New TOEFL Writing Question: Guide to Academic Discussion Questions

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My name is Josh MacPherson, Head Instructor at TST Prep, where our mission is simple: to help students like you get the TOEFL score you need as quickly and easily as possible.
Need more TOEFL Writing practice? Check out these videos:
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The TOEFL iBT is an academic English test that measures four skills: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. While ETS TOEFL offers a suite of TOEFL Test options like TOEFL Junior, TOEFL Essentials, and TOEFL Paper Edition, this video will primarily focus on the most popular version of the test, the TOEFL iBT.
You can reach out to us with any question, any time at [e-mail]
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[@alinapalkina8744]

Thanks a lot for your video! But I still don`t understand why the "perfect score example" is perfect if it doesn`t match the topic at all. Is this an answer for some another question? If anyone can clarify it, please...

[@TSTPrep]

I should have been clearer in the video. The sample essay at the 6:00 mark is an example from ETS for a different question. I included it here to show you that you could earn a high score without including any information from the people in the discussion. At this point of the video, I did not want to show a sample question and essay yet. The "watching television" question is a different prompt from ETS that I used to show what the question will look like on test day. Keep watching later on in the video for a sample question and accompanying essay. Sorry for the confusion.

[@sergiotlx]

@@TSTPrepThanks for the clarification; I had exactly the same concern.

[@Banana-wk5wf]

I ask myself this question every day. Nonsense

[@School-kg1op]

@@Banana-wk5wf he legit clarrified this as soon as the question was asked. The answer is in this feed...

[@marjanmhd5624]

Thank you Josh. It seems to me that, the new format is much easier than the former version but the main problem is :Time!

[@royroy-jg9db]

Can't agree anymore. Usually, I can't meet the word count requirement in a limited time 🥲

[@bilalbgt5949]

I recommend you learn fast typing on the keyboard. It will help you save extra time.

[@fredytinocopalacios252]

@@bilalbgt5949 Fast typing is an ability that I got because I spent too much time in front of the computer 😅, I strongly believe is the easiest TOEFL's question to me.

[@nahidparna5123]

I personally agree with the opinion of Bryan and I believe that globalization could has so many benefits for us like interacting with people from different cultures and so you can learn about diverse range of cultures and you can make new friends from different countries, I am living in a multicultural city in which I have made new friends from different countries and I gave me the opportunity to learn from them and sometimes thinking in a different perspective enabled me to come up with different solution for my questions. I think our cultures shape our personality and if you can interact with people from different cultures you can learn how to think in a different way compared the way you have been brought up with. Moreover, globalization makes it easier for us to have access different products from different countries and therefore you can find any specific products based on your need, like as I have access to different cream products for my skin, I can choose a product suitable for my skin.

[@ASMRSapphiro777]

Thank you so very much for all your amazing tips. 114/120 last week. Highly recommend this channel !!!

[@TSTPrep]

Thank you so much for your kind words. It would be a HUGE help if you could leave a review on Trust Pilot - es.trustpilot.com.

[@ic4101]

Thanks! As always, you are the first one in updating us. I have so much faith in this new shorter toefl test that I feel like I will finally pass it with flying colors. Thanks 🙏

[@TSTPrep]

Thanks for commenting and good luck on your test!

[@yeyinttun4615]

In my view, it is easier than previous independent writing tasks plus it promotes the very purpose of being a learner/student, to be critical in an academic environment. The new task gives us more freedom over writing. I really like the new update writing task 2.

[@TSTPrep]

Thanks for your feedback.

[@siwooleemusic]

Thank you so much for the advice! I'm 12 years old and I took the TOEFL test for the first time recently to test my English proficiency. I scored 89 in total and got 25 in Writing. I got a raw score of 5 out of 5 in the academic discussion part. I wrote 148 words focused on stating my opinions and counteracted one student from the discussion. I appreciate your effort!

[@TSTPrep]

Thanks for commenting and congratulations on your score! Great job! I admire your dedication, taking the TOEFL test at such a young age.

