Colin Forsyth
TOEIC
Tips and More TEST OF ENGLISH FOR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION The Test Of English for International Communication (TOEIC) was developed in order to assess non-native English speakers' professional English-language communication skills.
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Contents
TOEIC Listening Comprehension Part 1:
5 Sentences About Photographs 6
Part 2: Questions and Responses Part 3: Short Conversations
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8
Part 4: Short Talks
TOEIC Reading Comprehension 14
Part 5: Incomplete Sentences Part 6: Text Completion
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Part 7: Reading Comprehension
TOEIC Tips and More.. 19
Part 8: 80 General Tips for TOEIC Success
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TOEIC
Tips and More
Part 1: Sentences About Photographs Format:
• • • • • •
Tactics:
• • • • • • • •
This part has ten photographs You will hear four simple sentences that refer to each photograph. You have to choose the best sentence that describes it. About 66% of the photographs involve a person or people. About 33% of the photographs involve an object or a scene. (No people) The sentences usually deal with the most important part of the picture.
Always complete each item as quickly as possible. As soon as you finish look at the next photograph to preview it. Do not wait for the tape to announce the next item! Don’t take a little break!! Don’t mark your answer until you heard all four choices. Try to eliminate choices. Never leave blanks. If you don’t know, guess. When you finish one stop looking at it. Look at the next one.
Questions to think about while you preview the photograph
Photographs with a person or people: HY GRAP O PHOTO STUDI STUDIO MODER
O to
aphyPHO togrIOa
UDIO
p hy
N
PHY GRA 2000 PHO-TO Since
STUD
• • • • •
What are the people doing? Where are they? Who are they? (What they are wearing or where they are?) What is different about them? (Glasses, moustache, paper…) How do they look? (Happy, sad, tired…)
Photographs with an object: HY GRAP
O PHOTO STUDI
STUDIO MODER
O to
aphyPHO togrIOa
UDIO
p hy
N
PHY GRA 2000 PHO-TO Since
• • • •
What is it? What is it made of? What – if anything – is it doing? Where is it?
STUD
Photographs with a scene: HY GRAP
O PHOTO STUDI
STUDIO MODER
O to
aphyPHO togrIOa
UDIO
p hy
N
PHY GRA 2000 PHO-TO Since
• • • •
Where is it? What is in the foreground? (In front of the picture) What is in the background? (In the back of the picture) What – if anything – is happening?
STUD
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Listening Comprehension
Part 2: Questions & Responses Format:
• • • • • • •
Tactics:
• • • • • •
This part has 30 items. You will hear a question followed by three possible responses (Answers). All questions and answers are on the audio program. You have to choose the best response – A, B, or C. About 50% of items are information questions (Wh – questions). About 25% of items are Yes/No questions. About 25% of items are other types of questions.
Concentrate on the audio program. There is nothing to consider in the test book. Listen to all three responses before you mark your answer. If you don’t know the answer, guess. There is very little time between items. Make your decision before the next item begins. Try to identify the type of question. The response will depend on what type it is.
Different types of questions for Part Two
Information Questions
Nearly half of the questions in part two are information questions. These questions ask for specific pieces of information. Questions with what . . .? and how . . .? are the most common.
1. What . . . ?
2. How . . . ?
3. When . . . ?
4. Where . . . ?
5. Why . . . ?
6. Who . . . ?
7. Whose . . . ?
8. Which . . . ?
Responses to information may be either short answers (a word or phrase) or complete sentences.
Yes or No Questions
Nearly 25% of the questions fall under this category. Questions start with auxiliary verbs (do, are, has, ……) or with a form of the main verb be (is, are, was, and were).
Auxiliary verb examples
The main verb be
- Do you know where Bob is?
- Is there any pasta left?
- Has the pizza been ordered?
- Are you coming over tonight?
- Should we stop and ask someone?
- Was someone trying to call me?
- Can we stop at the next gas station?
- Were you going to tell someone about him?
Responses may be short answers or full sentences. They are often not simple “Yes, I do.” Or “No, I don’t”. They can be affirmative, negative, or neutral with a large range between them.
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TOEIC Do you know…?
Do you think…?
Did you decide…?
Did you hear…?
Are you sure…?
Did anyone tell you…?
Have you heard…?
Can you tell me…?
Will you let me know…?
Tips and More
Question: Has Tom finished the project?
Possible Affirmative Responses
Possible Negative Responses
Possible Neutral Responses
• I think so. • Of course he has. • Yes, he finished this morning. • I believe he has. • Sure, he works fast.
• No, I don’t think he has. • Not yet, but he is working at it. • No, but he’ll be finished soon. • No, he gave up on it. • No, he’s doing something else.
• I have no idea. • Why don’t you ask him? • Maybe • Perhaps. • I’m not sure
Other types of Questions These questions account for about 25% of the items. They are varied but can be broken down into the following categories:
| Embedded questions:
An embedded question is a part of a sentence that would be a question if it were on its own, but is not a question in the context of the sentence: Example Q: Do you know if Mr. Patterson is gone home?
A: I believe he has.
| Negative Questions:
Negative questions begin with negative contractions: Doesn’t….., Hasn’t……, Aren’t…… The expected answer is affirmative, but the actual answer may be affirmative or negative. Examples: Q1: Isn’t this a great painting? Q2: Won’t you come over for dinner?
A1: It certainly is. A2: Sure, I’d love to.
| Tag Questions:
Tag questions consist of an affirmative statement with a negative tag. Examples: Q1: This is a beautiful car, isn’t it? Q2: You enjoyed lunch, didn’t you?
