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Transcript
The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ® 9
These are the things you need to complete for Key 2. Check them off as you finish them.
I read the “7 Frequently Asked Questions” online. I was surprised to learn that…
I analyzed my pronunciation (See 2.1; find your language on the next 2 pages) and I
marked the pages with the pronunciation lists that I need.
I explored and found the pronunciation videos online. I know where they are. (If you have any questions, send us an email!)
I understand that I need to study pronunciation daily because _________________ ___________________________________________________________________ (See 2.2 below)
I read through the daily pronunciation study plan. (See 2.3 below)
I watched the two “Tips to Improve” videos called “Create Pronunciation Alarms” and “Create Pronunciation Flashcards” (Explore near the other pronunciation videos)
2.1: ANALYZE YOUR PRONUNCIATION
There are 3 ways that you can analyze your pronunciation.
advantages Disadvantages
by yourself
You can start now with the charts on
the next two pages.
You might have more or fewer issues than other people who speak your
native language.
with a friend who’s a native speaker
It’s free. Your friend can look at the charts on the next page and
find the areas
Your friend might find every tiny flaw in your
pronunciation, or might be used to you and not notice
your mistakes.
with English Success Academy
Our recommendations are based on what you need to achieve the speaking score
you need.
It’s not free. You need to wait a little bit
to get the results.
Which way do you prefer? If you get a Score Analysis, we will review your pronunciation. For now, it’s good to start by yourself.
10 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ®
If you don’t practice your pronunciation daily (3-4 times), then your pronunciation will change very, very little. This is because pronunciation is actually a physical memory, and physical movement. Especially when you’re trying to change old, embedded pronunciation movements, the repetition of doing “the right thing” with your lips and tongue is essential.
I’ve worked with many students who only have accurate pronunciation when they are actively paying attention to the issue. If they start telling me a spontaneous story about what happened yesterday, they use their old pronunciation habits and make errors. By constantly reminding themselves, and working regularly with the following schedule, they are able to change their pronunciation.
Be both patient and firm with yourself.
It could take weeks, even months, for your pronunciation to change. Especially when students are actively learning other things in English (like TOEFL strategies, new vocabulary and grammar), it is necessary to be even more patient and persistent.
2.3: THE DAILY PRONUNCIATION STUDY PLAN
Set a reminder or alarm. Think about your regular routine and decide on 3-4 times throughout the day when you are typically alone and can talk, without feeling silly. If you have access to a small mirror, that is very useful.
Then, when your alarm rings:
1. Do the warm up video to get your lips, tongue and jaw flexible. Log onto the
website. Click on “Advanced Speaking” “Key 2” “The Warm-Up Video.”
2. Practice blowing air to make isolated sounds that are your problems – for
example, just repeat “veveveveve” for 10 seconds or “fufufufufu” or “lalalalalala”
or “zizizizi” or “dididi” or “thethethethe.” Use a mirror, if it helps to see your
tongue and lip placement.
3. Use a word list for a problematic sound on the following pages. (Print these
relevant pages and carry them around in your pocket. Use a different list for a
different time of the day so that you practice 2-3 different sounds a day.)
4. Say the list of words on the left.
5. Then read the sentences with the words.
6. Then make your own spontaneous sentences with the same list of words. Speak
smoothly and make linking sounds between the words.
7. Choose a TOEFL Speaking Task and record your response. Focus on pronouncing
words clearly. Listen and check or ask a friend to assess it for pronunciation.
The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ® 139
“How are these pronunciation lists different from all the other ones in published books or on the internet?”
These are words that often come up in TOEFL responses (for explaining your opinions, summarizing dialogues and academic topics). Jaime collected these lists after listening to students from over 30 countries give responses for Task 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Many other books focus on pronunciation, or TOEFL – but not both at the same time. These lists contain high-frequency TOEFL words. These lists also contain full sentences that you could say at a TOEFL test and sound like a native-speaker – so you can practice your intonation and linking sounds. Lucky you!
“How can I get started now?”
If you are confused about how to use this section, review Key 2. Specifically look at the language charts in 2.1 (pages 10 and 11) to see which sounds you should focus on.
Also, look at 2.2 and 2.3 for suggestions on how to study productively.
“If I am really stressed out, what should I focus on?”
If you have 4 weeks or fewer to study for TOEFL, or if you are feeling very stressed, just study List 1 on the next page – those are the essential words that every TOEFL student needs.
“What do these weird symbols like ə ɪ æ θ mean? Do I have to learn them?”
The symbols are internationally-accepted symbols for pronunciation. Many English teachers are intimidated by the symbols, too. If you learn the symbols, you can speak with more confidence and accuracy. Learning the symbols helps you associate different letter and spelling combinations with the same sound.
“Do I need to study everything here?”
You probably do not need to study everything in this section (although you could).
