iBT Speaking and Writing

TOEFL Speaking Question 1 - More sample topics and answers!

 

Hi there,

Just to let you know, three more sample responses have been uploaded to TOEFL iBTv, answering question type 1 (independent “open choice”) featured in tests 3, 4, and 5 from TOEFL Speaking Mentor.

The samples for test 3 and 5 actually feature the new topic style recently introduced by ETS for question 1 – asking you to focus on a negative impression of something (rather than a positive).

 

TOEFL Speaking - Question 1, example answer for Qu. 1 on Test 5

 

Enjoy!

 

~ Jason

TOEFL Speaking Question 1 - Sample answer with tips and strategies to improve your response

I have just posted a new TOEFL iBTv tutorial for the speaking section of the test. This one gives an example response for Question 1 on Test 2 (in the TOEFL Speaking Mentor system), breaking the answer into sections and showing you some simple tips and strategies to improve your spoken response.

   

TOEFL iBTv Tutorial 22: Question 1 - Example response

Hope it gives you some good pointers!

 

~ Jason
 

New TOEFL speaking tutorial now online: how to improve your speaking ability for all question types by yourself!

 

Sorry I haven't posted notifications of new tutorials for TOEFL iBTv here for a while... There are actually three new tutorials there for the speaking section of TOEFL in particular, and the latest one focuses on a simple 5-step process for you to improve your speaking performance fully on your own (no matter which particular question type it is).

   

Check out the new tutorial here:

 

TOEFL Speaking - Improving your speaking ability independently!

 

All the best to you all,

~ Jason

:-)

New TOEFL speaking practice tests and more...

Well, it's been a busy couple of weeks, first with a record number of new subscribers in January (I thought it was going to be a little quieter and I might even get a chance to take a quick break - not to be!).

Second, I've finally finished formatting two new complete speaking tests for the TOEFL Speaking Mentor service. That brings the total number of tests available to FIVE, or more than 30 TOEFL speaking tasks for students to try each week (plus another 80 mega-list topics for the independent question types).

Of course, increasing the volume of tests and questions by such a volume meant I had to increase the subscription price, but - aware that many students are on a tight budget - I created a new type of subscription for people who just want access to all the practice tests, tutorials and bonus topics. It means you need to be willing to practice on your own without direct scoring from me, but the good news is that you can get more speaking material and tips than I've seen on any other site or in any published TOEFL guidebook for only $15 per month.

I've also been busy updating TOEFL iBTv with more quick tutorials as well, and doing some extra tips and things over on my TOEFL page on Facebook.

BUSY BUSY BUSY! But BUSY means HAPPY of course...!

   

All the best,

~ Jason

The difference a good TOEFL score can make...

One of the genuinely thrilling aspects of the work I do with TOEFL speaking and writing online has to do with the real difference a good TOEFL speaking and/or writing score can make for people's lives.

I see this most commonly with the people I help achieve the (very challenging) scores they need to attain entry into good university programs abroad, but also with professional licenses to practice things like pharmacy and physiotherapy in English-speaking countries (especially the US). A TOEFL speaking score of 26 can mean the barriers to getting an internship and green card are finally overcome. Qualifications of this kind are absolutely life-changing for the students involved, and knowing I played even a small part in that is thrilling and humbling at the same time. There are some examples of what a profound difference this can make here.

However, now and then I get news from students and teachers that makes what I do feel even more special. I got an early Christmas present today in the form of an email from a teacher in Brazil who has been using my TOEFL Speaking Mentor program to help her students there:

  

Thanks Jason,
Actually, I'm an ESL teacher here in Brazil, and have used your site to help prepare a couple students for their TOEFL tests.  I'm proud to share that they earned a 97 and a 100 on their tests- 26 and 23 on the speaking sections, respectively.  Just so you know how much deeper your website goes than just helping earn a certain score-  the first student, Gustavo, is a surgeon here, who is now able to go to Canada to study in a fellowship there and then return to the Northeast of Brazil as the only lung transplant surgeon in the whole region....  until he does this, many lung patients who cannot travel have no other choice but to succumb to their illnesses.  It should be an honor to play a role in such an important development in this country!
I really appreciate the services your website offers, and will definitely be a returning customer in the future.  Merry Christmas to you too!
Rebecca Engle

  

 

Wow! I've just helped a Brazilian surgeon get the score he needs to study in Canada, so that he can then return and become Northeast Brazil's only lung transplant surgeon! The thought that helping a student like this can actually save lives and make a real difference in the world is - well, it makes me realize what an honor teaching can be as a profession!

My heartfelt congratulations to Gustavo and his dedicated teacher Rebecca, and thank you for giving me such an awesome early Christmas present!

  

:-)

~ Jason

TOEFL Speaking success!

How do you pass the TOEFL and get the speaking and writing scores you need? The answer is clear...

More good news has arrived about people using my TOEFL Mentor services and getting the scores they require for professional licensing purposes!

Congratulations to:

SHERYL (TOEFL Speaking score 27 and successful visa screening as Physical Therapist!)

JULIANA (TOEFL Speaking score 26 plus overall score of 113 - successful license qualification!)

VENUS (TOEFL Speaking score 26 and Writing score 25 - successful license qualification!)

SARRA (TOEFL Speaking score 26, after trying the test many times and working really hard!)

  

My very best wishes to these TOEFL Mentor members and all the best for a bright and successful future!

:-) :-) :-)

~ Jason

TOEFL iBT Writing Score 27: Congratulations Sasin!

I was very happy to get this message from one of my TOEFL Writing Mentor students today:

 

Dear Jason,
 
I would like to thank you for your writing techniques. I use your techniques for both sections in writing part and I got 27 from my lastest exam.
 
Thanks a lot
 
Sasin Janpuangtong

 

Fantastic news and I'm really happy to hear it! All the best to you, Sasin!

   

~ Jason

:D

Some tips about using pace, rhythm and stress when you speak online in response to TOEFL speaking questions!

  

While it's not strictly TOEFL, my recent video tutorial for TOEIC speaking will give you some good ideas about pace, rhythm and stress when you record answers to test questions online...

 

 

 

~ Jason

:D

Some questions and answers about TOEFL speaking...

A while ago I did a live Q&A session in a chat room with TOEFL test-takers, where I did my best to answer people's questions about the speaking section in particular. The transcript of that 90 minute session went missing from my own forum for some reason, and then I found it pirated word for word on some other online TOEFL company's website! I re-found the original transcript, and thought it might be helpful here in this forum, where most serious TOEFLers seem to gravitate.

You can find the complete transcript below... Enjoy!


********************************************************

Jasonrenshaw: Good evening everybody! Our topic for tonight’s discussion is iBT Speaking, and the discussion will be open for the next 90 minutes or so. First of all, I recommend clicking on the “Full Size” option below the GED Chat box. It will be much easier to follow the chat with it on a full screen. Next, just as with a real discussion, we need some basic ground rules to ensure the discussion can proceed coherently, and not end up with 20 people all talking over each other. To that end, I would request that you wait until I call on you by name before asking your question. You will have a chance to add up to 2 follow up questions after the main question, and then the turn will pass to somebody else. Also, I can’t call on you for a question if I don’t have your username. Hence, if you’re here in this discussion as “Anon”, don’t expect to be invited to ask a question. Please set an actual name for yourself if you want to participate (though of course you’re free to just watch anonymously if that is what you prefer).