A1: It really is. A2: Not really, it was too salty.
Or a negative statement with an affirmative tag. Examples: Q3: This won’t take long, will it? A3: Just a few minutes. Q4: He didn’t sleep in, did he? A4: No, he’ll be here on time.
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Listening Comprehension
Part 3: Short Conversations Format:
• This part has ten short conversations. • For each conversation there are three questions with four answers each. • You hear the conversations and read the questions & answers. • Choose the correct answer. • eight second pause between each conversation. • Each conversation is four parts.
Tactics: • • • • • •
Quickly mark your answers after the conversation is over. Preview the next three questions. If you have enough time preview the four choices. Look at the answers while you listen. Don’t look away!! Try to eliminate wrong answers. Don’t leave any blanks. Guess if you don’t know.
Different types of questions for Part Three Overview Questions
These questions require you to have an overall understanding of the dialogs that you hear. There are four kinds of questions in this category.
Types of Overview Questions
Typical Question Words
1. Questions about locations.
1. Where….?
2. Questions about occupations.
2. Who….?
3. Questions about activities.
3. What….doing?
4. Questions about topics.
4. What…talking about? Tip: The answers for these types of questions are usually not directly in the conversation. You have to listen to the vocabulary tied to the question. Example: Woman: I’m all packed for my vacation! Man: What time does your flight leave? Woman: The ticket say’s two o’clock so I should check in one hour before. Man: Well we should leave right now then. Question: Where are they going? Answer: Airport - Flight, ticket, and check-in are all words associated with an airport.
| Detail Questions
Detail questions ask about specific points of the conversation. You still have to understand the total conversation. Here are the most common types.
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TOEIC Types of Detail Questions
Typical Question Words
1. Questions about time.
1. When….?
2. Questions about reasons.
2. Why….?
3. Questions about plans.
3. What….do?
4. Questions about problems.
4. What’s the matter with…?
5. Questions about opinions.
5. What…think of…?
6. Questions about advice.
6. What…suggested?
Tips and More
Tip: The answers for these types of questions are usually not directly said in the conversation. You have to listen and understand what is being said. Example: Woman: I’m finally ready for the trip. Man: So are you still leaving on Tuesday, Sally? Woman: No, we are in a rush so I have to leave a day earlier. Man: That’s probably a good idea. Question: When will Sally leave? Answer: Monday –The woman said she would not leave on Tuesday but a day earlier. Therefore she will leave on Monday
Inference Questions
The answers for these questions are not directly stated in the conversations. Instead you have to draw a conclusion (an inference) – based on the information in the conversation. Examples: - What does the man/woman imply? - What is the man/woman say about…? - What can be said about…? - What is known about…?
- What can be inferred from the conversation? - What does the man/woman mean? - What is probably true about…?
Example: Man: Wow! That was a delicious meal! Woman: Ray is certainly a good cook. He makes an amazing spaghetti sauce. Man: He is very good in the kitchen. I can’t believe we are really brothers. Woman: Yes, but you can paint far better than him. Question: What does the man imply? Answer: That he can’t cook – He implies that he doesn’t share his brother’s talent for cooking and the woman agrees with him.
Common Questions For Part Three Overview Questions
These questions require you to have an overall understanding of the dialogs that you hear. There are four kinds of questions in this category.
| Questions about locations:
These questions ask where the conversation takes place. Examples: - Where are they? - Where is the man/woman?
- Where are the speakers? - Where is the conversation taking place?
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Listening Comprehension | Occupation Questions:
These questions ask about the job or profession of one or both of the speakers. Clues in the conversation will give you the correct information. Examples: - Who is the man/woman? - Who are they? - What is he/she? - What are they?
- What is the man’s/woman’s profession? - What is the man’s/woman’s occupation? - What is the man’s/woman’s job?
| Activity Questions:
These questions ask what one or both speakers are doing or are going to do. Examples: - What are they doing? - What is happening now? - What is the situation?
- What is the man/woman doing? - What is going to happen? - What is going to happen?
| Topic Questions:
These questions ask about the general subject of the conversation. The subject of the conversation can be a person, a thing, or an activity. Examples: - What/whom are they discussing? - What are they talking about? - What are they referring to? - What is the conversation about? - What is the topic of the conversation? - What is the subject of the conversation?
Inference Questions
The answers for these questions are not directly stated in the conversations. Instead you have to draw a conclusion (an inference) – based on the information in the conversation. Examples: - What does the man/woman imply? - What can be inferred from the conversation? - What is the man/woman say about…? - What does the man/woman mean? - What can be said about…? - What is probably true about…?
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TOEIC
Tips and More
Detail Questions
Detail questions ask about specific points of the conversation. You still have to understand the total conversation. Here are the most common types.
| Questions about time:
These questions ask when an event or activity takes place. Some ask about frequency or duration. Examples: - When…? - At what time…? - How often….?(Frequency) - How long….?(Duration)
| Questions about reasons:
These questions ask why someone does something, why someone feels a certain way, why an event occurs, and so on. Examples: - Why did…happen? - Why does the man/woman want to…? - Why is the man going to…? - Why is the man/woman upset/happy/puzzled? - Why did …not happen? - Why does he or she not want to…?
| Questions about plans:
These questions ask what a person intends to do in the future. Examples: - What is the man/woman planning to do? - What plan has been suggested? - What does the man/woman plan to do next? - What does the man/woman want to do?
| Questions about problems:
These questions ask about some difficulty one or both speakers experience. Examples: - What is the problem here? - What is the man’s/woman’s problem? - What is wrong with…? - What is bothering the man/woman? - What is the man/woman concerned with? - What is the man/woman worried about?
| Questions about suggestions:
These questions ask what advice one speaker gives to another person (usually the other speaker). Examples: - What is the man’s/woman’s suggestion? - What is the man/woman suggesting? - What suggestion is made? - What is the man’s/woman’s advice? - What does the man/woman advise to do?
| Questions about opinions:
These questions ask how the speaker feels about something or someone. Examples: - What is the man’s/woman’s opinion of….? - How does the man/woman feel about…? - What does the man/woman think about…?