[@elf7197]

how did you know you got 5/5

[@Vanesotom]

Hi Josh, I think that the new format is less stressful that the old one. My big concern is the time, I have to be faster at thinking and writing. I took the test twice and I need a few points to get the score that I need. Thank you for your videos, they are so helpful to me.

[@TSTPrep]

Thank you for taking the time to comment and good luck on your next test!

[@w-e-a.c..2264]

It is really a great privilege that we have your channel Mr. MacPherson. Thank you sir.

[@TSTPrep]

Hey! Thanks for taking the time to leave such a nice comment. Much appreciated :)

[@musAKulture]

as a fellow teacher, i think your video is the most truthful out of all the video courses out there. most other teachers just repeat what others have said. you're not afraid to call out on ETS's bs, what's pointless to read, what's a waste of time, etc.

[@TSTPrep]

Thanks for taking the time to comment. It means a lot!

[@tovhokage]

Thank you so much professor for the most useful content on youtube! This video helped so much. I think that this task is way better that the previous one. I need to write only 120 words instead of 300, less stress for sure.

[@TSTPrep]

Thanks for taking the time to comment and good luck on your test!

[@cegu5664]

To succeed, the main ingredients is: practice, practice, practice! 💖

[@ShavkatMirzayev-zi5vz]

I'm gonna take an exam in 2 months and it will be my first TOEFL exam. I have recently started following your channel in hope that I will get some good things from your instructions. Thank you for your work.

[@TSTPrep]

Thanks for the comment and good luck in your studies!

[@adrianacuellar748]

Did you pass it???

[@ShavkatMirzayev-zi5vz]

@adrianacuellar748 yes I did with flying colors

[@Nicardepine]

Thank you so much Josh! We, the TOEFL test takers are so grateful for you. I learned a lot from just watching your videos. However, I still haven't passed the exam for the third time. Foreign Pharmacists know the struggle because of high passing scores to take the Equivalency Exam and since there will be major changes, I wonder how will this affect the scoring system by the National Assoc. of Board of Pharmacy. Pretty frustrated right now :(

[@renatarodrigues4779]

Hi @nicaramos5210 I am in the same boat. I am also in this process and need to take toefl. So far, I haven't heard any news from the NABP. If you want to keep in touch, I would be happy to talk to someone that is going through the same struggle. Let me know!

[@sivakumarpalanisamy8838]

Iam also in the same situation

[@renatarodrigues4779]

@@sivakumarpalanisamy8838 Do you know if anything have changed? Regarding the minimum passing scores from NABP?

[@akshayanagarajan2354]

Hey @nicaramos5210! I am also facing the same challenge. Hopefully, the major changes in TOEFL iBT does not impact the scoring system by the NABP.

[@yangohlee746]

Hi, may I ask what score you have set as your goal?

[@lilianaamaliapin]

Very clear, Josh. I definitely think this written assignment format is easier than the previous one.

[@siddharth9048]

Hello, dear...??

[@neslihansunmaz8416]

Thanks a million! I got 110/120 and 29/30 in writing. Your videos definitely helped a lot with preparation and also helped me feeling more prepared to the new test.

[@TSTPrep]

Congratulations and thank you for your kind words. It means A LOT. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you say the same thing at this link - sotellus.com/r/tst-prep/? It will help people on Google learn about my site, TST Prep. Thanks again!

[@jaahnavijaanu8797]

I thought it's easier when I first heard the pattern. But having 2 student opinions actually makes it hard to think differently. They do help when we don't have any idea about the topic. But, when our only idea is already given by a student, it's frustrating! I am finding it helpful to roughly think of an idea or a stance before looking at the opinion part. I'm going to give my TOEFL in 3 days. Will share my experience here. Thank you for your videos Josh!

[@TSTPrep]

Thank you for commenting. How did your test go?

[@mustafakemalatay9852]

did you give your exam ?