Jasonrenshaw: Chock - go ahead with your question.

Chockulit: I mean if I somewhat got mental blocked on the process while I am speaking, what would be the best thing to do? And if I finished more than the time alloted for me, will that be a deduction on my part?

Jasonrenshaw: Two questions in one! Well, for the first one, with a mental block, the most important thing to do is not panic. It's better to have even a 5-10 second pause to gather your thoughts than to just start babbling aimlessly.

As for the time, you can't go over the time, because the recorder simply stops working at the time limit.

Chockulit: I see. Thanks Jason!

Jasonrenshaw: Obaid, you there? Got a burning question for me?

Obaidmaroof: i got 20 in speaking, and i want to increase it. does the grammer matters while speaking or only the flow of the english makes the difference?

Jasonrenshaw: Grammar does make a difference of course. The three evaluation criteria are DELIVERY, LANGUAGE USE, TOPIC DEVELOPMENT. Small grammar mistakes won't kill your score, but if the grammar is poor in the sense it makes you hard to understand, it will definitely lower your score.

Jasonrenshaw: Great, Yellowflower, you're up!

Yellowflower: Ok. Obviously, we should avoid going over 45 seconds in our answer. If I have a hard time coming up with a (complete) answer, is it bad to end at, say 35 seconds?

Jasonrenshaw: 10 seconds under the speaking limit will probably hurt your score on that question - not because you finished early but because you probably didn't develop your topic fully enough. It's hard to completely cover the questions even with the full time allowance. Five seconds short is okay - anything more and you were probably lacking something.

Follow up question for me?

Yellowflower: But it's better to end 10 seconds early than to end 5 seconds late, right?

Jasonrenshaw: Well, as I said above, technically you can't finish over the time limit, because the recorder simply stops. Personally, I think it would be better to be cut off towards the end of your answer than to finish 10 seconds early. The assessors know the time is tough, and will probably be less harsh on someone who managed to continue speaking all the way through.

Yellowflower: Good point!

Jasonrenshaw: Nasir, you ready with a question?

mhdnasir: Hello Jason, I want to improve my speaking section score. I gave TOEFL just a month ago and I got 24, now I want to score around 29-30. Can you advise me that what specific things I should practice on to acheive that score? Mistakes that I remember were humming and the deviation from the typical answers format taught by the Samples.

Jasonrenshaw: Sort of sounds like you already know what was lacking in your responses. However, I can try to tell you what usually separates scores of 22-24 from 26-28. It is usually one of topic development or delivery. Topic development is the biggest problem I see in all the practice responses. ETS is very specific about what it expects to see in most of the answer formats. If you're lacking in that, you won't go over the magic 26 mark. Those who do have the topic development perfected and still don't score over 26 usually have some definite pronunciation issues.

Which do you think applies to you, Nasir?

mhdnasir: First I think that I didn't follow the format and second of course the topic development.

Jasonrenshaw: Right - so that's where you'll need to focus.

mhdnasir: the format thing can be cured I think but how should I improve the topic developement?

Jasonrenshaw: Run through the points I make in the iBT speaking tips and tricks online. Are you doing all of those things? I mean, really doing them, perfectly?

mhdnasir: Infact I really didn't prepare well for my first attempt because I have to met the university deadlines. And I gave TOEFL during my semester exams.

Jasonrenshaw: Right, well, let's see how you do after you practice using my tips! Have you accessed those mini lectures on my other site?

Okay, Amj - go ahead with your question.

Amj: I have the same problem as Nasir i can't over go the 24, but I need 26. Could you give us more detailed examples that could get us tha magic score?

Jasonrenshaw: There are tons of example answers around the Internet and in preparation textbooks. Soon I will be looking to add more examples of myself doing some tasks to try and show you stronger examples that will get you beyond the 24-26 mark.

Amj: the problem is that even if at home i'll do good at the exam w the stress i forget to stay focust on the practice tips.

Jasonrenshaw: That's a very good point. Practicing at home is not stressful, and taking the actual test is VERY stressful. So, simply put, you need to create a practice environment or procedure that IS stressful, to replicate the feeling when taking the test. For example, speaking in groups face to face, or setting a goal to record 20 answers (even general) in say 20 minutes on something like Chinswing (Voxopop).

Chock - you ready?

Chockulit: Okay. If ever, but I hope not, I will fail the speaking section of TOEFL-IBT, do I need to take the whole exam again, such as the writing, reading, listening parts?

Jasonrenshaw: Yes, unfortunately, you do. If a speaking score is what you need, that is.

Chockulit: I am not worried about the other parts. It's only the speaking part that I am really worried about.

Jasonrenshaw: One of the ridiculous parts of the TOEFL is the requirement to take the whole thing over again if you don't get the score you require in one particular part. It is hurting a lot of test takers, especially people who need a speaking score of 26 for pharmacy or something.

Chockulit: I am doing those sample exercises you had in Chinswing and as you said, if we are in the actual TOEFL examination, the pressure will be different.

I usually stop in the middle if I am lost for words. Jason, if the examinee usually says, "uhhmmmm," would that affect the score too?

Jasonrenshaw: It depends. You know, I did my own speaking responses for test items with 0 preparation time, and I was saying "ah" and "um" quite regularly.

Chockulit: Yeah, I've noticed that as well.

Jasonrenshaw: It's a natural part of spoken discourse, and I don't think you get penalized for it - so long as it doesn't happen after every second word, or the ums are very long and very hesitant sounding. We are not giving dinner speeches in the British Embassy here - it is natural speaking without any preparation or scripting.

Chockulit: Hahaha...nice one Jason!

Some are also saying that we should use the words, "moreover, however, in addition, etc." But I don't use those words too often.

Jasonrenshaw: Sure, those linking words can be useful. Moreover gets overused, tho, and sounds a bit strange to me when it is used too much.

Chockulit: I see then. Thanks. You're site is really helpful. I hope you could also grade our recent responses in Chinswing (Voxopop).

Jasonrenshaw: Mmm, grading Chinswing (Voxopop) responses in the free test section areas. That brings up a very important point I want to make for all people wanting to practice their speaking online (for free, that is). People are way too reliant on me. I don't see anyone offering feedback or encouragement to other test takers. People are not helping themselves/each other. They are coming to my sites looking for charity basically. That worries me - really worries me.

Chockulit: I myself haven't given feedbacks yet. I have only used the website for my responses. How can we give feedbacks to other Chinswing (Voxopop) users?

Jasonrenshaw: Just refer to the number of the recording and state that it is feedback. Simple.

However, on another point - Chinswing (Voxopop) has literally hundreds of different topics and threads to communicate in. Have you recorded in any of them besides just my TOEFL topics?

Chockulit: No, I haven't.

Jasonrenshaw: Technically, there are opportunities to practice your communicative fluency for hundreds of topics in Chinswing (Voxopop). (I'm not just talking to you Chock - this is for everyone).

Chockulit: I think I should explore them too. I am most of the time a lurker, but you're right Jason, we should start giving feedbacks to each other!

