Speaking: Integrated Task Synthesis Flashcards

In TOEFL Speaking Task 4 (the academic lecture task), what should your spoken response primarily do?

Answer: Explain a general concept and how the professor's examples illustrate it

Task 4 asks you to define an academic concept and explain it using the specific examples the professor gives.

How long do you have to prepare before speaking in the integrated speaking tasks?

Answer: 20 or 30 seconds depending on the task

Integrated tasks give 20–30 seconds of preparation followed by 60 seconds of speaking.

What is the recommended way to use your preparation time before an integrated speaking response?

Answer: Jot brief notes organizing key points and their relationship

Brief organized notes help you deliver a coherent, well-structured 60-second response.

When synthesizing a reading and a lecture that disagree, the lecture usually does what?

Answer: Challenges or casts doubt on the reading's claims

In the Task 3-style integrated item, the lecturer typically counters or complicates the reading.

Which delivery feature is scored in integrated speaking responses?

Answer: Clear pronunciation, pacing, and intonation

Delivery is judged on intelligibility—clarity, fluid pacing, and natural intonation—not accent.

A strong integrated response opens most effectively with which kind of sentence?

Answer: A topic sentence stating the main idea or relationship between sources

Leading with the main point gives the response immediate structure and direction.

Why is paraphrasing better than copying exact phrases from the reading or lecture?

Answer: It demonstrates language ability and comprehension that raters reward

Restating ideas in your own words shows the language use and understanding raters score.