TOEFL Speaking Section: Common Mistakes to Avoid

Speaking section of TOEFL triggers the articulation of the speech through the recording system of ETS. The articulation of test taker’s speech during speaking and answering through the computer is to be clarified on the basis of lucidity. In order to make the speaking session successful one needs to trace the common mistakes happened in speaking during TOEFL so that he/she can shine avoiding the erratic region of errors. The knowledge of common mistakes of speaking section surely makes anyone getting a good total score in TOEFL.

The main mistake of the speaking section is being ignorant about the time scale of this section and so one should have proper knowledge on the time-scale of this section. The Speaking section consists of 6 tasks to do sincerely and swiftly within the fixed 20 minutes with a view to expressing independent opinions on familiar topics and speaking based on the integrated reading (R), listening (L), & speaking (S) tasks.  The structure of TOEFL speaking is designed in a very oriented and organized system:

 

Question Type	Reading Time	Listening Time	Preparation Time	Speaking Time
Independent Task 1	-	-	15 seconds	45 seconds
Independent Task 2	-	-	15 seconds	45 seconds
Integrated Task 1 R+L+S	45 seconds	1-2 minutes	30 seconds	60 seconds
Integrated Task 2 R+L+S	45 seconds	1-2 minutes	30 seconds	60 seconds
Integrated Task 3 R+L+S	-	1-2 minutes	20 seconds	60 seconds
Integrated Task 4 R+L+S	-	1-2 minutes	20 seconds	60 seconds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speak too much or too little

• One will miss the opportunity to present the innate ability to speak if he/she speaks too little.
• On the other hand, if one speaks too much then he/she risks missing coherence and making more mistakes in speaking.
• One should remember that the speaking component assesses the use of spoken English. Every test is recorded. The speaking should be coherent, logical, sensible and uniform in speed having all information needed to complete the answer.
• It’s very natural to hesitate for a few seconds before speaking or between ideas, but silences of longer than five seconds will go down badly with respect to the total score. The only solution to this problem of silence is to learn & apply some filler expressions strategically, e.g. okay, Let me see, the thing is that I think, according to my opinion etc.
• One should avoid the mistake by being absent from speaking too much or too little rather he/she has to talk to the point which is not more or less than enough. 

 

Ignorant about the Pace of Speaking

• Taking any test and speaking in another language naturally make anyone working on the nerve.
• In this case, one should take a deep breath taking a second to relax.
• One needs to take such 1-2 seconds pause otherwise the nervousness makes anyone speak too quickly.
• To take pauses between thoughts and ideas aid to make answers more understandable and improving score.
• It will allow filling the time appropriately without running over time OR finishing too early.
• Besides, to speak too slowly is another mistake which can make anyone lost marks due to run out of time and miss a lot of information to add in the speech. It can be recovered by means of regular practices.

 

Vacillating Pronunciation

• The ambiguous or unclear pronunciation i.e. the vacillating way to pronounce may make the scorer confused to give the mark and it is a great mistake which can be corrected by means of proper practices from the available resources.
• If one speaks with poor pronunciation where the examiner has to struggle to understand his / her words then it will be considered as the wrong answer.
• Perhaps the words spoken are good words but the problem is that the examiner simply can’t catch what one is trying to say.
• An accent is not a problem but the pronunciation is to be cleared and clarified. No matter how strong of an accent a person has, the words are to be pronounced correctly or it will cost marks.
• In order to avoid the vacillation, one needs to be cautious enough to make the speaking section contribute smartly to the total score.

 

Flow of Speaking 

• One varies intonation, pitch, volume and speaking speed in order to maintain the listener’s interest and direct attention to the important ideas.
• The speech is to have a natural flow. It should not be aberrant, artificial or unnatural. 
• In exams, it is very usual that one can feel to control the nerve which can make anyone distracted from being natural. Then the examiner may get a flat, robotic speech from him/her.
• One should practice a lot by own self-applying the attitude and altitude in the speech by means of proper application of proper stress and emotions.

 

Speak Slowly to Verify Speech

• In the independent task of TOEFL, it is not the ideas that are important, but the way they are described in.
• One can speak slowly to verify the speech thinking that the wrong ideas can harm their score. But the truth is that no idea can be wrong and the ideas are not important on their own, it is the way they are expressed in that important.
• One should express the instant ideas come to mind especially for independent task 1 and 2 by means of the question asked in an organized and clarified way clearly.
• The answers do not need to be verified e.g.: If one is asked to talk about the favorite place to visit then one doesn’t need to think to find the place truly rather he/she should start speaking on the place comes into the visualization instantly. 

 

 Access Application of Connectives

• Though it’s helpful to use a few connective words like first, for example, on the other hand, moreover, besides etc. in TOEFL speaking, the access application of them in the speech could actually damage the score.
• In order to speak in a natural way, one needs to be concerned to use appropriate connectives properly.

 

Unwise Utilization of Preparation Time

• The speaking section can help anyone to score smartly by means of wise utilization of every preparation time regarding the 6 tasks of speaking given in the table above.
• On the other hand, unwise utilization of preparation time will emerge as a huge mistake.
• In independent task 1 and 2, if anyone is not prepared enough to make the cue-words and captions instantly then the given 15 seconds may go so quickly. Preparation and practice can help anyone to utilize the 15 seconds perfectly to avoid any kind of mistake and to represent the speech lucidly. 

 

Forget / Avoid Taking Notes

• It is a vital strategy to take notes in the integrated tasks.
• One of the most luminous mistakes of speaking is avoiding or forgetting to take notes.
• Many of the test takers think to give an extempore speech but it may be disorganized and scattered. While a note can help anyone to speak in an organized way to glean a good score.
• If one is not used to taking note, read and listen simultaneously to prepare for speaking then the speech will encounter problems.
• Only the major points are to be noted, so one should avoid to write down every detail.
• The notes are to be clear, concise and clarified maintaining the order of the passages and audios.
• It is highly suggested practicing to read, listen, and write together to get the desired score in TOEFL speaking section.

 

The art of speaking should be excelled by applying the strategic steps to avoid the common mistakes. The common mistakes are to be traced during the speaking session and one can trace the mistakes only if he/she is prepared enough by means of practices before the exam day. If one can trace and know the junctures of common mistakes properly to avoid them in speaking and answering then the score of speaking section contributes greatly to glean a good total TOEFL score.