Jasonrenshaw: Here's the biggest tip of the evening... The key is to improve your spoken fluency and familiarity with recording online under time limits with many different kinds of topics. This is much more important than getting grades/ratings from one teacher (like myself). If you speak about 10 different topics every day for a couple of weeks leading up to your test, you will improve your score immensely.

Yellowflower - ready with a new question?

Yellowflower: how many points should we put in our delivery?

Jasonrenshaw: Good question. Delivery is all about pronunciation, intonation and fluency. Technically it is of equal value to the criteria of topic development and language use. However, I think it comes after topic development as the second most important issue. This, in particular (delivery) is what hurts many people, particularly people who already think their delivery is fine.

Yellowflower: Also, When we answer a question, how many supporting points should be given?

Jasonrenshaw: That depends on the particular question. Question 1 and 2 should ideally have 2 supporting reasons expressed. Question 3 requires 2 reasons for a speaker's feeling about a notice. Question 4 usually explores 3-4 issues that correlate across a reading passage and lecture. Question 5 would require 2 supporting reasons for your preferred course of action based on the conversation.

Yellowflower: Great info. Thanks!

Jasonrenshaw: Okay - back to you Pharn, Shoot!

pham179: ya, which type of question requires conclusion?

Jasonrenshaw: Technically, none of them do. It's hard enough to get main ideas out and support them in the time limits involved. HOWEVER, a quick conclusion is ideal if you finish up a little early. Let's say you have 5-10 seconds left on your time limit. Rather than just going blank/quiet, you could wind things up with "... and that's basically why ...." Make sense?

pham179: thats great. give me one strategy to improve on the 4 question

Jasonrenshaw: Question 4 is a bit of a killer. A lot of it comes down to good note-taking. Draw a line down the middle of the notepaper. On the left, script main ideas from the reading passage. On the right, take down your listening notes. Then, in the 30 seconds prep time, link up the ideas you can see from your reading and listening notes. With the key ideas and details from each source linked up like this on paper in front of you, it will be a lot easier to speak and a lot easier to cover all the important information.

Okay Sunit - you're up!

Sunithasiva: i gave toefl 4times. but not able to get score in speaking (24)

Jasonrenshaw: 24 each time you take the test... As I mentioned above, the difference between 23-24 and 26-28 is usually one of these two things: topic development or delivery.

Sunithasiva: iprepared for the topics given by you for one minute and practised in home

Jasonrenshaw: You either just aren't covering the topics properly, or you have a pronunciation/delivery issue that is holding you back. That's what I usually find, anyway.

Sunithasiva: so how to improve. can i record and send it to u?

Jasonrenshaw: That is your first problem. You think without a teacher you can't progress. Let me ask you - how many online recordings do you make, every day, about various topics?

Sunithasiva: 5-6 topics

Jasonrenshaw: AND, how many other people's recordings do you listen to - every day?

Sunithasiva: i hve not done that

Jasonrenshaw: EXACTLY. You are caught in your very own Twilight Zone. You ave no external input or models to learn from or compare your speaking to - just yourself. Progress won't happen that way. There are dozens of well scored speaking submissions in my forum and the Chinswing (Voxopop) links already. You should listen to all of them (the scores of 3 or higher). Take notes about each one, then compare to your own recording. You may be very surprised what you learn from that experience.

Sunithasiva: k. iwill listen. can usuggest me. ihve done already but no reply.

Jasonrenshaw: Sunit - work to help yourself, and then eventually it will help to make your speaking work.

Sunithasiva: k thanks

Jasonrenshaw: Right, Song

Songthanh: how can I take notes while I'm listening??? Sometime I forgot what I heard or write.

Jasonrenshaw: Yes - did you see what I wrote above as notetaking tips for question 4?

Songthanh: sr im late so i didnt see that. could u please tell me again

Jasonrenshaw: Scroll up or look back through the transcript. However, it sounds to me like you're not taking enough notes, or not writing down the most useful information. Or just panicking! It's easy to do under that test pressure. So, how often per day or week do you listen to lectures in English and do note-taking?

Songthanh: 3 times/week

Jasonrenshaw: If it's a weakness, you should be listening to 1-3 hours of listening material every day and doing note-taking every time. Eventually, you will find your own strategies for getting down the most important information - and more importantly, you will develop more confidence. 3 times a week is good, but will not result in dramatic improvements. Daily is better.

Songthanh: thanks for your advice

Jasonrenshaw: Let me know how you get on. You could start with all the Reuters news articles I have in my World News section in the forum. There is enough to keep you busy listening for many hours in there!

Okay Angels - you there? Waiting patiently? This will be our last question for the session, unfortunately. I've been typing like a maniac for the past 90 minutes!

Angels67: It's okey. I will be taking my 3rd iBtT on Dec. 21.. for both I got 23.. I need 26. I felt that I was not focused because I got panicked in specially in the 2nd.

Jasonrenshaw: Right. Same as above for other students with the same issue. It is either topic development or delivery that is pinning back your score. It's easy to panic in this test. Have you been practicing under stressful/pushy circumstances? Like really pushing yourself to perform?

Angels67: Right now, I want to focus in your tips and wish to stay calm during the exam. I got distracted when my husband is around I can't record well. Actually I am not confident when he's around so I can't speak well.. However, I was able to try harder today.

Jasonrenshaw: That's GREAT! Your husband is helping you more than you can guess. Once you can record answers well even with your husband walking around, looking for his socks, or asking when his dinner will be ready, or asking why he is so silly, you are likely to be able to do well on the actual test as well.

Angels67: I will continue browsing the topic you posted and will follow your tips. . Thank you very much for your advices. Tomorrow, I might stay in the mall's foodcourt and will try my speaking there.

Jasonrenshaw: EXCELLENT idea!! You will feel silly, but practicing in public is excellent for your actual test prep. What is more important - getting that 26 score or looking slightly insane in the middle of a food court?

Angels67: Yes!!! You're right. I saw it in posted here. Thank you again and I pray and wish that this would be my last iBT. Getting 26!!! I need it badly..

Jasonrenshaw: Well, that's all I have time for this evening, everyone. Thanks for your questions and patience. You've been very polite. Let's do this again someday.

Stay active in the forum, help each other as much as you can, and let's all catch up again soon. Good night to all of you, and very best wishes!


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TOEFL Speaking: Using emphasis in your spoken response

The latest TOEFL iBTv tutorial is up on the site, this one with more focus on using EMPHASIS in your spoken response to make you easier to understand and to also ensure the test assessor catches on to the fact that you are covering key information in your response to a particular question.

The examples of emphasis here are framed within an example response to a Question 5 style task from the TOEFL speaking section.

  

TOEFL Integrated Speaking Question 5 - Using Emphasis

Enjoy!

~ Jason

:D

TOEFL Essay Writing - How to time and pace the different stages to produce a good independent essay response!

This is the latest in my TOEFL iBTv series, and this tutorial focuses on identifying a series of stages to work through (and how to time them) to both produce a good essay efficiently under time limits, but also to help you discover where you have particular weaknesses so that you can focus on specific stages to improve your overall writing!

11. TOEFL Independent Essay - Timing and pacing your written response

Good luck with your TOEFL writing development!

~ Jason

:D

Exciting news! Jason's TOEFL Mentor services join forces with Michael Buckhoff's renowned Better TOEFL Scores services

If you're preparing for the TOEFL, you've most probably already found Michael Buckhoff's great Better TOEFL Scores website and collection of materials. If you haven't, then it's about time you checked it out!

