Práctica de TOEFL: Cómo prepararse para la parte práctica del examen

Práctica de TOEFL: Ejemplos y ejercicios

Probablemente, si se ha estudiado inglés en algún momento de la vida, la frase de “Pensar en inglés” haya resonado de alguna manera. Esto no sólo se trata de un cliché de los profesores sino que tiene un fundamento.

En el momento en el que se aprende a hablar en la lengua materna, la mente lo asimila de manera “automática” y se tiende a formular la frase primero en el cerebro en el idioma nativo y luego en inglés.

Esto puede ser desgastante a largo plazo, por lo que hacer el ejercicio de pensar sin traducir nuestras oraciones ayuda a que el idioma se convierta también en algo natural.

Esta es una serie de ejemplos y ejercicios para implementar en la parte práctica de TOEFL, que ayudan a optimizar el puntaje a obtener:

TOEFL Speaking Sample Questions and Responses

Agree/Disagree Style Questions 

Question One Template (Personal Choice)

Main Point (pick one)

• “I agree with the idea that…”
• “I think it is better to…”
• “I think it is a great/terrible idea to…”

Transition (optional)

• “I feel this way for several reasons.”

First Reason

• “First…” + “For example…” (and a personal example)

Second Reason

• “Second…” + “To be more specific…” (and a few more details)

 “State whether you agree or disagree with the following statement. Then explain your reasons using specific details in your argument. Teachers should assign daily homework to students.”

Answer

I agree with the idea of giving children homework on a daily basis.  I feel this way for two reasons. 

First of all, I think that it will help children to retain what they learn for a much longer period of time.  The only real way for kids to absorb a lesson is to actually go home and repeat it as much as they possibly can.  And in the long run this kind of thing will lead to a lot more academic success.

Secondly, I believe that homework can actually give children an opportunity to bond with their parents.  For example, I got a lot of daily homework when I was in elementary school. And I’d go home and do it with my mom and dad, and I’d ask them questions whenever I was having trouble. And in time we actually became really close.

“Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children should help their parents with household chores as soon as they are old enough. Use details and examples in your response.”

I think it’s a great idea for kids to do household chores as soon as they’re old enough.  

First of all, this can teach children some really valuable skills that will come in handy later in life.  For instance, I was responsible for cooking breakfast for my little brother every day before we went to school when we were both kids.  As a result, when I went away to college as a teenager I stayed really healthy because I could cook my own meals instead of always going out for fast food like my friends and classmates.

Secondly, parents and children can do household chores together and this gives them a chance to bond.  You know, as they work on things like cleaning dishes or cooking food they can chat, and the kids might open up about what’s going on in their lives.

Paired Choice Style Questions (Independent)

“There are many different approaches to academic studies, and all of them have specific benefits. Do you prefer to study for tests in a group, or to study alone? Include details and examples to support your explanation.”

Some teachers encourage their students to work alone on projects and compete with each other. Other teachers encourage to collaborate and work in groups. Which approach do you think is better?”

I think teachers should encourage their students to collaborate on assignments.

First of all, this teaches students skills that are useful in the workforce.  For example, in my senior year I had a history class where I worked on a major assignment with five different students.  While working on the assignment, I had to handle scheduling and I even had to deal with interpersonal-conflict between different members of the group.  Both of these things taught me skills that I use almost every day in my career now.

Secondly, group projects simply have better outcomes.  Group projects benefit from the expertise of many different people.  As a result, the final project is usually of a higher quality than a student would complete on their own.

Good Idea Style (Independent)

“Some companies have rules that forbid employees from using personal cell phones during working hours. Do you think this is a good idea? Why or why not? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.”

I think it’s a really terrible idea to tell employees that they can’t use their phones during working hours. 

First of all, our personal phones are the only way for us to hear about emergencies affecting our loved ones.  And this is something we want to hear about as soon as humanly possible.  You know, if a worker feels nervous about being out of touch with his loved ones during the day, he might actually start looking around for a job that lets him use his phone and this would be really bad for business.

Secondly, I think personal phones can maybe improve our morale at work.  We can relieve our stress by making a quick phone call or looking at a social media post.  And if we feel happier we’ll probably performer a lot better.

“Nowadays, some people use extreme methods, including surgery, to change their appearance. They do this because they want to look more attractive. Do you think this is a good idea? Support your answer with details and examples.”