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Listening Comprehension
Part 4: Short Talks Format:
Tactics:
• • • • • •
This part has ten short talks with a total of 30 questions. For each talk there are three questions. For each question there are four possible answers. You hear the talks and read the questions & answers. Choose the correct answer. Each talk is usually less than one minute long with only one speaker.
• • • • • • • •
Listen carefully to the introduction to the talk; it will tell you what kind of talk it is; Listen to the following commercial. Always look at the questions while you listen, don’t look away!! Begin answering the questions as soon as the talk is over, don’t wait for the tape. If the next talk starts before you are finished move on. Preview the next questions if you have time. Try to eliminate wrong answers. Don’t leave any blanks. Guess if you don’t know.
Different types of Questions for Part Four
Overview Questions
These questions require you to have an overall understanding of the dialogs that you hear. They usually ask about the main idea or purpose of the lecture, or about the speaker, the audience, or the location of where the talk is taking place. Examples: - Who is speaking? - What is the purpose of the talk? - What is happening in this talk? - Where is the announcement being made? - What kind of people would be interested in this talk?
| Detail Questions
Detail questions ask about specific points of the talk. You still have to understand the total conversation. Examples: Questions usually begin with these words. (There are more then mentioned here) Some are negative questions; they ask what was not mentioned in the talk: - Who…?
- What…?
- Where…?
- Why…?
- How…?
- How much…?
Which of the following is not true about…?
| Inference Questions
The answers for these questions are not directly stated in the talk. Instead you have to draw a conclusion (an inference) – based on the information in the talk. Examples: - What is probably true about…? - What can be inferred from the talk? - What does the man/woman mean? - What can be said about…?
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TOEIC
Tips and More
Different types of Talks for Part Four | Public Announcements
These talks are brief informational messages like those given to groups of people in public places. Example: Announcements given in, - Airports - Stores - Airplanes - Sporting events - Schools - Parking lots.
| News, Weather, and Public Service Bulletins
These talks are similar to the ones you might hear on the radio and television. Questions usually ask what is being reported and about details given in the talk.
| Commercial Messages
These resemble the advertisements you might hear on the radio and television. Questions often ask about the product being advertised, who would be interested in the product, and sometimes, how much it cost.
| Business Talks
These talks are similar introductions or remarks made at business meetings, or to announcements made at work settings. Questions often deal with the location, the speaker or the audience, as well as details brought up in the talks.
| Recorded Messages
These talks are similar to the recorded messages you might hear on the telephone and in other situations. Questions usually focus the situation, the audience, and the details in the recording.
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Reading Comprehension
Part 5: Incomplete Sentences
Format:
• Part 5 marks the beginning of the reading skills section. In this section you will read a sentence that has one blank spot. There will be four choices of words or phrases to choose from. You will have to choose the one that you think completes the sentence. When the sentence is complete it must be grammatically correct.
Tactics: The Elimination Game
• For each item, identify the incorrect answers. • Think about why each answer is incorrect. • Make a sentence for each incorrect answer choice so that the word or structure is correctly used.
Purpose: Focusing on distractors in this way helps to reinforce your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary usage. Example 1: (First you will read a sentence with a blank.) Despite having four years of experience in software programming, Mr. Jones hadn’t used a word processing program __________. Next you will read four choices. Choose the word or phrase that best fits into the blank. A. prior B. advanced C. previous D. before Explanation 1: • Choices A is an adjective.(I have a prior engagement.) • Choice B is a verb.(I advanced the money to her.) • Choice C is an adjective.(That was my previous job.) • The correct answer is D. The sentence requires an adverb.
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TOEIC
Tips and More
Part 6: Text Completion
Format:
• In Part 6 you will read four passages of text, such as an article, a letter, a form and an e-mail. In each reading passage there will be three blanks to fill in. You will read four possible choices for each blank. You should read the entire passage to make sure you choose the correct choice in context.
Tactics: Fill the Gap
• Cover the answer choices for each item. You can use pens, erasers, or pieces of scrap paper to do this. Alternatively, you can gap out the answer choices and photocopy texts. • Read the text quickly • Identify whether each item is focusing on grammar or vocabulary • Try to think of possible words that might complete each gap.
Purpose: This helps you to analyze sentence structure, as well as look for cohesive links between sentences in a text. Using context to predict missing words and phrases before looking at the answer choices improves your speed and performance. Variation: After checking your answers, identify which items require you to look outside the sentence with the gap for the information you need. In Part 6 you sometimes need to look elsewhere in the text - at the sentence(s) before or after the missing word or phrase, to work out the correct answer.
