Speaking Skills

Independent Tasks There are two independent tasks in the TOEFL exam. One is a free-choice response, and the other is a paired response.

First task Is an independent task based on your own ideas or on information from another source? Does a free-choice task ask you to choose one idea of your own or to choose between two ideas that are given to you? What are the first steps in the free-choice response?

Speaking skill 1: PLAN THE FREE- CHOICE RESPONSE The first, and most important step is to decode the question. Free-choice questions generally give you a clear idea of how your answer should be constructed. It is important to follow these clues when planning your answer. You will probably not be given much credit for a response that doesn’t answer the question the way it should.

Where would you like to be professionally in ten years? Use details to support your response.

For this question you should clearly state where you would like to be professionally in ten years and you should support the statement with details.

INTRODUCTION: I would like to own my own business. SUPPORTING IDEA 1: First step: will get master’s in business (entrepreneurship) SUPPORTING IDEA 2: Second step: will work in company while planning my business SUPPORTING IDEA 3: Third step: will start my own business when I am ready CONCLUSION: I can succeed by following this process.

What is included in the plan? Where does the idea for the introduction come from? How many supporting idea does this plan have? How many supporting ideas do you need for a good response? Where does the idea for the conclusion come from?

In this plan there is an introduction about owning my own business and supporting details about the steps I will take to work towards this goal. There is also a conclusion that I can succeed by following this process.

QUESTIONShows what to discuss and how to organize your response. INTRODUCTIONBegin your response with an introduction. SUPPORTING IDEAS Support your response with the ideas the questions asks for (details, reasons and examples). CONCLUSIONIf you have time, end with a conclusion that restates the main point in your introduction.

Speaking exercise 1

Follow up What is the most important technological advance you foresee happening in the future? Use reasons and details in your response.

1) a new perspective on our planet that comes from space travel 2) the steps necessary for this to happen 3) understanding our planet, the solar system, and the entire universe 4) regular people traveling in space as most important future technological advance 5) the ability to see parts of the solar system that we do not inhabit 6) and improvement in the understanding of both our solar system and our planet through space travel 7)the importance of solving problems on Earth before traveling into space 8) the reasons for this to happen 9) an understanding of our solar system that comes from space travel 10) reinforcement of the idea that Earth is flat 11) astronauts traveling in space as most important future technological advance 12) a new understanding of Earth as one unified planet

Plan Introduction:Topic: Organization of support: Supporting idea 1: Reason: Detail: Supporting idea 2 Reason: Detail: Conclusion:Summary