TOEFL tips

Listening

• Read the instructions and questions carefully before you listen.
• Note taking is allowed. You should practice this.
• Remember, one lecture is spoken with a British or Australian accent
• Try to get an idea of the situation. Who are the speakers? Where are they? Why are they speaking?
• In some questions a portion of the lecture or conversation is replayed so you don't need to rely on memory of what was said.
• Listen for 'signpost words' such as however, although and finally. They help you to anticipate what the speaker will say.
• For some questions you will need to understand the speaker's attitude. Listen to voice tones and other cues to determine how the speakers feel about the topic.

Reading

• Remember, you will be reading academic texts, so learn academic vocabulary
• Skim through each text to try to get a basic understanding of what it is about. What is the text about? Who was it written for?
• Carefully read the title and any sub-headings.
• What is the main point of each paragraph? Each paragraph contains a single main idea. The questions will focus on these main ideas.

Academic Speaking Skills

The TOEFL speaking section takes 17 minutes to complete and contains 4 sections. It is done on a computer. Your answers are recorded and sent to ETS for marking.

The TOEFL speaking tests contain academic situations set both inside and outside the classroom
In classrooms, there are situations where you must:

• respond to questions
• contribute to class discussions
• read or listen to something and then summarize it
• give your opinion of topics under discussion

In situations outside the classroom, you need to:

• take part in conversations with administrative staff, such as at the library
• take part in casual conversations with other students
• give your opinion about something

Writing and Vocab

Vocabulary learning tips

Read as much as possible. If you come across a word you don't know, write it down or look it up.

Use a dictionary. Many browsers include dictionaries.If you are reading online, you may be able to right-clcik on a word to look it up.

Sign up for a 'word a day' email.

Think of ways of remembering words. Do they sound like a word in your own language?

Remember words are often used together with other words. Try to learn these 'collocations'.