TOEFL iBT Speaking and Writing: A Case Study of a Student Who Took the TOEFL iBT Nine Times!

What TOEFL iBT speaking and writing problems do you need to solve?
What TOEFL iBT speaking and writing problems do you need to solve?

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Currently, I am tutoring a TOEFL iBT student who has taken the TOEFL iBT test nine times. His average TOEFL iBT scores range from 89 to 105. Averaging 24/30 on the speaking and 22/30 on the writing, he needs to score higher before being admitted into a resident pharmacy program in the United States. On the speaking section, he needs a minimum of 26/30 on the speaking and 24/30 on the writing. He is so close to his goal yet so far away!

During our first meeting, I gave him three speaking and two writing diagnostic tests to see what his weaknesses were. The results of the diagnostic tests were revealing.

He is struggling with three main problems during the independent and integrated speaking tasks. First, with the independent speaking tasks, he doesn’t have a  cohesive organization to this ideas. Second, he does not include specific details to support his generalizations. Finally, he speaks rather simplistically, choosing to use basic grammar over more complicated structures.

His biggest problem with the independent writing task is that he does not include a sharply-focused thesis statement around which to organize the developmental paragraphs. Second, since the essay does not have a specific direction from the beginning, he does not have focused topic sentences in his developmental paragraphs.

I will be profiling him as a case study in one of my TOEFL iBT Newsletters and will include specific teaching points to help other TOEFLers improve cohesion, use of details, the creation of sharply-focused thesis statements, all to help TOEFLers like my tutoree improve their writing and speaking TOEFL iBT scores.

In conclusion, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do you have a cohesive organization to your ideas while completing TOEFL iBT speaking and writing tasks?

2. Do you include specific details to support your generalizations during TOEFL iBT speaking and writing?

3. Do you know how to create sharply-focused thesis statements during TOEFL independent and integrated writing tasks?

4. Do you avoid using complex grammar during TOEFL iBT speaking and writing tasks?

5. Do you create focused topic sentences BEFORE introducing details in the developmental paragraphs of your TOEFL iBT speaking and writing tasks?

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For more information, go here:

http://www.michaelbuckhoff.com/index.html (TOEFL iBT)

http://www.michaelbuckhoff.com/page31.html (TOEFL iBT Speaking)

http://www.michaelbuckhoff.com/page28.html (TOEFL iBT Writing)


7 thoughts on “TOEFL iBT Speaking and Writing: A Case Study of a Student Who Took the TOEFL iBT Nine Times!”

  1. Pingback: The TOEFL iBT Vocabulary List of 1,700 Words: “What do I do with the list now?” - Better TOEFL Scores Blog

  2. Hello,

    I need your help for TOEFL ibt speaking section. i scored 23 for first attempt and I need minimum of 26. Please guide me and do you offer classes?

    Thanks

  3. Pingback: How to Make your TOEFL iBT Speaking and Writing More Organized :Better TOEFL® Scores

  4. Pingback: Better TOEFL® Scores » Blog Archive » TOEFL iBT Independent Speaking Task One: Objects and Events

  5. Pingback: Better TOEFL® Scores » Blog Archive » TOEFL iBT Writing: How to Improve Your Writing Skills for the TOEFL iBT

  6. Vrushali:

    At some point, I will have some classes Online, but I am far too busy for that right now. If you subscribe to my TOEFL iBT Newsletter, you will get some really good instruction on how to improve your speaking and writing skills. Try it out for a few months and see for yourself. Heck, it is only $9.99 a month! But you will be pleasantly surprised at how jam-packed full of TOEFL iBT instruction it is.

    Michael

  7. I think I have the same problem as that of your student who took TOEFL nine times.
    I took it 7 times and I get 23 in speaking and 24-25 in writing. My score always being in the range of 98-104. How can I improve? Do you take classes on the phone because I live in seattle.

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