TOEFL Independent Speaking
As you begin to speak, you will need to describe a place or an event from your personal experience. Try to sound as natural as possible, using your regular tone of voice. Do not exaggerate your accent - you should sound like you would when speaking to a friend or colleague.
Make an effort to use words that convey detail and meaning. When reviewing your answer, the listener should be able to understand what you experienced and imagine what is what like to be you. If you are describing your experiences at boarding school, don't just say that you went to school for a year and were away from your parents. Say "I suffered through many boring lectures, but did my best to persevere."
.
Use verbs that are descriptive and convey your vocabulary level :
- walk – march, skip, shuffle
- love – cherish, adore, admire,
- teach – prepare, guide, introduce
Choose adjectives that convey additional meaning
- good – wonderful, amusing, agreeable
- interesting – engaging, fascinating, striking
- important – meaningful, momentous, decisive.
Next, you must give reasons why your experiences are important or have influenced you, or why you enjoyed them. Again, use words that explain your point of view in a few short phrases. Choose examples that illustrate how an event made you feel,
How did you handle your last exam in school ? Tell me about your experience.
" I felt like I had learnt a lot about myself - I didn't give up when my last mathematics exam seemed impossibly difficult. Although I had started it feeling sure that I would fail, I tried to tackle the questions that seemed the easiest first. Even if I could show that I knew the concept, I might receive partial credit. Math was never my favorite subject - I tolerated it because I had little choice in the matter. When I eventually received my score, I felt fortunate to have received a higher score than I had expected."
