In each of the following episodes, I have included two TOEFL Independent Question One responses. There are many ways you could practice with these recordings in order to develop your speaking without a partner:
Read the question and try your answer by recording yourself on your smartphone’s voice recorder app. Listen back and make note of any slips and long pauses. Then, record again and compare the second recording to the first.
You could also listen to the model answer from the podcast and mimic the phrasing, intonation and pronunciation.
If you want to challenge yourself to copy the accent, you might decide if you want to adopt an accent when you speak English, or if you prefer not to.
Thank you for listening! Please subscribe on Apple Podcast or Spotify where you can download the episodes and listen while you’re on the go 🙂
I’ve published model answers to TOEFL Independent Speaking Questions every Monday in this month. Each episode features two model answers. I’ve also published video transcriptions to my Instagram.
Question 1: Which do you think is more helpful to the students: internet materials or textbook materials? Why do you think so?
Question 2: Some people like to do indoor activities in their free time, and others prefer to enjoy outdoor activities; which do you prefer and why?
Question 1: Some people believe it’s essential for a person’s education to learn to play a musical instrument. Others don’t believe music education is important. Which view do you agree with? Explain why.
Question 2: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? All children should be required to learn a second language in school.
Question 1: When some people visit a city or country for the first time, they prefer to take an organized tour. Other people prefer to explore new places on their own. Which do you prefer and why?
Question 2: When looking for information for a research project, some students prefer to get their information mainly form the Internet. Others prefer to mainly use printed materials such as books and academic journals. Which do you prefer, and why?
Get used to the computer-based test, especially the 10 question types for reading and listening.
Use TEDtalks for listening practice. TED.com is a great resource for three reasons:
It’s got lots, and lots of materials.
It’s free.
There’s an interactive transcript.
These three reasons make it the single best resource for learning in English on the Internet.
Speaking
Practice audio-recording your speaking with the strict time limit.
And learn to maximize the time in speaking.
Writing
Practice writing essays that follow the standard format for each type of writing.
And learn to touch-type so that you can write faster on the laptop, and thereby write a long and more accurate essay.
Grammar
For higher scores in writing and speaking, learn how to use complex sentence structures including dependent clauses, adjective clauses, and prepositional phrases.
Learn how to show the connections between your ideas by using linking and reference words.
Sleep quality and well-being
Understand that anxiety is normal when taking tests.
Sleep well every night of the week before your test.
This will be easier if you make time for 30-minutes of intense exercise every day.
Essay writing…hmm. I’ve gotten stuck. The brainstorming time was supposed to help me focus my thoughts but it didn’t. Now what?
Time to start a body paragraph. Skip the topic sentence and just go for a reason. I need to pass this test. And, for my example… a high score is going to help me get into a better school. But, that’s not enough. I actually need to learn English!
How am I ever going to do that? TED.com … On the other hand, perhaps this paragraph should be about money. Scholarships! Sure… just write another perfect essay. But, that’s got to be about me, and what have I got to say that is going to really make my application stand out?
I’ve been writing a standard five-paragraph essay, and the best part is yet to come! The easy thing about writing an application essay is that it’s all about myself… j/k. What can I say about me? OMG, as if this essay hasn’t been challenging enough already!
Practice! I probably should stick to what I know. I could do a little research if I get stuck. But, the most important thing is just to get started. I’ll check my work when I’ve finished. All the spelling and punctuation has to be perfect. Is it long enough? Are my ideas well-connected? Have I used paragraphing adequately?
Yes! That means this is my last paragraph. And it only took me twenty-five minutes. So, just get started and let it flow!
The reading provides three reasons why online encyclopedias are not as good as traditional encyclopedias. However, the professor in the lecture disagrees with the points in the reading for several reasons.
To begin, while the errors in online encyclopedias may number more than traditional encyclopedias, they are more easily corrected than published encyclopedias. Online documents are, in a sense, living documents. Editors can make revisions when new information comes out and incorporate these changes in real time.
Changes to online encyclopedias by hackers can happen. While this is a concern put forward in the reading, the lecturer handily counters by stating that editors monitor changes, and that crucial facts are protected within the website through read-only formatting. Whereas researchers may come upon altered information in online encyclopedias, these malicious attacks are prevented and corrected for by the editorial staff of the online encyclopedias.
Finally, the significance of information is questioned in the reading, but the lecturer again debunks the claim by explaining that traditional print encyclopedias have limited space, over which an editorial board judges what ought to be included. However, there is no limit to the space of online encyclopedias, and the diversity of views and information is the greatest advantage that the online version offers as it reflects the much broader interests of the public than published encyclopedias ever could.
In the past month or so, I have begun recording sample answers to TOEFL iBT Speaking Question 1. This series of podcasts contains 2 or 3 sample answers each episode. I am continuing to publish more every Monday to Apple Podcast and Spotify. I have also created videos which I have published to my Instagram.
Some people think that family members are the most important influence on young adults. Others believe that friends are the most important influence. Which do you agree with?
Some students would prefer to live with roommates. Others would prefer to live alone. Which option would you prefer?
Some people prefer to go to the movie theatre; others prefer to stream a movie online. Which do you think is better?
