Free TOEFL speaking samples

Free TOEFL speaking sample question 1 

Question: Describe a famous person that you most admire 

Sample answer: 

I admire Steve Jobs very much. He was co-founder of Apple Inc, an American company specializing in making personal computers, iPad, Iphone and other electronic products. I admire him because he was a great inventor in the electronic device industry. In 2001, he created iPod which was a great revolution. The iPod, which is a portable media player, enables us to listen to music every where and whenever we want thanks to a small device in which we can store and play thousands of songs. He changed the way we listen to music.

You can notice that I give a very short description of the person and reasons why I admire him with examples. I don’t really have a template for this question.

Free TOEFL speaking sample question 2 

Question: Do you prefer to work for a big or a small corporation?

Sample answer: 

I prefer to work for a large corporation than a small corporation for two reasons. The first reason is the career advancement. A large corporation offers more chances to advance in my career than small company. Another reason is the job security. A large corporation can provide stable job for a long time because it has much more financial capacity than a small company does. However, a small corporation is more vulnerable to market changes or economic depression. Therefore, I prefer to work for a big corporation for career advancement and job security.

You can see that the template includes the underlying texts. I use transitional words to introduce new ideas and conclusion.

Free TOEFL speaking sample question 3  

It is a sample speaking answer to question 3. The passage and the conversation are in the book The Official Guide to the TOEFL test, 4^th edition from ETS.

The school is planning to increase tuition and fees to hire additional professors and upgrade laboratory equipment. The woman agrees with this announcement for 2 reasons. The first reason she gives is that the school can hire additional teachers. She said that classes are getting too crowded and therefore more teachers are needed. Her second reason is that the additional tuition and fees will help the school to renew outdated laboratory facilities so that students can acquire hands-on experiences to get a good job after graduation. So she thinks that the extra tuition and fees will be a good investment.

I can speak this sample during 60 seconds. You can see that the template includes the underlying texts.

Free TOEFL speaking sample question 4 

It is a sample speaking answer to question 4. The passage and the lecture are in the book The Official Guide to the TOEFL test, 4^th edition from ETS.

The passage mentions two important characteristics of the animal domestication: territory and hierarchy. In the lecture, the professor uses horses and antelopes as specific examples to explain these 2 characteristics. The professor said that horses are non-territorial animals and they live in a high hierarchical structure. So it is easy to domesticate horses. On the other hand, the professor said that antelopes are territorial animals. They fight fiercely to defend their territories. However they don’t have any social hierarchical structure. Therefore, it is difficult to domesticate antelopes.

You can notice that the underlying tests represent the template for the answer to the speaking question 4. I use several transitional words such as therefore, so, however, etc… to indicate the relationship and the transition between ideas.

Free TOEFL speaking sample question 5 

It is a sample speaking answer to question 5. The conversation is in the book The Official Guide to the TOEFL test, 4^th edition from ETS.

In the conversation, the woman is having a hard time dealing with the problem of heavy school work and the man gives 2 solutions. The first solution is to talk with her professors to get an extension on her paper or assignment. The second solution is to make a schedule. I think that the best solution is the second solution for two reasons. My first reason is that a schedule can help the woman to deal with anything at one time and not to mix up all work load. My second reason is that the women can learn how to organize her work effectively. This will enable her to work well on her future professional career. On the other hand, if the women choose the first solution, her professor might examine her paper more severely and she would have bad notes. In sum, I prefer the second solution.

This is a very complete answer. The underlying texts are the template. However, I can not speak this long answer during 60 seconds. On the test day, I may choose to give only one reason and not to speak the conclusion (In sum, I prefer the second solution). It depends on the time left.

Free TOEFL speaking sample question 6 

It is a sample speaking answer to question 6. The lecture is in the book The Official Guide to the TOEFL test, 4^th edition from ETS.

In the lecture, the professor said that it took time for a common national culture to emerge in the US. 100 years ago, people did not have a common culture because they did not communicate with each other through different regions. However, the automobiles and the radio have changed this situation. In the 1920s, when automobiles became inexpensive, people could buy cars and travel from regions to regions. Such mobility has enabled people to communicate with each others. Together with cars, people bought more radios and they listened to many musician programs, news reports etc. They heard the same news throughout the country. So the radio brought Americans together through shared experiences and information. That’s why a common national culture emerged.

It is a brief summary of the lecture.  You should take notes while listening. During the reparation time, you need to identify the mains ideas and the supporting ideas in order to use the transitional words to draw relationships between ideas.

Academic skills for TOEFL iBT

The book TOEFL iBT from Barron's explains very clearly 4 academic skills to do well on a TOEFL test

1. Taking notes

- Anticipate the purpose of the lecture or conversation

- Divide the paper into 2 columns. If it is a conversation, I note the information of the man in 1 column and the information of the woman in the other column. If it is a lecture, I note the main ideas in 1 column, supporting ideas and examples in the other column.

