TPS - TOEFL Tips
The aim for this page is to supply you with advice and tips on more credible websites and YouTube videos that I have looked through and feel are good self-study tools. As well, I will link some textbooks that seem to best prepare students and give them the right approach. Continue to use google for a good many more sites but remember that part of a successful study plan is to pace yourself and keep your information intake manageable. As well, I will post a new Tip every week and archive them. You can also go to my TOEFL blog, which is new. You are welcome to make your own posts or just post a question for others. If you feel ready to take practice tests go to my page on Free TOEFL Practice Tests
Free TOEFL Websites and Blogs
There are four important ETS TOEFL websites that seem to give credible information and give you a lot of detail on the test itself.
The first one is a kind of ETS tool kit that can be ordered to help you study. From this site you can order free information but you may need a teacher or tutor to help you because the information is designed for teachers. You can order a pdf bulletin and download a student brochure. My favorite is the ETS student test prep planner because it also gives practice. There is a newsletter sign up – they expect you to be a teacher but you can get someone to order for you or pretend you are one.
ETS also has a facebook site and a special site for practice called TOEFL Go Anywhere
Another is the wikipedia site, which may not give any tips but does tell you about the structure of the test in a clear way.
Two good tips sites are Exam English, which gives a series of tips that echo some of the advice that I have often given to students and English Club, which does an honest job as well. English-test.net has a section on TOEFL you might find worthwhile and there is quite a hefty section on learn4. There is a blog called TOEFL Blog
VEC has a good section that compares TOEFL with IELTS in terms of band levels.
A site that many of my students is a vocabulary site that is meant for GRE but has a special section for TOEFL called Pass GRE
If you do a Google search on "Best TOEFL Websites" you can see a whole lot more. The ones I give just reflect my students own experience with them but please feel free to let me know if you feel there are better ones not included.
The first one is a kind of ETS tool kit that can be ordered to help you study. From this site you can order free information but you may need a teacher or tutor to help you because the information is designed for teachers. You can order a pdf bulletin and download a student brochure. My favorite is the ETS student test prep planner because it also gives practice. There is a newsletter sign up – they expect you to be a teacher but you can get someone to order for you or pretend you are one.
ETS also has a facebook site and a special site for practice called TOEFL Go Anywhere
Another is the wikipedia site, which may not give any tips but does tell you about the structure of the test in a clear way.
Two good tips sites are Exam English, which gives a series of tips that echo some of the advice that I have often given to students and English Club, which does an honest job as well. English-test.net has a section on TOEFL you might find worthwhile and there is quite a hefty section on learn4. There is a blog called TOEFL Blog
VEC has a good section that compares TOEFL with IELTS in terms of band levels.
A site that many of my students is a vocabulary site that is meant for GRE but has a special section for TOEFL called Pass GRE
If you do a Google search on "Best TOEFL Websites" you can see a whole lot more. The ones I give just reflect my students own experience with them but please feel free to let me know if you feel there are better ones not included.
TOEFL YouTube videos
There are a number of TOEFL lessons and tips - of all the standardized tests there is probably more on TOEFL than any other exam. The first place to start are the ones offered by the ETS. One is a kind of TOEFL tour and another is a video on what to expect during the exam. The parts of the exam are explained on Inside TOEFL and there are individual sections on speaking sections one and two, three and four as well as a writing video
For non-official YouTube videos, there is a whole channel called TOEFLtv with many topics and tips. Another very well-known site comes from the website Notefull which has produced its NoteFull TOEFL Mastery. None of the videos are particularly brilliant but they do give a lot of topics, tips and insight to think about. A very popular one is like a friendly class by the hugely popular "Learn English with Rebecca" which rather than load you up with banal advice, give very specific language focused lessons.
For non-official YouTube videos, there is a whole channel called TOEFLtv with many topics and tips. Another very well-known site comes from the website Notefull which has produced its NoteFull TOEFL Mastery. None of the videos are particularly brilliant but they do give a lot of topics, tips and insight to think about. A very popular one is like a friendly class by the hugely popular "Learn English with Rebecca" which rather than load you up with banal advice, give very specific language focused lessons.
TOEFL Textbooks
There are many TOEFL textbooks and the first one I would recommend are the Official ETS Guide . It may not be the most interesting book or the best for tips but since this is the one published by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), so it is reliable, and more authentic in terms of questions and it gives you an accurate sense of the level of difficulty. The book has the handbook section that also gives some language advice. Typically ETS, it is a boring but trustworthy book that you use as a start but not as the last book. You can ften find these at libraries perhaps older versions but nevertheless relevant as long as it features the iBt test as opposed to the PBT.
The Kaplan Premier iBT TOEFL, is a very thick book with is a detailed book with language and grammar exercises and test-taking strategies and tips. It tends to take an approach of dealing with types of questions rather than just general advice applicable to the whole sub-skill section. It tends to be strong on reading and listening and a bit weak with the writing and speaking.There are complaints about technical issues especially with the practice exams. Although they advertise 4 practice exams, some have complained they only got 2 practice tests.
