Preparing for the TOEFL® Test? Enjoy the Journey!  By Gena Netten

You’ve made your decision: You’re going to study in the U.S. It’s time to prove you can do so by taking the TOEFL® (Test of English as a Foreign Language™) test. The pressure is on.

It’s also time to have fun! How can preparing for the TOEFL test be fun? Well, when you find ways to enjoy practicing your English skills, you will feel more relaxed and confident at test time. And when you immerse yourself in studying a subject that really interests you, you focus more fully on the content, striving for more understanding and better communication.

By now, you’re probably familiar with the TOEFL test. You know that it measures your ability to combine your skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking in an academic environment. It helps you prove that you have the English skills needed for success at your chosen educational institution — the skills you need to make the most of your academic studies.

When you know you are going to study abroad, it’s important to make English a part of your life as early as possible. Let’s look at how you can incorporate English into your daily routine, take the TOEFL test with more confidence, and prepare yourself for using English throughout your life — academically, socially and professionally.

Expand your horizons through English. Don’t limit yourself to reading academic textbooks or repeating potential test questions. Read newspapers, magazines and online articles that interest you. Listen to news programs and podcasts about engaging topics. Watch the latest Hollywood movies … or even the classics. If you like certain movies, watch them twice or three times.

As you read and hear English more, your mind will become familiar with the language and absorb it more fully. At the same time, you’ll be expanding your knowledge and experiencing new ideas, new cultures and new points of view.

Actively engage in learning. Take notes as you listen to audiobooks, radio shows and recorded lectures from popular websites such as ted.com, or the websites of your favorite universities. Write brief summaries of what you’ve heard or read. When writing, note major ideas or important points — for example, highlight differences and similarities, or create outlines and charts that organize the information.

Make a daily practice of communicating. Find speaking partners, or form a group of English-speaking friends. Use informal practice sessions to deepen your friendships and communicate in English on topics you care about. For instance, read articles about a current event or problem, then have each person write three questions about the article. Hold a question-and-answer session to ask and answer questions, express your opinions and suggest solutions.

Building your vocabulary is an important aspect of mastering both written and spoken English. To expand your vocabulary, note new words and guess their meanings from the context within the passage. Then find the word in the dictionary to see if you are right. Get together with friends and hold vocabulary contests: choose a word, define it and use it in a sentence. Whenever you learn new words, use them as soon as possible.

Most importantly, slow down when speaking. Your pronunciation does not have to be perfect, but listeners must be able to understand you. By speaking a little more slowly, you can practice speaking clearly. If you know pronunciation is an issue, try working with an accent-reduction coach or with multimedia software, such as ETS’s Pronunciation in English.

Finally, use TOEFL practice materials. Our commitment as test developers is to make sure students can realize academic success and ultimately attain their personal and professional goals. Take advantage of the resources available at www.ets.org/toefl. Many of these materials are available free of charge.

And don’t forget to register for the TOEFL test as early as possible, so that you and your selected universities have plenty of time to receive scores before the application deadlines.

But most of all, remember to enjoy the journey!