TOEIC Speaking - Part 1 and 2 - Read a Text
Summary: You are required to read two texts aloud with a length of between 40 and 60 words each. Content of the texts represents something that would normally be read aloud in real life (announcement, commercial, warning, reminder, etc). You will be graded on pronunciation, intonation, and stress.
Instructions: You have 45 seconds to prepare and 45 seconds to respond to each text.
Scoring Rubrics: Click to see the full size image.
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: The strategies presented here are focused on intonation and stress rather than pronunciation of individual phonemes.
Strategy 1: Distinguish content words from function words.
English is a stress timed language. That means only certain words in the sentence receive the stress while the others are weakened and condensed. We have two kinds of words: Content Words, which are stressed, and Function Words, which are reduced and condensed to fit between the beats of the content words. The graphic below shows which kinds of words make up each category.
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Example: In the following sentences, the content words are marked in bold and should receive more stress from the speaker.
I went for a walk in the country yesterday but it was really hot and I was bitten by a lot of mosquitoes. I can't stand mosquitoes!
By now, you probably do this quite well when speaking. However, many English L2 users struggle with this when reading a text aloud. They concentrate so hard on reading the words carefully and accurately that they end up giving all the words the same stress and they sound robotic, or if they stress the wrong words, they can sound unnatural. Listen to the difference between these three examples.
In the first reading, the speaker gives all the words the same level of stress which makes him sound monotonous and robotic. In the second reading, the speaker incorrectly stresses some function words which makes the recording sound unnatural. In the final reading, the speaker appropriately stresses the content words while reducing the function words which gives the recording a natural sound.
Strategy 2:Use punctuation clues to include appropriate pauses
As the strategy suggests, you will want to make a brief pause each time you come to a comma or final punctuation mark.
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We can combine this with Strategy 1 and read a text with appropriate word stress on the content words and include pauses on the relevant punctuation.
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Strategy 3:Use appropriate rising and falling intonation
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n addition to stress and pausing, you will also need to use appropriate intonation. Keep in mind the following typical intonation patterns in English.
Yes-No Questions: These questions finish with rising intonation. - Are you looking for me (↑)? Can I help you (↑)? Do you like to travel (↑)?
Information-WH Questions: These questions finish with falling intonation.- What style of flooring tiles do you want to use in the lobby(↓)?
Lists of Three or More Items: Intonation in lists follows the pattern rising, rising, falling.- The store sells clothing (↑), equipment (↑), and memorabilia (↓).
Strategy 4:Use appropriate stress in compound words and phrasal verbs
Compound words and phrasal verbs follow predictable stress patterns that you will want to remember when reading a text aloud.
Compound Nouns: Most compound nouns stress the first word more than the second.
- Baseball, Monday, holiday, mailbox, laptop, birdhouse
Compound Adjectives: Compound adjectives tend to stress the second word more than the first.
- well known, bad-tempered, short-sighted, old-fashioned
Phrasal Verbs (refering to actions): When used to refer to actions, the second word (particle) is stressed more than the first.
- I'm hungry. Do you want to eat in or eat out?
- We're going to check out these library books.
Phrasal Verbs (used in noun or adjective form): When used in an adjective or noun form, phrasal verbs stress the first word more than the second.
- Flight attendants, please prepare for take off.
- Who is working the check out counter today?
Sample Response
Listen to the following two audios of an intermediate level student practicing this task. In the first audio he read the paragraph with no preparation. Afterwards, he listened to his recording to identify areas to improve. Then he analyzed the paragraph and marked the content words that needed to be stressed, punctuation which indicated a pause, and looked for rising and falling intonation patterns before reading the text a second time.
In this second recording, you can clearly hear a difference in the quality of his intonation and rhythm. Although, he still has some pronunciation issues, this second attempt is much better.
Practice Exercises and Sample Responses
Instructions: Now it is your turn to try the strategies with the sample texts below.
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Exercise 1: Hi. This is Myra Peters calling about my appointment with Dr. Jones. I have a three o’clock appointment scheduled for this afternoon. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to keep it because of an important meeting at work. So, I’ll need to reschedule. I was hoping to come in sometime next week. Any time Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday afternoon would work for me. I hope the doctor has some time available on one of those days. Please call me back and let me know.
