Three Ways to Prepare for the TOEFL
The TOEFL, which stands for the Test of English as a Foreign Language, is required by some universities and high schools in English-speaking countries for students from a non-English speaking country. The general rule of thumb is that most schools will not require the test if a student has:
studied for more than three years in the United States by the time of application submission.
obtained a degree from an English-speaking country
Essentially, schools need to see proof that a student can handle a full class load of complex, academic English language instruction.
If you have more questions about this, we recommend going directly to the official testing website. Click here to read their FAQ’s!
Preparation Tips
Alright, ready to start preparing for that test? We’re going to give you three practical action steps so that you can ace the TOEFL!
Plan Topics to Write and Speak About
The TOEFL is comprised of four sections (Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing), the last two sections requiring you to discuss some of your own ideas and opinions. At some point before test day, create a list of your hobbies, things you like, and any related vocabulary words. This will be extremely helpful for quickly writing or voicing your thoughts. The TOEFL will always ask questions related to this! (Hint: it’s okay if you forget your three favorite hobbies and the related vocab words… make something up! They won’t know it’s not true; they only want to see if you can express a complete idea through writing and speaking.)
Additionally, brainstorm a list of transition words and phrases. Even something as small as this can elevate the quality of your responses.
Use More English in Your Day-to-Day Life
Simple as that.
The more you speak it, listen to it, write it, and think about, the better you English speaker you will become. Try watching English YouTube videos or TV shows, reading books or news articles, and speaking with a friend who knows the language. Follow English speakers on Instagram or Twitter; they post daily, so you will consistently be seeing English on your apps whenever you are using social media!
Keep taking small, consistent steps over a long period of time.
Use Practice Tests and Get Tutored
Practice tests are crucial to a good score for many reasons, the largest reason being they allow you to know what to expect before you ever arrive at the testing facility. After you take each test, grade it and make note of which questions you are missing. This will tell you where your weaknesses are and what you need to practice the most. Don’t waste your limited time studying the concepts you are naturally good at!
Tutoring will greatly improve your score because it allows you to work one-on-one with an experienced tutor who can teach you according to your unique learning style and needs. It is one of the best investments you will ever make in your academic life!
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