KEY 2: PRONOUNCE WORDS CLEARLY

Transcription

1 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt 9 KEY 2: PRONOUNCE WORDS CLEARLY 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 !) 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. by yourself with a friend who s a native speaker with English Success Academy advantages You can start now with the charts on the next two pages. It s free. Your friend can look at the charts on the next page and find the areas Our recommendations are based on what you need to achieve the speaking score you need. Disadvantages You might have more or fewer issues than other people who speak your native language. Your friend might find every tiny flaw in your pronunciation, or might be used to you and not notice your mistakes. 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.

2 10 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt COMMON PRONUNCIATION ISSUES FOR PEOPLE WHO SPEAK NOTE: You might have more or fewer issues than other people who speak your native language. Consonant Sounds: /b/ sound See List 12 /l/ sound See List 18 final /n/ sound See List 28 /r/ sound See List 19 2 /th/ sounds See List 21 /v/ sounds See List 23 /w/ sounds See List 23 /s/ and /z/ sounds See List 11 /sh/ sounds See List 27 Vowel Sounds: /eɪ/ sound in say See List 24 /e/ sound in tell See List 9 /æ/ in man See List 9 /ee/ in he See List 7 /ɪ/ in live See List 8 /ɑ/ in got See List 5 /ə/ in up See List 6 /ʊ/ in should See List 3 /u/ in soon See List 25 /oʊ/ in know See List 4 Linking Sounds See List 2 Chinese Filipino Languages Indian Languages Indonesian Languages Japanese Korean Thai It s a good idea to review all vowel sounds, but especially focus on the ones below.

3 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt 11 COMMON PRONUNCIATION ISSUES FOR PEOPLE WHO SPEAK NOTE: You might have more or fewer issues than other people who speak your native language. Consonant Sounds: final /ing/ sounds See List 29 final /ed/ sounds See List 16 initial /h/ sound See List 22 /r/ sound See List 19 2 /th/ sounds See List 21 /v/ sounds See List 23 /w/ sounds See List 23 /s/ or /z/ sounds See List 11 initial /s/ sounds See List 26 /j/ sound See List 20 /y/ sound See List 14 /ch/ versus /sh/ See List 27 Vowel Sounds: /eɪ/ sound in say See List 24 /e/ sound in tell See List 9 /æ/ in man See List 9 /ee/ in he See List 7 /ɪ/ in live See List 8 /ɑ/ in got See List 5 /ə/ in up See List 6 /ʊ/ in should See List 3 /u/ in soon See List 25 /oʊ/ in know See List 4 Linking Sounds See List 2 Arabic Farsi French Portuguese Russian Spanish Turkish It s a good idea to review all vowel sounds, but especially focus on the ones below.

4 12 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt 2.2: WHY YOU NEED TO STUDY PRONUNCIATION DAILY 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.

5 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt 139 THE PRONUNCIATION LISTS 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 nativespeaker 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 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.

6 140 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt LIST 1: ESSENTIAL WORDS 1. Because o Why? You will need it on every single response, tasks 1 through 6. o Common Mistake: People usually mispronounce the second syllable as cows. o To Correct It: Watch the /ul/ sound video and review other words in P 18 OR look at the /ə/ sound in List 6. (Right now, you re in List 1.) 2. This and These o Why? You need them on every task on speaking. o Common Mistake: People often mix them up. This is for singular nouns; these is for plural nouns. If you misuse them, you create a grammar mistake. o To Correct It: Watch the short /ɪ/ with long /ee/ video and review List Woman Women Man Men o Why? These are necessary for speaking tasks 3 and 5. o Common Mistake: People often confuse the singular and plural sound of woman and the listener can be confused about this detail. o To Correct It: Watch the videos Comparing /æ/ with /e/ in List 9. The short /ɪ/ sound List Say Says Said o Why? When you re summarizing on tasks 3, 4, 5 and 6 you might use this word. o Common Mistake: The vowel sound in say is long and your mouth changes shape while you say it. The vowel sound in says is short, but sometimes people make it long. o To Correct It: Review the /æ/ and /e/ videos and look at page List Advantage Disadvantage o Why? It s so common! I m sure you ll say this on speaking task 1, 2 or 5 and maybe 3. o Common Mistake: Americans usually swallow the /t/ sound here. Nonnative speakers typically pronounce the /t/ sound too strongly. Also, Arabic speakers should make the /j/ sound correctly at the end. o To Correct It: Watch the video about swallowing the /nt/ sound and look at page List Professor Her Research o Why? There s a high chance you will say these /ur/ sounds on any of your responses.

7 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt 141 o 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. 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.

8 142 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt LIST 2: LINKING SOUNDS 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.

9 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.

10 144 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt 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 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 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.

11 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt 145 LIST 3: VOWEL SOUNDS: THE /Ʊ/ IN SHOULD 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.

12 146 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

13 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt 147 LIST 7: VOWELS: THE LONG /ee/ IN HE 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. These Seedy Leave Eat Thief Leaf Sheep Heat Now your mouth doesn t stretch. This City Live It Think If Ship 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

14 148 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt LIST 8: VOWELS: THE /ɪ/ SOUND 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?].

15 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt 149 Nouns: 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?]

16 150 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 Taxed Bad Mad Quack A lack of Lass Past Bastard Fast Master And In fact Had Sad Men Text Bed Medical Question A lecture Lesson Pest Best Festival Messed up End Infect Head Says The next page has a list of more words with the /æ/ and /e/ sounds.

17 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt 151 /æ/ sounds: 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.

