ACADEMIC SPEAKING SKILLS

Students should be able to speak successfully in and outside the classroom. The Speaking
section measures the test taker’s ability to speak effectively in academic settings.
In classrooms, students must:
respond to questions
participate in academic discussions with other students
synthesize9 and summarize what they have read in their textbooks and heard in class
express their views on topics under discussion
Outside of the classroom, students must:
participate in casual conversations
express their opinions
communicate with people in such places as the bookstore, the library, and the
housing offi ce
Description
The Speaking section is approximately 20 minutes long and includes six tasks.
The fi rst two tasks are independent speaking tasks on topics familiar to test takers.
They ask test takers to draw upon their own ideas, opinions, and experiences when
responding. (However, test takers can respond with any idea, opinion, or experience
relevant to completing the task.)


The remaining four tasks are integrated tasks where test takers must use more than one
skill when responding. Test takers fi rst read and listen, and then speak in response. They
can take notes and use those notes when responding to the speaking tasks. At least one
requires test takers to relate the information from the reading and the listening material.