TOEFL

The TOEFL® iBT: Improving Your Reading Skills

Advice for Reading
Performance Level: Low
Score Range: 0 – 14

1. Read as much and as often as possible in English.
   
   
   
   
   • Read texts on a variety of topics.
     
     
     
     
     • Read both academic and non-academic materials.
     • Read about subjects that interest you and that DON'T interest you.
   • Write basic questions to test your understanding of a text.
     
     
     
     
     • Write questions and answers about the first paragraph. Then guess what might be discussed in the next paragraph.
   • Use your knowledge of grammar to understand difficult sections of a passage.
     
     
     
     
     • Think carefully about the relationship between independent and dependent clauses.
     • Look for words that refer back to some information given in a previous section of the text.
       
       
       
       
       • Look at pronouns and find the nouns that they refer to
       • Look at relative pronouns (who, that, which, whom, whose) used in adjective clauses (for example, The student whose classmates are taking the TOEFL® test....) and find the nouns they refer to
   • Work with a reading partner. Read different newspaper or magazine articles.
     
     
     
     
     • Write questions about the articles you read.
     • Exchange articles with your partner and try to answer your partner's questions.
2. Continually expand your vocabulary knowledge.
   
   
   
   
   • It is important to increase your vocabulary on many subjects because you will have to read about various topics at the university.
     
     
     
     
     • Review lists of terms used in academic textbooks.
   • Make a plan for studying new words.
     
     
     
     
     • Write a new word on one side of a card and the definition on the back.
       
       
       
       
       • Write the sentence you saw the word in to help you learn correct usage
       • Study the words often and always mix up the cards
     • Group the words by topic or meaning. Study the words as a list of related words.
     • Study vocabulary by making a list of opposites (words with different meanings) and synonyms (words with similar meanings)
       
       
       
       
       • opposites (relevant-irrelevant; abstract-concrete)
       • synonyms (excellent, outstanding, superb)
     • Review the new words on a regular basis so that you remember them.
   • Expand your vocabulary by analyzing the parts of a word. This will help you understand some unknown words that you see.
     
     
     
     
     • Study roots (a part of a word that other parts are attached to)
       
       
       
       
       • -spect- (look at)
       • -dict- (say)
     • Study prefixes (a part of word attached to the beginning of a word)
       
       
       
       
       • in- (into)
       • pre- (before)
     • Study suffixes (part of a word attached at the end of the word)
       
       
       
       
       • -tion (inspection)
       • -able (predictable)
     • Study word families (the noun, verb, adjective, or adverb forms of related words)
       
       
       
       
       • enjoyment (noun)
       • enjoy (verb)
       • enjoyable (adjective)
       • enjoyably (adverb)
   • Use the context to guess the meaning of unknown words.
     
     
     
     
     • Notice when difficult terms are defined in the text.
     • Look for examples with an explanation of the meaning of a word.
     • Look at the other words and structures around an unknown word to try to understand it.
   • Use resources to help you study vocabulary.
     
     
     
     
     • Use an English-English dictionary to learn correct meaning and word usage.
     • Get calendars that teach a new word each day or websites that will send you an e-mail with a new word each day.
     • Study the vocabulary you find on university websites that give information about the university and the faculty teaching at the school.
   • Practice correct usage by making sentences with new words. This will also help you remember both the meaning and the correct usage of the words.
     
     
     
     
     • Have a teacher check your sentences.
     • Review the new words on a regular basis so that you remember them.
3. Study the organization of academic texts and overall structure of a reading passage.
   
   
   
   
   • Read an entire passage from beginning to end.
     
     
     
     
     • Look for the main ideas of the article.
     • Look for the supporting details.
       
       
       
       
       • Pay attention to the relationship between the details and main ideas
   • Learn to recognize the different styles of organization that you find in articles in English in order to understand the way an article is structured
     
     
     
     
     • Pay attention to the connecting words/transitions used for specific relationships.
       
       
       
       
       • steps (first, second, next, finally)
       • reasons (because, since)
       • results (as a result, so, therefore)
       • examples (for example, such as)
       • comparisons (in contrast, on the other hand)
       • restatements of information (in other words, that is)
       • conclusions (in conclusion, in summary)
   • Outline a text to test your understanding of the structure of a reading passage.
     
     
     
     
     • Begin by grouping paragraphs that address the same concept.
       
       
       
       
       • Look for ways that main ideas in one paragraph relate to the main points of the next paragraph
       • Write one sentence summarizing the paragraphs that discuss the same idea
     • Look at connections between sentences.
       