Well, we're two of the better-known resources known around the Internet when it comes to improving your TOEFL test performance, so it appeared logical to us to join forces and enhance each other's offerings to TOEFL test takers.

As a result, my TOEFL Speaking and Writing Mentor services have been added to Michael Buckhoff's great S.T.E.A.L.T.H 7-step coursework system for passing the TOEFL!

Check out Michael's announcement here, and I hope you'll go ahead and benefit from the great stuff both Michael and I offer to our TOEFL students.

 

~ Jason

:D

TOEFL Speaking Mentor - the very best quality (and best priced!) TOEFL Speaking Service you'll get anywhere!

Hundreds of students are joining, and reporting big improvements in their scores!

If you're preparing for TOEFL Speaking, and haven't joined this service - then you're already falling behind...

   

  

Make sure you sign up and give yourself the very best opportunity to get the TOEFL speaking score you need for your future!

 

Jason's TOEFL Speaking Mentor Service

 

~ Jason

:D

TOEFL Speaking Question 4 (the hardest one!) - Essential strategies to handle the task well!

Well, this (TOEFL speaking question 4) appears to be the question in the speaking section that causes the most grief to test-takers. Hopefully the video tutorial below will help make things a little clearer and more manageable!

 

 

For more helpful tutorials like this for TOEFL speaking and writing, make sure you visit my TOEFL iBTv page!

   

Good luck,

~ Jason

:D

 

Some questions about TOEFL writing - and Jason's answers!

The following questions about TOEFL writing tasks were recently posted over on Erin's Test Magic TOEFL forum:

I am going to take my TOEFL very soon. I am in a fix about the writing. I have some questions about the writing section. Would any expert answer my questions?

1. In case of independent writing, should I take a side? Meaning should I completely agree or disagree? I may debate on the topic. There may have both the sides strong in an issue. And if I discuss both of the sides, and finally conclude that both the sides have merit and on the basis of the factors discussed in the essay, one can't totally say that this one or the other one is better.

2. Should I use idioms and phrases very often? Is it detrimental for the essay if I use more idioms and phrases?

3. In case of integrated writing, should I conclude in my own way?

 

I've given some quick responses and advice based on these questions - you can read them at this link!

 

Best,

 

~ Jason

:D

 

TOEFL Independent essay writing - how to use IF and WHEN with Zero Conditionals to create general examples!

Moving on to some grammar for your independent writing efforts!

The latest TOEFL iBTv tutorial below features a simple lesson on using IF/WHEN in Zero Conditional constructions to help you create general examples related to the general present. (These can then be added to in order to create more specific examples, but they make a good lead in after you've stated a reason and if you want to support it in general everyday terms before getting specific).

TOEFL iBTv 9: Independent Writing - Using IF/WHEN with Zero Conditionals in examples

   

There will be a lot more basic grammar tutorials for writing appearing in TOEFL iBTv in future, so make sure you stay tuned!

:D

 

TOEFL Speaking Score = 28 (Congratulations Charmaine!)

Well done, Charmaine! A TOEFL Speaking score of 28 and 102 overall for the test!

Another success for TOEFL Speaking Mentor!

 

All the best,

~ Jason

:D

Jason's TOEFL Mentor starts up on Facebook!

I noticed recently that my forum for TOEFL gets most of visits (by far actually - 70,000 referrals to date!) from Facebook.

That reminded me that I haven't really done much about a TOEFL presence on Facebook, so I went ahead and created a TOEFL Mentor page there. If you're on Facebook, why don't you become a "fan" and get instant updates on what I'm doing for TOEFL?

To get things rolling, I started a discussion thread there about:

TOEFL Speaking: which are the hardest questions for you to answer and why?

 

So pop on over there and let everyone on Facebook know your opinion!

  

 

 

TOEFL Speaking Score 28 - Well done Danae!

Yet another RISE TOEFL Speaking Mentor success story to make my day!

This email just came to me from another of my students - Danae from Greece:

 

Hi Jason!

I just got my TOEFL scores! I got 28 in the speaking section and a total of 115!!
Your tips and tricks were very helpful! I was really worried about the speaking section, but thanks to your advice I became more confident. Your comments on our recordings were very useful to me, because they gave me the opportunity to understand the flaws in our answers and identify my mistakes. Therefore, I could focus on these aspects and try to give more accurate answers.

I have recommended your website to all my friends, it is outstanding!

Thank you very much for the help! :)

 

   

Well, you're most welcome Danae! Congratulations on such a fine result - 28 for speaking and 115 overall is an outstanding effort.

 

Best wishes for a bright future,

 

~ Jason

http://www.English-iTutor.com

 

 

TOEFL Speaking Score 26: Another RISE success story!

Another TOEFL success story - congratulations to Rosemary!

  

I always get a real thrill when I hear about another student reaching their professional goal in English.

I just got this wonderful news from one of my first TOEFL Speaking Mentor subscribers:
   
  

 Hi Jason, this is Rosemary, one of the first set of people who subscribed to your Toefl mentor programme. My name in this forum is RANYANWU if you can remember. I took toefl on the 10th of October, and the result was just released today. I made 26 in Speaking. Since I met your website, I knew that I have found an answer to toefl. I had written toefl severally without hope or even knowing what the raters wanted. Thanks a lot Jason. My family and I are very grateful. This is a huge success to me in the ladder of my professional career as a pharmacists here in the U.S. After knowing your website, I incorporated your template in my practice and also used it in the exam. I made good in familiar topic/ fair in campus situation /good in academic based content. I am particularly happy making good in Quest 4& 6 which are the ones I used to be nervous about. It really showed that your templete for integrating in Q4 really works. Thanks a thousand time. I am sure that intending toeflers should not hesitate to consult your site for toefl preparation. Bye.

 

   
Wonderful stuff, and my sincerest congratulations to Rosemary!

All the best,

~ Jason Renshaw
http://www.english-itutor.com
 

Can't get past a score of 22-24 in the TOEFL speaking section? This is perhaps why...

I just posted about this issue over on Erin's Test Magic Forum in the TOEFL Speaking section there.

If you're stuck in the 22-24 bracket for TOEFL Speaking and can't work out why your score isn't improving (no matter how much you practice or take the actual test), then you might like to read that post!

 

All the best,

 

~ Jason

:D

TOEFL Integrated writing task: Basic structure for your written response

Here's the next TOEFL iBTv tutorial in the series to do with writing, and this one gives you some simple tips on the basic structure of your integrated writing task response.

TOEFL iBTv: Integrated Writing Task - Basic structure of your written response

 
Watch and learn, then put it into practice with your own writing!

All the best,

:D

New TOEFL iBT Speaking Independent Question sample topics and answers

I've just added four new sample topics and model answers to my free TOEFL Speaking Topics page. Find out about:

• a good place in my town to have fun;
• my favorite subject at school;
• why I prefer going on a long trip by train instead of car;
• why I prefer a job I really enjoy even if it has a moderate salary!

  

The topic mega lists available exclusively to TOEFL Speaking Mentor subscribers feature these plus another four example topics and model answers, describing:

• who I feel close to in my family;
• an experience in my life that made me feel embarrassed;
• why I prefer to combine study and part-time work;
• why I prefer to stick to tasks I know I can do well!