[@heloisaramires2583]

Hey, Josh! I don't know how to thank you. I had taken the TOEFL once before and, despite knowing English, I was frustrated with my score and didn't understand why. But your videos showed me that understanding what each section requires makes all the difference. Understanding each type of question in Reading and Listening, for example, made a significant impact on my score, and your explanation in this Writing video helped me increase my score by 4 points because it made me understand the session's purpose and what to write. So, thank you very much for all the material you provide! It helped me a lot! 🙌🏻

[@TSTPrep]

Thanks for taking the time to comment. It means a lot! If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you leave your review at this link - sotellus.com/r/tst-prep/? It will help people on Google learn about my site, TST Prep.

[@marthafabre8020]

It looks like much easier, i think the time is really short. Thank so much for keeping us update.

[@MamarTiti-su8fe]

That's very helpful Josh, thanks a lot. The new format is much easier but, the problem is about the duration. Hope you will continue looking for time management strategies.

[@pricilareyes4588]

Why would TOEFL guys not give us enough time to read what THEY want us to understand?! Makes no f... sense

[@glady6584]

Thats why u practice reading books alot bruhv.. sounds like a skill issue to me 🤷‍♂️

[@PamelaHarrison-l8c]

Totally agree! They should give more time for reading so we can understand and comprehend. So stupid!

[@elifunluerler1941]

You must be kidding with us. How can ı read the questions also two different review AND jot down my personal ideas in 10 munites? You guys do not give us for reading time.

[@noranmohamad7210]

Definitely much easier and faster than the old one!

[@allardkeeley267]

Guys, your visual information around 6:10 has a mistake. The student opinions are from another question (effects of television) rather than the one about discoveries. So, clearly the student opions on that question have nothing to do with the sample answer. Otherwise, great video as usual.

[@dmytrogryzov3371]

Thank you for the video! I'm definitely going to take test after the update. It looks easier. You shouldn't concentrate on "fake" reading questions, shouldn't keep essay for 300 words...i like it❤

[@TSTPrep]

Thank you for your feedback and good luck on your test.

[@pamela.r]

I consider this format more difficult because there is no template. We need to write a lot more, and with just 10 minutes, many errors can be made. I appreciate your explanation; at least, going to the exam knowing what to expect is helpful.

[@TSTPrep]

Thank you for your feedback.

[@gnm280]

It's incredible how I'm getting score 4.0 on every test of this new question just following your tips! I'm losing fear of the writing section.

[@RamiroBrandolini]

How do you know your mark?

[@idrisbaird365]

@@RamiroBrandolini You'll get an AI-generated score after submitting your response for the practice questions on their website.

[@RamiroBrandolini]

@@idrisbaird365 Sory to bother, wich website? Thanks

[@julianfuchs4241]

I already completed 5 practice tests on the website. While I tried to vary my writing style and implemented some of the suggested tips from TST I always scored a 4.0. Did anyone here get a different result, or is the current system simply not yet sufficient to evaluate the text properly?

[@ighagh]

Thanks a lot for your work! Subjectively, I think that it depends on person, like many people thought independent essay was the hardest thing in the TOEFL, but actually for me that was Integrated 😅. Last time I could write very long time, and then edit, because I just wrote my essay and that's it. However, now I should read or SCAN the passages and then write my opinion about that topic and all that thing I should do in 10 minutes. That is much more stressful than Independent essay was.

[@TSTPrep]

Thank you for your feedback. Of course, everyone is different.

[@Yankalexia]

Great! In fact, I did not know how the "new" writing task was, and this video helped me understand the basic concepts. Thank you!

[@TSTPrep]

Thanks for the comment and happy to help :)

[@jennylin5929]

Thank you, Josh. The lecture and structure break down are very helpful! Writing is the most difficult part for me. I completed my first essay, though it takes me over 30 minutes!😂

[@TSTPrep]

Thanks for taking teh time to comment. If you ever want some additional help, you can check out our site: www.tstprep.com :)

[@piano_boy8981]

I'll have TOEFL exam today about an hour and a half on July 26th in Korea... Wish me good luck pls!!!