If you feel stressed, send us an email and we can organize one or two occasional lessons. Those live, face-to-face study sessions can motivate you and give you an understanding of how to keep studying pronunciation (or anything else for TOEFL) on your own.
140 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ®
o Common Mistake: All three share the same final /ur/ sound, but because of
different spelling patterns, people wrongly conclude that they have
different sounds. They don’t.
o To Correct It: Watch the /ur/ sound video online and use the word lists on
List 19.
Remember – If you’re not sure how to study pronunciation, look back in the workbook. Find section Key 2.2: “Why You Need to Study Pronunciation Daily” and Key 2.3: “The Daily Pronunciation Study Plan.” You can find both of those on page 12.
142 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ®
For this section, you will need the audio files online. Log in now and find the section on Linking Sounds. When you find it, keep reading.
In English, we link sounds between words if (1) and (2) are true:
(1) the final sound of a word is a consonant – especially common final consonant sounds in English words are -s or -z -d or –t -m or -n -f or -v
(2) the following word’s first sound is a vowel “a, e, i, o, u” and soft sounds like “h” or “w” (“hour” or “were/where”)
For this activity, you will need audio files. Log on and navigate Online TOEFL Workshop Advanced Speaking Key 2 Linking Sounds
Explanation: Listen to Audio 1 online.
Jaime is speaking the following phrases. The middle column sounds stilted and unnatural, which makes you sound more like a non-native English speaker. The right column sounds more fluid and natural, like an American would say. To sound like a native-speaker, you should imitate the fluid and natural way.
Final Sound Stilted and Unnatural Fluid and Natural
-s / -z … is (pause) when i-zwhen
-n … an (pause) animal a-nan-imal -t/d … wanted (pause) it wan-ti-dit -v/f … first (pause) of (pause) all fur-stu-vall
PRACTICE ACTIVITIES
Final “-s or –z” sounds: Listen to Audio 2 online. Repeat and read.
1. kinds of There are many different kinds of clouds.
2. thinks that has its priorities wrong She thinks that the university has its
priorities wrong.
3. types of cells and The human body has three types of blood cells: red cells,
white cells and platelets.
4. because of Because of this process, fresh oxygen is constantly being delivered.
5. consists of Our solar system is really large and consists of nine planets.
6. depends on rocks are The classification system for rocks depends on how
rocks are formed.
7. forms in chemicals in Sedimentary rock forms in water. Chemicals in the
water form a kind of glue.
8. talks about rocks are The professor talks about how rocks are formed.
The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ® 143
Please note that many of these sentences also have linking “-s” or “-z” sounds as well!
Recommendation #1: Draw a line on the page between the linking sounds: bad idea
Recommendation #2: Close your eyes and listen sometimes. For many students, this is a new and weird concept. When people look at the words, they often make mistakes. When they close their eyes to listen and repeat, they are accurate. Your ears need to rediscover English.
Final “-t or –d” sounds: Listen to Audio 3 online. Repeat and read.
1. bad idea It's a really bad idea. 2. not a good idea Investing in this new program is not a good idea. 3. waste of It's basically a waste of the school's money. 4. died in He died in the 20th century. 5. instead of They want students to talk with each other instead of being
antisocial. 6. confused about undergraduate and Lots of people get confused about the
difference between undergraduate and graduate degrees. 7. must have Students must have a high school diploma. 8. watched a a lot of old ads had insomnia last Wednesday I watched a
lot of old ads on TV because I had insomnia last Wednesday night. 9. sold it He sold it.
Final “-m or –n” sounds: Listen to Audio 4 online. Repeat and read.
1. born in He was born in the 19th century.
2. known as Our galaxy is known as the Milky Way.
3. common example A common example of a metamorphic rock is marble.
4. them in We have all of them in the same device.
5. some of them are Magma has lots of components but some of them are gases
that have become liquid because of extreme heat.
6. form into If more and more lava builds up, these giant masses of rock form into
mountains.
7. same advice I would give my friend the same advice.
8. oxygen is Because of this process, fresh oxygen is constantly being delivered.
9. system is Our solar system is really big and consists of nine planets.
10. when I When I watch English television, it’s easier to have the subtitles.
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Final “-v or –f” sounds: Listen to Audio 5 online. Repeat and read.
1. of all … because first of all, it’s an absolutely fantastic place.
2. of it … and because of it, I really enjoy going there.
3. of advantages The professor explains that there are two main kinds of
advantages.
4. of all Best of all, I get to see my friends.
5. of all Worst of all, the traffic is a complete nightmare.
6. love it I love it when I get to see my friends.
7. have a I don’t actually have a favorite movie because I almost never have time for movies.
8. I’ve only I’ve only been there a couple of times.
Random final sounds like “-ch or –k” sounds: Listen to Audio 6 online. Repeat and read.