Example : Internal Memo DISCOUNT SHOE EMPORIUM MEMORANDUM TO: Sales Staff FROM: Management B.K. DATE: OCTOBER 9th, 20-SUBJECT: FLYER MISPRINT Please be aware that there was a misprint in an advertisement for our store in this week's local free press. The ad states that on Saturday all men's formal footwear is on for 55% percent off rather _______ 15% off. 1. (A). that (B). than (C). then (D). they're If customers come in and ask about this sale, please _______ and explain the printing error. Offer them an additional 5% off coupon to thank them for coming into our store. The coupon can be given out even if the customer decides not to purchase any shoes. 2. (A). apologize (B). compromise (C). categorize (D). analyze Please call a manager to the sales floor _______ you encounter any customers who have the ad with them and demand to receive the 55% discount. These cases will be handled on an individual basis. 3. (A). because (B). whether (C). if (D). before Thank you. B.K.
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Reading Comprehension
| Explanation 2: • Choices A, C, and D do not follow «rather» when a comparison between two things is being made. The correct answer is B. The phrase “rather than” is used in a comparison. | Explanation 2: • Choice B does not fit in context. The verb means to agree to something in order to resolve a disagreement. • Choice C does not fit in context. The verb means to organize according to a certain system. • Choice D does not fit in context. The verb means to look into something in detail The correct answer is A. The verb “apologize” means to say sorry. | Explanation 3: • Choice A is an incorrect conjunction that is used in a result clause. (I called the manager because the customer was angry.) The sale hasn’t happened yet. • Choice B requires two things to occur. (Call the manager whether or not the customer complains.) • Choice D is illogical in context, because a salesperson wouldn’t call the manager to help before the customer complained. The correct answer is C. The word “if” is required to complete the conditional clause.
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TOEIC Tips and More
Part 7: Reading Comprehension Format:
• In Part 7 you will read passages in the form of letters, ads, memos, faxes, schedules, etc. The reading section has a number of single passages and 4 double passages. You will be asked 2-4 questions about each single passage, and 5 questions for each double passage. Sometimes you will be asked for specific details. Other times you will be asked about what the passage implies. In the paired passages you will also be asked to make connections between the two related texts. On the real test you will not have time to read every word. You need to practice scanning and reading quickly for details.
Tactics: Key Word Challenge
• Before you look at the comprehension questions, identify all the key words in the text as quickly as you can. • Underline the key words, or highlight them. Do this as quickly as possible by giving yourself a time limit of 15-20 seconds. • Answer the comprehension questions. Did you identify the key words that relate to each answer?
Purpose: This helps you to understand that you don’t need to read every single word in a text in order to find the correct answers.
Variation: Read the comprehension questions and then underline or highlight the key words in a text that provide the
answer. For lower ability students: See the correct answers so you focus simply on identifying the key words in the text that contain the information.
Example : Internal Memo
Memorandum To: Supervisors From: Judy Linquiest, Human Resource Manager Sub: Probation periods As of January 1st all new employees will be subject to a 3 month probationary period. Medical, holiday, and flextime benefits will not apply to new staff members until the full 3 months have expired. After the three months have been completed, please contact your employees and inform them that their probationary period has ended. The HR department will contact you by email 2 days in advance to remind you of the date. Thank you for your cooperation.
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Reading Comprehension
1. What is the main purpose of this memo? A) To inform all employees of a new expiration date. B) To put staff members on probation. C) To introduce the HR department. D) To inform supervisors of a change in policy. | Explanation 1: • Choice A is incorrect because the memo is only for supervisors and the subject is probationary periods. • Choice B is incorrect because it is only new employees that go on probation. • Choice C is who will send the notice to remind supervisors of the date. The correct answer is D. 2. When does the change come into effect? A) Today. B) In 2 days. C) In 3 months. D) On January 1st. | Explanation 2: • Choice A is not mentioned. • Choice B confuses «2 days in advance» (which is when the supervisors will get their notice) with «in 2 days». • Choice C is how long the probationary period is. The correct answer is D.
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TOEIC Tips and More
tips for TOEIC success
1. Start today. Languages take a long time to become a natural part of someone's brain, so the sooner you start studying the better. If the two options are to do a lot now and then just revise a little before the exam or start slowly now and then study a lot just before the exam, you will learn three or four times as much using the first method, and also remember the language longer after the exam is finished. 2. Have a plan of attack. Set yourself realistic targets for your TOEIC score in 3 months, 6 months, a year etc. and decide which things are best to do first in preparation for it and which things can wait until nearer the time of the exam. 3. Concentrate on the important parts. What you need to pass the exam is mainly vocabulary (both General English vocabulary and Business English vocabulary) and practice is listening and reading. Grammar practice can help, but most students find this is the least important part of the exam. 4. Concentrate on what you need. It is generally easier to gain points in the exam by practicing parts you find difficult rather than gaining even more points in the parts you find easy, especially if you learn techniques on how to pick out the important and manageable parts of those sections of the exam. The easier parts can then be saved to be used when you need a break from difficult stuff. 5. Revise first. In the TOEIC test you need to be able to not only answer the questions, but answer them quickly. This means that language that you learnt once but can't remember without thinking for 5 minutes first won't be much use in the rushed, high pressure exam. It is therefore almost always better to properly learn something you half know already than it is to add something new to your list of things to learn, especially if you have made sure that it is useful language by finding it in material for the exam or material for people of your English level. Make sure you spend at least 30% of your study time revising things you have studied before but don't know very well yet. 6. Have a weekly study plan. Work out how many hours you can spare for studying TOEIC, make time for a realistic number of breaks, decide which parts of studying you can do on the train to work, decide on your priorities for the rest of your time, think about when you are likely to be most tired and should therefore study easier stuff, and then write your weekly study plan down. 7. Have a yearly study plan. Try a TOEIC test and analyse carefully what you got wrong and why. Write down all the things you will need to know and be able to do by the end of the year in order to get the score you need. Group those things together into categories (e.g. "reading skills" or "grammar"). Find out as many ways as you can of learning and practising each of those things and put them into your yearly plan so that the whole schedule has a lot of variety in it, e.g. by having different newspapers to read each month, or starting with local newspapers in English and working your way up to The Economist. 8. Have a daily study plan. With your own knowledge of when you are most likely to be able to concentrate, plan to do the new language and the most difficult parts at those times and the easier parts and doing old practice papers again as revision for generally less productive times like after lunch. 9. Read. The thing you need most to pass the TOEIC test is vocabulary, and the best way of learning vocabulary is through reading. Although looking words up in a dictionary and learning them later is a good idea for this, you need to make sure that this doesn't slow down your reading speed (very important for the TOEIC reading paper). You can practice both reading fast and vocabulary by reading through a whole article, paragraph or page quickly while only circling or underlining the words you are not sure about, then stop reading and look up the words in a dictionary. At this time or later, you will also need to transfer the most useful of those words to a list of vocabulary to learn.