 

There are of course many MANY more topics and example answers available to TOEFL Speaking Mentor subscribers, but these are just some of the latest updates!

   

Good luck to you all in your TOEFL speaking preparation!

~ Jason

:-D

   

 

TOEFL iBT Speaking section score of 29!

It's always wonderful to hear another TOEFL speaking success story!

One of my TOEFL Speaking Mentor subscribers - Luca - just got the fabulous score of 29 out of the 30 in the speaking section.

   

Wonderful effort: CONGRATULATIONS LUCA!

:D  :D  :D

   

 

 

TOEFL Independent essay: brainstorming and outlining to make a quick start to your essay

I've just uploaded a new visual tutorial to my free TOEFL iBTv resource section, and this one looks at a simple way to brainstorm and create an outline simultaneously, to help you make a quick and efficient start to your independent essay response:

 

TOEFL iBTv: Independent essay - brainstorming and outlining to make a quick start to your essay

The great TOEFL iBTv tutorials keep coming, and are updated regularly, so make sure you get over there and see them as often as you can!

 

~ Jason

;-D

 

 

 

Jason's TOEFL iBTv - free weekly broadcast with fresh tips for TOEFL speaking and writing!

This is just a quick announcement to let you know that I've launched Jason's TOEFL iBTv - a sort of broadcast with new tips for TOEFL speaking and writing, updated every week:
 
http://www.english-itutor.com/TOEFL_iBTv.html
 
This is good practical advice for TOEFL speaking and writing, and it is 100% free to access every week, so get along and check it out when you can (who knows? there could be a tip there that makes a difference and lifts your score over your target for your next TOEFL iBT attempt!)
 
All the best,
 
~ Jason
 
http://www.English-iTutor.com

TOEFL Writing Mentor (New!) and Updated TOEFL Speaking Mentor!

Well, it took a while, but finally I've completed and released the brand new TOEFL Writing Mentor service.

You can take a sneak-peek at the service by watching the screencast below:

  

 

 

With 5 complete writing tests (10 writing questions - 5 integrated and 5 independent), 25 professional tutorials, and the chance to submit your writing and get scores from me, it has to be one of the premier TOEFL writing services you'll find anywhere on the Net!

 

I've also been making some great updates to the existing TOEFL Speaking Mentor service as well!

The available complete speaking tests have been increased from 1 to 3 (meaning 18 practice speaking tasks rather than 6), and I am now checking and scoring all responses to speaking tasks on Tuesday of each week.

I am also in the process of adding more example answers, broken down into sections so test takers can see how much time and what sort of content I dedicate to each 'part' of one response.

So TOEFL Speaking and Writing continue to develop and improve on my site. If you're getting ready for the test and aren't a member yet - you're falling behind!

 

:-D

  

   

 

Some time out to make some important changes for TOEFL speaking and writing...

Well, TOEFL Speaking Mentor has left me completely burned out!

The demand has been overwhelming. The reports back from students who have used TOEFL Speaking Mentor show that people have made fantastic improvements in their scores (with many getting the magical 26 of higher!), but to be honest, I just haven't been able to keep up with the massive demand.

A side effect of this has been regular delays to launching my new TOEFL Writing Mentor service as well. Some new publishing projects landed in my inbox, and suddenly I realized that there just isn't enough time in the week to give so many people 1-1 detailed help and feedback for their speaking and writing production...

So, I'll be taking a short (3-4 week) break from 1-1 TOEFL tutoring services. The plan is to launch TOEFL Writing Mentor (and re-launch TOEFL Speaking Mentor) as different services, very cheap to access, with huge amounts of advice and practice tasks to try.

I'll be back here soon to announce the official changes and new services. Stay tuned!

~ Jason

 

 

New! TOEFL Writing Tutorials on YouTube

Yes, yes, I know - I've been pretty quiet around the blog and my online forum, but there's a very good reason for that...

I've been working on my new TOEFL Writing Mentor service, very exciting, very busy, I can assure you!

In any case, you might be interested in some initial video tutorials I've made for that service and uploaded onto YouTube.

You can access them all here:

TOEFL Writing Tutorials

 

Skip past the first one if you figure you already know the basics involved with the TOEFL writing section. The second and third deal very specifically with the Integrated Writing task (the one everyone claims to have the most difficulty with!), so go ahead and enjoy!

 

Best,

~ Jason

English conversation online: English iTalk!

I've been having fun getting a new online conversation application happening. It's called English iTalk, and focuses on conversational exchange using the superb Voxopop talkgroups application:

English iTalk

This is not TOEFL-oriented at all (which is one of things that makes it so enjoyable to use ~ it's based on real communication and conversation rather than structured and formulaic practice for pre-set academic tasks...), but anyone looking to improve their speaking ability in general would probably find it very beneficial.

Still in experimental/beta mode, of course, but it's showing lots of potential!

 

 

The big move...

Looks like I'll be taking a break from TOEFL for a couple of weeks - I'm in the process of moving with my family from Korea (where I have been living and teaching for the past 10 years of so) back to my home country of Australia. Of course, that's going to keep me far too busy to do anything on the TOEFL front for a while...

Best of luck with all your TOEFL speaking and writing preparations, and see you online again from around mid-March!

~ Jason

 

Don't miss Michael Buckhoff's TOEFL newsletter!

I recently referred readers of this blog to Michael's excellent TOEFL blog over at www.bettertoeflscores.com...

Well, in addition to the fact that Michael somehow manages to post something pretty much daily about TOEFL, AND includes cool motivational pictures for you at the start of every post (hey, I like them!), it looks like he is starting up a pretty amazing looking TOEFL iBT newsletter with lots of interesting stuff ready to go into it.

Make sure you get over to his site regularly (or even better, subscribe to his blog) to see the newsletter when it comes out. I'm pretty sure this could be considered compulsory reading for anyone getting ready for the toefl test!

 

A good site for TOEFL writing tips and practice

I noticed this TOEFL writing site some time ago, but just recently took a little more time to peruse the site more.

I have to admit - at first I was a bit sceptical, because the site is plugging TOEFL essay corrections for as little as $2.67 (that's if you sign up for 30 essays, though - so do the math and it's still a bit to fork out in one go). I couldn't understand how any quality provider of essay feedback and corrections could so this sort of work for so little (and to be frank - I still don't know how!).

However, some looking around the site revealed a very careful level system and very impressive stash of writing tips, sample topics and example compositions. Even if you're not looking to sign up for pay-for services, this site is a virtual treasure-chest of free writing goodies for you to nibble on.

 

 

Cut from Test Magic forums and finding that someone is stealing your online materials and claiming them as their own work...

Yes, a little on the negative side of being a free provider of help/advice and practice TOEFL materials on the Internet...

I used to be a contributor to the mighty Test Magic forums - mainly in the TOEFL section. I noticed that a huge amount of people go there for help and advice, but generally it is just test-takers talking to each other - with little or no feedback, pointers or materials being provided by the Forum owners at all. After about a year (perhaps more) of posting and providing links to places like this blog to get more help and access to free material, I got a couple of rather pompous warnings from the Forum owner (Erin, I think his name is) and had a lot of my posts cut. Basically, he was saying I was doing too much self-promotion...

