How I got 111 in the TOEFL
[#permalink]
09 Sep 2013, 23:21
Hey guys,
Since this forum helped me a lot, I wanted to share some good tips on how to get a great TOEFL score. My first tip would be to register ahead of time! I was able to scheduled an exam on the last minute just because somebody cancelled...
Now about the Toefl's parts:
Reading - There are no tricks. You have to practice, practice, practice. That's the only way to learn how to answer fast enough. I tend to agree less with those who suggest to read scientific articles. You should practice reading texts from Toefl's exams and answer the questions.
Listening - The same advice. The more you listen to practice listening parts, the better you will become. Learn how to take fast notes and still be able to listen to the lecture/conversation. During one of the lectures in the actual test I was busy writing down something he had said, that I missed the next few sentences. As a result, I didn't understand most of the lecture and had to guess some questions. Still got 27/30 but that dragged my score down.
Speaking - The best advice I got here was to watch youtube lessons. I just typed "toefl speaking". It was a great help, so if you have time- I suggest you to do that. Having said that, I worked really hard to collect scripts from several sources. They helped me get 28/30. Oh, and another important tip: start writing your answer (in short) while the man says "explain you reasons...".
Here there the scripts that helped me:
Question 1
"In my view...for a few reasons
First...for example...
Second...for instance...
And that's why...."
Sometimes there is simply no time to discuss both reasons, so be prepared to talk about one only. In addition, it is very important to elaborate: give a brief sentence about who or what you are talking about. For example, if you are asked about the best present you got, describe it. don't just say "In my view, the best present I got was a new car", but also"it was a shiny blue Mazda with golden lines from the outside."
Trust me on this one - it helps for you grade.
Question 2
Personally speaking, I am more inclined to choose.... rather than ....
Now, one of my main reasons is that .... for example....
Hence....
Question 3
According to the announcement... (take 3 seconds for this sentence)
The man/woman completely endorses/disagree with this announcement, because even though....(what the university thinks) he believes that .... (take 15-20 seconds for this part)
In addition, the man/woman emphasizes that .....
That's way the man/woman supports/disagrees with the announcement.
Question 4
The article is about.(T)..which the passage defines as....(D)
The professor provides an example of...(E). to illustrate ....(T)
He/she states that....
And so this example illustrates....(T)
Your paper needs to look like this:
article: (T)title.....
(D)definition.......
Lecture: (E)example......
Question 5
The man's problem is that...
The students discuss 2 solutions. First.... (finish when you have 35 seconds left)
Second...(finish when you have 30 seconds left)
If I were in the men's shoes, I would choose...... The first/second solution us not recommended because....
The first/second solution is better because....
That's why I would have chosen...
(Usually the second solution is better)
Question 6
In the lecture, the professor talks about....He/she describes 2 ways to demonstrate it. The first way is through.... The professor gives an example to illustrate this by.... The second way in which the professor exemplifies the subject is through.... The professor illustrate this through....
***
That't it. It took me days to prepare the scripts, since I merged several sentences from different sources. That can save you a lot of time and effort...
Btw, for the speaking part it is very important to speak naturally and not let them understand you are reading from a script. I practiced at home to make my answer feel natural, by adjusting my voice. You should do the same.
Writing - here are the two scripts I used:
First question:
The article states that.... and provides three reasons for support. On the other hand, the professor claims that... and refutes each if the author's reasons.
First, the reading claims that.... The professor refutes this point by saying that...She states that....
Second, the article posits that... However, the professor says that... According to the professor....
Third, the reading says that....The professor opposes this point by explaining that.... He also states that...
Second question
(first sentence should be a restate of the question and an additional sentence or two. For example: "When I was a little girl, my father sat me down one day and said: "Well, little girl, the world has changed. Young people today do not have the same values of the previous generation". As much as I remember this day, personally speaking, I rather disagree with the statement that our generation has lower values than the last one's".
So back to the script:
(restate of the question). Personally, I rather disagree with this statement. It would be more accurate to say that....
First...
Moreover....
In addition to that....
Last but not least....
To sum up....
***
That's about it. I advice you to memorized the reading and speaking scripts. I also bought tests from ETS (through their website). They helped me a lot, and you get a score on the spot. I also bought their official book.
Lat word of wisdom - at the test day, before everyone starts the speaking section, pause. Let yourself get used to the noise and then start. Otherwise, if the noise catches you not prepared, it could be very distracting. I also put earplugs and heavy headphones during the entire test. It helped me to isolate the noise and to concentrate better...
Good luck!