Controle do tempo para a prova oral do TOEFL/ Time management for the TOEFL speaking test

One of the parts of the TOEFL test that can be tricky is the speaking part. There are two types of questions in this part: the independent speaking task and the integrated speaking task. Both of them have something in common: you have to answer them within a very limited time frame! Therefore, you need time management.

TIME MANAGEMENT

Perhaps the most important skill of all and one we should give uttermost importance to is time management. In both types of questions, answers should be succinct.

In the independent task, the student is supposed to draw on his ideas and experiences to answer the question. But, sometimes, we can get carried away by our own stories because they are very interesting to us. However, you must bear in mind that you only have 15 seconds to prepare and 45 seconds to answer the question. If you take too long, for example, introducing your story, you might not be able to finish it. Thus, my suggestion on how to do this task is as follows: use the first 15 seconds to think about what you will say. Notice that I did not say to "write down notes", as most teachers suggest! I believe 15 seconds is such a short time that you should only take "mental notes". Otherwise, you might not be able to organize all your thoughts before the time ends. Then, the second step is to answer. Let's say the question is about your opinion on how global warming can affect the economy and you are required to give examples. Once you have taken 15 seconds to mentally organize the answer, make sure that you will give enough time to fit all your story in the 45 seconds you are given. So, check the clock! If you have been speaking for 30 seconds but have not yet given any examples, it's time to move on and do so!

In the integrated task, the problem is somewhat different. Let's say the question asks you to explain the causes of global warming mentioned in a lecture. This time you have 20 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to answer. If there are 3 causes mentioned in the lecture and you have only explained one of them and it has already passed 30 seconds, it means you are running out of time because you have spent too much time talking about the first cause. So, when you do this kind of exercise, you must plan how you will allocate time for each topic you must talk about. The secret is to practice this type of question before the test either by yourself or, ideally, with a teacher. Only in this way it is guaranteed that you will manage your time correctly on the day of the test.

Finally, make no mistake, I have seen several students who were fluent in English get a bad grade on this part of the test simply because they managed their time poorly!!! You don't want this to happen to you, do you?