Are you ready to take the TOEFL exam? Jose Castillo has seven years of experience teaching English in Japan and South America and wants to share his most effective tips for the TOEFL.

Take the TOEFL speaking challenge: Make sure you have a notebook and a pencil ready for this challenge! Get a stopwatch or kitchen timer and set it for 15 seconds —when you take the TOEFL you'll have 15 seconds to prepare an answer to the question, and 45 seconds to state your response.

Try this sample question: "Name the person that you admire the most. Give reasons and examples of why."

Pro tip: Note the words used in the question and be sure to incorporate these words into your answer. Your notes won't be seen or graded, it's just to help you as you need, so only write down essential thoughts.

Next set your timer for 45 seconds and answer the question aloud. Refer to your notes and fill in the allotted time with your best 3 examples and finish by restating the question.

Example answer: "The person I admire the most is my father. He is a man who would listen first and then give his advice. For example, when I decided to get my Ph.D. he first listened to my reasons why and then he gave me his advice. He is not afraid to stand up for what he believes in, but he is respectful of others when he disagrees with them. I try to behave in the same way when I disagree with others, not just to act like he does, but because I have seen that it is best for relationships. Finally, I admire my father because he is true to his word. If he says he will do something, he always follows through. This is why I can safely say the person I admire my most is my father."

If you have prepared your response well, you will have written down keywords— not full sentences, with which to use in your response. In the example answer above you may have written down: father, Ph.D., respectful, relationships, true/honest, and admire in your preparation notes.

Use your notes to remember what you want to say and fill in your answer with complete thoughts that directly answer the question. Don't rush your speech so that your answer is well understood. Practice again until you feel comfortable with the time provided.

How did you do? Leave a note in the comments and tell us your experience!

Jose Castillo

Advanced English Education

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