS

The final two tasks are often seen as easier than Tasks 3 and 4 since there are only audio recordings and no reading to do. However, the audio recordings for Tasks 5 and 6 are often the longest you’ll hear in the Speaking section and will contain numerous details.

To answer the questions well, you’ll usually need to refer to specific points mentioned in the recording, so listening well and taking good notes is very important. Task 5 is also the only integrated speaking task where you’ll be asked to give your own opinion on a topic.

Sample TOEFL Speaking Questions

Practicing with sample TOEFL Speaking topics is an important part of preparing for the exam. There are some official practice questions available, but you’ll likely want more to practice with. Fortunately, we’ve come up with 12 practice TOEFL speaking questions (10 independent and 2 integrated) to help with your studying.

Remember that on the real exam, the conversations for the Task 3 and Task 6 sample questions would be audio recording clips; you won’t be reading them.

 

Task 1

• Who is the best teacher you’ve had? What qualities make him/her such a good teacher?

• What is your favorite holiday? Describe what you normally do on this holiday and why it is your favorite.

• Where would you like to travel for your next vacation? Describe what the place is like and why you want to visit it.

• What is your ideal career? Describe what it would be like and why it appeals to you.

• What is an activity you like to do with your friends? Describe it and explain why you find it enjoyable.

 

Task 2

• Some people believe students should attend gym classes in school to improve their health and fitness, while others believe school should only focus on academic subjects. Do you think students should have gym classes in school? Why or why not?

• Some people prefer to travel with other people, while others like to travel on their own. Which method of traveling do you prefer and why?

• Do you prefer living in an urban or rural area? State your preference and give reasons as to why you feel that way.

• Is it better to save the money you earn for future expenses or spend it now on things you enjoy? Give reasons to support your choice.

• Some people believe that students should spend more time in math and science classes rather than humanities and social science classes. Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons to support your choice.

 

Task 3

Read the following text and the conversation that follows it. Then answer the question.

The following text is an excerpt from the Great Plains University student newspaper. The student dean announced yesterday afternoon that, due to professor preferences and changing academic schedules, starting next semester, more classes will now be held on Fridays. Classes that were previously held for 90 minutes on Mondays and Wednesdays will now be held Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for 60 minutes each. Tuesday and Thursday classes will keep their original schedule.   (Female student): Did you see the announcement in the student newspaper that we’re going to have more Friday classes? (Male student): I did, and I think it’s great news. (Female student): Why do you feel that way? I was really disappointed to read that. (Male student): I think it will be helpful to see your professor more often during the week. For some of my classes, if I have a question on a Thursday, I need to wait all the way until Monday to see the professor again. (Female student): Don’t your professors have office hours when you can stop by and ask them a question? (Male student): Some of them do, but they’re not always at a good time for me. With Friday classes, I’m guaranteed to see them. Also, I think shorter classes will make it easier to learn new information without feeling overwhelmed like I sometimes did with longer classes. (Female student): I suppose that’s true. I’m still disappointed about it though because I usually spend my Fridays at my job. (Male student): You can’t work with Friday classes? (Female student): No, even one class in the afternoon would mean I couldn’t work a full shift, so it really messes up my work schedule, and I’m using that money to help pay for tuition. (Male student): Yeah, Friday classes may make it harder for me to go home on the weekends since I can’t leave on Thursday, but I still think it’s a good decision overall.   Question: The man expresses his opinion on the announcement in the student newspaper. State his opinion and explain the reasons he gives for holding that opinion.

Task 6

Read part of a lecture in an art history course and then answer the question.

(Male Professor): Beginning in the 1400s, Western Europe began to undergo numerous changes. People were coming out of a time filled with disease, warfare, and turmoil in the Catholic church. As their fortunes began to improve, people began to focus more on cultural movements, eventually leading to a cultural rebirth known as the Renaissance. The Renaissance lasted approximately two hundred years and resulted in many changes. Today we’re going to be focusing on artwork created during the Renaissance period. Renaissance art began in Italy, and, even though it eventually spread to other areas, Italy remained the epicenter of this art style. One of the biggest innovations of Renaissance art was that human emotions were depicted much more in art. Most of the art produced in the Middle Ages, the time period before the Renaissance, was commissioned by the Catholic church and was used mainly for religious purposes. The point of the art was to further religious devotion, not to contemplate emotions of human still on Earth. That changed drastically with Renaissance art. During this time, there was a much larger emphasis on how humans lived life on Earth and how they felt. While most figures in art produced during the Middle Ages had flat, expressionless faces, the emotions of figures were often very clear in Renaissance art. If someone in a painting was sad, there might be tears falling from their eyes. If they were angry, their face might be contorted in a grimace, if they were happy, they might be smiling. One example of this is Michelangelo’s Pietà, a sculpture completed in 1499 that depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother, Mary. In the sculpture, Mary is looking downcast while Jesus’ outstretched body suggests pain and suffering. Another is da Vinci’s Mona Lisa with her famous, mysterious smile. Generations of people have wondered what she was thinking while her portrait was painted. Another defining feature of Renaissance art was how realistic the art appeared. Previous works of art often appeared flat and stylized and didn’t depict people or the world very realistically. During the Renaissance, there were many new patrons willing to pay for art, and since they had different tastes, artists had more flexibility to study new techniques and create more realistic art. Perspective, vanishing points, shadows, and light began to be used frequently to create more lifelike figures and landscapes. A famous painting that shows the rules of perspective is Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, painted in 1498. Even though it was painted on a flat surface, you get the sense that Jesus and the twelve apostles are actually in a three-dimensional room.   Question: Using points and examples from the lecture, describe two ways Renaissance art differs from art in the Middle Ages.

Conclusion

Knowing what to expect from TOEFL Speaking questions will go a long way to helping you do well on this section of the exam.

There are six TOEFL Speaking topics:

• Task 1: Choose From One Option
• Task 2: Choose From Two Options
• Task 3: Explain an Opinion on a Campus Issue
• Task 4: Explain a Lecture Topic
• Task 5: Explain a Campus Life Problem
• Task 6: Explain a Lecture

The first two tasks are referred to as independent speaking tasks. You’ll read the question then answer it. The final four tasks are integrated speaking tasks. For tasks 3 and 4, you’ll read a short text, hear an audio recording, then answer a question based on that information. For tasks 5 and 6 you’ll hear an audio recording then answer a question. For some questions, you’ll be asked to give your opinion, while for others you’ll instead be summarizing what you heard and read.

Pay careful attention to what the question asks for and complete practice TOEFL Speaking topics in order to be well prepared for this section.

1. Find friends with whom you can practice speaking English – the more confident you are with speaking English, the easier you will find the TOEFL^® speaking section of your exam. Need friends to practice with? Find friends on English, baby!

2. Choose questions from the end of English, baby! lessons and imagine this is the free-choice section of your TOEFL^® speaking exam. Plan your response by preparing what you will say for your introduction as well as three supporting ideas. You should aim to do this at least three times a week – the more you practice, the easier you will find responding to questions with limited time to plan your response. Continue reading