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TOEIC
Speaking Tips
It is highly recommended that you work with an experienced teacher or join a TOEIC
test preparation class to prepare for this section of the test.
It's really the only way you can receive feedback about the nature of your
weaknesses and be advised on ways to improve the quality of your responses. Dean
Davis is available for assistance. Please email her at caryn.davis@sai2000.org to make an
appointment for Monday, July 15, 5pm-8:30pm.
1. The
most important point in the speaking section of the TOEIC test is to speak as
clearly as possible, with whatever accent you have. Don't make the mistake of mumbling because you don't want
the examiner to find fault with your accent. Whatever corrections you need to
make to your accent, you should do before your exam and not during your exam. This is the time to speak out loud and
clear.
2. Remember that you will not be speaking to
a live examiner. Instead, you will be wearing headphones and speaking into a
microphone, so that your answer can be recorded for later evaluation by an
official ETS rater. You need to get
used to speaking to yourself, into a microphone, with whatever background noise may exist in the room
from the other examinees.
Many examinees find this challenging so try practicing your TOEIC speaking exercises in a
room with the television or radio on, or with other family or
friends speaking. Learn to focus on your own speaking task and to ignore
everything else in the surrounding area. This tip alone could make a gigantic difference in your speaking
performance and score.
3. Avoid boring, overly-used
words like nice,
good, or bad. Use expressive words like terrific, awful,
or excellent.
Good Luck! Caryn T. Davis, Dean of Academic Affairs