Some think the college experience is essential; others think it is not. What is your opinion?
Some people like to watch action movies; others prefer to watch comedies. Which type of movie do you prefer?
In the following two episodes, I have shared a first try and a second try. I always try to improve my recordings after a first try. I will rerecord my speeches until the flow is logical and there are no long, awkward pauses.
Many universities now offer academic courses over the internet. However, some people still prefer learning in traditional classrooms. Which do you think is better? Why?
What do you miss most about your home when you are away?
Remember that the time for TOEFL iBT Independent Speaking is 15 seconds for preparation and 45 seconds for speaking. If you go over the time limit, the recording will be cut off in the test.
We read about the large stone structures, or “great houses,” in the Chaco Canyon and the three theories on which their existence is based. The professor in the lecture presents three reasons, one for each theory, as to why the origin of the large houses remains unknown.
The professor begins with the first theory on the structures as apartment buildings. The main flaw in this theory is that while there are indeed many rooms for a large number of inhabitants, there are relatively few fireplaces. If there had been residents, there would have had to have been enough fireplaces for each family.
The second theory proposes that the buildings stored corn. The lecturer explains that there were very few containers among the remains and little corn. Therefore, if these structures were for storage of maize, excavators would have found much more corn and many more ceramic containers.
Third and finally, the professor rebuts the proposal that this had been a ceremonial center. There are many remnants in addition to any possible religious artifacts, and the random distribution of the remains suggests just as likely that this was simply a trash heap.
The topic comes from the Magoosh link below. I suggest at the start of the video to turn off spelling and grammar assistance in your word processor. I set my timer and composed the essay live in the screencast video. It took about 25 minutes to write and edit my example essay. I made two additional spelling corrections after completing the video.
“Many workers change jobs a few times in their career. However, several workers instead do the same type of work throughout their career. Of these two career paths, which is a better option? In your essay, include supporting details.”
Original model essay:
Some people prefer to keep a single job in their career for a long time, whereas others like to change jobs or even change careers periodically. While either path can provide fulfilling work, changing jobs within one career can provide a rewarding balance between variety and success.
Keeping a single job in the same company throughout one’s career is not particularly common in the modern age. While large corporations may offer quite a lot of career growth, workers in small firms would eventually reach a plateau above which they would not be able to advance their careers. That is why seeking a higher position in another company would be required in order to advance one’s career. That does not mean the same as changing career paths.
On the other hand, changing career paths would present a number of challenges that might be highly rewarding to those who crave challenge. However, there are many reasons beyond simply seeking change that might propel someone to change career entirely. These could be work-related, but the reasons may have to do with personal health, environment or family issues. Perhaps most commonly, people change career when they need to devote more time to family. For instance, new parents may stop work for a time, and then upon returning to the workforce, they look for careers that will allow more flexibility with schedules than they had before their children were born.
A third rationale for changing jobs within one career or to a new career may be outside of one’s control entirely. Over time, industries change, businesses evolve, or entire sectors of the economy disappear. In the case of my father, who is now at retirement age, his work in the university textbook industry has changed dramatically because of the now widespread use of online textbooks. When print media was slowly phased out over the past five years, my father’s workload declined to almost zero. This example is not unique. Many other companies find themselves in difficult financial situations every time there is an economic downturn. Even once stable large corporations are now overleveraged and heavily indebted. When the 2020 Pandemic led to stay-at-home orders and shut-downs, over twenty percent of the workforce in the United States was either furloughed or laid-off. These workers will be lucky if they can return to their previous jobs. However, many have already sought career changes.
In conclusion, there are many reasons individuals may seek new opportunities at other companies or in other industries. However, staying within one industry allows a person to build skill and grow in their careers even when changing jobs. Nevertheless, changing jobs may not be a personal choice, but rather a result of market forces. Sometimes this means changing careers when a type of job is outsourced to a location in another country or when an industry collapses entirely as a result of technological innovations.
Beginning in 2019, the new TOEFL iBT is shorter than before. Instead of six questions on the speaking test, there are four questions. The total time is about 20 minutes. Whereas there were two independent tasks before, there is now only one. This is question number one. The other three of the four questions are integrated skills: spoken summaries of reading and/or listening.
In question one, the independent question, the preparation time is 15 seconds, and the response time is 45 seconds. Below are my examples of the basic question types: compare two or three options, agree/disagree and advantages/disadvantages.
Some people enjoy taking risks and trying new things. Others are not adventurous; they are cautious and prefer to avoid danger. Which behavior do you think is better?
Some people think it is more fun to spend time with friends in restaurants or cafes. Others think it is more fun to spend time with friends at home. Which do you think is better?
Imagine that you have just begun studying at a new university. Which of the following do you think would be the best way for you to learn about the new campus?
A. a second-year student gives you a personal tour of the whole campus
B. you are given a detailed map of the campus designed by the student services department
C. you join a group tour of the campus together with all the other new students
If you were going to choose a roommate, which of the following characteristics would be the most important to you?
A. cleanliness
B. friendliness
C. quietness
What are the advantages and disadvantages of giving smartphones to teenagers?
