I. INTRODUCTION:

The TOEIC Speaking test is an oral test that evaluates the candidate's speaking ability - one of two productive skills including speaking and writing. Because the nature of TOEIC is a test of ordinary language proficiency in a workplace context, the language of the test also has a strong office feel, containing everyday vocabulary and structures in the office. Here are some strategies for taking the TOEIC Speaking test.

II. CONTENT: 

Strategy for taking the TOEIC Speaking with Part 1: Questions 1-2:

In this part, with the requirement to read a short text, with a capacity of less than 100 words, candidates will see the text appear on the screen, and have 45 seconds to read it out loud after 45 seconds of preparation. In addition, candidates will hear the instructions read. The following strategies may help candidates complete the TOEIC Speaking Question 1-2 test better:

- Pronunciation practice: This part hardly requires complex creative thinking on the part of the test taker, but only tests the ability to read a given text out loud. Therefore, candidates need to practice their ability to pronounce loudly, clearly, accurately, and be careful with unfamiliar or difficult-to-read phrases, such as website names.

- Practice intonation: Similarly, intonation will also be one of the factors to be evaluated in this section. The speaker needs to pay attention to the intonation of the sentence, and distinguish the intonation between different types of sentences (affirmative, negative, question). In addition, depending on the purpose and content of the text, the reader can adjust the tone accordingly.

- Read carefully and practice: Candidates need to make full use of the 45 seconds of preparation time to read the text carefully. By doing this, the reader can identify pauses and important phrases to emphasize, so they can speak at their best. In addition, if possible, the speaker should also quickly rehearse the text a few times in his head before reading it out loud.

Strategy for taking the TOEIC Speaking with part 2: Questions 3-4:

Observe and analyze the image carefully: Obviously with the image description, the first thing to do is to look closely at the given photo and analyze the characteristics and objects in it. Candidates can note a few main ideas about the image on scratch paper if necessary. 

Ask questions in mind: To avoid missing ideas when speaking and to ensure that you capture as many details about the given image as possible, test takers should practice the skill of asking questions using Wh-words (question words like What, Where, When, How, etc.) about images quickly in your head. The answers to those questions are the most detailed and complete content of the given photo.

 

Strategy for taking the TOEIC Speaking with part 3: Questions 5-7:

For each question in the answer section of this question, candidates will be provided with a situation in text form on the screen along with a number of related questions. The following strategies may help candidates complete TOEIC Speaking Questions 5-7 better: 

+ Practice with common topics: The topics in questions 5-7 of TOEIC Speaking mostly revolve around familiar topics in life such as work, hobbies, accommodation, etc. Candidates need to grasp and practice these issues in advance to prepare well for the exam.

+ Practice quick thinking and improvisation skills: In this part, the ability to react quickly is extremely important, because thinking time is almost non-existent - only 3 seconds for each sentence. Therefore, candidates need to practice thinking and improvisation skills on the spot, in a number of ways such as practicing dialogue with others or listening to dialogue videos on the Internet.

III. CONCLUSION: 

In general, to achieve the desired TOEIC Speaking score in part 1,2, and 3, we should have careful preparation and effort and concentration during the test. It is understandable that these parts of the test become a concern for many candidates considering the difficulty of a language production skill like Speaking compared to other skills. However, clearly understanding and grasping the format and content of the test, and determining strategies for each part of the test will partly help ease the anxiety of candidates.

Thank you!