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TOEFL Essentials Speaking: Read Aloud, Listen and Repeat and Virtual Interview

Three tasks, 19 responses, about 13 minutes

The TOEFL Essentials Speaking section has three tasks with a total of 19 responses and takes about 13 minutes. ETS describes it as retelling written and spoken input and speaking to a simulated interviewer. It is separate from the unscored Personal Video Statement at the end of the test.

TOEFL Essentials Speaking tasks: Read Aloud, Listen and Repeat and Virtual Interview

Task 1: Read Aloud

You read aloud one part of a dialogue set in a daily life or campus situation.

How to do well

  • Read the line naturally, as if you were really speaking to someone.
  • Group words into meaningful phrases and pause at punctuation.
  • Stress the important words and let small words be lighter.

Practice

  • Read short dialogues aloud daily and record yourself.
  • Compare your rhythm with natural speech in podcasts or videos.

Task 2: Listen and Repeat

You repeat a series of eight sentences about a scenario in an academic or social setting.

How to do well

  • Listen to the whole sentence before you start repeating.
  • Repeat exactly, keeping small words such as articles and prepositions.
  • Copy the speaker’s rhythm; it helps you remember the sentence.

Practice

  • Shadow short recordings: play a sentence, pause, repeat, compare.
  • Gradually increase sentence length.

Task 3: Virtual Interview

You take part in a simulated conversation with a prerecorded interviewer and answer five questions related to the interview topic, describing your experiences and opinions.

How to do well

  • Answer the question directly in your first sentence.
  • Add a reason and a short, specific example.
  • Speak at a natural pace; clarity matters more than speed.

Practice

  • Choose a topic (study, work, technology, daily life) and write five interview questions.
  • Answer them on a recording, then check that each answer has a point and support.

A weekly routine

  1. Daily: five minutes of shadowing and five minutes of reading dialogue lines aloud.
  2. Three times a week: a five-question interview set on a new topic.
  3. Weekly review: listen back for dropped word endings, unclear stress and fillers, and pick one habit to improve.

Common mistakes

  • Reading aloud word by word with flat intonation.
  • Paraphrasing in Listen and Repeat instead of repeating exactly.
  • Giving one-sentence interview answers with no reason or example.

How Speaking is scored

Speaking receives a section score from 1 to 12, which counts towards your overall score. The Personal Video Statement is recorded separately and is not scored.

Official ETS sources

Accuracy note (15 September 2026): check ets.org for current test content.