When applying for higher education abroad, one of the most important criteria in the list of requirements is the score obtained from English proficiency tests. While the university of your choice may or may not require these grades, a successful visa application needs the applicant to submit their marks. Amongst the different tests, the most popular is TOEFL, which is designed to measure the student’s ability to combine listening, reading, speaking and writing skills in the classroom. It is a way for millions of students to prove their proficiency to thrive in an English-speaking academic environment. Out of these sections, arguably the trickiest to master are the TOEFL speaking topics.
The TOEFL iBT test is broken up into four sections – Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing, and the duration is 3 hours. Out of these, the speaking section has the least time, with only 17 minutes and is set on a scoring scale of 0 to 30. It is further divided into four tasks. One of these is an independent task where the student is supposed to express their opinions on a familiar topic. The other three are integrated tasks based on what is read and heard. Under this area is where the study and practice of the TOEFL speaking section come into the picture.
Why Should I Focus On The TOEFL Speaking Section?
The TOEFL iBT Speaking section is important because it measures the student’s ability to speak English efficiently in academic settings. The four tasks that are allotted to each student resemble real-life situations that they may come across in or outside of a classroom. As aforementioned, the first question is an independent speaking task which requires the students to elaborate on their ideas, opinions and experiences. On the other hand, questions 2 – 4 are integrated speaking tasks where the student is required to combine all of their English skills, that is, listening, speaking and reading, similar to what would be needed in a setting of general communication in or outside of a classroom.
A total of 17 minutes are given to complete the entire speaking section, and 15-30 seconds of preparation time can be utilised by the students before each response. Because of this stringent time constraint, it is evident that the student needs to be well-versed and have ample practice with different TOEFL speaking topics to ensure that the actual test occurs smoothly.
What Are Some Important Tips To Focus On While Preparing?
Since much time isn’t given to preparing on the spot, studying a plethora of different topics and preparing yourself for them is essential. In case you run out of facts to discuss on your topic, you can always utilise the remaining time to elaborate on your personal opinions and experiences. Moreover, including newer words that may be slightly uncommon can help you get better marks since vocabulary is an important part of the scoring system. The best way to inculcate a wider range of vocabulary is to practise regularly. Practising with actual TOEFL speaking topics is even more beneficial. Along with this, it is also necessary to speak at a steady pace while answering so you don’t seem baffled and to stay focused and not stray from the topic.
Types Of TOEFL Speaking Topics
Here are the different types of topics that come under the speaking section –
- Choose from two options
- Choose from three options
- Explain an opinion
- Explain a lecture topic
- Explain a campus life problem
- Explain a lecture
- Agree or disagree type of questions
Which Are Some Of The Important TOEFL Speaking Topics?
Below is a compilation of a few categories of different topics which you may get for the TOEFL speaking section that you can practise with to enhance your speaking skills.
Agree/Disagree Type Of Questions –
- One should not spend their money on present desires and be more financially prudent. Do you agree or disagree?
- Young people need to learn domestic skills like cooking, cleaning, and taking care of children. Do you agree or disagree?
- Experienced doctors are better than younger doctors. Do you agree or disagree?
- Students should have a job while studying in school. Do you agree or disagree? You may use examples to support your answer.
- With the development of technology and the internet, libraries will eventually disappear. Do you agree or disagree?
- Female and male university students should have separate residence halls. Do you agree or disagree?
- It is never too late to get a university degree. Do you agree or disagree?
- Do you agree or disagree that a celebrity should be an ideal role model for young people? You may use examples to support your argument.
- Do you agree with the idea that we should not discuss the private lives of popular celebrities?
- Do you agree that old people should avoid taking risks and participating in adventurous events like young people?
Opinion/Description Type Of Questions –
- Who is the best teacher you have come across so far? Why?
- Describe your dream vacation spot.
- According to you, what is the ideal way of spending a holiday?
- What are the five best qualities that your family or friends would be proud of?
- Describe three career options that are appealing to you and the reason why.
- Depending on your upbringing as urban or rural, would you be comfortable living in a different setting as opposed to the one you were brought up in? Elaborate upon why or why not.
- Do you believe school students should focus only on academics and not sports?
- Do you believe students should choose science or commerce streams rather than arts? Support your justification with certain examples.
- How did you deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown situation?
- Describe the most impressive moment in your life.
- How did you utilise your free time during the pandemic?
- Do you believe life in modern times is better than that in older times?
- Elaborate on one of your favourite songs or movies and explain why you like it.
- Describe one of your favourite places which you like to visit often.
- What is the most important gift you have ever received? Why is it important?
- Which are a few places that you would suggest to a group of tourists to visit in your country?
Choose From Questions For TOEFL Speaking Topics –
- Are you a solo traveller or a group traveller? Why?
- Would you choose to work in a profession which demands working in a group or working remotely and individually?
- Which method of learning do you prefer, online courses or traditional classrooms?
- Some universities require the students to choose a major while enrolling, while other universities allow the students to wait until the second or third year before deciding on a major. Which do you prefer? Why?
- Do you prefer to buy new books from a bookstore or used books from a book fair? Why?
- If you are given the choice of two apartments – one is near the university but slightly expensive, whereas the other is farther from the university but is much cheaper – which one would you choose and why?
- Do you prefer sending messages or calling the concerned person directly? Explain why.
- Do you prefer to give your opinions immediately or ponder over the topic, listen to other counterviews and then give your opinions?
- Some students consider it a good choice to select their future career before entering university, while others think it is good to take a few university classes before choosing a future career. Which one do you prefer and why?
Once you have practised these topics well, there are a few other important factors to consider and tips to take to be completely prepared. The major tip is to stay focused while writing your exam or speaking and forming your answer. Also, it is best to stay away from plagiarism since your candidature will be disqualified, in case the graders find that your answer is plagiarised. Next, take notes and be organised with your answers so you do not fumble at the moment. Lastly, rely on improvisation. If you’ve spoken about all the points of your topic and you still have time left, improvise and continue discussing more points. The evaluators assess the speaking skills of the candidates and not the facts and figures.
FAQs
1. How can I prepare for the TOEFL speaking section?
There are five major tips to pay attention to while preparing for the speaking section. Firstly, it is essential to analyse the structure of the speaking test. Next, analyse your weaker aspects and search for how to improve your score. Practise all the suggested topics thoroughly. Avoid panicking. Lastly, work on your body movement.
2. Which are the four skills for TOEFL?
The TOEFL exam tests the candidates for four major English language skills – reading, listening, speaking and writing.
3. Is TOEFL harder than IELTS?
Although the difficulty level of both these exams is subjective, many students consider IELTS to be easier than TOEFL, especially the reading section.
4. Is the TOEFL speaking section tough?
The speaking section of TOEFL is one of the most difficult sections of the exam because of the language barrier for non-native speakers, the absence of an interlocutor, and a limited amount of time.
5. What should be avoided during the TOEFL speaking test?
The following things should be avoided during the TOEFL speaking test – speaking too much or too little, ignoring the pace of speaking, ignoring the correct pronunciation, not paying heed to the flow of speech, mismanaging your preparation time, forgetting to take notes, and not accessing application of connectives and other parts of speech.
Thank you for reading our guide to TOEFL speaking topics! Let us know your queries or suggestions in the comments section below.
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