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80 tips for TOEIC success 10. Read graded readers. Although the texts you will have to read in the TOEIC exam are not made easier for you in any way, when it comes to learning vocabulary it is best to read something at your level where which words are important for students to learn has already been decided for you, i.e. a graded reader, or "easy reader". Well known examples of these are Penguin Readers, Macmillan Readers, Oxford Readers and Black Cat Readers. To make sure you learn good language for the exam, it is best to choose a non-fiction title if you can. If you find there is one or two words a page which you are not sure about, you have found the right level book. 11. Read the news. Although the language in newspapers is quite different to what you will read and hear in the TOEIC exam, the fact that English language news comes out everyday and so is always new is quite motivating- if you don't read it now, it will soon be gone! The easiest news to understand is usually that on websites like Yahoo or through Google news alerts. You can make it even easier to understand by reading a story that you already know about. Choosing business news might give you some useful vocabulary if your Business English is weak. However, unless you have a very high level, don't worry if you have problems understanding the news on CNN and BBC News, as this is nothing like the language in the Listening part of the exam. 12. Surf the web. As information has become available in every language on the internet, many students have started to use English less than they did a few years ago. You can push yourself to use English by always using English search items on the English language Google site. You can also make it easier to understand whatever you read in English by using an online or CD ROM dictionary that translates a word on the website if you click on it. However, avoid services that translate whole pages of text as the translations are not too good and it will mean you are no longer practising your English. 13. Watch with English subtitles. Although watching videos can be a good way of getting used to fast, natural speech, the disadvantage is that it is very difficult to look words up that you don't understand in the dictionary. Watching a DVD with English sound and English subtitles makes it easier to understand and easier to look words up. As you can easily lose concentration before the end of a movie, short episodes of series are better practice. 14. Read quickly. Reading speed is one of the most important parts of the TOEIC exam. Before you start reading anything in English, remind yourself to read as quickly as you can, not stopping for parts you don't understand. If you want to read it more slowly to check your understanding or look up words in the dictionary, only do this the second time you read something. 15. Search the web for a speaking dictionary. Students often find the questions in the listening difficult even though it only uses words they already know. This is usually because they don't recognize the word because they have only read it before and never heard it. Listening to the pronunciation of each new word you learn and repeating it a couple of times means you are more likely to remember it and more likely to understand it when you hear it. Many electronic dictionaries now have this function. If you are embarrassed about doing this in public, you will need to buy some headphones to go with your electronic dictionary. 16. Change everything to English. Some of the reading texts and listening texts in the exam are instructions on how to use machines and office equipment. Changing the language of your mobile phone, MP3 player (iPod etc.), internet search engine etc. to English can be good practice for this. 17. Read your instruction manuals in English. Many electronics items are now sold with the instructions in many languages. Try reading them in English first, as this is quite similar to some of the language you will see in the TOEIC Reading paper. 18. Write. Although there is no writing in the exam, learning to write the kinds of documents you will have to read in the exam is a good way of finding out where the important information usually is and so reading things quicker. It is also good for learning vocabulary. 19. Read every part of your dictionary. As well as being a place you look up words you don't know, many modern dictionaries also tell you how to write common business documents you will see in the exam like emails, which words are most common in English and therefore worth learning first, the differences between commonly confused words (often used in trick questions in the exam) etc. etc.
