Candidate preparing for the TOEFL examination requires focusing on a lot of things, among which one is Vocabulary. Vocabulary along with grammar forms the basis for all the Sections in TOEFL examination. While there is no specific vocabulary section in the TOEFL iBT test, the candidate needs to have a proper understanding of using a large number of words to do well in all sections of the exam.

Vocabulary becomes more important for the speaking and writing sections, where the candidate has to come up with self-made answers. The TOEFL scores of the speaking and writing sections in TOEFL depend on the vocabulary knowledge of the candidate. Thus, better the Vocabulary of the candidate leads to a better TOEFL score.

Another important aspect of the vocabulary section is that of identifying the meaning of the words and phrases appearing in the reading comprehension. The candidates will find words and phrases which are important to understanding the meaning of the passage. However, for technical or unusual words in the passage, there will be a definition in the presented along with the passage in a box.

Importance of Vocabulary in Speaking and Writing Section

The TOEFL exam tests the candidates skill based on the level of understanding of the words and how these words are used in TOEFL writing and speaking since this will require stimulus from candidate only. It is also important to note that the TOEFL test will require the candidate to read academic papers as well as go through the text in the reading section related questions. Experts suggest the candidates read text, books, non-fiction, newspapers and keep track of the words that are being used in these texts as they would contain tricky vocabulary.

Candidate preparing for TOEFL should not try to mug up the meaning of each and every word possible since anyone can spot a word which is either a word that learnt or is part of the vocabulary used in everyday life. The candidate should prefer saying ‘fate’ instead of the word ‘serendipity’. While learning the meaning of ‘serendipity’ is not wrong, but it is best used in the writing section instead of the speaking section as people typically don’t talk like in this manner.

Many successful candidates recommend watching TED talks with the subtitles and a transcript on the side as it will help the candidate in understanding the certain words used in a sentence or a particular phrase. It will help the candidate in building the relevant vocabulary for the reading and writing sections of the TOEFL examination. TED talks help as there is a transcript along with every talk which the candidate can read while listing to the talk.

Building own Vocabulary list for TOEFL examination

While there is a plethora of ready-made vocabulary list that is available to download from the internet or in the bookstores, the candidate has an option of choosing the best one for them as per own preference. However, the experts suggest that the candidates should build their own Vocabulary list for TOEFL since the content in the ready-made material might not be the most relevant for a specific candidate. The golden rule recommends learning “five words a day” and the best way to memorize them is to practice using new terms in particular situations, dialogues, compositions, etc. Candidate must ensure that a perfect list of vocabulary for TOEFL should not be more than 600 to 800 words.

TOEFL expects a good level of vocabulary from the candidates which could invite unnecessary pressure to a candidate leading cramming of all the words without understanding their usage. Thus, the important aspect of building the vocabulary is to understand own pace and aptitude for memorizing words. Candidates can follow different books, non-fiction, newspapers, TED Talks, etc and can keep on adding the newly learnt vocabulary in their own built vocabulary list. This method is much easier and can help the candidate in speeding up the process of learning new vocabulary. Whereas other candidates need to spend more time cramming each word as they haven’t used many different words in the past.

While making this vocabulary list, candidates can put the words under different categories or heading which can ease the process of memorizing and recalling. The most common categories to be used are School or Studying, Family, Technology, Job, Friendship, Entertainment, Countries, Celebrities, and Travel. Thus, the candidate can keep adding related words to each category. It is recommended to focus more on the adjectives rather than nouns.

How to overcome weaknesses in vocabulary for TOEFL?

Candidates often find difficult words or words which they might have never heard or read previously. Now, it is important to make a list of all such words which are identified as tough words. Once this is done, the candidate must add that to a flashcard app for every word that is troubling them as flashcard app is amazing for studying vocabulary since they use a spaced repetition system which means that it will show the candidate a vocabulary that they are more prone to forget.

Studies have shown that the brain is more likely to forget something first learnt if it not reviewed every 3 days. This is where the flashcard plays a huge role in the retention of different vocabulary that is learnt for the first time. Experts recommend various flashcard applications like:

• Quizlet is considered as the most powerful flashcard app on the market amongst TOEFL candidates with a rating of 4.7 and over 10 Million downloads.
• Anki is another popular application with a rating of 4.5 and over 5 Million downloads.
• Cram is a free and simple flashcard app with 4. Rating and over 1 Million downloads.

Now once the flashcard application is downloaded, the candidate must follow a strict routine in order to improve the vocabulary. This includes:

• Candidate has to identify the Vocabulary Weaknesses which has to be under strict retention.
• Finding a Flashcard App hat helps the candidate to be comfortable.
• Choosing a Flashcard Style is also important as it can help in maximizing the retention power.
• Candidate must create a study plan in order to have vocabulary development judiciously.

Books to refer for TOEFL Vocabulary

Candidates must either get a coach to train or pick up a good book to practice the art of English Reading, Speaking, Writing and Listening. It is highly recommended that the candidate should pick up a book which has the following basis covered:

• The authenticity of practice material
• Amount of practice material
• Quality of explanations
• Skill-building material
• Test strategy and advice
• Writing style

The books recommended for the TOEFL vocabulary improvement are:

• Essential Words for the TOEFL by Steven J. Matthiesen
• Check Your English Vocabulary for IELTS by Rawdon Wyatt
• Peterson's Master TOEFL Vocabulary
• The Vocabulary Builder Workbook: Simple Lessons and Activities to Teach Yourself Over 1,400 Must-know Words by Chris Lele