Conversational Vocabulary on the TOEFL<\/a>\u00a0for a comparison of these two vocab types!)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Reading<\/h2>\n
Because the TOEFL can draw from such diverse fields as physics, art history, and marketing, it\u2019s important to practice with as many kinds of academic reading\u00a0as you possibly can. Often you can find old college textbooks\u00a0for cheap or free at secondhand shops, libraries, and at universities at the end of the semester.\u00a0 Especially if you can get them from your library, try to check out a different textbook or two every week, read a few chapters, and then return it.\u00a0 You don\u2019t need to finish the book\u2014after all, you don\u2019t need to know about the feeding habits of North American deer\u2014you just need to know how books like that\u00a0are written.<\/p>\n
As you read, alternate between vocabulary reading and context reading. In vocabulary reading, your goal is to collect new useful words to learn. Make a list of new words (avoid bolded words and technical terms, as these won\u2019t be tested on the TOEFL), look them up in a dictionary, find example sentences online, and add these words to your study vocabulary. Context reading is exactly the opposite: your focus should be to figure out the meaning of new words from context, without looking the words up. Try this: read a whole passage (a page or so) from the book, marking unfamiliar words as you go. \u00a0When you\u2019ve finished, go back and try to create a definition for all of the unfamiliar words based on the information around them. Then check your definitions by looking up all the new words in a dictionary. Read the passage again. How well did you do at using context clues? Did the meaning of the passage change significantly once you knew the true definitions of the new words? With practice, this method will help you figure out meanings of words, which will help you\u00a0to\u00a0answer questions you aren\u2019t sure about\u00a0and to be more sure of the correct answer on questions you do know.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Writing<\/h2>\n
The writing section of the TOEFL isn\u2019t very\u00a0formal. Of course, you shouldn\u2019t use it as an opportunity to try all the cool phrases you\u2019ve learned from your friends or from American\u00a0TV shows, but you don\u2019t need to write like the authors of the reading samples, either (thank goodness!). In the writing section, it\u2019s much more important to be precise than to be academic. So rather than using the \u201csmartest\u201d words you know, try to use the words that best fit what you\u2019re trying to say. A good exercise is to take headwords, or basic words that have lots of synonyms, and then think of as many synonyms for that word as you can. Try to write down at least a few phrases and a few words for your list. Many of the words you write will not be perfect synonyms, so read over your list and notice the small\u00a0differences between all of these supposed synonyms. Then you can try substituting these words in your writing to vary your vocabulary and get used to choosing the best word for a particular situation. Here\u2019s an example of what I mean:<\/p>\n
Headword: say<\/b>
\nrespond<\/b>– Subject is reacting to another action or statement
\nassert<\/b>– Subject is\u00a0 very sure that s\/he is right
\nargue<\/b>– Subject is responding to a statement with which s\/he doesn\u2019t agree
\npoint out<\/b>– Subject is probably adding information in order to change someone\u2019s belief
\nsuggest<\/b>– Subject is not 100% sure<\/p>\n
Now, when I\u2019m writing, I will use these words to replace \u201csay.\u201d This doesn\u2019t mean that \u201csay\u201d isn’t allowed; it just means that I will use more precise words when they make sense.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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