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The TOEFL Speaking Blog

Unconventional Advice from TOEFL Speaking Expert John Healy

Linking Words for TOEFL Speaking: The Small Change That Lifts Your Score

Linking words make TOEFL Speaking responses clearer, smoother, and easier to score well by showing how your ideas connect and progress.

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Mastering the TOEFL Speaking Interview with the IRT Method

The TOEFL Speaking Interview is not about memorization anymore — it’s about mastery in real-time communication. With the IRT Method...

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Why the New TOEFL iBT Should Be Called TOEFL IRT: Speaking in Real Time

The iBT is IRT (In Real Time). Let's talk about the implications of the 2026 transformation...

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The TOEFL Listen & Repeat Task Demystified: Real Examples, Scoring, and Strategy

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The Hidden Connection Between Speaking Rate and Pauses in TOEFL Speaking

High scorers fall between 130–160 words per minute. Too slow sounds hesitant; too fast sounds unnatural.

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The New TOEFL Speaking Is Here: What’s Changing in 2026, What Matters Now, and How to Prepare

Gone are templates and structure-based approached. The new TOEFL Speaking rewards clarity, spontaneity, and control.

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Stop Scoring Every Attempt. Start Training Like It’s 2026.

I see so many users confusing scoring with practice. They're separate (but related) prep activities...

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Jagged Little Pill: What a “Jagged TOEFL Profile” Means

A jagged TOEFL score profile—where one section score sharply diverges from the others—is often the first signal that triggers an ETS validity review. While not always grounds for cancellation on its own, this imbalance can combine with timing or behavioral data to flag a test as potentially invalid, underscoring the importance of balanced, data-backed performance across all sections.

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How AI Is Changing TOEFL Speaking Practice

In July 2024, we analyzed 4,853 speaking attempts from 330 learners on MSS. Here’s what the data shows about how people really improve.

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Prep Procrastinators and the New TOEFL 2026

Procrastination is a losing strategy. Take control of your prep. Make decisions. You'll feel better about yourself.

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TOEFL Speaking: Fixing Low Confidence

Confidence problems look like long silences, hunting for perfect words, and losing the thread mid

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Assessing vs. Analyzing: Why Your TOEFL Speaking Progress Is Stuck

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“Attempt 30”: A Pharmacist’s Road to TOEFL Speaking 26

We talked about finding small ways to put some kindness back into the world, even during a hard season. She said, quietly, that she would try...

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The One Skill That Beats Grammar, Vocabulary, and Pronunciation on TOEFL Speaking

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The Heartbreaking Truth Behind “Free” (We Hear These Requests Every Day)

I've tried and tried and tried to figure out some form of "free" -- and I can't figure it out.

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How Thousands of Test Takers Are Using AI to Predict and Improve Their TOEFL Speaking Scores

If you’re preparing for the TOEFL iBT Speaking section, you know how difficult it can be to figure out why your score isn’t improving. You record responses, you ask teachers, you try different strategies—but still, you get stuck below your target...

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The Master Plan for 2026: Building the Future of Speaking Test Preparation

Our mission: Give every learner the ability to succeed on high-stakes English speaking tests with the power of data.

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How Confidence Overlaps with TOEFL Speaking Scoring

No surprise. The very same features ETS identified in their confidence study align with the constructs measured in TOEFL Speaking.

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