Preparing for TOEFL – Building your English speaking skills
Submitted by: Kimi
The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam is widely considered the only way to prove that you have mastered the English language. If you feel that the TOEFL exam will do nothing for you, and that you can get into a university anywhere in the world just because you are that wonderful, think again. Over 6,000 colleges, universities, and other licensed institutions from over 110 countries accept TOEFL scores as their basis for admittance. As a result, an excellent score on the TOEFL test makes your dream of studying in an English speaking university that much closer to reality.
For ESL students from East Asia, specifically China, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, the biggest obstacle they have to face is the grueling Speaking Tasks. Here students must answer six distinct questions: two are personal while the other four are based on university issues. Because pronunciation and sentence structure is so different in English than they are in Eastern languages, students struggle to formulate spoken sentences in a naturally smooth and rhythmic manner.
The test is based on the four major components of the English language: speaking, writing, reading, and listening. But each of these sections can cause significant problems for the average ESL student. Here is an overview of how you can build your English skills needed to record a high TOEFL score for your Speaking Tasks. Remember; the format of the TOEFL exam is very specific; it is not enough to just show that you can communicate in English; you must prove these skills by also providing details for your points as well as organizing your ideas in a coherent and easy to follow manner.
Here are some skill-building exercises for the Speaking Tasks that you should do before venturing off to take the TOEFL test. Keep in mind that these are not necessarily going to guarantee top grades for your Speaking Tasks; these simply help you to speak in a more natural manner without hesitations or other problems that are commonly associated with speaking.
Make some friends!
The best way to learn how to speak well in English is to actually hold a conversation or two with a native speaker. If you live in a country that does not speak English as its native language, you may have to do some searching to find an English foreigner. In most countries around the world, there are plenty of native English speakers who are either working in private academies teaching English, or they are there in a study abroad program. You do not necessarily need to find an English teacher or professor; all you need is someone that speaks English as their native language. Most major cities have bars and restaurants that the foreign English speakers frequently visit. Just pop on in and start a conversation with someone who looks friendly. Most native English speakers are more than happy to help you; in fact, in my experiences, they encourage ESL students to approach them and speak with them.
Not only will this give you confidence to speak English, you will also develop better speech patterns, pace, and rhythm; in other words you will speak with a much more native sounding tone. If you are shy, go out looking for English speakers with a friend; preferably a friend that also wants to learn English. If you are worried, make a list of topics to discuss. But keep the topics simple and non-personal. Do not talk about politics or how one culture is better than another. Use simple dialogues and speak like you actually want to make a new friend. Who knows; maybe you will make new friends that will last a lifetime. I sure did: working in South Korea for four years, I made many Korean friends; people who sought me out as opposed to me making the first move. I was aware that these Koreans wanted free English lessons; I’m not a fool. However, I also realized that they are legitimately interested in making English friends. These have proven to be very beneficial encounters in my life.
Watch plenty of movies and TV
Watching English speaking television and movies are also a great way to expose yourself to native speakers. Sure, when you are sitting in front of the television watching the Simpsons, your parents might not believe you when you tell them that you are studying. However, it is a proven technique. But don’t force it; if you have trouble following the movie or TV show because they are speaking so quickly, try putting on the subtitles in your native language. But don’t just read the subtitles without listening to the show; use the subtitles only when you are having difficulty following the plot. After you are caught up, ignore the subtitles until you need them again. Watching TV and movies helps you to understand the rhythm of the English language as it is spoken. In fact, this is how my father learned English when he moved from Italy to Canada when he was 21: He never studied English in Italy and when he moved to Canada, he only knew a handful of words. How did he solve this problem? He watched Sesame Street! Trust me, this strategy really works!
Read university level textbooks written in English
There are plenty of textbooks available in English, but you should find one that contains questions and answers at the end of each unit. This will help you to prepare for the actual speaking test, when you have to listen/read a university lecture and then summarize the main ideas. By getting a textbook with Q&A at the end of each unit, you can get in the habit of summarizing a set of ideas. When you read the text, do not look at the answers until you are finished. Then try to answer the questions; if there isn’t a “summarize the text” question, do it anyway! Give examples and details from within the text that proves the main ideas. But remember to speak your answers aloud and try to keep your answers to under 30 seconds, as that is how long you have when you speak your answers.
Gain some confidence
Confidence is the key to the Speaking Tasks in the TOEFL exam; if you are nervous you will struggle to convey your ideas, and your speech will not be smooth nor will it have proper rhythm and pace. Don’t worry about making grammatical mistakes when you speak; even natives to English make grammatical errors when speaking. The key to these Speaking Tasks is to prove that you can summarize someone else’s ideas and provide evidence for those ideas in a clear and succinct manner. Shyness and nerves will only get in the way.
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