- Identify the mains ideas and the supporting ideas and examples to illustrate the main ideas

- Write very quickly. I use symbols to write quickly. For example, I use the + for the word in addition, biz for business; sch for school; b/w for between, etc ....

- Draw relationship. I use arrows to draw relationships between ideas such as cause-effect; problem-solution; compare and contrast .....

2. Summarizing

It is a very important skill in academic world and in your job. You need to practice this skill . When summarizing, you need to pay attention to:

- Be concise and brief
- Combine sentence logically.
- Identify the main ideas. When summarizing, it is essential to write the main ideas. If you have time left, you can include supporting ideas.
- You need to use the same structures of the lectures or the passage and not to include your personal ideas. You should keep the tone of the passage or lecture.

3. Synthesizing

It is the skill to use the information from several sources to write an answer. You need to include the main ideas to have a maximum score. If you miss the main ideas, you will have a score equivalent to the main ideas you write down. 

4. Paraphrasing

It is a skill to use your own vocabulary to summarize a lecture or a passage. To do so, you should have a large vocabulary and are capable of using this vocabulary in various ways such as to use the synonyms and the thesaurus. You should not use the words in the reading and the listening in the Integrated Writing. You should not use the same sentence structure.

How to learn the vocabulary for TOEFL iBT

My method to learn the vocabulary is to learn from lectures and campus conversations. I have some ideas about the life on campus in the US, you should read some books.

Here are books about the vocabulary for TOEFL iBT:

1. Essential Words for the TOEFL from Barron

It is an interesting book about the vocabulary for TOEFL. The book has about 500 words you must know to practice TOEFL. Each word has a definition and several examples of its uses. You can buy a hard copy or an e-book via Amazon under the Kindle.

2. "400 Must-Have Words for the TOEFL" from McGraw-Hill

There are words useful for TOEFL. The book talks about the speaking skills in class at on campus.

3. TOEFL 800 Absolutely Essential Words 

The book has vocabulary, quiz and flash cards. The words are used by TOEFL. If you by the book under the Kindle format, the book offers the free pronunciation via Kindle Cloud Reader. There are synonyms and thesaurus.

On the other hand, you can download TOEFL vocabulary on the internet, create flashcard by yourself. You should learn 10 new words every day.

I have read the following books:

- 150 Academic Keywords pre toefl
- 300 Academic Word List toefl with intonation

- 500+ Toefl Vocabulary Words

 - Vocabulary for TOEFL iBT

- TOEFL iBT Exam Vocabulary List (include 1700 words and examples
- The Academic Word List

- Essential Words for the TOEFL (vocabulary and lessons)

- Top 300 words from the Academic Word List ~ ultra important for TOEFL

Free TOEFL writing sample - topic 13: Eat at home or at restaurants

Topic 13. Some people prefer to eat at food stands or restaurants. Other people prefer to prepare and eat food at home. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Although there are many advantages to eat at a food stands or restaurants, I prefer to eat food at home. This is because I like cooking and I can save some money if I eat at home. I also can share good moments with my family around the table.

People have many good reasons to eat out. For instance, when people eat out, they can save time. When they don’t eat at home, they don’t have to buy ingredients and to cook. They also don’t have to lay the table and wash dishes after the meal. For some busy people, eating out is the best solution. They just eat when they want. Another reason is that people can taste many different foods at restaurants. Each restaurant has its own menu that other restaurants don’t have. By going to several restaurants, people can eat many different dishes. The can avoid to eat the same foods for a while.

However, I prefer to eat at home because I want cook my own food. I always want to choose myself ingredients to cook foods. When I cook, I’m sure what I am going to eat. On the other hand, if I eat at restaurants, the foods I order sometimes are not what I expect or I see on the menu. Cooking also gives me a pleasure after work. When I prepare foods, I forget my work and all related problems. So I can get out of work and relax at home.

The second reason is that I can save some money when I eat at home. When eating out, I need to pay for the foods and the services that restaurants bring to me such as atmosphere, convenience, parking service, etc. However, when I eat at home, I don’t have to pay for any services. Thus, I can save some money.

Finally, I eat at home to share good moments with my family around the table. I only see my husband and my children when I come home after work. So it’s very important for me to pass my time to discuss with them about their days, how my children do at school and how well the business of my husband is. And the best time for us to have discussion is when we take dinners. Moreover, when I cook at home, I can have my children participate in the preparation of foods. My children love cooking with my a lot. They learn how to use kitchen materials and how to prepare foods according to recipes. They are always happy to eat foods that they prepare.

In conclusion, eating out have many advantages but I prefer eating at home. I consider it a method to enhance family relationships and happiness. Furthermore, eating at home can bring our family good health because we always eat fresh foods.