Exercise 2: Our speaker tonight is Mr. John Wilson, who has just returned from traveling in South America. Mr. Wilson spent his trip photographing scenes of small-town life across the continent. His work is well known around the world, and his photography has been featured in numerous newspapers, magazines, and books. Tonight he will share with us photographs and stories from his recent trip and will answer any questions you may have. Due to time constraints, we ask you to hold your questions until the end of the talk.
Exercise 3: Wonderland Mall is the largest shopping mall in the city, with over one hundred stores on three levels. Wonderland Mall is conveniently located near all major bus lines, and we offer free parking in our garage. Everything you need to buy is here - clothes, shoes, books, sports equipment, furniture, and much more. After shopping, you can enjoy a tasty snack, lunch, or dinner. We have seven restaurants and three cafés. Then, relax with a movie at our fifteen-screen movie theater. Wonderland Mall is a great place for the whole family.
Exercise 4: Tourist agencies often offer sightseeing tours by bus. Many tourists, however, prefer to sightsee on foot. A walk through the streets of an unfamiliar city brings you closer to the people and activities around you. On foot, you can really hear the sounds, smell the smells, and see the sights of the city. If you see an interesting store, you can pay it a quick visit. You can stop at a café to try out some local dishes. Or you can take a shortcut through a pretty park. It’s fun to take a sightseeing tour on foot.
Exercise 5: When looking for a place to live, most people think about convenience. If they are parents with children, they want to live near the best schools. They want to have public transportation or good roads available to them. They don’t want to have to travel far for shopping and entertainment. People also enjoy living near a park or gym so that they have easy access to recreation. And, of course, for the majority of people, the most important thing is to live in close proximity to their jobs.
Exercise 6: Whether you’re visiting the city for business or pleasure, High Towers Hotel is the place to stay. All our rooms are clean and spacious with comfortable beds and pleasant views of the city. We are conveniently located in the center of the city, near stores, museums, and offices. For the enjoyment of our guests, we have a swimming pool and exercise room. The hotel restaurant is one of the best in the city. Tourists and business people alike choose the High Towers Hotel time after time.
Exercise 7: When you go on a job interview, it is important to make a good impression. The first thing the interviewer will observe about you is your clothes, so dress in a neat, conservative outfit. Dark colors are best. Men should wear simple ties, and women should not wear short skirts. The way you behave is equally important. Enter the room with confidence. Look the interviewer in the eye while shaking hands. Don’t forget to smile pleasantly at the same time. Introduce yourself in a clear voice.
Exercise 8: Do you like seafood? The Ocean View Restaurant offers the tastiest seafood dishes in town. Relax in our spacious dining room while enjoying spectacular views of the beach and ocean. Choose from a large variety of seafood dishes on our menu or enjoy a little bit of everything at our Sunday evening buffet. At the end of the meal, be sure to try one of our famous desserts. The chocolate cake is simply scrumptious. For a relaxing, delicious meal, visit the Ocean View.
Text 1: Few spots in the city are as beloved as City Park. Over ten million visitors play, relax, or enjoy outings with their friends and families in the park every year. Each spring and summer, the park offers a wide variety of activities. This weekend there will be an outdoor jazz concert, a nature program, and special events for children. Most visitors explore the park on foot, although it can also be explored by bike or on horseback. Maps and information on park activities are available at the visitor’s center, which is open daily from nine to five o’clock.
Text 2: May I have your attention for a moment, please? Unfortunately, the lecture originally scheduled for this time, “An Introduction to Accounting”, has been canceled for personal reasons. You may attend this lecture on Monday, Wednesday, or Thursday of next week, however. If those days are inconvenient, we will be pleased to give you a full refund. Thank you for your attention.
Text 3: Thank you for calling Union Motorcycles. We have the city’s largest selection of sport and cruising bikes, and also a full selection of parts, accessories, and riding wear. Visit between nine a.m. and nine p.m. on weekdays, and let our experienced staff attend to all your riding needs. Where else could you go for better riding advice?
Text 4: On Monday, May 7, we will start installing new telephone lines in most of our offices. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to use your telephones until the work is completed later in the week. This will affect your work on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday morning. However, you can use the telephones in the main reception area during that time.
Text 5: All right everyone, we’ve come to the end of our tour of the downtown area, and we’re about to enter the public gardens, where we’ll take a short break. There’s a café here, where you can rest, get something to drink, and look over the schedule for the rest of the day. Let me know if you have any questions.
