All Things ESL Podcast

Pronunciation Tips: Using Phrasing on the Speaking Section of the TOEFL® test

rebekah@allthingsesl.com (www.allthingsesl.com) — Tue, 22 May 2012 03:49:00 +0000

Here’s the latest podcast!

Here is the script for the sample independent speaking response* you will hear as you listen. The appropriate places for pauses are marked with this forward slash (/).

I prefer exercising outdoors / First / I spend my whole week at work inside / and the weekend / is my only chance / to see nature / My desk at work / is in a small cubicle with no windows / and by the end of the work week / I’m usually very depressed and restless / Exercising on the weekends / gives me a chance to move / and to improve my spirits / Also / in my hometown / we have a wonderful cycling trail / At my gym / you can rent bikes for free / and ride the trail / Last weekend / I went on a date / with my boyfriend /and we rode the entire trail together/ The weather was perfect/ And at the end / we had a romantic picnic /So I definitely prefer that intimate experience / over a crazy night clubbing.

After you listen to the podcast practice reading the script with correct phrasing.

*sample responses are given in American English

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Pronunciation Tips: Using Linking on the Speaking Section of the TOEFL iBT™

rebekah@allthingsesl.com (www.allthingsesl.com) — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:14:00 +0000

Here’s the latest podcast!

Listen to Podcast

Here are the examples* you will hear as you listen:

Example of Consonant-Vowel Linking

Can I turn on the TV now?

Can I becomes Ca-ni

turn on becomes tur-non

Example of Vowel-Vowel Linking

Who is going with Jack to the party?

I am.

Who is becomes who-wis

I am becomes I-yam

*pronunciation examples are given in American English

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Pronunciation Tips: Using Contractions and Reductions on the Speaking Section

rebekah@allthingsesl.com (www.allthingsesl.com) — Wed, 02 May 2012 02:22:10 +0000

Here’s the latest podcast!

Listen to Podcast

Here are some questions to answer while you listen:

What are some contractions?
Why should you use contractions?
What are reductions?
What are some examples of reductions?

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Pronunciation Tips: Sentence Stress on the Speaking Section

rebekah@allthingsesl.com (www.allthingsesl.com) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 02:05:22 +0000

Here’s the latest podcast!

Listen to Podcast

Here are some questions to answer while you listen:

What is delivery?
What is sentence stress?
Which kind of words do you usually stress in English: content or function?
Why is sentence stress important on the speaking section?

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Listening: Categorizing and Summarizing Questions on the TOEFL iBT™

rebekah@allthingsesl.com (www.allthingsesl.com) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:41:49 +0000

Here’s the latest podcast!

Listen to Podcast

Here are some questions to answer while you listen:

What are categorizing and summarizing questions focusing on ?
What are clues you can listen for in the lecture that will help you on the summarizing questions?
What were the 7 steps in the lecture?
How many summarizing or categorizing questions are on each listening passage?

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Listening: Prediction Questions on the TOEFL iBT™

rebekah@allthingsesl.com (www.allthingsesl.com) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:52:45 +0000

Here’s the latest podcast!

Listen to Podcast

Here are some questions to answer while you listen:

What is prediction?
What are the conversations usually about on the listening section?
What are some questions to think about during the listening?
What do you think John will do to improve his grade?

Join my online classes. Click here to request more information.

Reading Section: Using Context Clues to Answer Vocabulary Questions

rebekah@allthingsesl.com (www.allthingsesl.com) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:29:00 +0000

Introduction

Imagine you are kidnapped and blindfolded. The kidnappers make you withdrawal all your money from the bank. Then they put you in a car and drive you far away and leave you somewhere. After they drive away, you remove your blindfold. No one is around and you have no idea where you are. How would you discover where you were?

Context Clues

In the situation above you would use context clues. Context clues are the things around you that would help you understand your location: things like the plants, the buildings, other structures, road signs, etc.

You can also use context clues as you read to help you discover the meaning of new vocabulary words. Context clues include grammar structures, word parts, the topic of the text, and key words. Don’t rely on one clue too much. Just like a good detective you need to use all the clues to solve the problem.

Common Context Clues and Examples

Function

First try to decide the function of the vocabulary word. Is it a noun, adjective, verb, and so on? If it is a noun it could be a person, place, thing, or idea. If it is a verb it is an action.

Example: The Blue Whale is the largest vertebrate. Its backbone has around 63-64 free vertebrae.