[@medsarad]

Hi How did you get on? 🙂

[@piano_boy8981]

@@medsarad 110!!! got 26 in reading and listening but 30 and 28 in speaking and writing!

[@te22557]

@@piano_boy8981 Hey, that's a great score! May I ask you how you have prepared for the test? Did you learn any templates or specific phrases/formulations and vocabulary?

[@Durgaempire]

While I appreciate the points mentioned by both Kelly and Paul, I really think that television has created a positive impact in our lives that everyone should consider. Various programs on television definitely encourage people to think in broader ways. Individuals can grab a wide range of information about particular subjects. It is especially beneficial for students, as they can access concise information that can be retained long-term. Moreover, various devotional and motivational programs help viewers develop positivity and think differently, so this approach is probably best for everyone. However, relying solely on television doesn't guarantee that people's lives will change radically. Television is simply a tool developed by humans to facilitate their lives. Therefore, people must discern which programs are beneficial for them and act accordingly. Nowadays, youths are highly engaged in watching television, and their participation in other areas is quite limited. This will surely hamper their academic careers, and may halt their social and psychological development. Thus, it sounds ethical to engage in various sectors rather than relying solely on watching television.

[@_shaan_shah]

Hi could you please score this? It will help me out to gauge my current level. This topic puts the light on the crucial topic of globalisation. I firmly believe in the transformative power of globalisation. The tremendous potential that we see in our world today is because of the advent of globalisation. To counter to what Alex believes, I would like to put it in a way that since centuries mankind has been divided and isolated. You can see how the ancient civilisations disappeared just because of the lack of technology transfer. We live in an inter dependent world and to meet the needs of our populations, collaboration is the way to go. There have been scores of instances of nation building and development of the poorest of the regions because of open economies. The concept is of collective advancement and generation of new opportunities. Today we can sit in a part of the world and work in another. This is possible because of the international bonhomie and cultural awareness. The diversity is actually the pillar of a strong nation including the developing ones. They must open up their economies and they themselves will realise it as the best decision in their history.

[@enesmahmutkulak]

Hi Josh. First of all i want to thank you for this such an amazing video. I wrote my own answer. I would be delighted if you give your own opinions about my answer in your free time. Also i am open to other people's opinions. Although there are both pros and cons of globalization, I definitely think that the advantages are more dominant. First of all, it gives a great opportunity to earn money. With the help of globalization, even people who have low wages can sell their home-made products to the world. Secondly, it makes discovering cultures and cultural exchange possible. People can travel to their dream country, develop their perspectives about other cultures, and even defy their cultural biases. While I also give rights to Alex's points that state it can cause local people to extinct, It can be prevented by taking action. Governments can ensure that local people will not be a part of globalization, and they can legislate against the harsh conditions of employees.

[@kartikanand5374]

It's a rather complicated question and the stance of a particular person depends on their own background. As someone who has experienced the negative effects of globalization personally while living in a developing country, I tend towards stating that globalizaation is more of a negative force for developing countries. I have had my friends talk about high stress levels in toxicity in their own companies. For instance, one particular friend who had been placed with a really great package in a well-renowned company named, Sprinklr, has complained about the toxic and stressful work culture at the office. And the same is the story with other companies who are expanding to developing countries like India. In fact, for the expectation of exploiting the indian employees by providing them low wages (comparative to USA or Europe but rather high salary in India), these companies prefer to keep their R&D department in India itself. But of course, I do agree with Bryan to some extend that it can bring some economic benefits to developing countries by bringing them new technologies and access to new markets. Man this sucks xd

[@livresaudiobylynn]

My test is tomorrow and I have been practicing and studying with your videos for about a month. You have such a large and great palette of studying material for the TOEFL. If I get the score I need, I'll start a fandom for Josh.

