Speaking Skills and Fluency Flashcards
6 cards from real TOEFL practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Speaking Skills and Fluency flashcards as text
In TOEFL Speaking, what does 'FLUENCY' primarily refer to?
Answer: Speaking smoothly and continuously without excessive pauses or breakdowns in flow
Fluency refers to the smoothness and continuity of speech — the ability to communicate without excessive hesitation, repetition, or breakdown in flow.
Which of the following speaking habits MOST significantly impairs TOEFL Speaking scores?
Answer: Long silences of 3-5 seconds occurring multiple times per response
Long, frequent silences disrupt the communication flow severely — they are one of the most penalized delivery features in TOEFL Speaking, as they impede the listener's ability to follow the response.
For TOEFL Independent Speaking Task 1, the BEST preparation strategy in the 15-second preparation time is to:
Answer: Quickly decide on a position and jot down 2 supporting reasons
In 15 seconds, the most effective preparation is to commit to a position and identify 2 reasons — this gives you the backbone of a 45-second organized response.
Which sentence demonstrates the BEST use of a 'LINKING PHRASE' to connect two ideas in a TOEFL Speaking response?
Answer: Living in a city offers many conveniences; for instance, residents have easy access to restaurants, shops, and transportation.
Option B uses a linking phrase ('for instance') to connect the general claim (conveniences) to a specific example (restaurants, shops, transportation) — this is clear, organized, and appropriately sophisticated.
In TOEFL Speaking, what does it mean when a rater notes that a response is 'UNDERDEVELOPED'?
Answer: The response was too short and lacked supporting detail or elaboration
An underdeveloped response fails to fully explain or support its main idea — it may state a position but not provide sufficient reasons, examples, or elaboration.
What is the MOST effective way to express a personal opinion clearly in TOEFL Speaking Task 1?
Answer: State your position directly at the start: 'I believe/prefer/think that...' followed immediately by a reason
Stating your position clearly and immediately at the start of the response, followed directly by a supporting reason, is the most organized and efficient approach for Independent Speaking tasks.