The TOEFL iBT Speaking section is designed to evaluate the English speaking proficiency of students whose native language is not English but who want to pursue undergraduate or graduate study in an English-speaking context.

Like all the other sections of the TOEFL iBT, the Speaking section is delivered via computer. In the Speaking section you will be asked to speak on a variety of topics that draw on personal experience, campus-based situations, and academic-type content material.

There are six questions. The first two questions are called Independent Speaking Tasks because they require you to draw entirely on your own ideas, opinions, and experiences when responding.

The other four questions are Integrated Speaking Tasks. In these tasks you will listen to a conversation or to an excerpt from a lecture, or read a passage and then listen to a brief discussion or lecture excerpt, before you are asked the question.

These questions are called Integrated Tasks because they require that you integrate your English language skills — listening and speaking, or listening, reading, and speaking. In responding to these questions, you will be asked to base your spoken response on the information in the listening passage or on both the listening passage and the reading passage together.

As the third section of the exam, the Speaking Section of the TOEFL iBT follows a mandatory 10-minute break after the Listening Section, so you should be relaxed when you get to this portion. To perform well it, you must be able to generate ideas quickly, listen and read actively, record notes efficiently, speak clearly and logically from fragmented notes, and accurately summarize passages in your own words.

专家终极解读：

根据官方的说法，新托福口语考试主要考察的是考生的proficiency，该词的准确含义为“熟练、精通”。这提示我们，在讲口语的时候，一味地用大词、难词去感动考官是无效的。建议考生要把日常的普通词汇用好、用熟、用精，而把大词只作为一种点缀，起到“画龙点睛”的作用。

在电脑上考口语和一般的口语测试之间的最大区别在于：你必须习惯对着麦克风讲话，并注意要把自己的声音投射出去（project your voice），而不是像平时说话那样把声音闷在喉咙口。为了达到这种效果，朗阁海外考试研究中心建议考生在讲话的时候，把自己想象成电台的播音员或者音乐DJ，非常enjoyable地把自己的独特声线向外传播。

虽然话题的种类较多，但新托福口语考题可大致分为三类：一、个人观点及经验；二、大学校园场景；三、学术讲座内容。在总共的六道题中，Task 1 和Task 2考个人观点及经验；Task 3和Task 5考大学校园场景；Task 4和Task 6考学术讲座内容。

刚才是按照题目的内容来分，但如果按题目的性质去分的话，Task 1和Task 2属于Independent Speaking Tasks（独立口语命题），即不需要你做阅读或听录音，直接上来就讲，而且讲话内容仅涉及你的个人经验及观点。

从Task 3到Task 6，这四道题被称为Integrated Speaking Tasks（综合口语命题），这类考题就必须先读一段文字，或听一段录音（录音内容可以是conversation，也可以是lecture），甚至既读又听，然后结合reading and/or listening再去讲。综合口语命题有效地把听、读、说三项技能结合起来，体现出现代英语(论坛)口语考试的一个新方向。

在新托福考试流程中，口语是第三门考试，与之前的听力考试间隔10分钟的休息时间，因此考生应带着较为轻松的心情上场。想要出色发挥，官方建议考生重点培养以下五大本领：

一、思路迅速拓展技能；

二、积极阅读和主动倾听技能；

三、高效摘录笔记技能；

四、用不完整的笔记进行有逻辑的清晰表达技能；

五、用自己的语言准确概括听力及阅读内容的技能。

特别提示考生，考前的实战演练非常重要。有不少考生，特别是心理素质欠佳的考生，会有“人机对话恐惧症”，症状包括心跳加速、声音发颤、口齿不清等。