The Cambridge Preparation for the TOEFL Test This book also uses exercises skill by skill and with progress checks although arguably they are not as authentic as those offered by the ETS and Kaplan. Most of the sections of this book do not accurately represent TOEFL test questions. Its weakest sections are the reading and speaking sections but its listening and writing sections are very good. The model exams on the other hand, are very authentic, and there are seven of them, four in hard copy and three on the CD-ROM. The difficulty level is close to the real exam. Surprisingly, it is a more interesting book for students to work with than than Kaplans, Barrons or ETS, even though it may be less authentic.
Princeton Review's Cracking the TOEFL iBT , is the best book for writing and speaking. there are good strategies and drills although the speaking strategies are a bit difficult to use on the real exam It is a bit weak with listening giving too few samples and its reading passages are too easy compared to the real exam. Students like this best so it is a good one to use with students that hate tests as it seems less intimidating. It does not wast space with lengthy introductions and has practical techniques that make it a more manageable book for people with less time to prepare and it is more up to date in the reading section. It comes with a simulated TOEFL iBT test and audio exercises on an accompanying audio CD-ROM. It is not as authentic in terms of difficulty level of practice exams and there could be more of them but this is a useful book with lower level students who may feel too intimidated with the other books
Finally there is the Barron's TOEFL iBT , which is really a book that is for the advanced student who already knows the test and just wants tips and practice and it gives 8 practice test but if you want even more you can get Barron's Practice Exercises for the TOEFL with Audio CDs which gives over 1000 practice exercises and explanations for both the paper-based and the internet-based versions of the TOEFL. The latter is not great for advice or tips but does give a lot of practice. Some have commented that the difficulty level of both these books are a bit advanced but this can be seen as a good thing, since the most annoying thing is to do practice tests and then find out they are way easier than the real ones! Many of the more advanced students love this book because it is so comprehensive and authentic.
The Kaplan Premier iBT TOEFL, is a very thick book with is a detailed book with language and grammar exercises and test-taking strategies and tips. It tends to take an approach of dealing with types of questions rather than just general advice applicable to the whole sub-skill section. It tends to be strong on reading and listening and a bit weak with the writing and speaking.There are complaints about technical issues especially with the practice exams. Although they advertise 4 practice exams, some have complained they only got 2 practice tests.
The Cambridge Preparation for the TOEFL Test This book also uses exercises skill by skill and with progress checks although arguably they are not as authentic as those offered by the ETS and Kaplan. Most of the sections of this book do not accurately represent TOEFL test questions. Its weakest sections are the reading and speaking sections but its listening and writing sections are very good. The model exams on the other hand, are very authentic, and there are seven of them, four in hard copy and three on the CD-ROM. The difficulty level is close to the real exam. Surprisingly, it is a more interesting book for students to work with than than Kaplans, Barrons or ETS, even though it may be less authentic.
Princeton Review's Cracking the TOEFL iBT , is the best book for writing and speaking. there are good strategies and drills although the speaking strategies are a bit difficult to use on the real exam It is a bit weak with listening giving too few samples and its reading passages are too easy compared to the real exam. Students like this best so it is a good one to use with students that hate tests as it seems less intimidating. It does not wast space with lengthy introductions and has practical techniques that make it a more manageable book for people with less time to prepare and it is more up to date in the reading section. It comes with a simulated TOEFL iBT test and audio exercises on an accompanying audio CD-ROM. It is not as authentic in terms of difficulty level of practice exams and there could be more of them but this is a useful book with lower level students who may feel too intimidated with the other books
Finally there is the Barron's TOEFL iBT , which is really a book that is for the advanced student who already knows the test and just wants tips and practice and it gives 8 practice test but if you want even more you can get Barron's Practice Exercises for the TOEFL with Audio CDs which gives over 1000 practice exercises and explanations for both the paper-based and the internet-based versions of the TOEFL. The latter is not great for advice or tips but does give a lot of practice. Some have commented that the difficulty level of both these books are a bit advanced but this can be seen as a good thing, since the most annoying thing is to do practice tests and then find out they are way easier than the real ones! Many of the more advanced students love this book because it is so comprehensive and authentic.
TOEFL Tip #3: Have a structure to follow for the speaking test part 1
TOEFL speaking test part 3 introducing an announcement, policy change or letter that two people comment on and typically involves one speaker giving a strong opinion in response. A good typical structure then is to
Stretch your language with transition phrases
Eg in the passage, an announcement communicates a change in parking policy. The reason given for it is that ,,,,,,,,,
Use cleft sentneces
The reason that the woman is opposed to the plan is.......
............................[more on this ] ...........................................................[click to keep reading - this is continued on TOEFL Blog along with other tips]
- Briefly mention the issue, announcement and the general reason for it
- Give the overall reaction by the speakers
- Talk about two reasons why one or more of the speakers is for or against the issue
Stretch your language with transition phrases
Eg in the passage, an announcement communicates a change in parking policy. The reason given for it is that ,,,,,,,,,
Use cleft sentneces
The reason that the woman is opposed to the plan is.......
............................[more on this ] ...........................................................[click to keep reading - this is continued on TOEFL Blog along with other tips]