I think it’s a really fantastic idea to get surgery to change your appearance.  I feel this way for two reasons.

First of all, it can make us feel a lot more self-confident.  If we really like our appearance, we can feel a lot less shy when talking to people.  And it will be easier to interact and therefore we’ll achieve more success in our personal and professional lives.

Secondly, if we don’t like the result of our surgery, we can always change it back.  I mean, plastic surgery is really affordable these days, so if you get some surgery and it looks bad… you can just get another procedure done.  For instance, I’ve changed my nose about six times already, and the expense to me has been pretty minimal.

The Reading (45 seconds)

If used properly, TOEFL speaking templates can increase your score in all four of the TOEFL speaking questions.  Use templates by inserting the required information from your notes.

Question One Template (Personal Choice)

Main Point (pick one)

• “I agree with the idea that…”
• “I think it is better to…”
• “I think it is a great/terrible idea to…”

Transition (optional)

• “I feel this way for several reasons.”

First Reason

• “First…” + “For example…” (and a personal example)

Second Reason

• “Second…” + “To be more specific…” (and a few more details)

Question Two Template (Campus Announcement)

Reading Main Point

• “According to the announcement/article/letter…”

Reasons from Reading

• “This is because ___ and ___.”

Transition

• “There are two reasons why the man supports/opposes this change.”
• “The man has a mixed opinion of this change.” (only for mixed-opinion conversations)

First Reason

• “First of all, he argues that…”

Second Reason

• “Moreover, he mentions that…”

Campus Fitness Center to Close

The campus fitness center will permanently close at the end of this semester. This decision was made by the university administration in coordination with representatives of the student’s association. Unfortunately, the building currently housing the center is very old and the university can no longer afford the cost of maintaining it or providing heat and air conditioning as required. Furthermore, the popularity of the center has declined since the university formed partnerships with several private fitness centers in the city. These partnerships mean that all full and part time students can access five privately owned gyms across the city at no cost.

Sample answer

The man opposes this.

To begin with, he points out that the university will still have to maintain the building even if the fitness center closes because it could become a dangerous fire hazard. On top of that, it will be very expensive to hire construction workers to tear down the building and replace it with something else. Moreover, he argues that all of the gyms in the city are quite far from the university, so it could be hard for students to reach them if they don’t have their own vehicle. The closest one is more than thirty minutes away by car. Additionally, it can be quite hard to find a taxi from campus into the city late at night.

Práctica de TOEFL: Cómo prepararse en línea

Prepararse en línea se convirtió en uno de los pilares fundamentales desde que el examen pasó a realizarse de forma remota. Es por eso que elegir un profesor nativo tiene todas las ventajas para superar con éxito esta sección de la prueba.

Speakingathome permite que sus estudiantes puedan apoyarse en didácticos ejercicios conversacionales por medio de profesores nativos, que fomentan el uso preciso de la pronunciación y de la dicción. Puedes consultar por ellos en este link.

Qué tan difícil es el examen de práctica TOEFL

Como mencionamos anteriormente, un examen TOEFL no se aprueba o se suspende, sino que se basa en un puntaje que va del 0 al 120. Dependiendo de qué tipo de puntaje se busca, la dificultad del examen.

A mayor búsqueda de puntaje, mayor asciende la complejidad de resolverlo, y por ende, mayor es la necesidad de obtener conocimientos del idioma inglés.

Es de vital importancia comprender que los exámenes son desafíos por sí mismos, siempre tendrán algún grado de dificultad incluso con la preparación adecuada, por lo que reconocer y trascender las limitaciones, también forma parte de prepararse para una prueba.

Tiempo de preparación: ¿Un mes es suficiente?

Esta es una de las preguntas más frecuentes acerca de las pruebas en general. Aquí, independientemente del puntaje buscado, la preparación en un mes dependerá pura y exclusivamente de la disponibilidad de tiempo material para estudiar.

La respuesta a la pregunta también depende de la frecuencia que se tiene para estudiar. Al trabajar en un hábito que quizás lleva tiempo sin ser realizado, muy probablemente un mes sea insuficiente, mientras que otra persona acostumbrada a llevar ritmos de estudio lo podrá resolver sin problemas.

De todas maneras, diversos sitios, y Speakingathome en particular, recomiendan un período que va de 8 a 10 semanas, para ayudar a la máxima asimilación, y para reforzar conocimientos previos con comodidad, en caso de ser necesario.