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TOEIC Tips and More 20. Write an English diary. People who don't need to write English in their work or studies often get stuck on what they can write if they don't have a teacher helping them. Writing about what you did everyday means you will never run out of material. If you can also write out whole conversations you had during the day, that is exactly the kind of language that you will hear in the Listening part of the exam. 21. Online chat. If you don't have the chance to speak English, the closest thing you can find is text chatting online. This is fairly similar to speaking as you have to write in real time and there is quite a lot of functional language like greeting people, apologizing etc. that is like the language you will hear in the Listening part of the test. 22. Join discussion forums. Reading an online forum about something you are interested in or knowledgeable about can be very motivating, as you will really want to know what people are saying and can write your own comments if you have some information that other people need, or want to say that you agree or disagree with someone. Like chat pages, there is also quite a lot of useful functional language like agreeing and disagreeing. You might also be able to find a discussion forum about other people's experiences with the TOEIC exam. 23. Join a TOEIC class. Although there is no speaking in the test, using English and talking through your problems with it can really fix the language in your head. It can also help your motivation, and you will get some good tips on how to take the exam. 24. Join a Business English class. Although specialized business vocabulary is not supposed to be necessary to pass the test, the functional language (dealing with complaints etc.) and some everyday vocabulary that comes up more in Business English classes ("colleague", names of jobs etc.) means that this kind of class can really help, especially if you don't have any business experience. 25. Join a general English Conversation class. Although there are many tricks in this list and on Usingenglish.com to boost your TOEIC score in a short time, if you really want to gain more than 100 points in the long term there is no replacement for just improving your general level of English by finishing a class and going up to the next level. A General English conversation class can also be a good way of keeping you interested in English if you are getting bored with TOEIC exam practice. 26. Try doing a test backwards. Many TOEIC candidates never get good at the last part of the Reading section of the test because they spend most of their time and use up most of their energy on the earlier parts of the paper. Try working your way backwards through the test instead a few times. 27. Time yourself. It is difficult to get yourself motivated to do many practice tests when your scores seem to go up and down each time and you can't see clear progress in the short term. One solution is to concentrate on the timing rather than the marks. Time how long it takes you to complete the whole Reading part of the test and try to make that shorter every time- even if you have already finished quicker than the official time limit of the test. You can also do the same thing with each section of the test. 28. Read and listen. After you have finished the listening paper, read through the tapescript carefully and check any words you don't know in your dictionary. Next, listen and read the tapescript at the same time, listening for how the written script and the sounds that are pronounced in natural speech are different (e.g. the fast pronunciation of "Do you"). You might also want to write the pronunciation changes on the tapescript, e.g. crossing out sounds that are not pronounced, drawing a loop between sounds that are pronounced together etc. You can then read and listen one more time, and try to say the sentences in the tapescript with the same rhythm as the speaker on the CD. 29. Do exactly the same test again. Once you have finished a whole practice test or one section of it, check your answers and check you understand why you made any mistakes you did. Write the vocabulary and grammar from the test
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80 tips for TOEIC success you didn't know in your notebook, and test yourself on it at least 3 more times over the next week or two. You can then try the same test again to check your memory, make the language really stick in your mind, and boost your confidence. 30. Set yourself a vocabulary goal. For example, if you learn 5 words a day for a year that will mean more than 1500 new words you can understand in English and being a whole level higher in reading comprehension. Once you have set that target, try to learn double that every day, so that you are always ahead of your target and therefore motivated. 31. Learn whole English phrases. Speed of understanding is very important in both the Listening and Reading sections of the TOEIC test, and one thing that can really slow you down is trying to understand an English sentence word by word. You can make your comprehension much faster by learning whole common sentences of English such as "I look forward to hearing from you soon" and "That's a pity" rather than the expressions "look forward" and "pity". One good way of doing this is to buy a travel phrase book with CD, which will have common phrases like "Do you want fries with that?" which you can practice responding quickly to. Some of them are produced especially for Business travellers, so might be especially useful. You could also try learning any English language notices and announcements in your town, for example on the subway or buses. 32. Listen to an English language audio guide. Many museums have little MP3 players and headphones that tell you about some of the things you can see as you walk around. Looking at the exhibits and listening to the descriptions in English is quite similar to TOEIC Listening Part One. If you have problems understanding it, buy an English language guidebook and try the audio guide again when you have read the guidebook and looked up any difficult words in your dictionary. 33. Stop translating. The thing that slows down listening and reading comprehension most is translating things into your own language in your head. You can start to think only in English by using an English-English dictionary, not using translations in your lists of vocabulary to learn, and learning whole phrases of English. 34. Brainstorm vocabulary. There are several common situations in TOEIC that you need lots of vocabulary about, e.g. in the office, in restaurants, on the telephone, in a workshop or lab, in the street, in shops and on public transport. Taking one of those situations and brainstorming, for example, all the office furniture and equipment you can think of, using your dictionary to help you once you get stuck, can be really useful and motivating. Doing this as a spider diagram, linking together similar or connected words, can also help you think of more words and remember it better. Make sure you revise any new vocabulary in the week after brainstorming, then brainstorm again and see if you have missed any out or have thought of any new ones. Also make sure you learn the pronunciation of the words. 35. Brainstorm functional language. Choose one of the typical situations for a TOEIC listening, e.g. in the airport, and brainstorm as many typical sentences people say in this situation as you can, e.g. "Did you pack this luggage yourself?" You can find this kind of language in a phrasebook for travellers or a Business English self-study book. 36. Write dialogues. For the typical TOEIC settings like those shown in the pictures of Part One, try writing whole dialogues of what people might say when they get on the bus, arrive at reception etc. This can help you predict the language you will hear in both Listening Part One and Listening Part Two. 37. Write descriptions. Either before or after you listen to a Listening Part One task, try writing as many true sentences about the picture as you can. 38. Draw. As an alternative way of practising Listening Part One, try listening to all four sentences without looking at the picture first, and make a sketch of each of the four situations described. When you then look at the picture you should be able to find which of your sketches it is most similar to and therefore which the right answer is. 39. Join a study group. Just sitting next to someone studying the same thing as you can help you to discipline yourself you not take too many breaks etc. You can also test each other on what you have been trying to learn, try and explain why certain answers are wrong etc. 40. Train your short term memory. Many people have memory problems when taking the TOEIC test like remembering what you heard in the text until you hear the questions. Even brain training for this that is not connected to language can be useful, e.g. special games on the Nintendo DS. 41. Get longer and shorter. The first time you try a test, try checking every answer after you do it before you try the next one. The second time, try a whole section and then check the answers to that section. Continue making the parts of the test you do without stopping longer and longer until you can do a whole test without stopping. If you get bored after a few timed complete tests or you find that you are not remembering the language you have learnt from it because it is
