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 Her second reason is that the additional tuition and fees will help the school to renew outdated laboratory facilities so that students can acquire hands-on experiences to get a good job after graduation.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.