       
       
       
       • Look at how the end of one sentence relates to the beginning of the next sentence
       • Think about the connection between the ideas of the two sentences
       • Combine the sentences using appropriate transitions words to show the relationship between ideas
   • Write a summary of the entire passage.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   The TOEFL® iBT: Improving Your Writing Skills
   
   Advice for Writing
   Skill: Writing based on Knowledge and Experience
   Performance Level: Limited
   Score Range: 1 – 16
   
   Practice writing daily.
   Keep a journal. Write your opinions about things that you experience or topics in which you are interested.
   Start out writing in your own language. This will help you get used to writing and will build confidence in your writing ability.
   When you begin to feel more comfortable writing, keep a journal in English.
   Take a writing class. This will give you lots of writing practice and a teacher will show you ways to improve your writing.
   Find a pen pal or writing buddy. Write e-mail messages or letters to each other.
   Practice typing on a standard English (QWERTY) keyboard.
   Pay attention to your grammar and sentence structure.
   Study the basics of English grammar and develop your vocabulary.
   Practice writing correct sentences in English. Begin by writing simple sentences.
   Make sure that each sentence has a subject and a verb, and that the subject agrees with the verb.
   The student likes...; The students like...
   Take two of your sentences and practice combining them.
   Reread what you write. Look for and correct mistakes.
   Study the organization of good paragraphs and essays. A good paragraph discusses ONE main idea. This idea is usually written in the first sentence, which is called the topic sentence. Each paragraph should discuss one aspect of the main idea of the essay.
   Write paragraphs in English that focus on one main idea and contain several complete sentences that explain or support that idea.
   Ask your teacher to review your paragraphs for correctness.
   Think about who will be reading your writing. In some situations you need to write in a formal manner and your sentence structure, vocabulary use, and general style should reflect that.
   Read a lot in English. This will help you recognize good writing styles.
   
   
   The TOEFL® iBT: Improving Your Writing Skills
   Advice for Writing
   Skill: Writing based on Knowledge and Experience
   Performance Level: Limited
   Score Range: 1 – 16
   Practice writing daily.
   Keep a journal. Write your opinions about things that you experience or topics in which you are interested.
   Start out writing in your own language. This will help you get used to writing and will build confidence in your writing ability.
   When you begin to feel more comfortable writing, keep a journal in English.
   Take a writing class. This will give you lots of writing practice and a teacher will show you ways to improve your writing.
   Find a pen pal or writing buddy. Write e-mail messages or letters to each other.
   Practice typing on a standard English (QWERTY) keyboard.
   Pay attention to your grammar and sentence structure.
   Study the basics of English grammar and develop your vocabulary.
   Practice writing correct sentences in English. Begin by writing simple sentences.
   Make sure that each sentence has a subject and a verb, and that the subject agrees with the verb.
   The student likes...; The students like...
   Take two of your sentences and practice combining them.
   Reread what you write. Look for and correct mistakes.
   Study the organization of good paragraphs and essays. A good paragraph discusses ONE main idea. This idea is usually written in the first sentence, which is called the topic sentence. Each paragraph should discuss one aspect of the main idea of the essay.
   Write paragraphs in English that focus on one main idea and contain several complete sentences that explain or support that idea.
   Ask your teacher to review your paragraphs for correctness.
   Think about who will be reading your writing. In some situations you need to write in a formal manner and your sentence structure, vocabulary use, and general style should reflect that.
   Read a lot in English. This will help you recognize good writing styles.
   
   
   The TOEFL® iBT: Improving Your Speaking Skills
   Advice for Speaking
   Skill: Speaking about Academic Course Content
   Performance Level: Weak
   Score Range: 0 – 9
   Take a conversation class. This will improve your fluency and pronunciation in English.
   Record yourself speaking in English.
   Practice reading a short poem aloud. Then record yourself as you read the poem again.
   Read a simple paragraph and record yourself summarizing it.
   Work on your pronunciation.
   Find a pronunciation partner to work with.
   Make a list of three or four new English words each day and practice pronouncing the words correctly.
   Practice using the words by teaching a friend or your pronunciation partner.
   Increase your vocabulary and improve your grammar in your speech.
   Study basic grammar rules so that you speak grammatically correctly.
   As you learn new words and expressions, practice pronouncing them clearly. Record yourself as you practice.
   Take risks. Use new words and expressions every day in your speech.
   Use books that come with an audio recording or go to Internet sites to help you with listening and speaking.
   
   Advice for Speaking
   Skill: Speaking about Campus Situations
   Performance Level: Weak
   Score Range: 0 – 9
   
   1. Take a conversation class. This will help improve your fluency and pronunciation in English.
   2. Practice expressing your opinions on general topics with a partner.
   * Make a list of several activities you both have participated in. Tell your partner why you enjoyed, or did not enjoy, one of the activities.
   * Ask your partner to express his or her opinion about another topic on the list.
   * Tell your partner about a short newspaper article you recently read.
   * Explain to your partner why you found the article interesting or important. Be sure to include details and examples in your explanation.
   