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TOEIC Tips and More too much, alternate doing whole tests and doing shorter sections. You can also alternate doing the whole test and doing lots of examples of just one section, preferably one you are finding difficult. 42. Be realistic. If you are ever disappointed by how many questions you have got wrong in a TOEIC exam or how many questions you couldn't finish before the time limit, always remember that the only people who will finish every question and get them all right are near native speakers who have lived, and probably studied, abroad when they were still young. Your aim is always to find the easiest questions that you couldn't get right and work on them to improve your score step by step. 43. Eat healthily. Although the vitamins and oils for brain development are only proven to work for growing children, eating healthy food and avoiding additives can help you study longer each day and remember better what you have studied. Also remember that alcohol can affect your short term memory powers. 44. Cut down on the coffee. If you are too used to drinking coffee while studying, you might be in for a shock when you have to take the TOEIC test for 3 hours with no drinks or food allowed. 45. Stop snacking while studying. As well as getting used to not being able to do this during the exam, it could also improve your general health and mean that time preparing and eating food is a proper rest from study that leaves you refreshed and ready to do some more serious work. 46. Understand your biorhythms. By knowing whether you are a morning person or an evening person, you can plan which easy, mechanical things like learning vocabulary lists or doing pronunciation practice you can leave to times you are sleepy like after lunch, and which more challenging things you should do while you are most awake (for most people this is first thing in the morning, even for most people who think they are evening people). The same things are true over a week with Monday mornings, times just before the weekend etc. 47. Be positive. Believing that you can succeed can have a large effect in actually making you succeed. There are books, audio tapes and videos that can show you how to boost your confidence in yourself and think positively every day, available from the self-help and business sections of bookshops. These books are often also fairly easy English language reading material. 48. Take time out. Although it can be difficult to know when it is just being lazy, sometimes when you are learning a language you just need to give your brain time to really understand and learn the language subconsciously while you are doing something unconnected, for example by sleeping after studying and then trying it again the next day. 49. Tell someone what you are doing and get them to motivate you. In things like sports we are often motivated by things like competition between people, being told by your coach you have improved etc. It is therefore not surprising that many people get demotivated when studying on their own. By communicating with someone how you are doing, e.g. on the internet or telling someone in your family if you have having a good or a bad day, you will find that the progress you are making becomes clearer to you. 50. Even if you've done it, try again. If you manage to get the TOEIC score you need on a practice test, you should certainly feel very happy and reward yourself with a beer or a bar of chocolate. However, you should then get quickly back to studying to make sure you can get the same score under real exam conditions. First of all, getting lucky in, for example, getting exactly the grammar questions that you know the answers to is possible and can change your score by up to 35 points- so try another test from the same book to make sure you can get that score another time. Another thing is that as most practice tests are not produced by ETS and so there is a chance that one or more (or even all) of the tests in the book you have are easier or more difficult than the real test. You might therefore want to try a test from a book published by a different company. Generally, the books by the big international publishers are the most reliable. Finally, if you really can get the score you want every time you try a test, set your target score 30 or 40 points higher so you have a cushion in case you have a bad day on the day of the test.
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80 tips for TOEIC success 51. Set your body clock. If your test times will be when you are usually sleeping or eating, you will have to get used to not doing those things at those times for a few weeks before the test. 52. See if you understand why it is wrong now. If you are studying on your own, a few weeks or months are trying an exam task look at your answers again and see if you have learnt something that now makes the answers you got wrong more obvious. If you still don't understand after looking at something three or more times, it is probably worth getting a teacher for at least 2 or 3 classes so you can ask them questions and stop making the same mistakes, or at least joining a study group so you can get the ideas of other students. 53. Learn to cope with stress. For some people, stress is as much of a problem in the exam as the language they are being tested on. Preparation for this can include getting used to other stressful situations like public speaking and/ or learning relaxation techniques like meditation or deep breathing. 54. Try real test conditions. Do a practice test in a library or quiet cafĂŠ so that you have exactly the same conditions of not being able to move and having people around you and less than perfect silence. 55. Look at your progress. If you are getting disappointed with your progress in English, you are sure to be able to find something, e.g. a test score from the beginning of your course, that shows you how much you have actually learnt. This will give you the motivation to keep trying and step up to the next level.
56. Keep all your scores. Especially if you are studying on your own, it can be very easy to give up after your score goes down in a couple of practice tests. Keeping all your scores can reminding you of how well you have progressed over the long term. 57. Set short term, medium term and long term goals. For example, 20 points by the end of the month, 40 points by the end of 3 months and 100 points by the end of the year. When setting these goals, remember that you will probably progress most quickly at the beginning of your studies. 58. Choose the easiest bits first. Just like doing exercise, most people need a warm up to get into studying or doing a test. Every time you sit down, decide which part is easiest and start with that for 5 to 15 minutes. Thinking about which part is easy is also a good way of looking at the test material in a different way. 59. Time each question. As well as helping you to use your time well in the exam, the adrenaline boost of doing something against the clock can make you more interested in it and therefore help you remember it better. 60. Time each section. As well as giving you the same motivating effects as timing each question, this can help you see which part of the reading paper you are doing slowest and so need most practice on. 61. Reward yourself. If you think of the studying part of your brain as an animal that needs to be trained, by giving yourself a bar of chocolate when you have studied hard or got a good score you can train your subconscious to work hard to get those rewards again.
