Real-Life Topics to Practice TOEFL iBT® Speaking Skills

Practicing with real-life topics can significantly enhance your performance in the TOEFL Speaking Section by improving fluency, coherence, and confidence. Engaging with familiar subjects like your favorite movie, a memorable trip, or an ideal career helps structure responses naturally and express ideas clearly.

Let’s explore Real-Life Topics to Practice TOEFL Speaking Skills that will prepare you to tackle any speaking prompt effectively. From discussing personal experiences to sharing opinions, these topics will help you think quickly and respond with clarity.

Types of Real-Life Topics to Practice for TOEFL Speaking 

Some of the common real-life topics which you can use to improve your speaking skills are mentioned below which will make you prepared for the TOEFL iBT® exam.

1. Discuss about your favourite movie

You can start practicing with the topic about your favourite film which is an engaging way to practice speaking. In this type, you can also explain the reasons as to why it is your favorite. By brainstorming ideas, you would be able to think quickly and clearly organise your thoughts. 

Sample Question: What is your favorite movie, and why do you like it? 

Firstly, you can start by introducing the specific movie and mention its title, genre, direction, and the release date. 

"A movie which I like the most is Inception. It is a science fiction movie but it is also a thriller  which is directed by Christopher Nolan." 

Next, you can start explaining the reasons as to why it is one of your favorites. Along with that, include reasons for enjoying the film, talk about the plot and the characters. Also, provide examples to speak about any specific scenes. 

"Inception is one of my favourite movies because it presents complex ideas related to the dreams we get and the reality we live in. There is a curiosity in the entire movie which makes a person think even after the movie ends. There was one dream which fascinated me was when the characters enter a dream within a dream."

2. A book you enjoyed reading

This is another topic for you to practice for the TOEFL Speaking Section. While practicing, you can express your opinion in regards to literature and also share your personal experiences with reading. You must also summarise your ideas briefly and also explain why you like a certain book. 

Sample Question: Describe a book that you liked reading and explain why? 

Starting the speech with the title, who wrote it, and the genre of the book provides an overview of the book you will be talking about. 

"I have read many books but The Great Gatsby is a classic American novel which I thoroughly enjoyed reading which is written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It explores the concept of wealth, love, and the American Dream." 

The next step is to introduce the plot by summarising the storyline and providing an overview on the main theme. 

"The story is mainly about Nick Carraway who moves to Long Island and somehow gets included in the life of Jay Gatsby." 

Finally, end the speech by explaining why you liked the film and explore the themes, the characters, and the style of writing. 

"I enjoyed how the characters are complex, especially Gatsby. He is someone who is both praiseworthy and tragic at the same time in his search for love."

3. A book you enjoyed reading

This is a very popular topic in the TOEFL Speaking Section since you can practice storytelling and also describe personal experience related to travel. Not only will it help to focus on sequence as well as minute details so that you can clearly organise your ideas. 

Sample Question: Describe a memorable trip which you had. 

Commence by stating where you went while providing details about the destination and mentioning the reasons behind your choice. 

"It was just last year that I traveled to Japan. A place I have always wanted to visit due to its cultural and historical significance." 

Remember to give details about the experiences you had along with the places you visited in Japan. Additionally, explain the activities you did and any specific moments you had. 

"I visited Kyoto and spent a whole day exploring its ancient temples and beautiful gardens. The most unforgettable part was seeing the Fushimi Inari Shrine with its thousands of red torii gates." 

Now is the time to give insights about any cultural or personal lessons which you learnt. 

"In this trip, I have learnt about the importance of patience and also how respectful people in Japan are with each other."

You might find this helpful : TOEFL iBT® Speaking Score Calculation: Marking Criteria, Score Interpretation

4. Discuss about a hobby

When you speak about a hobby, you can show enthusiasm and will help you speak more naturally and coherently. With this topic, you will also get a chance to describe the activities and also explain why they are meaningful to you. 

Sample Question: Discuss about your favorite hobby and how did you become interested in it? 

To begin with, introduce the hobby and then explain what made you interested in it. 

"Tennis is one of my favourite hobbies which I picked up since my teenage years." 

The second stage is where you start describing what aspects you find fulfilling. 

"Tennis challenges me physically and keeps me fit while it is also mentally stimulating. I feel that the game is like a puzzle which I love to solve." 

Continue with the discussion about the positive impact that this hobby has on you. 

"Playing this game as a hobby helped me with my physical health and also learnt about the importance of focus and perseverance."

5. Talk about your ideal career

You can discuss your future aspirations where you can also use language related to career and personal goals. With this topic, you can also focus on the reasons for your choices while exploring the logical arrangement of your ideas. 

Sample Question: Describe your ideal job and why do you want to pursue it? 

Talk about the specific job or the career you want to achieve. 

"I want to work as a marine biologist in the future because I am fascinated since I could study the ecosystems of coral reefs." 

Always give explanation as to why you are motivated to pursue this career, whether it is personal interests or skills. 

"I have always loved to study marine life. Being an environmentalist, working in this field would provide me with an opportunity to contribute to environmental conservation." 

To keep the flow coherent, give out any necessary qualifications such as any education or experience you had. 

"I have made a plan to pursue this career which involves studying marine biology at a well-known university and then gain experience by working on internships and doing fieldwork."

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How can real-life topics improve skills in the TOEFL Speaking Section?

Practicing with everyday topics helps develop a more natural speaking style where you would be able to connect your thoughts coherently. Below are some of the skills you would develop along the way while practicing with real-life topics.

1. Boosts Confidence

Since these topics are familiar to you, you would already have the knowledge in relation to your favorite movie, book or any travel experience, making it easy for you to express thoughts. With these topics, this eliminates the stress during the exam when you get an unfamiliar topic. This will make you feel confident and organise your thoughts appropriately instead of worrying about the content.

2. Enhanced Fluency

It is vital to speak smoothly without long pauses or any hesitation which is being assessed in the TOEFL Speaking Section. Practicing regularly will build the mental agility which would help you to generate ideas quickly while becoming more fluid and deliver a continuous speech. This is because you become more adept at logically organizing your thoughts which reduces the chances to speak without unnecessary pauses.

3. Improved Coherence

There must be a logical flow of the ideas which must be coherent so that you can use natural transitions and connectors between ideas. The sequence of events would be put forward in a structured way, leading to a coherent, well-rounded answer.

4. Natural Use Of Vocabulary

With real-life topics, you are able to expand your vocabulary that are relevant to the topic. The most common idiomatic expressions and phrases are related to movies, books, or travel, etc. In this way, you can make your speech sound more fluent which helps demonstrate your language proficiency on the TOEFL exam.

By practicing with real-life topics, you will not only build confidence but also improve your fluency and coherence. This would also prepare you for the final TOEFL Speaking Segment where you will be able to organise your thoughts accurately and answer any prompt with ease.

Additional Resources: 

• TOEFL iBT® Sample Speaking Questions: Tips for Answers
• TOEFL Three-choice Question Guide in Speaking Task 1
• 10 Useful Topics to Practice TOEFL English Speaking Skills
• 10 Tips to Balance TOEFL iBT® Exam Preparation with a Full-Time Job