TOEFL Speaking Practice: 10 Tips to Score 25+

May 4, 2023

Introduction

The TOEFL Speaking section tests your ability to speak English in a natural, academic context. Your lecture instructor will ask you questions and give you prompts that are relevant to the subject matter he or she has been teaching. It analyses your English Language Skills.

What is the TOEFL exam?

The TOEFL exam is an English-language proficiency test accepted by most English-speaking universities and colleges. The test is also used by many employers as a measure of English language proficiency.

Syllabus and pattern of TOEFL test

The TOEFL test is a standardized test of English language proficiency. It’s conducted by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and it consists of four sections: Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing.
The complete syllabus of the TOEFL EXAM is as follows:
• Listening Section – 30 questions in 40 minutes; 40% weightage on total score
• Reading Section – 60 questions in 90 minutes; 25% weightage on the total score
• Speaking Section – 2 tasks; 10 min each; 5% weightage for each task * Writing Section – 2 tasks; 50 min each; 20% weightage for each task

Top 10 Speaking Tips & Strategies for the TOEFL

Here are the top 10 speaking tips to ace the TOEFL easily. These tips can help you while preparing for TOEFL.

1. Speak slowly and clearly

• Speak slowly and clearly
The TOEFL test is designed to test your ability to speak English, so it’s important that you do not speak too quickly or use slang words that may be hard for the listener to understand. Speaking slowly will help you focus on pronouncing each word correctly and making sure there are no mistakes in your grammar or pronunciation of new words. It’s also important that the listener can understand what you’re saying without having problems understanding the meaning of your sentences because this will help them better connect with what it is that you’re trying to say in order for them know if they agree with what was said or not.

2. Build your sentences the same way your lecturer does

  • When you are building your sentences, it is important that you use the same words and phrases your lecturer uses. This will help you to be more natural in your speech, as well as make it easier for the listener to understand what you are saying.
  • You should also try to use the same structure as your lecturer does when building a sentence. It may sound obvious, but this is one of those things that many students fail to do! They often have no idea what kind of sentence pattern their lecturer uses until they get feedback from their teacher or tutor after their exam has finished – which means there’s no way they can improve their speaking score without first knowing where they went wrong!

                                          (Read More: Which format of TOEFL test should you take?)

3. Use simple vocabulary and phrases

When you are speaking, it is best to use simple words and phrases. This will help you express yourself clearly and make it easier for the listener to understand what you’re saying. If you use complicated words or concepts, then the listener might have difficulty understanding what it is that you mean by those words–and this could result in an incorrect response from them on their TOEFL Speaking section! So make sure that when talking about complex ideas or thoughts, try using simpler language than normal so that people will be able to follow along easily without getting confused by anything too fancy happening up there on stage (or wherever else).

4. Don’t hesitate to ask for help

If you’re unsure about a particular question, don’t be afraid to ask your tutor for clarification or examples. Your tutor will be there to help you understand what is being asked of you in the task and how best to respond with an answer that is both grammatically correct and relevant within the context of the prompt. You may also want to repeat back part or all of their response so they can correct any mistakes on your part as well!

5. Avoid cliches, slang, and jargon

  • Avoid using words that you don’t know. If a word is unfamiliar to you, it’s best not to use it at all. Instead of saying something like “I’m so over the moon,” consider replacing it with something simpler like “I am very excited.” This will help your score because the TOEFL graders will see that you are able to speak English fluently without having to use complicated vocabulary.
  • Use simple language instead of complex sentences or phrases when possible. You should also avoid idioms and contractions (e.g., don’t say “on account of” when “because” works just as well).
  • If you’re unsure about a particular question, don’t be afraid to ask your tutor for clarification or examples. Your tutor will be there to help you understand what is being asked of you in the task and how best to respond with an answer that is both grammatically correct and relevant within the context of the prompt. Finally, make sure that you don’t use slang or jargon. Don’t try to impress the graders by using words like “dank” or “turn.” They have no idea what these words mean, and it doesn’t help your score at all.

6. Focus on the question, not on the response options

  • The TOEFL speaking section offers you four answer choices. The first step to answering a question is understanding what it’s asking. That may sound obvious, but it can be easy to get caught up in the answer options and forget about what you’re supposed to say!
  • Focus on the question, not on the response options. When you’re reading through your essay prompt and then looking at possible answers, try not to read out of a script or give canned answers–instead, think about how specific details from your own experience could help explain why they are true or false.

7. Make sure you don’t run out of time

One of the most common mistakes made by students is running out of time. You need to make sure that you know how much time you have for each question, as well as how much time there is in total for the speaking section. It’s also important to know how many questions there are in total and how long each part should take:
• Introduction: 2 minutes
• Main body: 3 minutes per point or idea
• Conclusion: 1-2 minutes

(Read More: How to select the right TOEFL Training classes?)

8. Stick to the topic and be specific about it

• Don’t stray from the topic.
• Be specific when answering questions about it.
• Give examples to support your ideas and opinions, if appropriate (but don’t go overboard with examples).

9. Prepare an answer before speaking, but don’t read it!

  • When you’re answering a TOEFL speaking question, the only thing that matters is the question itself. The person who asked it has given you some information, but there may be more details to consider than what they’ve shared with you.
  • The first step in answering any speaking question is figuring out exactly what it’s asking–and this can be trickier than it sounds! Sometimes test-takers don’t realize that they’re missing key details until they’ve already started talking (and sometimes even after).

10. Ask yourself “What is this question really asking?”

  • When you’re answering a TOEFL speaking question, the only thing that matters is the question itself. The person who asked it has given you some information, but there may be more details to consider than what they’ve shared with you.
  • The first step in answering any speaking question is figuring out exactly what it’s asking–and this can be trickier than it sounds! Sometimes test-takers don’t realize that they’re missing key details until they’ve already started talking (and sometimes even after).

Conclusion

The TOEFL is a challenging test, but with a little bit of preparation and TOEFL professional training, you can improve your score. The most important thing to remember is that the TOEFL is designed to assess your ability to speak English in an academic setting. You may not get the exact question or situation from practice tests, but by practicing these tips, you can speak confidently in any situation!