1. look up It takes time to look up words in the dictionary, but it’s worth it.
2. took a I took a few lessons last summer.
3. kick us My old landlord tried to kick us out of our apartment.
4. back home Back home, I used to see my friends.
5. each advantage The professor explained each advantage of the project.
6. such a The traffic is such a problem!
7. lunch in I can’t stand eating lunch in really busy restaurants. 8. much of Did you understand the lecture? No, I didn’t understand very much of
it.
MORE EASY PRACTICE FOR SPEAKING + LINKING
Use any TOEFL book you have (if you have the transcript section and the audio CDs).
1. Select a type of speaking task that is hard for you. So if you hate Task 4, find a Task 4.
2. Listen to the audio file. Then find the transcript at the back of the book (you might have to search but just stay patient). Alternatively, you can use the transcripts of TOEFL responses in Key 5 and Key 6.
3. Read the transcript out loud (it should be the same thing that you just listened to). Focus on linking the sounds between words and speaking at the same speed as the person in the audio file. Listen to the audio again if you're not sure.
4. Close the book, or close your eyes. Now summarize whatever you can remember from memory. Use the same words or grammar. Just focus on speaking smoothly, quickly and confidently.
5. Repeat again and again until you finish all the tasks.
The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ® 145
After you watch the video online, you can use this list of commonly mispronounced TOEFL words. These words are extremely useful on speaking responses 1, 2 and 5.
Should
+ She thinks he should go to the study session.
+ My friend wants to… [do what?] but I think s/he should... [do something
else] because…
+ He shouldn’t miss the exam if he wants to improve his grade.
Would
+ I also think it would be better for him to go to the study session.
+ If he lived off campus, it would be better because he could …
+ I would definitely choose to live in a big city because…
+ If he lived on campus, he would probably make more friends because…
Could
+ Alternatively, he could get a job on campus.
+ If she doesn’t talk to her roommate, she could stay mad for a long time.
LIST 4: VOWELS: THE /OƱ/ IN “KNOW”
The /oʊ/ sound is blended – it’s actually two vowel sounds that are combined to create one long sound. You already know this sound – it’s the sound in “go.” Watch the video online and then use the list below.
So – There are so many different kinds of pollution.
Old – Because it’s an old building, the man doesn’t agree with the university’s
choice to destroy it.
Know – The man is stressed because he doesn’t know how to register for classes
online.
Show – The woman suggests that he talk to the Registrar so they can show him
how to do it.
No – There’s no proof from the research that we can really trust.
Program – The woman doesn’t want to stay for the summer program, but if she
wants to graduate on time, she really has no other choice.
Grow – Animals generally eat young plants that are growing before they have
time to develop deep roots. This makes it difficult for the soil to hold together,
and it can blow away easily.
146 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ®
Focus – The woman is really stressed out because she can’t focus on any of her
lessons.
Even though – Even though she’s studying hours and hours, she doesn’t
remember anything.
Notice – The woman didn’t notice her friends sit down because she was so focused
on her book.
Although – Although the woman’s friends came to the table, she didn’t notice
them.
LIST 5: VOWELS: THE /ɑ/ IN “GOT”
Watch the video online and use this list for extra practice.
Although – Although the professor focused mostly on , he mentioned that
Author – Although the author didn’t cite any research or statistics, the theory
might still be valid.
Taught (past simple of teach) – My parents taught me
Bought (past simple of buy) – Even though the woman didn’t have a lot of money,
she bought
Caught (past simple of catch) – The student caught a cold and had to miss the test.
Not – The most important thing which is not learnt at school is
Got – The student who got 30 on TOEFL speaking was beyond excited.
Saw -When I first saw my name in print, I felt
LIST 6: VOWELS: THE LAZY /Ə/ IN “UP”
Discuss – The professor discusses the advantages of online learning. But – The internet has changed not only … , but also… Country – In my country [type of workers] … are highly paid. Enough – A degree is no longer enough to …. Done …. motivates me to get the things done! Another - Another advantage of online shopping is … None - None of the students could describe …
The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ® 147
People from many language groups confuse the long /ee/ sound with the short / ɪ /. Because of that, it’s very important to minimize any mispronunciations here – especially if you want 26+ on TOEFL Speaking. Watch the video online. Then use the list below.
THE LONG /ee/ SOUND THE /I/ SOUND
Here, your mouth stretches wide.
Now your mouth doesn’t stretch.
These This
Seedy City
Leave Live
Eat It
Thief Think
Leaf If
Sheep Ship
Heat Hit
Common TOEFL words with the long /ee/ sound:
Succeed – One time I felt that I really succeeded was when I…
These (not this) – These sentences are helping because…
Need – The man tells the woman that he needs to find a new place to live.