18 152 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt LIST 10: VOWELS: THE /aɪ / IN WHY 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?]

19 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt 153 LIST 11: CONSONANTS: THE 3 /S/ SOUNDS 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

20 154 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt LIST 12: CONSONANTS: /P/ VERSUS /B/ If you speak Arabic or Farsi, after watching Jaime s video, make sure to use a piece of paper to properly pronounce /p/. Report The man printed the report but he didn t understand how interpret the numbers. Prefer I know that some people prefer to live in small towns, but I really prefer big cities. Keep I have to keep trying to say ppp because it s possible for my lips to accomplish it. Prepare The guy s upset because he has to prepare a report tonight for his class tomorrow. Stop I must stop [doing what?] when I speak English because [why?] Depend on + The effectiveness of anti-smoking campaigns depends on people s awareness of them. + Depending on the organisms in the water, the color can change. Passage The passage talks about how stalagmites and stalactites are formed. Point out The professor pointed out that the impact of water hitting the floor causes them to break into droplets. Proof / Prove Basically, the research couldn t prove that coffee is unhealthy. Egypt Egypt is very popular for the Great Pyramids. Problem The problem is that it s easy to procrastinate when you take an online class. Professor The professor asked the student to come and have a chat. LIST 13: CONSONANTS: EMPHASIZE THE /T/ If you speak Spanish or Portuguese, always pronounce your /t/ sound -- like in the following phrases: I have to take TOEFL. It s the reason why I [do what?] Next year, it is going to be easy for me to [do what?] It s raining outside so I m going to [do what?] If you need more easy speaking practice for this, please look at the section in Ultra- Targeted TOEFL Grammar Guide about forming sentences with It.

21 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt 155 LIST 14: CONSONANTS: THE /Y/ SOUND 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?]

22 156 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt LIST 16: CONSONANTS: THE 3 SOUNDS OF /- ED/ 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!

23 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt 157 The /d/ sound follows every other letter Loved -- One of the things that I loved about being a student was that I learned constantly. Used The first time I used a computer, I think I was about [how old?]. I remember that [what?] Explained The professor explained this concept in more detail. Tried The researchers tried to find out if animals have self-awareness. Enjoyed I enjoyed studying [topic] because [why?] Do This Activity to Destroy Old Habits When I give private lessons to students who need to improve their final /ed/ sounds, I ask them to categorize the following regular verbs. Review this regularly and you ll sound like a native-speaker! 1. You should say each verb out loud in its normal form and the form with the correct /ed/ sound. 2. You can also use 3 different color highlights to mark each different sound. 3. Then, make a spontaneous sentence with each one. As always, record yourself. Then listen. If you are not satisfied, rerecord it. ;-) Accept Argue Call Confess Achieve Arrive Challenge Construct Add Ask Change Control Admire Assist Chase Copy Admit Attack Cheat Count Adopt Bake Cheer Create Advise Beg Chew Cry Agree Behave Clap Cycle Allow Boil Clean Damage Announce Borrow Collect Dance Appreciate Brush Compare Deliver Approve Bury Complain Destroy

24 158 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt Divide Introduce Paint Select Drag Irritate Park Smoke Earn Joke Phone Snore Employ Jump Pick Stare Encourage Kick Play Start Enjoy Kill Pray Study Establish Kiss Print Talk Estimate Laugh Pull Thank Exercise Lie Punch Travel Expand Like Punish Trouble Explain Listen Purchase Type Fry Love Push Use Gather Marry Question Visit Greet Measure Race Wait Guess Move Relax Walk Harass Murder Remember Want Hate Need Reply Warn Help Obey Retire Wink Hope Offend Return Worry Identify Offer Rub Yell Interrupt Open Scold

25 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt 159 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. A Tip from Jaime 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!

26 160 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt 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?] A Tip from Jaime 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!

27 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt 161 LIST 19: CONSONANTS: THE /UR/ SOUND 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!

28 162 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt Nouns with /ur/: 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?]

29 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.

30 164 The Advanced Speaking Guide for Scores of 26+ at the TOEFL ibt Biology I (don t) enjoy biology because [why?] Fridge In my fridge right now, there is(n t) [what kind of food?] because [why?] Edges When a plant is sick, the edges of the leaves turn brown. Psychologist Psychologists found that if people sit in front of a bright light, they feel more energetic. Anthropologist The professors said that anthropologists are people who research other cultures. Change If I could change one thing about my hometown, I would [do what?] because [why?] Generation One way that my generation is different from that of parents is that nowadays we [do what?]. It s like this because [why?] Education I think that getting a good second language education is(n t) important because [why?] Gestures Researchers watched to see if animals gestures changed when they looked at themselves in the mirror. Religion There are many religions in my country: [list them and pause between each one slightly]. Adverbs: Just + Just as I was leaving my apartment / house, [explain an action that happened at the same time]. + I just really don t understand why people like to [do an annoying habit] To me, [annoying habit] is just [adjective]! + Just give me a minute! I need to [do what?] Generally + Generally speaking, I think it s a good idea to [do what?] because [why?] + In general, I m feeling good about [what?] for the TOEFL. This is because [why?] Adjectives: Large The largest city in [country?] is [where]. There are [how many?] people. Strange One of the strangest things I saw on TV was when [what happened?] Major The major religion in my country is [which one?] Educational I (don t) think that TV can be educational because [why?] Objective If my friend told me that s/he wanted to [do some crazy idea], I would try to be objective, but I would try to convince him/her to [explain a more rational idea] instead.