Saturday, 16 February 2013

Key TOEFL Preparation Questions

Are you preparing for your TOEFL exam?

Most people sitting TOEFL today take the iBT test, which measures skill in listening, reading, writing and listening.  Up to 30 points are allocated for performance in each area, with a maximum score of 120.

There is no such thing as failing the TOEFL, so the score you need depends on the institution who wants you to take the test or your own personal goals.

Here are some thoughts on preparing that you might not have had:

Accents

Have you been exposed to a variety of native-speaking accents?  The TOEFL listening test features a variety of accents, and the larger the variety of accents you've encountered, the better your chances of  scoring well.  If you don't think you've heard a great enough variety of English accents, there are lots of things you can do about it!


  • Try Ellllo for an archive of over 1000 free listening files.  Transcripts, vocabulary lists and comprehension quizzes are provided for each audio file.
  • Take Skype conversation classes, or find language exchange partners for free on iTalki.com.  I teach on iTalki - and so do do dozens of other native speakers.  If you can find somebody who wants to learn your language, you can practice for free with language exchange.
  • Listen to English media and music - transcripts of videos and podcasts are often made available for accessibility reasons.

Timing

You get 15 seconds preparation and 45 seconds to speak in a TOEFL speaking test - make sure you use them by practising tasks against the clock!  This page has a free TOEFL task and timer to help you optimise your time.


Typing

You have to type for the TOEFL writing test - so the better your typing, the more time you have to think about your English.  Improve your typing with free and fun exercises like those at ense-lang.


Good luck with your TOEFL exam!


No comments:

Post a Comment