Preparing for the TOEFL Test Using AI Tools: Innovative Yet Effective Techniques

For the purpose of understanding it, the TOEFL test can be understood to be largely similar to the IELTS test. They both are taken for the purpose of evaluating the English proficiency of the candidates.

Just as proper preparation is necessary for the IELTS test, so is it required for the TOEFL test as well. In this post, we’re going to first look at what this test entails, and then we will look at preparing for the TOEFL test using AI tools.

It’s an innovative method i.e., to use AI tools for this purpose, but if done correctly, it can be highly effective. When it comes to preparing for the TOEFL Test Using AI, this approach leverages technology to revolutionize language proficiency assessment, paving the way for more efficient and impactful exam readiness.

Information about the TOEFL Test

TOEFL stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language. The test is based on four different phases/parts – each of which is designed to test the proficiency of the candidate in different skills. When Preparing for the TOEFL Test Using AI, understanding the structure and purpose of these four phases is crucial. AI-powered tools and techniques empower you to master each phase effectively, ensuring you’re fully prepared to excel in this language proficiency assessment. The parts include:

1. Reading
2. Listening
3. Writing
4. Speaking

If you are familiar with the IELTS test, you’ll know that these same four parts are also found in it.

There are, of course, differences between these two tests. One of the main differences is that while the IELTS test is taken on both paper and computer, TOEFL is wholly computer-based. This means that the speaking part – which is usually done as an interview in the IELTS test – has to be completed by the candidate as an audio clip recording session.

Preparing for the TOEFL Test Using AI Tools

The Writing Part | Improving Your English Writing Skills

Perhaps the most skill-intensive part of the whole TOEFL test is the writing phase. Speaking, listening, and reading are (while important) somewhat intangible. On the other hand, when you have to complete the writing exercise, you need to take care of a lot of different grammatical elements and punctuation, etc., that typically isn’t a problem when you’re speaking. Preparing for the TOEFL Test Using AI, particularly the writing component, can be a game-changer. These tools not only provide grammar and punctuation support but also offer valuable insights and strategies to enhance your writing proficiency, making this skill-intensive phase more manageable and efficient.

Plus, when you focus on improving your writing skills, the way you speak and read is also automatically improved.

With that in mind, here are some of the things that you can do with AI tools to improve your overall writing skills.

1. Enhancing vocabulary: While we’re mentioning it here in relation to the writing part of the test, having a good vocabulary is something that can help you in pretty much every phase. You can improve your vocabulary using AI tools in two different ways: (Keep in mind that there are other more direct ways of improving vocab, but we’re specifically mentioning AI-tools-based methods below.)
   1. You can either use online content generators using random prompts and see the words that they use. This is a very practical way to learn since you not only get to see new words, but you also get to see them used properly in action.
   2. Using an online paraphrasing tool is also a great way to improve vocabulary. In this case, the deal works just as it does with content generators except that you have to provide your own input to the tool. You can give your own content to the paraphraser and then see the changes it makes. This is also very practical since you get to see different synonyms used in place of the original words – which can help you understand their meaning and context very easily.
2. Improving grammatical understanding: Another thing you have to work on for the writing part is your understanding of grammatical rules and regulations. You have to, in specific, work on the mistakes you’re prone to make so that you don’t make them during the test itself.
   In the context of AI tools, you can improve your grammatical understanding by simply using an AI-driven grammar checker. You can write some practice content on your own and then run it through a grammar checker to find out the errors and mistakes in it. Provided that you use a good tool for the job, you will also be able to get the correct suggestions for the errors as well as their explanations.
3. Working on sentence formation and fluency: It is possible for a particular passage or a sentence to be grammatically correct but abysmal in terms of flow and fluency.  When you want to take the TOEFL test, you have to work on the latter two qualities of your writing as well.
   With AI tools, you can work on this in the same as we mentioned above for vocabulary building. You can write your own content and then paraphrase it using an online paraphraser. You can then check the changes made and learn how to structure your sentences from there.

The Listening Part | Improving Your Listening Ability

Building your listening ability is not as complicated or multi-faceted as the writing part. While there are a lot of different things you have to take care of to improve your writing, there is just one vis-à-vis listening.

Using AI tools for listening exercises is also quite different from what it is for writing. For the latter, all types of generative and cutting-edge AI tools can be used, whereas listening doesn’t require all that much.

It’s comparatively a lot simpler. For listening, you can simply use AI-based text-to-speech converters. You can write some content on your own and then hear audio feedback on it. This can also be done on an existing random piece of text as well.

Your main aim here should be to just listen to the text and get an idea of all the native pronunciations and inflections, etc. That way, you will be more prepared for the listening exercise in the actual test.

The Speaking Part | Improving Your Spoken English

Just as you can easily use AI-based text-to-speech tools to work on your listening skills, you can flip it around and use speech-to-text tools to work on your speaking skills. When Preparing for the TOEFL test using AI, embracing these versatile tools can be a valuable asset. They not only improve your listening and speaking abilities but also enhance your overall language proficiency.

The speaking part of the test is one of the most demonstrative and challenging ones from the lot. You have to speak like a native and get your punctuation correct. You have to ensure that the audio you record (for the test) is clear and coherent for the checkers.

Using speech-to-text tools can be a good way to practice this since you can see how well the tool/software recognizes your voice. In other words, if you speak something and it is transcribed accurately by the tool, you’ll know that your pronunciation and tone, etc. are fine. But if you speak one thing and the tool catches something else, you’ll know that your spoken English needs work.

Conclusion

While practicing for the TOEFL test is important and all, it can get somewhat tedious and boring if you do it the normal way i.e., by doing some reading and taking mock tests, etc. However, when you’re Preparing for the TOEFL Test Using AI, you’re not limited to traditional methods. AI-powered tools introduce an engaging and dynamic dimension to your preparation, making the process not only effective but also enjoyable.

Using tools for the same purpose can be a lot more innovative and engaging. We’ve looked at some of the main methods and techniques you can use with AI tools to prepare for the different parts of the test.