Improve your Pronunciation for the IELTS Speaking Test

Many students worry about their accent and pronunciation when taking the IELTS speaking section. The fact is that speaking perfectly doesn’t need to be the focus of your attention.

If your responses are understandable it’s unlikely that a slight accent or mispronunciation will affect your score. Although you don't need to speak like a native English speaker, it’s important to work on reducing your accent if it affects your ability to speak in a comprehendible manner.

Working on reducing your accent and improving your English speaking pronunciation can be a hard task. But there are a few helpful exercises you can do.

A good first step is to make an effort to communicate with a native speaker. By shadowing the way he or she speaks you will quickly get a feel on how to pronounce specific words. If you’re not able to speak with a native speaker you can use a speech from YouTube and record yourself saying the same sentences. After you have completed your recording, compare your sentence with the original sentence. Identify what words you say differently and how it is different.

Identify a group of words that are more challenging to pronounce and record yourself, try to adjust your speech and see how it sounds.

After working on your pronunciation for specific words, next step will be to work on complete sentences. Look up any words you don’t understand. Then listen all the way through, repeating everything the speaker says as soon as he or she says it.

If you don't have time to watch full speeches online, just pick a couple of sentences that include words you have difficulty pronouncing, and practice saying them through the day.

By repeating this process you will improve your pronunciation and develop your speech patterns. Remember to focus on speaking clearly rather than worrying about speaking without an accent.

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What is the TOEFL ITP Test?

There are several different versions of the TOEFL, (TOEFL iBT, TOEFL PBT, TOEFL Junior and TOEFL ITP). In today’s post we are going to take a look at the TOEFL ITP test.

The TOEFL ITP is typically used by organizations to determine the level of English knowledge of the test takers. This could be for the purpose of position placement, progress, evaluation, exit testing or other situations where testing English language proficiency is useful.

We recently got the question from a reader if she could use her TOEFL ITP score when applying for Universities. The TOEFL ITP is used for internal use within an organization. You will not be able to use your TOEFL ITP score for admission purposes for Colleges or Universities that require a TOEFL score.

Like the other versions of the TOEFL exam, the TOEFL ITP tests non-native English speakers their English language proficiency. The TOEFL ITP is paper based and the content of the exam is focused on academic English. All questions are multiple choice.

There are two different levels of the TOEFL ITP. Level 1, which is described as intermediate to advance and Level 2, which is described as high beginning to intermediate.

TOEFL ITP Test Format

The TOEFL ITP includes three different sections:

Level 1 (Intermediate to Advanced)
Listening Comprehension: 50 Questions
Structure and Written Expression: 40 Questions
Reading Comprehension: 50 Questions
Score Scale: 310-677
Total: 140 Questions (115 Minutes)

Level 2 (High Beginning to Intermediate)
Listening Comprehension: 30 Questions
Structure and Written Expression: 25 Questions
Reading and Vocabulary: 40 Questions
Score Scale: 200-500
Total: 95 Questions (70 minutes)

Source: ETS

5 Tips on How to Maintain Your Concentration during Your Exam

Taking a standardized exam can be mentally exhausting. Going into to a big exam with the feeling of being unprepared only adds to the stress. A crucial component on staying focused throughout your exam is to be prepared and know what to expect from the test.

By being familiar with your exam you can focus your attention on what to answer rather than thinking about distractions. Make sure that you start studying months in advanced rather than days prior.

Be aware of the timeframe of your exam, how long the different sections are and when you can expect a break. Make sure that you take a few practice tests before taking your actual exam with the same time constraints as the official exam. This will help your concentration ability and get your mind prepared when it comes time to take the real test.

Get plenty of rest and sleep the night before taking your exam. Prepare your mind like you would prepare your body before an athletic event. Have a good breakfast and make sure you are hydrated. Coffee is my beverage of choice before taking a long exam.

Also, make sure that you visit the restroom before your exam begins! Walking out to visit the restroom in the middle of your exam will only add stress to your situation and distract you from your performance.

When you walk into the exam room your main focus should be solely on answering the question at hand. Always focus on the question you are working on, don’t worry about what comes next or other distractions. If you are thrown off by a question and are unable to answer it simply move on to the next question.

The key component to being able to maintain your concentration during your exam is to be prepared. To view some practice questions and to learn more about the structure of your exam check out our test preparation packages at ePrepz.

The Difference Between the TOEFL and TOEIC Test

We often get the question, what the difference between the TOEIC test and TOEFL test are. Today’s post is going to give you an overview of the difference between the two exams but also the similarities.

Both the TOEIC and TOEFL test are English language proficiency exams that test your ability to communicate in English. Both tests are administered by ETS. The exams are standardized and the same level no matter where in the world you’re taking your test.

TOEIC vs TOEFL
TOEFL stand for Test of English as a foreign language. Students usually take the TOEFL to get accepted to universities or colleges in North America that requires English language proficiency.

TOEIC stand for Test of English for International Communication. The TOEIC test is often required by businesses and organizations that are searching for candidates that are proficient in English. A good score on the TOEIC proves that you can communicate in English in a workplace environment.

Comparing the TOEIC and TOEFL
The TOEIC and TOEFL test serve different purposes, while the TOEFL is for getting admitted to universities, the TOEIC is for professional purposes. This becomes apparent when it comes to the test content; the TOEFL provides content that you normally would see in a classroom while the TOEIC exam focuses on English in a workplace environment.

The TOEFL also tests a wider range of skills than the TOEIC. The TOEFL test includes four different sections (reading, listening, speaking and writing). The TOEFL score are based on a scale of 0 to 120.

The TOEIC test is organized a little bit differently. There is a TOEIC Listening & Reading test and a TOEIC Speaking & Writing test. The score for the reading and listening test scale from 5 to 495 points for each section. The total score adds up to a scale from 10 to 990 points While the speaking and writing test has a score range between 0-200.

To learn more about the TOEFL IBT test format click here. If you would like to learn tips on how to study and improve your TOEIC score click here.

TOEFL Independent Writing Topics

The difference between the TOEFL independent writing task and the integrated writing section task is that the independent section asks you to write your opinion about an issue, while the integrated writing task asks you to write a passage based on information from a text or a lecture.

Today we are going to take a deeper look into the TOEFL independent writing task.
TOEFL Independent Writing Topics
When writing for the TOEFL independent writing section it’s important that you focus your writing to the question in hand. Be specific and give facts that will support your opinion.

The questions in the TOEFL independent writing section are usually straightforward. Often they are questions such as “What’s your opinion on children watching TV for education, is it good or bad? Another common type of question is if a statement is true or false.

Before you start typing away, consider several different possible viewpoints from which the question could be approached, and pick the one that has the clearest, most logical reasoning and evidence behind it.

Another factor to include to your response is to make sure you use specific examples when supporting your claim or opinion. The examples could be drawn from your own personal experience or from someone close to you. Examples based on personal experience are best suited for topics like education. You can also provide examples from well-known stories and historical people.

Structure your answer in an essay format with an introduction, body paragraph I, body paragraph II, and a conclusion. Include examples that support your claims in the body paragraphs.

TOEFL Independent Writing Topics

Some people prefer big cars other prefer small cars. Which kind of car do your prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

If you could go back in time and visit a historical place where would you go? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Television has made the world a better place to live. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

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