Recently – Recently, I’ve been … because…
Increase and it’s opposite Decrease – The population of [my city] has been
increasing / decreasing recently. This is mainly due to the fact that…
Believe – I really believe that it’s better to …(choice 1)… than to … (choice 2)…
If you speak Portuguese pronounce the final long /ee/ sound on words like…
Technology Honesty
Carefully Additionally
Similarly Truthfully
148 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ®
Be sure to watch Jaime’s video that compares the short / ɪ / sound with the longer /ee/ sound (you can look at the previous page and compare the pictures that you see). Use a mirror! Don’t stretch your mouth.
Critical Words:
Women (in the plural form, both the “o” and the “e” both sound like / ɪ /. You’re
not alone; we all hate English spelling ) – The women can’t believe that “women”
sounds completely different from its spelling.
is – TOEFL is…
in – My city, [name] , is in … [region or country]
it – [Think of your own idea.]
with – I like studying with the Advanced Speaking Guide because……
if – If the woman doesn’t take the online class, she won’t be able to work this
summer.
this (not “these”) – For this reason, I dislike cities.
Adverbs / Transitions:
For instance – My town has a big problem with … For instance, …
Additionally – Additionally, we have a problem with…
Alternatively – Some people think we should fix this problem by… Alternatively,
we could…
Specifically – I specifically remember the time that I… (describe a memory)
Consequently – When I was a kid, I … Consequently, I … nowadays.
Before – Before I started the Advanced Speaking Guide, I didn’t know how to…
especially – I especially didn’t know … before I started this program.
in comparison – My English before was really different in comparison to my
English now because...
Verbs:
Live – I live in [city]… Think – Personally, I think that [title] is the best movie because [why?]. Give – I think governments should(n’t) give each child in my country a tablet for
studying because… If they did that, … [what would happen?] Discuss – The two friends are discussing if they should [do option 1] or [option 2]. Finish – I have to finish with TOEFL as soon as possible so that I can [do what?].… Miss – If I lived in another country, I would miss [what?]. increase – One way to increase my speaking confidence is to … [verb]…. Get bigger – My city’s population is/isn’t getting bigger because [why?]…. is known as – My city is known as [nickname] because [why?] Consists of – TOEFL consists of 4 sections: reading, listening, speaking and writing.
My favorite is the… section because [why?].
The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ® 149
Passage – The passage discusses the concept of emotional intelligence. City – One of the best cities in my country is [where?] because…[why?] Ability – The professor explains that people with emotional intelligence have the
ability to make important life decisions with more confidence. the internet – If I didn’t have the internet, my life would be really different
because [why?] Mistake – It’s a mistake not to focus on saying the short “i” sound correctly. Definition – According to the passage, the basic definition of “a boycott” is some
kind of non-violent, economic protest.
Note: Look at the /aɪ / sound in List 8 because the verb “define” has a different sound.
Animal – My favorite animal is [what?] because…[why?] Scholarship -- I think that awarding scholarships is a good/bad idea because
[why?]… Internship – My favorite thing about my internship is that… [what?] Attitude – When I was younger I used to [do what?] but now my attitude has
changed and I [do what?] . The reason for this is that [what?].… Characteristics – I personally think that one the most important characteristics of
a good friend is to be…[adjective]. This is because [why?] Transcript – I can get official copies of my transcript from the Registrar’s office. Minute – Give me a minute. America – When I think of America, the first thing that comes to mind is [what?]
because…[why?]. Brazil – When I think of Brazil, the first thing that comes to mind is [what?]
because… [why?] England – When I think of England, the first thing that comes to mind is
[what?]… because…[why?]
Adjectives:
Similar – I’m similar to my friends because we all [do or have what?]… Different – I’m different from my friends because…[why?] Big – I (don’t) like driving big cars because… [why?]
150 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ®
LIST 9: VOWELS: THE /æ/ IN “MAN” AND /e/ IN “TELL”
Make sure to watch Jaime’s video that compares the /æ/ “bad” to the /e/ in “bed.” You can see below that if you change the shape of your mouth, the whole meaning of the word is completely different. Definitely use a mirror when you practice this! Which sound makes your mouth “taller” or “longer”? Which mouth is “wider” or “more stretched”?
THE /æ/ SOUND THE /e/ SOUND
Man Men
Taxed Text
Bad Bed
Mad Medical
Quack Question
A lack of … A lecture
Lass Lesson
Past Pest
Bastard Best
Fast Festival
Master Messed up
And End
In fact Infect
Had Head
Sad Says
The next page has a list of more words with the /æ/ and /e/ sounds.
The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ® 151
Application – She has to submit her application as soon as possible.
Actually – Actually, I don’t like taking vacations in really hot or really cold places.
Bad – That movie was so bad because…[why?]
Fact – In fact, I prefer going to warm places. This is because [why?]
Man – The man tells the woman that she should talk with her roommate.
Fast – If the man studies regularly, he’ll improve faster.
