TOEIC Booster / Spoken, written English differ
Lynn Stafford-Yilmaz Special to The Daily Yomiuri
In the last Booster column (April 20), we looked at the TOEFL test. This week, we turn to the TOEIC test. In particular, we will look at Short Conversations--a listening section of the test. We will examine the spoken language in this part of the test, focusing on some ways that it differs from written English, and at how test-takers can prepare themselves for success in this part of the test.
In Short Conversations, test-takers hear a brief dialog between two speakers. Then they read three questions about the dialog and answer them.
Let's look at a sample Short Conversation.
Example
You hear on the tape recording:
Man: Hey, have you looked at Don's China trip report?
Woman: Yeah, I flipped through it. It looks like he made a lot of good contacts at the trade show, and he even got on a tour of that Ipsakon Factory. How does he manage that kind of thing?
Man: Ya' know, that is a good question. The thing is, he always seems so reserved and quiet.
Woman: Maybe, but at the same time, if you really think about it, when he sets his mind to something, he can be pretty outgoing. He'll walk right up to somebody he wants to meet and just start into a conversation.
Example
You read in your test book (and hear parts on the tape recording):
1. Where did they learn about Don's trip?
(A) The saw him at the Ipsakon Factory.
(B) They read his trip report.
(C) They looked at his ticket.
(D) Somebody at the trade show told them.
2. How does the woman see Don's personality?
(A) Reserved and quiet
(B) A typical managerial type
(C) Mindful of details
(D) Outgoing when he wants to be
3. What did Don do that really impressed the man and woman?
(A) He started a tough conversation.
(B) He learned some trade secrets.
(C) He took a tour of an import!ant factory.
(D) He overcame his initial shyness.
The correct responses to the example questions are 1 (B), 2 (D), and 3 (C).
In this example dialog, the speakers' conversation flows like a relatively natural chat between two people. This means that the conversation uses language that is more typical of spoken English than of written English. In particular, this short conversation uses vocabulary and idiomatic ｅxpression!s that are more characteristic of spoken English than its formal counterpart. Let us examine, line-by-line, some of these distinctive examples of spoken English, and consider ways that test-takers can prepare for such language.
In the example conversation, the opening line says, "Hey, have you looked at Don's China trip report?" In its very first word, we find the casual, typically spoken ｅxpression!, "hey." Next, the man asks the woman if she has "looked at" Don's China report. However, the man doesn't wonder literally if she has looked at the report. Instead, in spoken English, this two-word verb usually means "to read."
"Look at" is just one of several very common two-word verbs that occur regularly in English, particularly in spoken English. Likewise, these verbs appear commonly in the listening sections of the TOEIC test. So, test-takers should study and learn these verbs as they are used in natural speech.
In the second line of the example dialog, we find more examples of colloquial usage. For instance, the woman responds that she has "flipped through" the report. Again, she's using a two-word verb, where "flip through" gives the meaning of read quickly. This is a verb that one would not be likely to find in written English, especially written business English.
By exposing themselves to daily spoken English, test-takers can increase their understanding of the form and meaning of common terms as they are used in routine English speech. For many test-takers, picking up these ｅxpression!s may be somewhat more difficult than learning the common terminology of written English, particularly in an EFL setting like that in Japan, where many students may have a limited opportunity to use or study spoken English. However, such study offers a significant advantage on the listening sections of the TOEIC test. In addition, needless to say, such study is essential to communicating orally in English in the real world.
With this in mind, let us look briefly at two more examples that distinguish the daily English of the example Short Conversation. The man says, "Ya' know," which is classic filler in spoken speech. Test-takers who are familiar with the ｅxpression! will easily disregard it for its minimal contribution to the discussion. This is followed by another very colloquial ｅxpression!, "The thing is..." This phrase indicates that the information that follows is either particularly import!ant or anomalous. In this case, the information that follows is that "he always seems so reserved."
It is worth noting that the phrase "the thing is" would rarely (if ever) occur in written English. For this reason, hearing it in spoken form is virtually the only realistic preparation that test-takers can hope to find.
The listening sections of the TOEIC test use spoken English in a fairly natural form. This English varies in several distinct ways from written English. By familiarizing themselves with the common vocabulary and colloquial usage of spoken English, TOEIC takers can increase their odds of understanding the Short Conversations and answering their questions correctly.
The next Booster column will feature the TOEFL test. If you have questions or comments about the TOEIC test, or about this column, please e-mail Lynn Stafford-Yilmaz at dy-edu@yomiuri.com.
@: Stafford-Yilmaz is a former TOEIC test-question writer. She has taught TOEIC courses in Japan and in the United States. She is also the author of several English textbooks.
(May. 18, 2007)