Memahami TOEFL iBT: Independent Speaking Task Question 2

Halo, RG Squad! Kalau sebelumnya kita telah membahas tentang Independent Speaking Task Question 1, kali ini kita akan membahas Independent Speaking Task Question 2. Pada soal kedua kamu akan diminta untuk 1) memilih setuju atau tidak setuju terhadap suatu opini (agree/disagree), atau 2) menjelaskan bagaimana preferensi kamu terhadap dua atau lebih pilihan (preference).

Contoh Soal:

A. Agree/Disagree type
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Examinations are the best way to assess students’ ability. Give reasons and examples to support your answer.

B. Preference type
Some people believe that living in the countryside is better than living in the city. Which do you prefer and why?

Seperti pada soal pertama Independent Speaking Task, waktu yang tersedia untuk menjawab soal kedua adalah 60 detik: 15 detik untuk mempersiapkan jawaban dan 45 detik untuk menjawab. Gunakanlah waktu yang tersedia sebaik mungkin. Agar mempermudah alokasi waktu, kamu dapat menggunakan contoh struktur jawaban berikut.

Contoh Struktur Jawaban:

A. Agree/Disagree

(Sumber: shutterstock.com)

1. Jelaskan posisi kamu, apakah setuju atau tidak setuju (5 – 10 detik)
Even though examinations provide measurable guidelines; I have to disagree with the idea that examination is the best way to assess students’ ability.

2. Alasan nomor satu dan detail (15 – 25 detik)
For one, people learn and demonstrate their knowledge and understanding differently. Some people do best when presenting orally while others do very well in exams conditions. So it is unfair when exams make up the largest percentage of the overall grade.

3. Alasan nomor dua dan detail (15 – 25 detik)
Furthermore, at times the examination itself can be flawed. Some teachers may not take into account what kind of questions best represent the students’ understanding. For instance, a question asking students to write down a concept or theory word to word doesn’t necessarily  show how they understand it as a whole or  how to use it in the real life setting.

4. Wrap up (5 – 15 detik)
For these reasons, I believe that exams are not the best way to assess students’ ability because there are other aspects that needs be taken into account.

B. Preference

1. Jelaskan pilihan kamu (5 – 10 detik)
The city may offer great opportunities, but I prefer living in the countryside for several good reasons.

2. Alasan nomor satu dan detil (15 – 25 detik)
For one reason, the countryside offers the luxury that cities could not offer. Where else could you feel the joy of breathing fresh air or waking up to see breathtaking landscapes from your bedroom window?

3. Alasan nomor dua dan detail (15 – 25 detik)
In addition to that, living in the countryside could reduce your level of stress because it is safer, less polluted and definitely cheaper. For instance, you don’t need to worry about traffic or not getting a parking space. You also don’t really need to worry about health because the air and water there is clean.

4. Wrap up (5 – 15 detik)
So basically I prefer to live in the countryside because it offers two things that really matters to me the most: peace and good health.

Tips dan Catatan:

Upayakan untuk terdengar seolah kamu mempertimbangan pilihan yang lain seperti dalam kalimat di bawah ini:

• Even though examinations provide measurable guidelines; I have to disagree with the idea that examination is the best way to assess students’ ability.
• The city may offer great opportunities, but I prefer living in the countryside for several good reasons.

Selain itu, seringlah berlatih dengan tutor yang ahli TOEFL iBT dan jangan lupa untuk menggunakan timer agar hasil tes kamu semakin memuaskan. Selamat mencoba! Apabila ada pertanyaan atau saran, please leave a comment 🙂