Staff – The man asks the staff member if he can have an application.
Have / had / has – The man doesn’t have any idea how to complete his research.
That – That is the reason he’s confused.
Calculate – Scientists calculated the statistics from the experiment.
After – I think the man should go to the evening class, and then after that, study
for the midterm. If he doesn’t do this, his grades might drop.
Accent – I think that my accent is improving because…
Personality – Personally, I think she has a bad personality.
/e/ sounds:
However -- I really like where I live. However, I do think it would be interesting to live in… [place name] because [why?]
Medical -- In my country, medical careers are popular because [why?] Dead – [person’s name] is dead. S/he died in [year]. Heavy – [specific food name] is really heavy – so after I eat it, I feel “kinda”
gross because there’s a lot of fat in it. Question – I like / don’t like asking questions in classes because [why?] Lecture – I have always / never enjoyed listening to lectures because [why?] Effect and affect (both have the same sound despite spelling differences) – The
effect of the medicine showed that the treatment worked. The medicine affected most of the patients similarly.
Best – Personally, I think [specific place name] is the best place in [my town] to eat [what kind of food?].
End -- Researchers wanted to find out about [topic], but in the end, their data got compromised so they had to start over again.
Connected -- I read an article about how when people look at Facebook a lot, they aren’t very happy and I think this is connected to the fact that Facebook doesn’t help people create real relationships.
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This is another “sliding sound” where your mouth changes shape. You already know the sound from the word “why.” To hear Jaime say more words with this sound, check out the video and then use the list below for extra practice.
There are two letter combinations in English that all create the same /aɪ/ sound – “y” or
“i.” Below, the underlined i or y shows you where to make the /aɪ/ sound.
Kinds of – The passage mentions two kinds of [what?] : [type 1] and [type 2].
Types of – There are many types of [what?] , but the passage focuses on one type
called [say a specific example?] .
Varieties of – Animals’ use a variety of ways to remember where they buried their
food.
Meanwhile – I was trying to call my friend on the phone. Meanwhile, the cars on
the street were honking.
Criteria – I agree/disagree with the criteria that my university used to evaluate
students’ applications because… [why?]
Minor – On Tasks 4 and 6, I shouldn’t mention too many minor points of the
professor’s lecture because…[why?]
Define – The passage defines animal domestication as the process of taming wild
animals to live near humans.
Decide – The University has decided to renovate some buildings on campus.
Dialogue – The students in the dialogue are discussing whether or not the
university’s new plan is a good idea.
Finally – The cars finally stopped honking and I was able to hear my friend.
Finalize – The students in the dialogue are trying to decide where to finalize their
presentation – either in the library, or in the student center.
Time –
+ I remember that one time, I ... (tell a story with past simple).
+ It’s really time-consuming to [do what?] because…[why?]
+ The man doesn’t have time to [do what?] because…[why?]
Die / died – [The name of a famous person] … died in … [year] because [why?]…
Like – I like [what?]… because…[why?]
Despite – Despite the fact that pronunciation is tricky, I can feel that I’m
improving.
Rise / Rose / Risen (verb) – The inflation rate in [country?] is/isn’t rising because
[why?]
Primary – The primary reason that I’m taking TOEFL is to [do what?]…
Exciting – The most exciting thing I did recently was when I [did what?]…
Private – I’m (not) a private person and so I usually [do what?]…
China – China is in the news a lot. I heard that [what?]
The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ® 153
Start by watching Jaime’s video in the Online TOEFL Workshop, Key 2 that shows you
how to correctly form the three different sounds /s/ /z/ and /ɪz/.
Believes -- She believes he shouldn’t miss his study session. Claims -- The author claims that global warming isn’t real. Explains -- The professor explains the main cause of desertification. Asks about -- The woman asks her friend how to sign up for classes. Thinks -- The man thinks it’s possible to register online. Describes -- The text describes two kinds of …[what?] Discusses -- The lecturer discusses this in more detail.
Verbs that end with “–sts”
Suggests -- She suggests not missing his study session. Casts (doubt on) -- The lecture casts doubt on the reading. Contrasts -- The text contrasts the lecture by citing only theory. Insists -- The university insists on reducing traffic on campus.
Nouns that end with “–s”
Advantages -- One of the advantages of [verb-ing] is that…[what?] Reasons – One of the reasons that I love my city is that [what?]. This is
because…[why?] Things – One of the things that I can’t stand about TOEFL is that [what?]. This is
because…[why?] Places – One of my favorite places to go is…[where?] because…[why?] Movies – One of the greatest movies of all time is [what?]… because… [why?]
Uncountable nouns never end in “–s” Research in an uncountable noun (so the concept is “singular”), so we use it with singular verbs.
Correct: The research shows people are happier in developing countries. Wrong: The researches show…
Correct: They do a lot of research on the level of happiness. Wrong: They do a lot of researches on the level of happiness.
