How To Prepare For TOEFL
TOEFL scores are accepted by about 6,000 colleges in 110 countries. Some of the native English speakers take up TOEFL to increase their chances for admission into international colleges. The tips and guidelines on how to prepare for TOEFL are elaborated below.
General Tips and Guidelines
- Before you start up with a coaching for TOEFL know your strengths and weakness, to identify your areas of improvement.
- Plan your preparation with good strategies.
- Strategies would help you to manage time and skills in all the sections of TOEFL, expatiated below.
TOEFL Reading Tips
The reading test section in TOEFL is designed keeping in mind the sole perspective of:
- Improve the reading skills of non-native English speaking candidates’
- Assessing their level of understanding,
- Appraising how well they can absorb the subject matter read,
- Evaluating their speed of reading, and
- Coaching them on the importance of time management skills.
In order to score well in the TOEFL reading section one can take the help of text books and other materials like CDs, mock test etc available in text as well as online. For more specific guidelines on cracking the reading section follow the tips given below:
- Practice reading text books on academic topics like science, business, art, social science, etc.
- Build up the vocabulary by learning new words by picking them up from a passage. As a first step the meaning for the word is to be guessed, by understanding the context. Use those words in daily use by speaking and writing.
- Increase the speed and accuracy, by skimming the passage for purpose, main idea, relevant details, and general impression.
- Make it as a practice to draw an outline of the passage, after it was schemed for information.
- When all the important information is collected from a passage, implications or inferences should be identified, to draw a conclusion.
- Organize the thoughts, ideas and the relevant details in a passage using the outline. The outline should be followed closely. Summarize your observation about the text.
To work hard on these skills, and increase the fluency by read constantly.
TOEFL Listening Tips
Listening test in TOEFL is intended in view of the following purposes:
- To learn a language by active listening skills.
- Pragmatic understanding or understanding the meaning of a word depending on the context.
- To understand the context of the audio that is listened to.
- To find out what the speaker is trying to convey.
- If the person has understood the accent of the speaker, then to find the core contents of the audio.
- To find the relationship between the important details of the passage.
Scoring well in TOEFL listening section depends on the way preparation is planned. It is advisable to watch English movies, and news channels like BBC, CNN, etc. Along with this kind of exercise practice listening to audio tapes which contains academic material. Follow these exercises with the guidelines given below:
- Learn new vocabulary and make a list of them.
- Find out the key words which connect the relevant details in a material.
- Pause the recording in certain places, and try to predict what would be the next. Make a note of the main idea, cause of the events and the relationship in between the events.
- In order to overcome the obstacles as intonation and stress watch a recorded comedy series. Try to comprehend the meaning by paying attention to them.
TOEFL Speaking Tips
Speaking section in TOEFL is premeditated to serve the following aspects in English language:
- To handle language without any flaws in pronunciation.
- To collect information from class room and from the outside source.
- To respond to a general question spontaneously in a well organized manner.
- To present one’s observation in a logical order.
To accomplish the task of speaking like a native English speaker can be achieved by speaking with native English speakers or attending some training sessions with English tutors. There are some tips to work on the purposes mentioned above:
- Practice language with standard vocabulary and pronunciation, by talking on your personal experience.
- Practice reading short articles and listening to recorded material on the same topic as the reading ones.
- It’s important to summarize the details in writing and to produce it orally, with correct tone, intonation and stress
- Use linking words and try conveying ideas on your own style, like a native English speaker does.
- Identify the attitude of the material.
It is always best to join an English club.
TOEFL Writing Tips
TOEFL writing section is designed for the following purposes:
- To improve the writing skills, up to the international standards.
- To write with usage of variety of vocabulary, idioms and grammar rules.
- Express one’s personal view on a general topic, with logical and supporting ideas.
- Describe the contents of different sources and to show how those sources are related.
To achieve all these purposes there are certain exercises to be followed:
- It is important to write an essay, at least on one familiar topic everyday and to revise your own article.
- Brush up on basic grammar rules, spelling and punctuation.
- Write essays on a written material and audio material, in order to process the ideas in a logical order.
- All the essays should be well structured, with a progression of ideas and signal words.
On the whole writing practice will help you to be proficient in an academic environment like the others.
Therefore, it is understood that in order to prepare for TOEFL, professional coaching and proper guidelines are necessary. Constant practice on each and every section will help you to manage time and hence score better.
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