Hello, my friend! It's so good to see you here! How are you today?

Welcome to the shortest section of your TOEFL. The Speaking section takes about 20 minutes to complete, and there are 6 questions.

Questions 1 and 2: Independent Speaking questions on topics that are familiar to you. You have 15 seconds to prepare your answer and 45 seconds to answer the question. 

Question 1 - you'll describe or explain something. You should use specific examples and details when responding.

Question 2 - you'll be presented with two options. For example: "Some people think it's more fun to meet friends at cafés, while others say it's better to get together at home. Which one do you prefer?". You need to explain your preference for one of the options, using reasons and details.

Questions 3 to 6: Integrated Speaking questions when you use more than one skill. Some questions require you to read, listen, and then speak, while others require you to listen and then speak. 

Question 3: you'll read a passage about a campus-related topic. Then you will listen to a response to that topic. Then you will have 30 seconds to prepare your response, and 60 seconds to prepare your answer.

Question 4: you will read a passage about an academic subject. Then you will listen to part of a lecture on that same subject. You will have 30 seconds to prepare your response, and 60 seconds to speak your answer.

Question 5: you listen to part of a conversation, then you will have 20 seconds to prepare your response, and 60 seconds to speak your answer.

Question 6: you listen to part of a lecture, then you will have 20 seconds to prepare your response, and 60 seconds to speak your answer, which will be a summary of the lecture.

For all Speaking questions, you use a headset with a microphone to record your responses. I recommend you take your exam at a test center because they have all the equipment prepared for you.

As you know, being able to speak well in English can open up many opportunities for you. Both academically, and socially. You also know that any time you're learning something new there will be challenges. Speaking in English is no exception, my friend. But don't worry. We're here to serve and help you navigate your way through this journey and improve your spoken English.

My team and I have spoken to students like you about their concerns, and here are some of their comments:

"I'm worried about my accent. Will people be able to understand me?"

"I'm nervous to speak in English because I'm scared to make mistakes. Will people judge me?"

"Back in school, when I was young, I was so scared of speaking in English, and I was uncomfortable in front of people when I had to speak English because I wasn't so confident"

When I read these comments I remember someone who had exactly the same fears and mistakes: me. In class I always had the impression everyone knew English, except me. I would fall asleep during the classes… man, that was not the right recipe for learning.

What do the TOEFL writers say?

1-  Use the preparation time to organize your thoughts, and maybe jot down some notes. Don't try to write a full response, because you won't have time, and the raters scoring your response want to hear you speaking, not reading, and they can tell the difference.

2-  Don't memorize responses before the test, especially ones that you get from the Internet, or from test prep instructors who say that's a good idea. It's not, and it will lower your score. It's very easy for ETS raters to identify memorized responses because they sound different, and the content is different, from responses that are more natural and spontaneous.

3-  It's not necessary to organize your response into an introduction, a middle, and a conclusion, like you would with a written essay. Just speak naturally and use common connecting words. Some of those are "because," "so," "after that," "on the other hand," "I want to mention," and "what this means is".

Practice, practice, practice. That's the best advice I can give you, my friend. Time yourself preparing and answering questions, so you can articulate your ideas while the clock ticks. It's nice to see how our brain improves its capacity to answer within the time we have.

Will I forget what I was saying? Yes.

Will I be silent for a few seconds? Yes.

Will I be nervous during the answer? Yes.

That happens to everyone, my friend. To cope with these (nice!) challenges you just practice, practice, practice. Count on me for that and call me on my phone +55 67 9 9646-1112 if you need.

I am here to serve you, my friend. All the best and see you next class,

Felipe Dib.