Correct (as a verb): The company researches levels of happiness.
Other Common Uncountable Nouns:
advice work homework technology equipment time money information damage proof
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If you speak Spanish, be careful to say the /y/ sound at the beginning of the following words:
Yesterday – Yesterday I [did what?] You – If you [do what?] then you can [do what?] Your – My favorite thing about you is your [what?] because [why?] Yellow – I like/don’t like the color yellow because [why?] Young -- When I’m [how old?], I hope I still feel young because [why?]
LIST 15: CONSONANTS: WHEN /T/ SOUNDS LIKE /D/
Watch Jaime’s video to hear her pronunciation and get the complete explanation. There are lots of words that follow this rule in American English (but not British English), but the most common ones for TOEFL are here.
City – I (don’t) like living in a city because…[why?]
University – My university was…[where?]. It was / wasn’t a good university
because [why?]
Tutor – Having a tutor for TOEFL is(n’t) important because… [why?]
Strategy –
+ One strategy for improving your accent is to…[do what?]
+ Another strategy is…[to do what?]
Italy – I would(n’t) like to go to Italy because…[why?]
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You definitely need this when summarizing past life events on Tasks 1 and 2. You also might need past participle (third verb form) if you use “passive grammar” to explain scientific processes on Tasks 4 and 6.
Watch Jaime’s video for an explanation of these sounds.
The /t/ sound follows p x k ch and s
Helped – Her friend helped by giving two suggestions.
Stopped – He stopped attending class because he was too busy with his job and fell
behind.
Worked – When I was younger, I worked while I studied.
Marked – The professor marked the man’s paper, but she didn’t explain what was
wrong.
Asked – The man asked the secretary if she could fix his name because it was
spelled wrong.
Fixed – The secretary fixed the problem on the man’s transcript.
Matched – The research participants matched images of faces with different
emotions.
Missed – The woman missed her study group meeting because she was sick.
Discussed – He discussed whether or not anti-smoking campaigns are useful.
Be / Get used to – Now that I’ve gotten used to organizing my own trips, I never
take tours.
The /ıd/ sound follows t and d
Wanted – A few months ago, my friend and I wanted to travel.
Decided – In the end, we decided to book a tour because it seemed easier.
Hated – I was really surprised but I actually hated the tour because there was no
spontaneity.
Suggested – She suggested either studying in the student union or going to the
library.
Converted – Carbon dioxide is converted into carbohydrate and stored in the
plant.
Pointed out – The professor pointed out the differences among 3 types of
volcanoes.
Keep going on the next page!
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If you are looking for a way to integrate pronunciation practice into your daily routine, then make sure to watch the video in Key 2 about “Setting Pronunciation Alarms.”
It will show you how to use your smart phone to remind yourself regularly and improve!
LIST 17: CONSONANTS: MINIMIZE THE /T/ AFTER /N/
In the list below, each word has its nt underlined. When you see the nt then minimize the /t/ sound. Watch the video in Key 2 then practice with these common TOEFL phrases!
Dis/advantage
+ There are a lot of disadvantages of learning English in a group class.
+ The biggest advantage of living in a city is that there are lots of things to do.
+ The guy tells his friend the advantages of going to the meeting, but she
disagrees.
Student -- There were [number] students in my high school class.
Wanted -- When I was young I wanted to… [finish it!]
Point out -- The professor points out the reasons for this.
Experiment -- He pointed out that the experiment was flawed.
Percentage – The percentage of people who study for TOEFL speaking is low.
Statement – The University is planning to digitally deliver statements for students’
accounts.
Announcement – The announcement talked about how the university wants to
renovate the classrooms.
Important – It’s important to pronounce words like an American because…
Environment – Even though it’s important to take care of the environment, if I
didn’t have my car, I would be miserable because I need it to get around.
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When you’re improving your pronunciation, you must be patient with yourself. If you’re working or studying full time, and if you speak English only once or twice a week, it might take months to change your pronunciation. This is completely normal.
Be patient and keep practicing!
LIST 18: CONSONANTS: THE /UL/ SOUND
Watch Jaime’s video to see the correct place to put your tongue to make this sound. Then practice with these words and finish the sentences with your own ideas.
In each word below, you can see the ul sound is underlined to help you identify it.
TOEFL –
+ I hope my TOEFL score is [what?] because [why?]
+ After I pass TOEFL, my life will be different because…[why?]
Result – The results of the exam were…[what?]
Personally – Personally, I don’t mind…[doing what?]
Several – Several of my friends …[do or have?]
Successful – Successful people have [what?] in common. I think the reason for
this is that [what?]
Example – One example of this is…[what?]
Cultural – There are cultural differences in various regions of [my country]. For
example, …[what?]
Conventional – One of the conventional ways that people get around [my city] is
by…[doing what?]
