TOEFL Speaking Integrated Questions

Questions 3-6 are integrated speaking:

1. Campus Situation
2. Academic Course Topic
3. Campus Conversation
4. Academic Lecture

This lesson shows you the details and strategies for each question. Follow the template to maximize your score.

Question 3: Campus Situation Read, Listen, Speak Preparation Time: 30 seconds Response Time: 60 seconds

The Reading

You have 45 seconds to read an announcement. The announcement has a specific format:

1. Change to a campus rule or policy
2. First reason for the change
3. Second reason for the change

The Listening

Listen to a conversation between two people. They discuss the change from the announcement.

One person supports or opposes the change. The other person guides the conversation with questions and simple statements. The person for or against the change references to specific examples in the reading.

The Question

Describe the person’s opinion using specific examples from the conversation.

• The woman expresses her opinion of the library’s recent changes to the photocopying policies. State her opinion and explain the reasons she gives for holding that opinion.

How to Plan

1. Take notes on the reading and listening. Your notes should follow this pattern:

	Reading	Spoken Opinion
Change
Reason 1
Reason 2

The Speaking Template

INTRO

Introduce the topic and state the opinion of the person in the listening.

1. The reading and conversation are about ____________.
2. The student believes ____________.
3. He/She provides 2 reasons for this opinion.

BODY

List the reasons with examples.

• The first reason is ____________. She thinks ____________.  An example she gives is ____________.
• The second reason she opposes the change is ____________. She believes ____________.  One example she uses is ____________.

CONCLUSION

Conclude by re-stating the opinion.

• The student provides two excellent reasons why _________.

Question 4: Academic Course Topic Read, Listen, Speak Preparation Time: 30 seconds Response Time: 60 seconds

The Reading

You have 45 seconds to read about an academic topic. The readings are 1 paragraph of approximately 100 words. The title of the article is the topic, and the paragraph explains the definition.

The Listening

The listening provides examples of the concept found in the reading. The speaker may give the definition of the topic again. It is about 2 minutes long. The lecture is normally a story describing an example of the topic.

The Question

Explain the topic from the reading using examples from the lecture.

• Explain ___________ and how the example used by the professor illustrates this concept.

How to Plan

1. Take notes on the reading and listening. Your notes should follow this pattern:

Reading
Topic
Definition
Lecture
Examples

The Speaking Template

INTRO

Introduce the topic and the professor.

• The reading is about _______________.
• The passage defines the topic as ___________________.
• The professor provides an example of ______________ when he discusses ______________.

BODY

Describe the details from the lecture.

• The professor states that ____________________.

CONCLUSION

Conclude by re-stating the topic.

• The example given by the professor clearly illustrates ________________.

Question 5: Campus Conversation Listen, Speak Preparation Time: 20 seconds Response Time: 60 seconds

The Listening

The listening is a 1-2 minute conversation about a student’s problem. The two students are always a man and a woman. The conversations follow a similar pattern:

Student A	Student B
Problem
	Solution 1
Response
	Solution 2
Response

Make sure you are comfortable with phrases to give advice:

• Why don’t you…
• What about…
• Have you thought about…

The Question

Describe the student’s problem, possible solutions, and the solution you would recommend.

• Briefly describe the problem the student is having. Then state the solution you would recommend. Explain reasons for your recommendation.

How to Plan

1. Take notes on the reading and listening. Your notes should follow this pattern:

	Student 1	Student 2
Problem
Solution
Solution

 

2. Do not waste time choosing the solution you recommend. There are no wrong choices.

The Speaking Template

INTRO

Introduce the problem and the number of possible solutions.

• The student’s problem is ____________________
• The students discuss 2 different solutions.
• The first solution is ________________.
• The second is ______________.

BODY

State your opinion.

• I would recommend the 2^nd
• The 1^st solution is not good because __________________.

(Even though, Although, Regardless)

• The 2^nd is a better idea because __________________.

CONCLUSION

Conclude by summarizing.

• That is why I would choose the 2^nd

 

Question 6: Academic Lecture Listen, Speak Preparation Time: 20 seconds Response Time: 60 second

The Listening

The listening is an academic summary lasting 1.5 – 2.5 minutes. The speaker will discuss 2 main points.

Topic

• Definition, Explanation

Point 1 (Subtopic)

• Definition
• Example

Point 2 (Subtopic)

• Definition
• Example

The Question

Describe the definitions using examples from the lecture.

• Using points and examples from the lecture, describe two different definitions of __________ given by the professor.

How to Plan

1. Take notes on the reading and listening. Your notes should follow the pattern:

	Lecture
Topic
Definition
Point 1
Definition
Example
Point 2
Definition
Example

 

The Speaking Template

INTRO

Introduce the speaker and the topic.

• In this lecture, the professor discusses _____________________.

• She/he defines it as ______________________. She/he gives two descriptions of the topic.

BODY

Describe the two examples with as much detail as possible.

• The first is ______________.
• It is defined as ________________.
• An example of this is __________________.

• The second is __________________
• It is defined as ________________.
• An example the professor gives is ________________________

CONCLUSION

Conclude by summarizing.

• The professor provides two explanations of _________. These show how _____________.

More TOEFL Speaking Lessons and Strategies

Are you ready for more tips to help you increase your TOEFL speaking score? Try these lessons:

TOEFL Speaking Overview

TOEFL Speaking Independent Questions

TOEFL Speaking Integrated Questions

TOEFL Speaking Strategies