[@TSTPrep]

Haha, thanks for commenting :) How did your test go?

[@HosseinAbootalebi]

Thank u mr,i think this new version is much technically than the previous one,and students get the highest scores who have practiced a lot.

[@S_Antosha]

Sounds like this task is much easier!

[@AkiraTsuchiya-h1i]

Hello! I tried writing the answer to the question: I believe that globalization contains both positive and negative impacts. However, the positives of globalization overwhelms its negative effects. Even though Alex says that globalization can lead to loss of culture and characteristics of countries, I believe that this will not happen if we are careful enough. For example, I learn at an international school where it represents a form of globalization as people with different cultures gather together and get educated. It is a great platform to share each other’s cultures and compare their differences. Instead of dishonouring the diversity, we respect them. We make sure to value the cultures and include them. Therefore, through globalization, we can also achieve world peace as the community gets closer to each other. We can develop further understanding towards one another and avoid unnecessary conflicts. To conclude, I agree with Bryan that globalization brings advantages and will improve our current lives. Are there any improvements I could make?

[@moremayureshharidas3500]

question- social media influncer can sell any thing they want? your thought? I strongly feel that social media influencers with a lot of followers have the power to sell their product. In my opinion, this is not a bad think but many influencers in today’s time sell harmful or addictive products without even caring about the consequences the buyers will face. For example, recently a famous influencer secretly partnered with tobacco company and acted like its cool to use tobacco based products. His followers started using this product without even giving it a thought just to act like a cool guy in front of the society. I understand Emily’s view but she is missing another important point. Influencer after becoming famous know that their fame won’t be for long so they just try to make as much as money they can by selling any products, no matter whether it is good or bad. In the end I would say that we should watch these influencers but we must always know of what’s right and wrong and not fall into their trap. plz rate the response

[@misa4650]

I feel this is a LOT easier than the old version, I'm an English major in Asia and I basically do similar tasks like this all day, while for entire article, not so much😅

[@TSTPrep]

Thanks for taking the time to comment.

[@080lokeshagrawal6]

Personally I believe, globalization is a positive force as it creates more opportunities not only to the developing countries but also to their people. It creates an opportunity for economic development of their country by providing them a scope for trade by which nations can easily get the resources limited to other regions. People can travel to developed coutries and can explore more ways for various things that may help them for a more sustainable use of resources. I understand alex's concern over cultural homogenization, but i believe that it will bring a sense of belongingness and unity to the people all together. Although in some cases it may lead to a exploitation of resources of developing countries but if i had to choose i would go for the globalization keeping its positive force in mind. can you please rate this?

[@mohammadamanalimyzada1462]

Thank you Josh. I love the work you do here

[@jannetkrasitskaja2286]

Thanks

[@tonybarkham3679]

How can the answer about vaccines and antibiotics be connected or relevant to the professor's question: "What do you think is the most significant effect that watching television has on people? Why do you think television has this effect?" Ok, the phrase, "shown to the world", but no reference is made to television and the text is unrelated to the discussion. I think this must be an error.

[@TSTPrep]

Hi there and thank you for your comment. I'm a bit confused because the response is to the question "Is globalization a positive or negative force in the world today?" Could you tell me where you see the question about television? A specific time stamp would be helpful. Thanks.

[@tonybarkham3679]

@@TSTPrep Yes, its the screen view at 6:00

[@TSTPrep]

@@tonybarkham3679 I should have been clearer in the video. The sample essay at the 6:00 mark is an example from ETS for a different question. I included it here to show you that you could earn a high score without including any information from the people in the discussion. At this point of the video, I did not want to show a sample question and essay yet. The "watching television" question is a different prompt from ETS that I used to show what the question will look like on test day. Keep watching later on in the video for a sample question and accompanying essay. Sorry for the confusion.

[@manuelgomez-ochoa5446]

Excellent tips for the new writing question are provided in this video.