Loyal – I consider myself a loyal person because [why?]
Formal – My graduation ceremony was very formal. I liked/didn’t like that
because [why?]
Criminal – The professor argued that criminals should be given psychological
evaluations.
Controversial – A controversial story in [my country’s] news today is about…
Inevitable – It’s inevitable that [what will happen?]
Equal – I personally think that the government should(n’t) treat men and women
who apply for jobs equally because…[why?]
Similar Words:
Because (there is no /L/ sound here) –
+ I wouldn’t want to live in [where?]
because …[why?]
Quality (this sounds like /kw-all/ and not like
/kw-ul/ However, they both have “l”)
+ I think the most important quality for a
friend to have is…[what?] because
[why?].
+ If I were going to move to a new town,
the most important quality would
be…[what?]. This is really important
because [why?]
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This section is long because the /ur/ sound is everywhere in American English. Different letter combinations all make the same /ur/ sound: “our” “or” “ir” “er” or “ere.”
This is one of the longest lists and many of the adjectives are useful in responses for Task 1 and 2 when you make comparisons. Read carefully because many of the sentences have multiple /ur/ sounds.
Critical Words:
Your (when spoken quickly, it sounds like /yur/) – Your problem is that you don’t like her.
For (when spoken quickly, it sounds like /fur/) – Thanks for listening to my response!
Her (not “hair”) -- I think her first piece of advice is good. Person – My favorite person is my mother. Professor / Teacher – The best professor I had was [who?] because [why?] … Girl – The girl is angry because her roommate lost her library book. First – The first reason is that the internet is an amazing source of information. Third – The third example the professor gives is about birds. Were – They were talking about where to study for the test. Thirty – There were thirty participants in the research study. Per / percent – 20% of the people in the study said they were unlike to start
smoking.
Adverbs / Transitions:
Particularly – The professor particularly has a problem with the idea that [what?] because…[why?]…
However – The man thinks this. However, the woman thinks that. Alternatively – Alternatively, the woman could [what?] because…[why?]…
Verbs:
Survive – Camels can survive in the desert for days without water. Heard – What he heard was that the rules are changing. Understand – I’m starting to understand how to say “ur” more easily. Search – If she searches online, she’ll definitely find the information. Worth – Jaime says it’s worth it to study these because it’ll help my accent. Remember – I can’t remember if I told you this but… Learn – I like learning about [what?] because [why?] Refer – The text discusses “cohorts,” a word that refers to a person’s social group.
There’s more on the next page!
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Professor – The professor explained the alternatives. Term – The professor explains this term in more detail by saying…[what?] . Word – I learned [how many?] new words this week. Verb – A verb that I have trouble pronouncing is [what?] because [why?] Future – In the future, I would really like to visit [where?] because [why?] Failure – One of my country’s greatest failures is that [what?] because [why?] Pressure – I feel a lot of pressure about TOEFL because [why?] Answer – He doesn’t know the answer. Infrastructure – If I could improve my city’s infrastructure, I definitely would. Culture – One interesting thing about my country’s culture is that…[what?] Performance – The announcement says that the performance will be held next
week. River – One of the rivers near my city is called [what?] . Sculpture – In my city, public sculpture is(n’t) popular because [why?]… World – There are lots of places in the world I would like to visit but one in
particular is [where?] because…[why?]. Information – The information isn’t very clear. Major – When I was in university, my major was [what?] because [why?] Junior – I still remember that my junior year of high school / college was really
stressful because [why?] Visitor – The University says that visitors have to check in at Campus Security.
Adjectives with /ur/:
Similar – Actually, living in [my town] is similar to living in [another town] because [why?]
Different (Note: the /ur/ sound here is VERY, VERY short) – I think that [what?] is different from …[what?] because [why?]…
Early – I (don’t) like waking up early because [why?] Familiar – I (wouldn’t/don’t) like living in a small town because I always see a
familiar face. Regular – I eat [what?]… pretty regularly because… [why?] Sure – The man isn’t sure if he is sick, but he thinks he should find out. Urban and it’s opposite Rural – I prefer living in urban / rural areas because
[why?] Determined – I’m determined to improve my TOEFL score and that’s why I [am
doing what?] … Alternative – The alternative to this is to have the same level of English. Safer – I think that [what?] is safer than [what?] … because…[why?] Natural – I think that [what?] is more natural than [what?] because … [why?] Happier -- [Doing an activity] makes me happier than [doing an activity]
because…[why?] Comfortable (actually sounds like /komf-tur-bul/ not /kom-fur-tay-bul/) – I think
that … [what thing?] is more comfortable than [what thing?] because [why?]. Perfect – To me, the perfect job would be [what?] because…[why?] Modern – The most modern city in my country is [where?] because…[why?]
