The TOEFL speaking section consists of 6 tasks that assess your ability to articulate personal opinions, summarize content, and report views while speaking into a microphone. It is crucial to manage time effectively, take concise notes, and practice speaking under potential distractions to boost scores from a range of 0 to 30. Preparation techniques include using structured templates, practicing speaking consistently, and understanding the task requirements for both independent and integrated questions.

1. presents:
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
TOEFL SPEAKING
The TOEFL is separated into four sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing.
OVERVIEW
â
THE QUESTIONS
THE SPEAKING SECTION
Time: Approximately 20 minutes long
Number of questions: 6
Tasks: Giving personal opinions, summarizing lec-
tures and conversations, reporting other people’s
opinions.
Who you will speak to: You won't speak directly
with another person. Instead, you'll speak into the
microphone in front of you, which will be attached
to your headphones. There's nobody listening—
not when you record your responses.
There are two categories of questions in the Speaking section:
Your TOEFL Speaking section score is
based on your ability to:
• read
• listen
• take notes
• pronounce words correctly
• use good grammar
• manage your time wisely
Reading: 60 or 80 min Listening: 60 or 90 min Writing: 50 min
START
BREAK
FINISH
So, how can you boost your score?
Templates can help, but be care-
ful! If you memorize sentences
and use them on the test, your
scores may be cancelled because
of plagiarism.
Create a template with structure
words for each task. A phrase like
"Besides that, the student also
points out that..." will help orga-
nize your answer.
TOEFL lectures are dense, so
taking brief notes can help you
stay focused on the main ideas.
Take a 10- or 15-second break.
Close your eyes, sit back, and take
a few deep breaths.
Use a Template Don’t Plagiarize! Block Out Distractions
Take Awesome Notes Stay FocusedRelax
If you can’t stay focused, try cov-
ering your ears and closing your
eyes to clear your head.
The test room can get noisy with
everyone speaking at once. Prac-
tice speaking with distractions in
the room.
Though the TOEFL Speaking section is the shortest section of the test, many students struggle with
it the most. Speaking in English, into a microphone, under a time constraint, in a room full of other
test-takers … it can be stressful if you’re not prepared.
Luckily, you have time to prepare! By understanding the format of the Speaking section and practicing
some pacing strategies, you'll be able to answer all six speaking questions in the allotted time. Read
on for valuable speaking tips.
Integrated
The independent speaking tasks
(tasks 1 and 2) only test your speak-
ing skills.
The integrated speaking tasks (tasks 3
through 6) test other skills, in addition to
your speaking skills.
Independent
SCORING
Each question receives a score ranging from 0 to 4. Your total score is then scaled to a value from 0 to
30. Below, you can see how different scores are rated.
Excellent
26 - 30
Good
18 - 25
Fair
10 - 17
Weak
0 - 9
I like to
travel.
TASKS 1 + 2:
INDEPENDENT SPEAKING QUESTIONS
First you will be asked a general question about your
life or opinions. You will then have a short time to plan
before responding into the microphone.
Preparation time: 15 seconds
Response time: 45 seconds
Tip: Your examples and experience don’t have to
be true! Be creative if it saves you time.
TASKS 3 + 4:
INTEGRATED READING, LISTENING, & SPEAKING QUESTIONS
For these tasks, you will be asked to read a short text
and listen to a lecture on the same topic. You will then
explain what you heard.
In task 3, you will listen to a recording of students dis-
cussing their views on the text you just read. In Task 4,
you will listen to a professor's lecture on the same topic
as the text.
Reading time: 45 seconds
Preparation time: 30 seconds
Response time: 60 seconds
Tip: Use your 30 seconds of prep time to identify key
information. Don't try to include every detail in
your response!
TASKS 5 + 6
INTEGRATED LISTENING & SPEAKING QUESTIONS
As you did in tasks 3 and 4, you will listen to a conversa-
tion in task 5 and a lecture in task 6. But this time, there
are no texts to read. You will be asked a question about
each recording.
Preparation time: 20 seconds
Response time: 60 seconds
Tip: Question 5 is tricky; you have to talk about
three things:
1. A problem that a student talked about
2. Two solutions suggested in the recording
3. Which solution you prefer and why
Be careful to include all three parts!
Prep smart, go far.
Enjoy the ride.
Feeling more confident about your TOEFL Speaking skills? Remember that the Speaking
section is only one part of the TOEFL exam, and that you aren’t expected to speak
English like a native speaker. Try to practice speaking in English as much as possible
in the days leading up to your test so you become more comfortable.
Source: http://www.ets.org/toefl
Want more TOEFL Speaking help and practice?
Check out www.toefl.magoosh.com.