To be fair, Erin was reasonably nice and straightforward about it, but to my annoyance I saw my posts cut and posts from some other TOEFL teachers or commercial service providers remain - some of them blatant advertisements for pay-for materials or services (or at least heavily linked to such). I only ever mentioned things that were free and open to the general public (which, as a matter of fact, accounts for about 98.5% of the material I have on the Internet!). I also found it a bit off-putting that there are hundreds of posts in that forum linking to ILLEGAL downloads of copied textbooks and CD files. Right - so you don't want posts to free help materials that are completely legit, but you will allow the forum to be a gathering place for mobs of people to obtain illegal materials?

Oh well. Erin is rightly famous for the immense traffic he gets at Test Magic, and his interview with Google Adsense where he talks about how much money he is making from click-thru advertising. Perhaps he sees links out to other forums or blogs as a potential threat to an infinitely minute amount of his potential income or something. I don't know, but I'll happily stay away from there from now on...

On the subject of dodgy rip-off merchants (not Erin or Test Magic, sorry, I'm referring to people who essentially "steal" other people's materials), I noticed a new site recently called Toefl Max.

The person who put this one together has more front than a major department store... Not only is there a page where you can just go in and start downloading pirated versions of every major TOEFL textbook imaginable (wait until the big publishers get on your tail, pal - they really DO take textbook piracy seriously and really do go looking for the pirates - and you've got all that stuff right there with plenty of site information to track you down!), this "respectable" entrepeneur has gone ahead and copied and pasted all the independent speaking questions I put together for questions 1 and 2 - straight into his own site, pretty much claiming them as his own! I've noticed he mentioned that materials for questions 3-6 will appear soon - he's probably trying to figure out how to rip the listening files I've made for these questions on my forum and website (they're pretty well protected in secure Evoca players). I notice this vagrant has not posted my full speaking test there (yet), though (despite the fact I've made the embed code freely available to all site developers who want to feature a full speaking test) - most probably because I've put my name on the thing and featured explicit links back to my own site...

Jeez - if you're going to take my materials, the least you could do is acknowledge where you got them from, and perhaps even do the professional courtesy of providing a link back to the original source. My hours and hours of designing and writing so that you can whack them up on your own page complete with Google ads to start making money...

Yep, I have to admit, it's been one of those days where I wonder why I do what I do with free TOEFL materials and preparation guidelines. Perhaps I really need to join the crowd and shut everything away behind password-protected pages, and start charging people!  

 

 

 

 

Naaaaaah. There are too many good, honest people out there (in legitimate need of a helping hand) who would miss out - right?

 

 

Some more interesting criticism of the iBT TOEFL...

I posted an analysis of the speaking section of the TOEFLa while back, including my concerns and criticims about the format and direction of the tasks.

Of course, I'm not alone in finding things wrong with the TOEFL iBT, and I recently read some interesting comments on Alex Case's TEFLtastic blog. It was particularly interesting to read the quotes from an expert from the Humanizing English Teaching movement who tried the test to see what it was like.

Worth a read!

 

~ Jason

 

More free TOEFL test materials (all sections of the test)

I recently came across a whole stash of free TOEFL test practice materials at this link.

I only really had time to check out some of the speaking tests. The positive is that the creator of this site has managed to very accurately replicate the actual TOEFL test browser format, including the automatic timer function (so it will be good for you in terms of getting a great feel for the actual test experience.

On the negative side, many of the actual recordings for the listening sections come out quite muted and difficult to hear without turning your volume settings up ultra high. Even then, it's distracting because the narration sections are clear and set at a higher volume - so one minute you'll be straining to hear the speakers in a dialogue, and then the narrator will come on and blast your eardrums out! Also, despite the great timing functions, you can't actually record your performance or listen to yourself afterwards.

Still, as I said, it can still be great practice, on account of the close resemblance to the actual TOEFL browser and automatic timing functions. There are also a lot of tests and practice items to go through, including all the other parts of the test (reading, listening and writing as well as speaking).

One note of caution: I don't know how long these materials can/will stay available up on the web. The site maker has not documented where the original materials came from - so there is a good chance they have been burned, copied and uploaded illegally using some other source. Maybe (hopefully) I'm wrong there, but generally speaking I would expect to see rights/copyright asserted if the site owner had made or organized the making of all these materials privately... 

 

 

Another TOEFL blog for you to consider - Better TOEFL Scores

In addition to this blog and my dedicated forum over at http://global-english.lefora.com , you might like to consider visiting the following blog:

 

http://www.bettertoeflscores.com

 

It’s put together and maintained by a guy named Michael Buckhoff, and he certainly seems to know his stuff. He’s also been producing a lot of quite helpful YouTube videos that you may like to watch to help you improve your test performance.

 

 

Improve your TOEFL iBT Speaking Scores with TOEFL Speaking Mentor!

There are a lot of ways you can improve your chances of performing well in the TOEFL speaking section. It depends a lot on your personal learning style, self-discipline, and the time available to you before you take the actual test.

 

If you aren’t making a lot of progress, it could be time to consider getting a professional tutor to help you.

 

It isn’t cheap, but it is infinitely less expensive than paying the US$150 to take the TOEFL iBT time after time in the vague hope you’ll get that magical score. I’ve heard from students who took the TOEFL test more than 10 times looking for a specific score of 26 or more in the speaking section. 10 times! That’s US$1500! What was more staggering to me was hearing that some of these same students weren’t willing to pay for a professional tutor or pay for good quality test preparation materials… So, some people are willing to pay more than a thousand dollars to keep taking the test again and again, but not willing to pay less than one hundred dollars to get some professional tuition and some decent materials. Unbelievable! It just doesn’t make sense.

 

Considering even $100-$200 in top quality tuition could make all the difference in getting the score you need on your next test, you actually stand to SAVE a huge amount of money by not needing to keep take the test.

 

In any case, I have a speaking tuition program available that can really help you improve your performance – it’s called TOEFL Speaking Mentor and it’s available at this link:

 

http://www.english-itutor.com/TOEFL_Speaking_Mentor.html

 

 

The basic program is available for as little as US$12 per subscription. Doing the math, you could actually practice taking the speaking test 12 times with professional support and feedback for the price it costs you to take one official TOEFL test. Using the PLUS program (at US$27 per subscription), which gives much more detailed feedback and advice, you could still do this sort of practice 5-6 times at the same cost as the official test.

 

So it’s up to you – harder or smarter!

 

 

 

Do TOEFL iBT test takers actually understand how the evaluation works for the speaking section?

I've been wondering about this for some time - do TOEFL test takers actually understand what they need to do in order to score well in the speaking section? I started a poll to find out:

http://global-english.lefora.com/2009/01/17/poll-do-you-understand-the-evaluation-criteria-for/page1/

Cast your own vote as a test taker, or just take a look at the results. Interesting...

~ Jason

Put a complete TOEFL iBT speaking test directly into your webpage or blog!

Now you can embed a full iBT speaking test directly into your webpage or blog posting!

Go to this link to find out how:

http://www.english-itutor.com/TOEFL_iBT_speaking_tests.html

 

All the best,

~ Jason

New complete TOEFL speaking practice test! ~ all six question types fully accessible online!