The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL iBT ® 163
Better – It would be better if she talks with her roommate because [why?] Incorrect – The professor says this is incorrect because [why?]
LIST 20: CONSONANTS: THE /J/ IN “JOB”
Watch the video online to get started with the correct sound. Then use the list below for extra daily practice.
Remember, your tongue should push quickly against the roof of your mouth, and then pull away – that will give the /j/ sound. When you leave your tongue against the roof of your mouth, you make the mistake.
Useful for Everyday Life:
Did you – Did you hear about [some gossip or news] ?
Would you – Would you help me with [doing this thing] ?
Verbs:
Enjoy – I really enjoyed [what?] because…[why?]
Suggest – The woman suggested the guy make a budget so he can figure out how
much money he needs.
Object – The man objects to the increase in student tuition because he’s already
paying an arm and a leg.
Nouns:
Suggestion – Her suggestion is to make a budget so he can figure out how much he
needs.
Schedule – I feel [how?] because I’m (not) following my TOEFL study schedule
the way I hoped. The reason it’s (not) going well is that… [why?]
Job – My ideal job would be to [do what?]… because [why?]
Age – She explained that the age of the fossils is unknown.
Genes – Despite this, scientists can still analyze the genes.
Page – I don’t understand the material on page 50.
Passage – The passage describes the phenomena called spatial memory.
Advantage – One of the advantages of speaking English is that…[what?]
Disadvantage – One of the disadvantages of living alone is that…[what?]
Language – If I could learn another language, I would choose [do what?]…
because…[why?]
Strategy – My favorite strategy for remembering words in English is to [do what?]
because [why?]…
Egypt – One of the things that I know about Egypt is that…[what?]
Jeans – In my country, it is(n’t) very common for people to wear jeans
because…[why?].
Origin – Charles Darwin wrote the book, The Origin of Species.
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You will need the words “the” “this” “that” and “they” at least 10 different times on every TOEFL speaking test (but realistically, you could say them 20 or maybe even 30 times – if you use them 5 times for every response).
With such a high certainty of “th” use, it is absolutely worth your time to master the hard and soft “th” sounds.
LIST 21: CONSONANTS: THE 2 /TH/ SOUNDS
In the video in Key 2 online, you can see practice with Jaime to see how to correctly make these sounds. After that, practice with these word lists.
Hard Vibration Words have the / ð / sound
The – The only reason I like the city is because of the people here.
Than – I like this more than that.
That / this / these / those – I like these
more than those.
Then – I studied. Then I took the test.
Thus – Pronunciation is tough. Thus,
people should practice daily.
Even though – Even though this is
repetitive, I’m improving.
There – There aren’t a lot of fathers and
mothers who breathe at the same time.
They – They were clapping and
stomping their feet.
This is the reason that…
This is the reason why…
What he said is that…
Soft / No Vibration Words have the / θ / sound
Author – The author defends his theory
Three – The professor gives three examples of this.
Third – The third reason is that there wouldn’t be any traffic.
Thing – The thing I like about living in a city is that everything is close.
Thousand – There are thousands of people who live in the capital.
Thought – The woman thought that this was going to be easy.
Thinks – The man thinks she should go to the job fair.
With – He thinks she should talk with her professor.
Worth – It’s worth it to practice this.
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Watch Jaime’s video and then practice with this word list.
If you are a Russian, Arabic or Farsi speaker, please pay extra attention to these words. Do not close your throat at all when you say these /h/ sounds. Push the /h/ sound to the front of your mouth.
If you are a French/ speaker, follow my example in the video. Make your hand warm when you say the /h/ at the beginning of the following words!
Heat – The sun’s heat reaches planets hundreds of thousands of miles away.
Her – I’m learning from Jaime. I would / wouldn’t recommend her program to a
friend because [why?]
His – His friend suggests either taking the class with the professor he doesn’t like
or trying to find another class at a similar time.
Him – The woman told her friend that he needs to [do what?]
He –
+ I think he should just take the class from the professor.
+ Even though he doesn’t like his professor, he could still learn a lot of really
interesting things.
+ Plus, he needs the class for his major.
Half -- The woman said that half of the students on campus [do or have what?]
House –
+ The man should look for a house near campus so that he doesn’t waste
time commuting.
+ My house is [where?]
Help –
+ When I need help, I usually ask …[person]… because…… [why?]
+ I think that the Advanced Speaking Guide is helping me to… [what?]
Human – The human body has eleven different systems, including the muscular
system (for moving), nervous system (for thinking and sensing), and respiratory
system (for breathing).
Hate – I hate to say it, but [say something true that your friend doesn’t want to
hear]…
Hypothesis – According to the researcher’s hypothesis, [what is true?]
Historical – The man doesn’t want the university to tear down the building
because it has historical value.
History – In the professor’s lecture, he explains that there have been many mass
migrations in human history.
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