Unknown vocabulary word: vertebrate

You can guess that the word vertebrate is a noun because the article “the” comes before it and it also is modified by the adjective “largest.” So since it’s a noun, it could be a person, place, thing, or idea. So that leads us to our next clue…

“Be” Verb

The “be” verb is an easy clue. Imagine it as a big equals sign (=). The noun, noun phrase, or adjective that comes after the “be” verb is often describing or defining the noun or noun phrase that comes before.

Example: The Blue Whale is the largest vertebrate. Its backbone has around 63-64 free vertebrae.

Unknown vocabulary word: vertebrate

Using your logic and the context clue “is” you can guess that a vertebrate is a type of animal, because a whale is an animal. Specifically, you could guess that a vertebrate is a category of animals, which include the Blue whale. The next sentence gives you more clues. It helps you understand that a Blue whale has a backbone with vertebrae. The word vertebrae is very similar to our unknown vocabulary word so you can conclude it is related. So if you bring all these clues together you can guess a vertebrate is an animal with a segmented backbone.

Here’s a sample question similar to the reading questions on the TOEFL.

The word vertebrate in the passage is closest in meaning to

A. Animals that are classified as fish

B. A group of animals with large fins

C. A species of whales

D. A group of animals with backbones

“Or”

“Or” usually presents options. Sometimes it is used to restate the word or phrase that come before it.

Example: The Dalia Lama, or the spiritual leader of Tibet, is living in exile.

Unknown vocabulary word: Dalia Lama

In this example “or” is introducing a restatement of the subject. So we know that the Dalia Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibet.

Adjective Clause or Phrase

The Dalia Lama, who describes himself as a simple Buddhist monk, is also a renowned advocate of non-violent protest and important political leader.

Adjective clauses and phrases start with relative pronouns and describe the noun that comes directly before them. Relative pronouns are “that, who, whom, whose, which, where, when, and why.”

Unknown vocabulary word: Dalia Lama

The relative clause “who describes himself as a simple Buddhist monk” signals that the Dalia Lama is a Buddhist monk.

List or Series

A list usually includes things that share similarities. This helps us understand more about the word’s meaning.

Example: Lobsters, crabs, crawfish, and other crustaceans have tough exoskeletons.

Unknown Vocabulary word: crustacean

The list helps us understand that crustaceans are types of animals that are similar to lobsters, crabs, and crawfish. They are classified together because of their similarities.

Listening: Inference Questions on the TOEFL iBT™

rebekah@allthingsesl.com (www.allthingsesl.com) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:22:00 +0000

Here’s the latest podcast!

Listen to Podcast

Here are some questions to answer while you listen:

What is inference?
What is indirect speech?
What should you listen for to help you make inferences?
Think of reasons we use indirect speech

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Organizing your Speaking Responses: Question 3

rebekah@allthingsesl.com (www.allthingsesl.com) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:41:00 +0000

If you organize your speaking responses your response will be clearer and easier to understand. Here are some suggested phrases and organization for question 3 on the speaking section of the TOEFL® test. Just finish each sentence with information from the task.

Q3: For this question type you read an announcement or notice about a change at a university. Then you listen to a conversation about the announcement. The conversation is between a student and someone else at the university. It could be another student, a professor, or someone else who works at the university. Usually, the student or the other person will have an opinion about the announcement. The task will ask you to summarize one person’s opinion and give reasons for that opinion.

Preparation Time: 30 seconds

Speaking Time: 60 seconds

Approximate Length: 7-10 sentences

Sentence 1 (Summarize the announcement or notice):

According to the announcement, …

The university is going to …

The notice says…

Sentence 2 (Summarize the person’s opinion or how he/she feels about the announcement):

The man/woman thinks the announcement is …

The man/woman disagrees/agrees with the change at the university …

The man/woman believes…

Sentence 3 (Give the first reason the man/woman mentions):

First, the man/woman says …

Her/his first reason is…

Sentence 4-5 (Give some details from the conversation supporting the first reason):

(This part of the response will vary according to the conversation.)

Sentence 6 (Give the second reason the man/woman mentions):

Next, he/she thinks …

He/she also says …

Sentence 7-8 (Give some details from the conversation supporting the second reason):

(This part of the response will vary according to the conversation.)

Listening: Attitude & Purpose Questions on the TOEFL iBT™

rebekah@allthingsesl.com (www.allthingsesl.com) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 03:27:08 +0000

Here’s the latest podcast! Sorry I haven’t posted one in a few weeks.

Listen to Podcast

Here are some questions to answer while you listen:

What is the attitude of a speaker?
What are some clues that can help you understand a speaker’s attitude?
What are some purposes a speaker could have?
What are some things you can focus on as you listen for attitude and purpose?

Join my online classes at www.edufire.com/allthingsesl or click here to request a class using Skype.