I've just completed a brand new iBT TOEFL speaking test, fully browser-based, with all-new question items covering all 6 parts of the speaking test. (Please note: this is a new test and different to the full test referenced in this blog earlier)

You can access it at this link:

http://www.english-itutor.com/TOEFL_iBT_speaking_tests.html

 

So there's some more free practice for test-takers to take advantage of!

All the best,

~ Jason

Free TOEFL iBT Speaking Test - All six question types plus hundreds of real example answers from test-takers...

Now you can try a full TOEFL speaking practice test entirely for free, record your answers online, and compare them to the hundreds of example answers already submitted:

 

http://global-english.lefora.com/2008/12/17/ibt-toefl-speaking-practice-test-1-full-online-men/page1/ 

 

 

40 new independent questions for iBT speaking (part 2 - paired choice section)

You can access 40 new practice questions for part 2 of the speaking section (independent paired choice) at this link:

http://global-english.lefora.com/2008/12/20/toefl-ibt-speaking-independent-topic-list-paired-c/page1/

Best of luck,

~ Jason

TOEFL Writing Competition - Win Money for your Essay!!!

Practice your essay writing and perhaps even walk away with some prize money for your efforts!

http://global-english.lefora.com/2008/08/15/jasons-toefl-ibt-writing-challenge-fall-2008-win-m/

Entry into the competition is free, and there is a total of US$175 in prize money up for grabs. Use the money to help offset the cost of your next test, buy some new test prep books, or take your friends out for dinner to apologize for being so grumpy while you've been pulling your hair out trying to prepare for the test. It's up to you!

The competition is designed, moderated, rated and guaranteed by Jason D. Renshaw, a major author with Pearson Longman with more than 20 international textbooks to his credit.

So enter your response to the specific essay topic listed there - you have everything to gain and nothing to lose! Entries must be submitted before Friday, September 26 to be considered for the competition.

Good Luck,

~ Jason Renshaw

TOEFL iBT Speaking Tips and Help (Reborn!)

I'm happy to say that finally (FINALLY!) I have found the time to re-record the TOEFL iBT Speaking Tips and Tricks that were featured previously on this blog and on the main OnlinEnglish site - the ones that disappeared into the Internet ether when the audio players went cuckoo and wouldn't function anymore...

You can find the new versions at this link: http://www.english-itutor.com/TOEFL_iBT.html

As per the previous versions, the tips and explanations cover all six of the TOEFL iBT speaking questions, but now they are recorded in video lecture format, and they are easier to navigate, with supporting summarized points in written form.

I hope they prove helpful to you!

~ Jason

New live speaking options online...

Just a quick update: I've done a little editing over at www.onlinEnglish.net, and now it is possible to access special live video rooms for EACH of the iBT TOEFL speaking tasks on our free sample test. You don't need any software, special memberships, sign-ins or downloads - the live video rooms are available directly in your Internet browser, and linked up to each iBT TOEFL speaking task page. You'll need a web-cam, of course, as well as a microphone, but it's super easy to use.

This is great if you want to meet up with other iBT TOEFL test takers and do some live practice and exchange.

Good luck with it!

 

   

GET English (Global English Talk) Launch

I've noticed an abundance of talk and chat sites strewn about the Internet, but I haven't really been able to find one that didn't involve some sort of membership sign up and/or complicated download procedure. I thought I'd do something about it, and the result is: GET English!

GET stands for Global English Talk, and it's the newest addition to our OnlinEnglish Network. It's actually extremely simple and consists of two options - Live Audio Talk or Live Text Chat.

Live Audio Talk is a simple speaking applet loaded directly into the webpage. No membership requirements and no complicated downloads (though your computer will need to be Flash-enabled). The speaking applet comprises a live online space where up to 20 people can gather and speak live using a computer mic. We've even created two rooms based on level, in case people feel they are more suited to basic/beginner level live talking or something more advanced and challenging. And just in case people fear they won't have anything to talk about, we've provided a direct link on the pages to the latest Reuter's Video News homepage, where visitors can access all sorts of current news articles!

Live Text Chat, on the other hand, is for people who either don't have access to a headset/mic, and/or prefer the good old text chatting format for interaction. It can in fact be a less intimidating way of interacting with others over the Internet, and in addition to giving you time to think and edit what you say provides good practice with live writing/typing skills. As with Live Audio Talk, we've divided it into two levels and added the Reuter's Video Link there.

This is all 100% free, 100% accessible, and 100% easy and quick to use. So if you're really wanting to practice your English skills live online, there's no excuse now really, is there...?

 

 

Happy New Year!! + Update

To all the people who stop by this blog (and especially those who contact me with comments and ideas), I'd like to wish you a very hearty

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

I hope 2008 brings you all the success you desire and deserve!

I've just completed a big sweep of updates for our site www.onlinEnglish.net. It's got a new look and several upgrades added. You might like to check it out, especially the new iBT speaking self-trainer tasks.

I also just plowed through about 50 iBT independent essays we had sitting in our free test forum. They all now have scores and feedback, so if you were one of the people who submitted an essay and were waiting for someone to look at it, you might like to pop over to the site and take a look:

http://www.onlinenglish.net/TOEFL/Forums.html

Here's to a great 2008!

Best,

Jason Renshaw

Free online TOEIC writing test with scores and feedback from tutors

We've finally loaded up our first free TOEIC test, this one focusing specifically on the new writing section that has recently been added to the test (though I believe it is still an optional section to take).

We enjoyed making this test, and think as online tests go it has a fair bit going for it.

Go to: http://www.onlinenglish.net/TOEIC.html

You can type in responses to the test and get some scores and feedback from our expert tutors.

And our first free online speaking version is not far away either!

I-B-C: The essential formula for success with TOEFL (Part 1 – the iBT writing tasks)

Over the many years I have been preparing students (and other teachers) for the TOEFL, there is a single simple framework that I have constantly returned to – and one that has generated the most success when it comes to taking the test and getting a good score as a minimum and potentially a perfect score if things go a test-taker’s way on the day.

   

I have to point out here that I have prepared students for the TOEFL at various levels of proficiency and “readiness”, and as a busy teacher and writer I’ve needed a grounding framework that can work at multiple levels. My formula has worked with a student who achieved a perfect 300 on the CBT, and it has worked with teenagers who on the writing portion of the CBT went from consistent 2s and 3s out of 6 for the essay to a minimum of 4 out of 6. The formula, albeit slightly adapted in some specific cases, has transferred excellently to the iBT version, complete with another writing task and 6 new speaking tasks. In fact, when I first began to seriously analyze the questions added for the iBT I honestly thought this formula was a very high instinctive priority in the test makers and raters as well as they went about designing and launching the speaking and writing portions of the new test. If true, it is no coincidence. That’s because this basic formula could be considered fundamental to a wide variety of academic/ formal/ professional presentations, whether they are written or spoken in nature.

 

Well, after all that build up, I am happy to say this formula is neither complicated nor foreign-feeling. It’s simple, and it’s something most students and test-takers already now something about.

   

It is: I-B-C.

   

Or in full form: Introduction-Body-Conclusion

   

Perhaps you’ve just let out a sigh of disappointment, wondering how I could possibly quote such a simple, well-known formula and make it out to be so profound.