[@kadirimariamdamilola9905]

Josh please make more videos on this and speaking as well

[@TSTPrep]

Sure, more videos to come soon :)

[@sergeaido1023]

Amazing, what a video. It definitely helps mitigate my scare or stress when thinking of new format of the test. Thanks a lot

[@TSTPrep]

Thanks for the comment and good luck on your test!

[@makankananian3838]

actually I believe this new academic task is much better compare to the perviouse one, less words and clear direction are notably the biggest advantages of this new updated writing task

[@TSTPrep]

Thanks for your feedback and good luck on your test!

[@0Luciana0]

Thank you, Josh! It's my first time commenting here, thank you for the content! In my opinion, this new type of writing is more difficult because for me it's easier to write from previous discussions than add my opinion. I know the topic in my native language, but when it comes to writing in English I struggle with vocabulary :(

[@TSTPrep]

Thanks for taking the time to comment. It means a lot! If you want to build your vocabulary, the first site we would recommend is LingQ. It is a program designed to give you a ton of reading content, from news articles to short stories at all levels of proficiency. It also has flashcards and other tools to help you remember vocabulary. The second site we would recommend for more "TOEFL-like" materials is Scientific American, which is an academic journal with similar types of passages from the test

[@simbiatsalaudeen_ssd]

Thanks for your video, Josh🌸 In my opinion, the new academic discussion task is easier than the previous independent task. I have my test next week on January 17. I hope for the very best.

[@TSTPrep]

Thanks for commenting and best of luck on your test.

[@simbiatsalaudeen_ssd]

@@TSTPrep Thank you. I got my results today. I had a 28 in writing following your templates. Thank you🙏

[@saeidjavani-k5p]

Perfect points, Thank

[@w-e-a.c..2264]

That was great!

[@movingenglishlessonswithan2032]

Thanks, Josh! Sharing this on the latest blog post that I'm working on publishing.

[@TSTPrep]

Thanks for sharing, Anne! Let me know when you have the link up. Maybe we can squeeze in a link to your blog somewhere in one of our articles.

[@l-106azayyadav9]

It is indeed easier than previous independent writing🙌🙌

[@rvgba]

got 103 in my first test, thank you for the helpful content!!

[@TSTPrep]

Happy to hear you have earned the score you needed!

[@TV-wz8kp]

Thank you so much Josh, but I have one question:) Can you tell me where the source for the three questions is? Psychology- What are smoe strategies that people can use to manage stress in their daily lives? Political Science- What are some ways that individuals and goverments can work to reudcue air pollution? History- But what about the impact of ancient civilizations on science and technology? How dis these civilizations contrubute to our modern understanding of science and technology? You mentioned that the source of the three questions is from ETS, but I couldn't find them on the ETS website T.T

[@javiernarvaez1849]

Josh is the best of the best. You're a life saver. 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@TSTPrep]

Happy to help :)

[@sehmusakbas]

Hey there, first of all thanks a lot for this great video, it shows that you've went through multiple different ETS questions and answers to spot some good ones as examples. My question is: are we offered to choose from multiple subjects/questions from a given list or is it a one-shot, single question about a specific subject? The reason why I'm asking this is to see if it's possible to get caught in a subject that we are not very familiar with and have to make up a decent size paragraph with limited knowledge about the subject. I appreciate the effort!

[@TSTPrep]

Hi there and good question. Unfortunately, you can't select the topic, and there is no way to know what topic you will get on a test day.

[@sehmusakbas]

@@TSTPrep that hurts… thanks for the answer though!

[@chiomaadegbite4577]

Thank you so much Josh. This look easier than the previous but I enjoyed both

[@TSTPrep]

Thanks for taking the time to comment.

[@Priyanka1330]

Hi Josh, Thank you for simplifying Academic writing! I just received my score- 112 with 29 in the Writing section This was the only video I referred to while preparing for Academic writing. Once again, thank you😊

[@ruchamehta8600]

Hey, how long did it take for you to get your TOEFL scores after the test day?

