Proper Voice Modulation in Answering the TOEFL Speaking Test

“My friend took the TOEFL exam a month ago and when she got her results, she was not that happy. She said that the content of her responses were okay; however, her voice was not modulated enough for the test. I am taking the TOEFL in three weeks, and I am wondering whether voice modulation bears a great deal of points in the TOEFL test.” –Alexandra, 28, nurse

One’s voice is a powerful tool in communication. Without it, human communication is nearly impossible. An individual’s voice allows him or her to express what he or she has in mind and even show his or her emotions. For the TOEFL or the Test of English as a Foreign Language, having a good voice quality is very important, as important as the content of the examinee’s response.

In the TOEFL speaking, the questions are all recorded and saved in a database. The examinee will have to answer six different questions in a very limited time of preparation and response. The TOEFL speaking test will gauge how well the examinee can express his or her own ideas on independent questions and how well he or she can organize and synthesize ideas in integrated tasks.

To become a good English speaker, one should improve one’s voice quality. The best trick here is to breathe through the chests. Have you ever heard of some people who have a very high pitched voice? This happens when you get air from your throat. When we breathe through our chests, the voice that is produced has a lower tone and well-modulated. It can be a little tricky; hence, one needs a lot of practice to achieve this trick.

When some people speak, it is quite obvious that they are controlling the pitch of their voices. The sound is quite unnatural compared to the natural speaking voice. When this happens, the voice is shaky and most of the time, it can cause some problems in delivering the response, like someone is running out of breath. A well-modulated voice is better since it sounds more matured. Hearing someone speak in a well-modulated voice gives you an impression that this person knows what he or she is talking about. He or she is knowledgeable on the topic; thus, raising some good impression from the listening public. Further, a well-modulated voice shows authority. This means that the person is confident with what he or she is saying. Being in authority means you are sure that your response is correct and you are on the right track in your TOEFL speaking test.

When a TOEFL test candidate has a modulated voice, the words that come out from his or her mouth are clear. There is no difficulty in understanding the vocabulary, the sentences, and even the content. Some people do not open their mouths when they speak. As a result, the response becomes very confusing and they get a low score in the TOEFL test.

How to achieve a good modulated voice for the TOEFL test? Here’s how.

• Breathe through the chest, not through your throat. 

• Practice humming. This will help in getting your pitch lower.

• Do not should when speaking. Listen to the volume of your voice. 

• Do not speak fast. Be cautious with the speed of your response. 

• Open your mouth when speaking. 

• Do some tongue twisters before speaking. 

• Have proper posture when sitting down. 

• Breathe properly. 

• Do facial exercise. Open your mouth wide and close it for about five times. Smile. 

• Always be assertive when you speak. It adds to your authority.

Use your natural modulated speaking voice in speaking. Remember that a very good content in your response paired with a well-modulated voice is a winning combination for the TOEFL speaking test. 

For more TOEFL Tips you can refer to this link toeflreview.blogspot.com.

Where to Take TOEFL Exam in Cebu City?

Since English proficiency examinations became a requirement to visa applications, a great number of individuals have been flocking in review centers to prepare for these examinations. One of these examinations is the TOEFL or the Test of English as a Foreign Language. In the Philippines, this examination is mostly taken by working professionals who wish to practice their professions overseas most especially in the United States. Different cities offer review packages for the TOEFL including Cebu City.

photo credits: www.thewanderingjuan.net

Cebuanos do not have to spend a lot of money for reviews and for the taking the test itself. Cebu City hosts different review centers that offer quality training to their students. The convenience of having to review right in Cebu is what most Cebuanos look for. To add more to this convenience, the TOEFL examination is also available in Cebu. Candidates for the examination can take TOEFL need first to make a personal account at www.ets.org (they have to click on TOEFL home). Once they have made an account, they can pick a date available for their city. For Cebu, here are the following dates:

December 14, 2014 and 21, 2014

January 10, 11, 25, and 31, 2015

February 01, 2015

March 07 and 28, 2015

Once candidates have chosen the date, the test center in Cebu City will be seen. The TOEFL test is usually held at Cebu City International located c/o Train, Educ and Dev Cons Inc., Suite 308- Centro Maximo, Jakosalem Street, Cebu City. Payment options will be following this and once candidates are done, an email confirming their registration will be sent.

Cebuanos should be aware of the whereabouts of this test center. It is highly recommended for anyone taking the TOEFL test to visit the test center before the scheduled examination. On the test day, candidates for the examination are expected to be at the center an hour before the test. This will give TOEFL test administrators more time to have the candidates sign the confidentiality form along with the giving of instructions before examiners are checked in to their workstations.

Further, candidates have to take the exam prepared. Taking review classes for the TOEFL in TOEFL review centers is the answer. There will be a lot of classroom activities and mock exams given to the students. These will help them know the TOEFL more and develop skills that will lead them in hitting their desired scores.

There are more and more Cebuanos taking the TOEFL. Plan your future working and even living overseas and start it by getting a high score in the TOEFL exam. 

For more TOEFL tips http://toeflreview.blogspot.com.

What Does the TOEFL Exam Setup Looks Like?

The growing number of people taking English proficiency examinations has been increasing for the past years. This is a clear indication that more and more Filipinos have found great opportunities for them overseas. English proficiency tests are major requirement for non-native English speakers, like Filipinos, when they wish to work, study or stay for good in other countries. One of these tests being taken by many Filipinos is the TOEFL or the Test of English as a Foreign Language.

There are a lot of people who are still clueless on how the test looks like – the detail on its sections, the physical layout of the test center and other information that will make them informed for the test. Having said this, let us have a short yet detailed overview of the TOEFL test.

As a computer-based test, candidates will have to make use of computers to finish the examination. Most of the time, test centers are like internet shops where people are divided by cubicles for the test. The test administrators will be checking the examinees from time to time to check if they need something or have troubles in using the computer for the test. Now, what can candidates expect from the test itself?

First, every candidate should know that the TOEFL is an academic English test. Most topics covered are subjects in school which makes it a bit easier since the topic could be anything from the different fields of knowledge in the academic context.

Reading passages pose a little threat of difficulty with their content. Any topics can be used; hence, there are a lot of students who think that the reading should be practiced most of the time, and improving one’s vocabulary is a good start. Second, candidates are going to listen to a lecture or a conversation on an academic topic. The trick is getting the right main idea and the details of these to be able to answer questions after listening to the audio recording. After these two sections, the candidate is given a ten-minute mandatory break before starting the second half: speaking and writing.

The speaking test is divided into independent and integrated tasks. Candidates have to give responses in a very limited time. They have to think of good points along with strong reason to support their ideas. The writing is a showcase of how well one integrates an idea from a reading and lecture, and an opinion-based question for the second task. Once the test is finished, the candidate can leave the workstation provided scratch papers are left behind.

The TOEFL test’s challenge is the vocabulary in the test. Since it is academic, there would be words that are difficult to understand and even use in the sentence. With this, it is very important for a candidate to study and even join TOEFL review classes to prepare themselves not only academically but also mentally, emotionally and even physically.