Speaking

More Ted Talks for homework.

June 3 Practice:
http://www.ets.org/toefl/ibt/prepare/quick_prep/

June 2 Practiced speaking about important people from the past.

The speaking section last 20 minutes and it is composed of six tasks.  The tasks in this section are divided as follows:

1. Independent tasks: you will speak about familiar topics without reading or listening to any passages beforehand. You will have 2 tasks in this section: an independent description and an independent opinion
2. Integrated tasks: you will need to first read and/or listen to a passage and then speak about what you have read and heard.  You will have 4 tasks in this section.

You should spend 15 seconds preparing the answer and 45 seconds recording the answer.  You have a very short period of time to prepare the answer so it is crucial that you take good notes before speaking.

Key strategies to keep in mind for this section of the test:

1. Organize your answer using notes; don't write a transcript
2. Use familiar vocabulary
3. Use short, simple sentences. 
4. Use transitional words/phrases
5. Be concise
6. Use idioms if possible but NOT slang.  Correct use of idioms may mean extra points
7. Speak at a good pace making sure to pay attention to your pronunciation. Don't speak too fast!
8. Use personal examples if possible and appropriate to make your point.