Ibt tips 7 pdf

28 TOEFL iBT Tips

3. Listening to connect and synthesize13 ideas

• Think about how the lecture is organized. Listen for the signal words that indicate the introduction,

major steps or ideas, examples, and the conclusion or summary. (See page 43 for a list of examples.)

• Identify the relationships of ideas in the information being discussed. Possible relationships include:

cause-and-effect, compare-and-contrast, steps in a process.

• Listen for words that show connections and relationships between ideas. (See page 44 for a list of

examples.)

• Listen to recorded material and stop the recording at various points and try to predict what informa￾tion or idea will be expressed next.

• Create an outline of the information discussed while listening or after listening. (See page 45 for

an example of an outline.)

C. Speaking Tips

The best way to practice speaking is with native speakers of English. For those who are living in English￾speaking countries, it is sometimes diffi cult to make the effort to meet people who speak English. One way

of meeting people is to become involved in student organizations and clubs. For students who are serious

about improving their speaking skills and overall communication skills, this kind of involvement is very

important.

For those who are not living in an English-speaking country, fi nding native speakers of English to speak

with can be quite challenging. In some countries, there are English-speaking tutors or assistants who

help students with their conversation skills. It is critical to speak as often as possible with them, and ask

if classroom assistants offer private tutoring. Another way students can practice speaking is to join a club

that involves speaking in English about movies, music, travel, etc. If no such clubs exist, students can start

their own clubs and invite any native speakers they know to join.

Here are some suggestions for ways to strengthen skills for the Speaking section of the TOEFL iBT test.

Independent Speaking Tasks

• Make a list of topics that are familiar, and practice speaking about them.

• Begin by describing a familiar place or talking about a personal experience.

• A more advanced exercise would be to state an opinion or a preference and then present reasons

clearly and with detail.

• Another is to make a recommendation and explain why it is the best way to proceed.

• Practice giving 1-minute responses to each topic.

Integrated Speaking Tasks

• Find a textbook that includes questions about the material at the end of chapters. Practice answering

the questions orally.

• Read a short article (100–200 words). Make an outline that includes only the major points of the ar￾ticle. Use the outline to orally summarize the information. Then add detail to the outline and orally

summarize again.

• Find listening and reading material on the same topic. The material can provide similar or different

views. The Internet and the library are good places to fi nd information.

• Take notes on the listening and reading material and do the following:

1. Orally summarize the information in both. Be sure to paraphrase using different words and

grammatical structures. (See paraphrasing tips on pages 29–30.)

2. Orally synthesize by combining information from the reading and listening material and ex￾plain how they relate.

13Synthesize—To combine information from two or more sources