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TOEIC Tips and More 62. Try answering the question without hearing or reading the text. As well as being something you can occasionally do in the exam, this can help you read the questions more carefully to make sure you aren't being tricked by a few words. 63. Practice at the same time as the test. Try a few practice tests at exactly the same time of day, and even the same day of the week, as your TOEIC test will be. This will help you get a realistic idea of your energy and concentration levels at that time, and help you improve them. 64. Stop cramming. The amount of language that could be in the TOEIC exam is so huge that the chances that whatever you study the day before coming up and helping you get a better score are the same as reading one random page in an encyclopedia and expecting it to help you with your university entrance test. On the day or two before the exam, just concentrate on doing some relaxing in English and making sure you are healthy and happy on the day of the test. 65. Find a radio station in English that interests you. Streaming radio stations online works better than the traditional radio because you can listen to any station worldwide. Everyone loves music, which many stations will play, but if you really want to fine-tune your English listening skills you should listen to a talk radio station. You can still enjoy your music, but you will learn English intonation and listening much better with native speech. Talk radio shows span many different topics, from sports to science, so choose something that interests you. You can download “tune-in� to your smart phone and find a radio station that you like. 66. Try something easier. Doing something easier like a TOEIC Bridge practice test can give a boost to your confidence and so motivate you to try harder. It can also help you realize which parts of the language you are studying for the TOEIC are more basic and so need studying first. 67. Time everything you do during the day. As you can't be checking your watch every minute of the exam, learning how long things take and how long 75 minutes really is can help you keep your speed up in the exam while stopping you rushing too much and panicking. Predicting how long the washing up, walking to the shops etc. will take and checking your predictions can help develop your accurate idea of time. 68. Try something more difficult. Like practicing sprints to develop long distance running strength, trying something even more difficult than the TOEIC exam like an instruction manual for a new machine in English can help you develop skills like skimming over words you don't know, and make the TOEIC test seem easier when you go back to it. 69. Write down your tactics. As well as writing down new language, writing down the things you learn about how to do the test can help you remember the best tactics and can also be good practice of English. 70. Copy and change a TOEIC sentence or text. To make sure you understand and really learn a typical TOEIC sentence like the functional language in Listening Part Two, copy it down and then practise changing one word at a time until it is as different as possible while still being correct English. 71. Copy and delete a TOEIC sentence or text. Another way of making sure you remember the language is to cover or erase the sentence one word at a time until the whole sentence has gone or you can't remember it anymore. 72. Do a TOEIC exam listening as a dictation. Although in the exam you have to be careful not to try and understand every word, using on exam practice text to listen over and over and try to write down everything you hear can be a good way of learning how the pronunciation of words are changed in fast, natural speech. 73. Learn the word stress. Practising the sounds of English on your own and recognizing when you are making the correct one is very difficult. One thing you can easily write down and learn that often makes understanding when you listen difficult is the rhythm of words. You can mark this with a big circle over the stressed (louder and longer) syllable of each word.
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80 tips for TOEIC success 74. Learn other parts of speech. Another thing that can catch you out in the exam is hearing a word that is basically the same as one you know, but is a noun when you only know the verbs, e.g. "communication" and "communicate". Learning each form of a word can also help you remember the original word better. 75. Learn the sentence stress. In the same way that you need to be able to skim quickly through a reading text to look for the important information to answer a question, in the listening you need to be able to pick out the important information. In English the important words in a sentence are pronounced longer and louder than the grammar words like "am" and "at" between them. Learning which these words are, marking them on sentences while or before you listen, and practicing speaking with the correct rhythm can all help with this. 76. Watch soap operas in English. Although it may seem that television dramas about family problems etc. are a long way from the Business English that TOEIC is supposed to be a test of, in fact a lot of the language, especially in Listening Part Two, is everyday functional English that people use when they say hello, ask people to do things etc. If you don't use English every day, soap operas are probably the most common and easiest to understand way to regularly hear such language. 77. Listen to radio drama. If you can understand the everyday functional language used in a TV drama, then the next stage is to try and understand the same kind of language without the pictures by listening to a radio soap opera like "The Archers", downloadable from BBC Radio 4. 78. Watch wildlife documentaries. In Listening Part One you will look at something and hear a description of it at the same time. This kind of situation is very rare in everyday life, but in scientific documentaries like "Planet Earth" quite a lot of that kind of language is used. 79. Watch a video about the business world. When you are choosing a DVD to watch, try picking one that is in a business setting and therefore will have lots of Business English vocabulary you can practice your listening comprehension of. Possibilities include comedy series like "The Office", documentaries like "Enron: the smartest guys in the room" or movies like "American Psycho", "Rogue Trader" or "Bonfire of the Vanities". 80. Listen to the business news. Although all the listening texts in the TOEIC exam are dialogues and therefore the business news in English is much more difficult, this can be a good way of making sure you understand typical Business English vocabulary used in context. To make it easier for you to understand, try reading the same business news in English or even your own language first.
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Amy Lucas