TOEFL Speaking Task 2 Sample: The students express their opinion about the engineering department's plan. Briefly summarize the plan. Then state their opinion about the plan and the reasons they give for holding that opinion.

Historical user samples and AI evaluation results from an older TOEFL format.

2 archived user samples

Older TOEFL Format

This task is from a previous version of the TOEFL exam. The current TOEFL has a different structure. These archived samples remain available as a reference for practice.

Task Overview

Reading Passage

Tutorials Discontinued for Engineering Students The department of engineering plans to discontinue tutorials for first-year engineering students next year. Currently, students who are interested in getting assistance with their engineering coursework sign up for a tutorial. Upper-level students then sign up as volunteers to tutor groups of students. The department cites a lack of volunteer tutors as the primary reason for closing the tutorial program. A department representative also noted that, 'There is no clear evidence that the tutorials help improve learning overall.'

Question

The students express their opinion about the engineering department's plan. Briefly summarize the plan. Then state their opinion about the plan and the reasons they give for holding that opinion.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

Evaluation Result

1.Sub Scores

Delivery: 3 Topic Development: 3 Language Use: 3

2.Estimated Scores

23. 3.Delivery

The speaker's delivery is generally clear and fluid, but there are occasional pauses that disrupt the flow of speech. To improve, the speaker should practice speaking more consistently and work on reducing unnecessary pauses. Additionally, the speaker should focus on accurate pronunciation to avoid any potential spelling errors.

4.Topic Development

The response is coherent and well-organized, but there is room for improvement in terms of providing more specific examples and support for the students' opinions. The speaker should elaborate on the benefits of the tutorial program and provide more concrete evidence to strengthen their argument. This can be achieved by incorporating more details from the listening passage or offering personal experiences that demonstrate the program's effectiveness.

5.Language Use

Original: ~~The Department of Engineering plans to discontinue tutorials for one-year engineering students next year,~~ The Department of Engineering plans to discontinue tutorials for first-year engineering students next year, (change "one-year" to "first-year" for clarity) ~~as there is not enough for upper-level volunteer students to help out.~~ due to a lack of upper-level volunteer students to help out. (rephrase for better sentence structure) Also, they don't think this program helps students to improve very well. In listening, however, the man disagrees with this idea. First, he believes that they can use Ph.D. students who are more knowledgeable to make this assignment to teach classes. Because this won't take them much of the time. Also, this can be a requirement for Ph.D. students. They need to take at least one tutorial class one semester. Besides, he believes that this really helps them a lot to better understand the reading assignments and the textbook, especially before some big tests. This is the two reasons why the man doesn't like this idea.

Revised (140 words):

The Department of Engineering plans to discontinue tutorials for first-year engineering students next year, due to a lack of upper-level volunteer students to help out. Additionally, they believe that the program does not significantly improve student performance. However, the man in the listening passage disagrees with this decision. He suggests that Ph.D. students could be utilized as tutors since they possess more knowledge and expertise in the subject matter. Furthermore, he proposes making tutoring a requirement for Ph.D. students, where they would need to conduct at least one tutorial session per semester. The man also emphasizes that these tutorials greatly assist students in understanding reading assignments and textbooks, particularly before important exams. These two reasons form the basis of the man's opposition to the department's plan to discontinue the tutorial program.

6.Mind Map

Discontinuation of tutorials
- Lack of upper-level volunteers
- Doubts about program effectiveness
Man's disagreement
- Utilizing Ph.D. students as tutors
  - Knowledgeable and experienced
  - Requirement for Ph.D. students
- Benefits of tutorials
  - Understanding reading assignments
  - Preparing for important exams

7.Key Words

Word	Phonetic Symbols	Parts of Speech	English Definition	Sample Sentence
discontinue	/dɪskənˈtɪnju/	verb	to stop doing or providing something, especially something that has been done regularly for a long time	The university plans to discontinue the tutorial program due to a lack of volunteer tutors.
requirement	/rɪˈkwaɪərmənt/	noun	something that is needed or demanded	Making tutoring a requirement for Ph.D. students could help address the shortage of volunteer tutors.
effectiveness	/ɪˈfektɪvnəs/	noun	the degree to which something is successful in producing a desired result	The man questions the department's doubts about the tutorial program's effectiveness.
expertise	/ˌekspərˈtiːz/	noun	a high level of knowledge or skill in a particular subject	Ph.D. students possess the expertise needed to effectively tutor first-year engineering students.
preparation	/ˌprepəˈreɪʃən/	noun	the action or process of making something ready for use or consideration	The tutorials greatly assist students in their preparation for important exams.