   The TOEFL® iBT: Improving Your Listening Skills
   Advice for Listening
   
   Performance Level: Low
   Score Range: 0 – 14
   1. Practice listening to something in English every day and gradually increase the amount of time that you listen.
   o Listen to different kinds of materials.
    Listen actively. Try to answer the "wh" questions.
    who
    what
    when
    where
    why
    how
    Listen passively to get the general idea of what's being said.
   o Keep a listening log (a list of everything you listen to each day/week).
    Write a one-sentence summary to remember the main idea of what you heard.
    Write down new expressions, idioms, and vocabulary that you hear.
   o Use dictations and other exercises to help your listening ability.
    Ask an English speaker to dictate an article to you. Good sources of material are newspapers, magazines, and textbooks.
    First, write down exactly what you hear
    Then only take notes on the important points that you hear
    Do information gap exercises, using unfamiliar content and complex structures.
   2. Use the resources in your community to practice listening to English.
   o Visit places in your community where you can practice listening to English.
    If possible, enroll in an English class.
    Go to a museum and take an audio tour in English.
    Follow a guided tour in English in your city.
    Call or visit a hotel where tourists stay and get information in English about room rates, hotel availability, or hotel facilities.
    Call and listen to information recorded in English, such as a movie schedule, a weather report, or information about an airplane flight.
   o Watch or listen to programs recorded in English.
    Watch television programs.
    CNN, the Discovery Channel, or National Geographic
    Watch movies, soap operas, or situation comedies on television
    Do this with a friend and talk about the program together
    Rent videos (turn off the captions!) or go to a movie in English.
    Listen to a book on tape in English.
    Listen to music in English and then check your accuracy by finding the lyrics on the Internet (e.g., www.lyrics.com).
    Listen to English language recordings that come with a transcript. Listen to each recording at least three times.
    The first time, take notes about the main ideas you hear.
    The second time, read the transcript and listen for the ideas you wrote down.
    The third time, write down any words and phrases that you didn’t understand and look them up.
   o Go to Internet sites to practice listening.
    National Public Radio (www.npr.org)
    CBS News (www.cbsnews.com)
    Randall’s Cyber Listening Lab (www.esl-lab.com)
    BBC World Service.com Learning English (www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish)
   o Practice speaking English with others.
    Exchange language lessons with an English speaker who wants to learn your language.
   3. Begin to prepare for academic situations.
   o Visit academic classes in English.
   o Record lectures or presentations and replay them several times.
    Listen to short sections several times until you understand the main points and the flow of ideas.
    Stop the recording in the middle and predict what will come next.
   o Become familiar with the organization or structure of academic lectures.
    Pay attention to the difference between main ideas and details presented.
    Listen for the general (main) ideas
    Pay attention to details
    facts
    examples
    opinions
    Pay attention to the structure.
    lecture or presentation — introduction, body, and conclusion
    narrative story — beginning, middle, and end
    Learn to recognize different styles of organization.
    theory and evidence
    cause and effect
    steps of a process
    comparison of two things
   o Think carefully about the purpose of the lecture.
    Try to answer the question, "What is the professor trying to accomplish in this lecture?"
    Write down only the information that you hear. Be careful not to interpret information based on your personal understanding or knowledge of the topic.
   o Take notes while you listen to a talk or lecture. This will help you identify the main ideas of the talk.
    Practice doing simple dictations to work on your ability to listen and write at the same time.
    Work with a partner. Listen to a talk and take notes individually.
    Compare your notes with your partner’s and check for differences (and similarities)
    Use your notes to tell your partner what you heard
    Use your notes to write an outline or summary.
    Gradually increase the length of the talks (and your summaries).
   4. Listen for signals that will help you understand the organization of a talk, connections between ideas, and the importance of ideas.
   o Listen for expressions and vocabulary that tell you the type of information being given.
    Think carefully about the type of information that these phrases show.
    opinion (I think, It appears that, It is thought that)
    theory (In theory)
    inference (therefore, then)
    negatives (not, words that begin with "un," "non," "dis" "a")
    fillers (non-essential information) (uh, er, um)
    Identify digressions (discussion of a different topic from the main topic) or jokes that are not important to the main lecture. [It’s okay not to understand these!]
   o Listen for signal words or phrases that connect ideas in order to recognize the relationship between ideas.
    Think carefully about the connection between ideas that these words show.
    reasons (because, since)
    results (as a result, so, therefore, thus, consequently)
    examples (for example, such as)
    comparisons (in contrast, than)
    an opposing idea (on the other hand, however)
    another idea (furthermore, moreover, besides)
    a similar idea (similarly, likewise)
    restatements of information (in other words, that is)
    conclusions (in conclusion, in summary)
    Pay attention to the connections between examples.
    When you hear two details, identify the relationship between them
    Write a sentence connecting the examples using the appropriate connecting word
   o Pay attention to intonation and other ways that speakers indicate that information is important.
    Important key words are often
    repeated
    paraphrased (repeated information but using different words)
    said louder and clearer
    stressed
    Pay attention to body language and intonation patterns used to express different emotions.
    Emotions are often expressed through changes in intonation or stress
    Facial expressions or word choices can indicate excitement, anger, happiness, or frustration
    Listen for pauses between important points.
    During a lecture, pay attention to words that are written on the board.
    Listen for numbers that you might hear in prices, times, or addresses
    Listen for verbs and other expressions that show if an event is happening in the past, present, or future
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