 

The truth of the matter is that many test-takers (and even many of the teachers who prepare them, for that matter) take the test and come up with an ordinary score because in many (or even most) cases, people feel they know the ingredients in this formula and how to apply them well – when in fact they don’t.

   

What the TOEFL demands and watches very carefully for is an ability to understand and stay on topic (first and foremost), to be able to back that up in thoughtful detail, the ability to do so in clearly organized and cohesive fashion, and a capacity to take all of this somewhere (hopefully) to create a final position or state. The I-B-C model is a great way to ensure that happens, but until you can get it right you are pretty much praying to the ETS gods for good fortune and a lucky break.

 

Basically, if you can introduce content (or a response to content) in a framing and original way that makes a clear topic or case, then present a body of clearly organized information supporting and extending that original topic, then wrap up the overall production in a clear and original way, tying together the various well-organized on-topic threads and leaving the reader or listener with a concluding thought, then you have the essential formula for handling almost all of the productive tasks on the TOEFL, AND the potential to score highly on them.

 

Let me take you through the various TOEFL writing and speaking tasks so you can see what I mean. I’ll start with the writing tasks – (1) because I believe this is the format we’re all most familiar with when it comes to the I-B-C principles, and (2) because I honestly believe most of the academic speaking tasks for the test were designed based on what was familiar and consistently applied in the pre-existing writing section.

 

Independent Essay (iBT TOEFL Writing Task 2)

 

I –

Introduce a topic and show some awareness about it. State a clear thesis or guiding idea for your essay. Refer broadly to the sub-topic ideas you will be addressing in the body of the essay, as an initial rationale for the thesis/guiding idea you have asserted. The introduction is absolutely crucial for immediately demonstrating to a test rater that you understand the topic and task, and that you are on track (“on topic”) from the very outset.

 

B –

This is the “meat” of the essay, where all the nitty-gritties are presented, explained, rationalized and/or exemplified. Given the scope of detail to be expressed here, staying true to the main topic, clearly organizing sub-ideas, and expressing details with good advanced appropriate language – all of these factors are so important. The body is often the place where writers slip and demonstrate either a vague or deficient understanding of the topic. You’ll need 2-3 paragraphs here, corresponding to the broad sub-topic ideas you mentioned in the introduction with a nice clear topic sentence for each. In fact, the I-B-C model becomes relevant to each body paragraph. You introduce the sub-topic or idea in a topic sentence, followed up with a mini-body of details, reasons and examples, and tie the paragraph up in a well-rounded conclusive way. Make sure all your supporting details correspond clearly with the sub-topic in the topic sentence, and if that in turn corresponds with the thesis/guiding idea in your introduction, then your challenge is with good written expression and the chances or wandering away from your main idea are somewhat reduced.

 

C –

The conclusion wraps up the essay, rather like the curtain-call of a concert or play. It needs to re-state the thesis and main ideas from the body, but in a new and/or refreshing way. The best quote I’ve heard about conclusions is to “make sure they contain the essential information and impressions you want your readers to walk away from the essay with.” To that I would add that it is important to do this without sounding like you’re simply repeating yourself. Whereas the skill with the main topic in the introduction was to get it our clearly and succinctly, and in the body it was to deal with the topic in a very comprehensive and well structured way, here in the conclusion I believe the skill is about talking about the topic and thesis in a united and authoritative way, and leaving the reader with a lasting impression of it.

 

 

The independent essay is the single longest piece of production you will put together on the entire TOEFL test, so it is necessarily the part where understanding and applying the I-B-C formula is most complicated and yet crucial. But if you can get it right here, applying the formula to other writing and speaking tasks actually becomes easier. Given the production in these other parts is much shorter and less complex, we can strip the I-B-C formula back to some essential basics and reapply it.

 

 

Integrated Essay (iBT TOEFL Writing Task 1)

 

Compared to the independent essay, this is a bit of a different beast. In terms of style and content, it does need to be approached differently. This is a reporting and (to some extent) critical awareness task, probing not only your writing ability but essentially making it dependent on your reading and listening skills and demanding the capacity to show you can integrate the content of the two sources in a unified way. However, if I can assume for now that you have managed to handle most of the input from the sources, the key skill of presenting this in good writing still very much benefits from our basic I-B-C formula.

 

As I mentioned earlier, we can scale back our I-B-C model compared to the way we applied it in the independent task, because (1) we have less time to write (20 minutes only), and (2) less volume of detail and very little in the way of personal opinion is expected by the test raters. The ETS guides say this can be a mini-essay or just one extended paragraph. I think from the outset I would recommend a three-paragraph approach with a very short introduction and conclusion, with the bulk of the writing in the body. Raters in a rush who quickly scan your writing will then in that single eye-blink get an impression of a well-organized writer who makes a clear assessment at the start of the writing and backs it up with lots of detail in the middle, before rounding it off in a nicely conclusive fashion.

 

If you have some talent and can produce a lot of writing fast, you may even still want a 4-5 paragraph approach, with each body paragraph exploring a key issue or idea. That is in fact a good way to write this kind of essay, because towards the end it will show you how many ideas you’ve managed to cover and in what degree of detail. You can always pull the sections back together again to create one large body paragraph, or even for that matter pull everything together for one single paragraph overall. In either case (pulling the pieces together into one longer paragraph), I recommend doing so if you haven’t managed to cover a whole lot in each discrete idea-section, and it is a good idea to use appropriate transitions and cohesive devices to create a feeling of flow from one main point to the next.

 

In any case, an I-B-C approach to the integrated task (especially as a general writing process) will get a feeling of how much content you’ve managed to address and how well you’ve organized and expressed it.

 

I –

Introduce the topic represented by both of the input sources, and state in a nutshell how the two sources relate to each other (it will almost always be a case of one source contradicting or challenging the other, or agreeing with, exemplifying or extending it). You would want two, but no more than three sentences in this part.

 

B –

Again, this is the “meat” of the essay, where all the nitty-gritties are presented, explained, rationalized and/or exemplified. If your introduction was on track, you’ve stated the broad topic and explained generally how the two sources work with each other. Therefore, this is the place to show that relationship in some detail. Another way of putting it is that you’ve already stated we have a hamburger with an overall mix of ingredients in the middle/core that either complement or clash with each other. Well, here is where you describe that mix of ingredients. Explain each key idea from one source, with the relevant detail you managed to pick up, then compare/contrast it with what the other source has to say. I would go so far as to say there will be at least three key ideas for you to demonstrate and explain here, involving both of the inputs for each one. However, the main thing to remember is sticking to and reporting the details, and expressing the relationship between the sources using appropriate devices and expression. Your opinion should not be expressed here at all – it’s all about reporting and unifying what you’ve read and heard.

 

C –

You can add a concluding sentence for this task. Even though the official TOEFL guides usually say it’s not necessary, if you can do so in a simplified and non-opinionated way I think it is a great way to sum up what has been reported and to show again that you have understood what was essentially going on in the mix of the two input sources. As long as you don’t simply repeat your introduction and can state something overall in a concise way, it can’t hurt you to include a concluding statement and may even benefit you.

 

 

 

So there you have it – my views on how a simple I-B-C formula relates to handling the writing tasks on the iBT TOEFL. Very soon I’ll be back with Part 2 of this posting, and there we will move on to see how I-B-C benefits answering each of the iBT speaking tasks!