For each exercise, record your spoken response.
At the bottom of the page you will find the audio transcripts. At the real TOEFL iBT test, you do not have access to the transcripts. We’re including them here so you can learn from them, but you should look at them after you complete the tasks.
Exercise 3.5.A
For this task, you will read a short passage about a campus situation, listen to a conversation, and then speak in response to a question about what you have read and heard. Do not look at the question until the conversation has ended. Do not look at the reading passage while you are speaking.
Read the following information from a university bulletin.
Reading Time – 45 seconds
First, set your timer to count down from 45 seconds. Next, click here and read the text.
TRAINING COURSE FOR TUTORS
Western University announces a new course in the practice of professional tutoring. The course combines a discussion class with practical experience in either the Math Center or the Writing Center. In the discussion class, students will explore tutoring theories, examine the role of the peer tutor, and develop effective tutoring practices. In their practical experience, students will observe peer tutoring and advance to supervised tutoring. Students who are considering graduate school in related fields will benefit from this course.
Now close the passage and listen to the conversation. You may take notes, and you may use your notes to help you answer the question. After you hear the question, begin preparing your response. You may look at the question, but NOT at the passage. You have 30 seconds to prepare your response and 60 seconds to speak.
Click to see the prompt. (Get your timer ready!)
The woman expresses her opinion about the training course for tutors. State her opinion and explain the reasons she gives for holding that opinion.
Preparation Time – 30 seconds
Response Time – 60 seconds
Exercise 3.5.B
For this task, you will read a short passage about a campus situation, listen to a conversation, and then speak in response to a question about what you have read and heard. Do not look at the question until the conversation has ended. Do not look at the reading passage while you are speaking.
Read the following announcement about a proposal from the dean’s office.
Reading Time – 45 seconds
First, set your timer to count down from 45 seconds. Next, click here and read the text.
PROPOSAL TO CHANGE THE PHYSICAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENT
The college is considering a proposal from the dean’s office that would increase the physical education requirement of the core curriculum from one course to two courses. If approved by a vote of the administration, the new requirement will become effective in the fall semester. At the same time, the college will offer several new physical education courses, including martial arts, dance, and team sports. Students are invited to express their views on the proposed change at a meeting in Room 100 of the Administration Building at 2:00 this Friday.
Now close the passage and listen to the conversation. You may take notes, and you may use your notes to help you answer the question. After you hear the question, begin preparing your response. You may look at the question, but NOT at the passage. You have 30 seconds to prepare your response and 60 seconds to speak.
Click to see the prompt. (Get your timer ready!)
The man expresses his opinion about the physical education requirement. State his opinion and explain the reasons he gives for holding that opinion.
Exercise 3.5.C
For this task, you will read a short passage about a campus situation, listen to a conversation, and then
speak in response to a question about what you have read and heard. Do not look at the question until the conversation has ended. Do not look at the reading passage while you are speaking.
Read the following information from a campus bulletin.
Reading Time – 45 seconds
First, set your timer to count down from 45 seconds. Next, click here and read the text.
CHILDCARE ON CAMPUS
Students can use an on–campus childcare center for children from 12 months to 6 years. Hours of operation are 6:45 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 6:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Friday. The Child Care Center is conveniently located near the main classroom buildings and the library. The Center offers safe playrooms, an outdoor playground, trained staff, and a safe and caring environment. Full–time students have priority to enroll their children at the center. Space is limited, so we recommend that you enroll your children early.
Now close the passage and listen to the conversation. You may take notes, and you may use your notes to help you answer the question. After you hear the question, begin preparing your response. You may look at the question, but NOT at the passage. You have 30 seconds to prepare your response and 60 seconds to speak.
Click to see the prompt. (Get your timer ready!)
The woman expresses her opinion on the on–campus childcare. State her opinion and explain the reasons she gives for holding that opinion.
Preparation Time – 30 seconds
Response Time – 60 seconds
Transcript for Exercise 3.5.A
Now listen to two students as they discuss the course for tutors.
W: Hey, Gavin, you should enroll in this course for tutors.
M: Me? I’m not a tutor.
W: But you want to go to graduate school, right?
M: Right.
W: And in graduate school you’ll be a teaching assistant, right?
M: Probably.
W: Then this training course is just what you need. It will give you a head start on learning how to teach. Some of the universities don’t give their TAs much training. They just expect you to know how to do it, so this course might be really useful for the future.
M: Maybe. I could at least get a job as a math tutor.
W: And you’d learn how to do it right. You’d learn some practical theories about teaching and learning.
M: True.
W: Anyway, it might give you skills that could be useful later—no matter what kind of work you end up doing.
The woman expresses her opinion about the training course for tutors. State her opinion and explain the reasons she gives for holding that opinion.
Transcript for Exercise 3.5.B
Now listen to two students as they discuss the proposal.
W: I just heard the college is increasing the phys. ed. requirement to two courses.
M: Well, that’s what they want to do, but I don’t think it will happen. Everybody I know hates the idea.
W: Why? Phys. ed. is good for us! Most students need to get more exercise. That’s why we have a new phys. ed. building.
M: But it’s not up to the college to require us to get more exercise. We have a responsibility to make that choice on our own. I don’t think there should be any phys. ed. requirement in college—high school, yes, but not college. Our main job in college is to study. We need to exercise our brains, not our bodies. Besides, I already get a lot of exercise. I’m on my neighborhood basketball team and I also go hiking and rock climbing.
W: Well, obviously you don’t need physical education, but other people do.
The man expresses his opinion about the physical education requirement. State his opinion and explain the reasons he gives for holding that opinion.
Transcript for Exercise 3.5.C
Now listen to a student as she speaks to other students who are parents.
My two sons have been enrolled at the campus childcare for a semester now. However, I have to say our experience has been less than satisfactory. For one thing, there really isn’t enough space there. There’s room for only 20 children at a time, which means a lot of people can’t get their children in. My children were on the waiting list for three months before getting in. This is a real problem because it prevents a lot of parents from going to college. The college really needs to find a bigger space so there’ll be more room for children, don’t you think?
Another thing is, they need to extend the evening hours past nine o’clock because some of the classes don’t end until 9:30. So if you have a class that lasts till 9:30, you have to leave early to pick up your children. This isn’t fair to the parents who need those night classes because they miss important information in class.
The woman expresses her opinion on the on–campus childcare. State her opinion and explain the reasons she gives for holding that opinion.
Extension
1
Listen to your recorded response to one of the speaking tasks in Exercise 3.5.A through 3.5.C. Analyze and evaluate your response by answering the following questions:
a. What information from the conversation does my response include?
b. Does my response accurately explain the opinion stated in the conversation?
c. Does my response answer the question effectively? Why or why not?
d. How can I improve my responses for this type of question in the future?