TOEFL iBT Speaking Introduction By Cathy Chang

Time Limits Total of 20 minutes Independent Questions: the questions will be read to you. You have 15~30 seconds to prepare You have 45~60 seconds to answer Integrated Questions – please read the questions. You have 15~30 seconds to prepare You have 45~ 60 seconds to answer

Types Total of 6 tasks/questions 2 Independent Tasks: The questions in this section ask you to respond from your personal experience 4 Integrated Tasks: 2 reading, listening, and speaking – consist of a reading passage, a listening passage, and a question that asks how the ideas in the two passages are related 2 listening and speaking integrated – consist of a longer listening passage and a question that asks you to summarize key points of the passage

Independent Tasks

2 types: Free-choice response You have to express and defend a personal choice from a given category For example, which city in the world would you like to visit, why? Paired-choice response You have to make and defend a personal choice between two contrasting behaviors or courses of action For example, do you like to travel alone or with company?

Planning Steps: 1. Start with a topic statement that states the main point of the response 2. Support the topic statement with details 3. Use transitions to show how the ideas are related

Integrated Tasks

2 Types: Reading/Listening/Speaking: the relationship between the ideas in the reading passage and the listening passage A campus topic – about school An academic topic – about classes/subjects Listening/Speaking: the main points of the listening passage A campus topic An academic topic

Planning Steps 1. Make sure you understand (and take notes on) the topic 2. Then focus on (and take notes on) the main points that are used to support the topic 3. Responding – determine what is being asked

Basic Scoring

Things they look for Delivery Speaking smoothly and clearly Language Use Effective use of vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structures Topic Development Response answers the question Response is well developed and clear Relationships between ideas are clear

Important Points to Remember Take notes while reading and listening to the conversations and lectures Directions for each questions will not be written on the screen Only jot down main ideas (not word for word) Remember to answer the question asked It’s better to speak slowly and clearly than quickly and mumbling

Reference Philips, Deborah. Longman Preparation Course for the TOEFL Test: iBT. New York: Longman, 2006.