TOEIC Speaking Practice - Questions 3 and 4 - Describe a Photo

TOEIC Speaking Practice - Questions 3 and 4 - Describe a Photo

Summary: In questions 3 and 4 of the TOEIC Speaking Test you have to provide a rich description of a photograph. 

Instructions: For each photograph you have 30 seconds to prepare and 30 seconds to describe. 

Scoring Rubric: 

Learning Objectives: Each item in the TOEIC Speaking Test was designed to assess several learning objectives connected with the ability to use English functionally in a real-world context. The chart below summarizes the learning objectives for this section of the exam.

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Strategies: One of the biggest problems people have in this section of the exam is with time management and organization of ideas. The image and examples below show you strategies to provide a coherent, logical description of a photo within the time limits.

 

Click to see full size image.

1) Establish the Context: Introduce the photograph using a one sentence description that provides the general context and answers the questions Who, What, and Where?

• Example: "In this picture I see a couple (who) ordering food (what) in a restaurant (where)."

2) Describe the Focal Point: Describe in rich detail the main focus of the picture including what the people are doing, what they look like, their clothing, and their emotional state (if appropriate).

• Example: "A waitress is taking a man’s order while his partner is reading the menu. The waitress is wearing a white dress and an apron. She is taking notes on a small pad. The man is wearing a formal long sleeve shirt and the other person at the table has glasses and is wearing a sweater."

3) Speculate Conservatively: Add detail to your description by making intelligent guesses when you are not completely sure about something. Use speculative language like: may, might, could, perhaps, it seems, etc. You can speculate about the relationship between the people, what they are talking about, what they are doing, what they might have done just before the photo was taken, or what they might do next. Be sure to provide evidence for your speculations, though. Use phrases like: “For that reason, I think...”, “This makes me think...”, “Which is why I think...”, etc.

• Example: "It looks like they are in an outdoor patio section of the restaurant. It is quite sunny and there are coffee cups on the table.This makes me think that it might be breakfast time. Perhaps this is a hotel restaurant and the diners are guests staying there."

4) Identify Physical Relationships: Use prepositions of place (on, next to, under, behind, etc.) to describe the placement of different people and objects in the photo. Use phrases to direct the listener’s attention to different parts of the photo like: “in the background”, “in the foreground”, “on the left/right”, “in the bottom right corner”, “in the center”, etc.

• Examples: "On the table in the foreground there are empty dishes and coffee cups. There seems to be a plant or flower in the center of the table. In the background of the picture I can see other customers eating and conversing at their tables and behind them there is a garden or green area with trees and bushes."

Let's Practice

Task 1: Outline a Sample Response

Let's start by practicing the organizational framework carefully. Click the link below that corresponds to your breakout room and follow the instructions in the document.

• Group 1: CLICK HERE
• Group 2: CLICK HERE
• Group 3: CLICK HERE
• Group 4: CLICK HERE
• Group 5: CLICK HERE

Task 2: Timed Practice

Work with your partner to describe the photos in the presentation below using the description framework we have practiced. Take time to analyze the picture with your partner and brainstorm some important aspects to include in your description. When you are ready, click the 30 second timer and speak for the entire time. Remember to follow the steps:

1. Establish the Context
2. Describe the Focal Point
3. Make Logical Speculations
4. Identify Physical Relationships

When you finish, discuss your performance with your partner. What do you think you did well? What aspects of your description framework could you improve? Now, it's your partner's turn to describe the same image. When you finish, your partner will choose a photo to describe and repeat the process. 

Click the 3 dots and put the presentation in full screen.

Click the arrow to change slides. You may have to click it multiple times for it to respond!

Video Practice

Instructions: Complete the video task below in pairs. One partner should share the screen and computer sound. You will see a photo for 30 seconds. During those 30 seconds, you and your partner should brainstorm important aspects of the photo that would be good to mention in a description. When the time is up, one student will have the chance to descibe the same photo individually for 30 seconds. Then the activity repeats with a new photo.

• Step 1: Pair Brainstorming (30 seconds)
• Step 2: Student A describes (30 seconds)

• Step 3: Pair Brainstorming (30 seconds)
• Step 4: Student B describes (30 seconds)

Put the Video in Full Screen.