Are you preparing for the TOEFL exam? Do you also think you need to attend a traditional offline class to get your dream TOEFL scores? While offline coaching can feel more personalised, it is absolutely not true that it is the only way you can get a band 8+ in your exam. In fact, there are many test takers who study from the comfort of their homes, take TOEFL online coaching, and achieve their targeted scores. It is just a matter of discipline, effective strategy, and getting the right support. And how can you get all these? Well, this article will help you. Read on and discover effective ways to prepare for the TOEFL at home.
Strategy 1: Get Your Basic Right!
The first step in anything, be it the TOEFL exam or other important aspects of a career, is to understand the basics. Once you understand them, it can get really easy for you to build on them.
So, start by understanding the test format. There are four main sections in TOEFL. What are they? It’s Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing, each of them are specifically designed to test your language proficiency in different aspects.
In addition to this, you can also take a full mock test to understand where you are currently standing. Once you know this, you can then create a study schedule based on it.
Strategy 2: Develop Skills
Now that you have a better understanding of where you stand. Try to understand what your weaknesses and strengths are. This will help you better tailor your study approach and can increase your chances of scoring higher. Take a look at a few strategies:
Reading Section
There are quite a few ways you can improve your basic and much-needed skills for the reading section of the TOEFL exam. These include:
- Reading as much as you can and reading as diverse content as possible. The more you read, the better your reading skills will get. You can start with reading academic articles and then gradually move to magazines and news articles.
- You can also learn how to quickly skim the reading passages and scan them for specific details. This will help you manage your time even more effectively.
Listening Section
As someone whose first language is not English, it can get a little difficult to understand spoken English. This is especially true if it is in different accents. To improve your skills in the listening section, you can try to:
- Listen to diverse recordings and immerse yourself in podcasts, movies, and news broadcasts in different accents. This will help you understand different speech styles and pronunciations.
- Take notes using abbreviations and symbols. This will help you quickly understand and capture the key points and important details.
Speaking Section
One thing that most test takers struggle with in the speaking section is having a broken flow or using excessive filler words like ehh… or umm.. To improve skills in the speaking section, you can try to:
- Engage in conversations with native speakers or try to speak out loud. A great way is to record yourself while answering a sample question and then listen back to check where you are struggling the most.
- You can also use a PREP method for independent tasks. This is a simple structure which follows Point, Reason, Example, and Conclusion, and can help you organise your thoughts much more quickly.
Writing Section
And lastly, to improve your skills in the writing section, you can follow these strategies below:
- Start by learning how to structure your essay. This includes a clear instruction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
- Practice doing your writing tasks quickly. This will give you extra minutes to proofread and correct any mistakes. Check for grammar, spelling, and clarity errors.
Strategy 3: Use Good Resources and Practice
The last strategy is to use official materials for your TOEFL exam preparation. You can use the Official Guide to the TOEFL iBT Test and official practice tests to get an authentic sense of understanding of the exam.
In addition to this, you can also incorporate general English practice and simulate test conditions. A great rule of thumb is that you take a full mock test regularly under strict time conditions. Also, do not forget to track your progress and adjust your study plan accordingly.
Conclusion
Summing up, it might feel like it’s not easy to get your dream band score for the TOEFL exam by preparing at home. But this is not true; you can follow these strategies above and take TOEFL online coaching for better exam preparation. Need more help? Want to improve your TOEFL eligibility? Try connecting with experts from Gradding and boost your TOEFL preparation today!