[@TSTPrep]

Congratulations and thank you for sharing. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you leave your review at this link - es.trustpilot.com? It will help people on Google learn about my site, TST Prep. Thanks again!

[@alenabezouskova1655]

Thank you, this helps a lot. My biggest problem is spelling mistakes or even typos. For some reason, it is really hard for me to see them in the English text that I wrote even though I know the correct spelling. If anyone has any tricks for that, I will be glad. Working in progress :)

[@TSTPrep]

The best way to improve this skill is to practice it. There are many great free typing programs on the internet. Or even using Grammarly will help you improve. The trick is to work on your typing and grammar for between 15-30 minutes every day.

[@alenabezouskova1655]

Thanks a lot for responding :)

[@pearlpatel8264]

Thank you so much for the structure and the guiding through how to practice for Academic Discussions. It helped me greatly in improving my score. I am definitely recommending everyone I know who are preparing for TOEFL to check out channel and website.

[@TSTPrep]

Great! Thank you for sharing! If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you say the same thing at this link - sotellus.com/r/tst-prep/? It will help people on Google learn about my site, TST Prep. Thanks again!

[@udayonsen260]

I think this is more tricky compared to the independent writing scenario.

[@TSTPrep]

Thank you for your feedback.

[@amirrezarakhshani4006]

So if it is not necessary for us to add the students' ideas , why did they mention the students' ideas? They could ask us to write our own ideas

[@rosmeryquesada7019]

It helps you to give to you ideas about what to write by providing points to support or not on your own words, but avoiding taking someone else opinion to support your entire writing :) That's what I understood I hope it makes sense

[@ic4101]

So, you have to think harder to come up with your own ideas about that topic. As you can see, the students are mentioning the most common opinions (agree/disagree) on that topic, and ETS dosen't want you to repeat what they just said. 😒 Got it?

[@banouehsanpour7023]

I think that this is easier than the previous task.😊

[@simonhurtadosalazar7111]

Hey Josh! Thanks for the video. I find more stressful this new format because you always want to have as much time as possible. But, either way with both formats you should prepare very well the templates you are planning to use.

[@TSTPrep]

Thanks for taking the time to comment.

[@sarahstriedandtestedenglis5930]

Thanks, Josh, but at 9 minutes - I don't think that sample answer is the answer to the discussion board on the right. I think the sample answer refers to inventions, whereas the discussion board on the right refers to the impact of television. I may be wrong. Your thoughts, please. Btw, thanks for all your great content - much appreciated.

[@hosseinshafie3165]

Thanks Josh! It was a very useful video and I took a lot of screenshots.

[@yousramaqsoodi100]

Hey Josh I have a question Can we use an example of our own experience in this question? Please please answer this before I take exam My exam is on Sunday 😅

[@TSTPrep]

Hi there, thank you for asking and yes, you can use your personal example. Hope this helps and best of luck on your test.

[@sivakumarpalanisamy8838]

Thank you very much for the useful video.

[@banouehsanpour7023]

Thanks a lot for useful video🎉

[@kaushalyatharangani9736]

Can you tell me ,how we can improve listening skills for the toefl test?

[@TSTPrep]

Preparing for the TOEFL Listening requires practice, which is why we offer 100 TOEFL Listening practice questions for free on our site - tstprep.com/courses/toefl-listening-practice-pack-sample/. There are also three great sites that you can use for free to find academic passages similar to the ones in the TOEFL Reading and TOEFL Listening sections: National Geographic, TED, and Scientific American. On top of that, immerse yourself in English as much as possible. TV, movies, social media, news, radio, etc. make sure it is all in English. The more exposure you have to the language, the better equipped you will be for the test. Hope this helps!

[@kaushalyatharangani9736]

Thank you very much.

[@ErfanKhodabakhsh]

I think in some ways, they are the same because we are writing about a topic with our own idea. although we can use some idea in our writing, as you said, ETS maybe evaluates our contribution

[@TSTPrep]

Thanks for taking the time to comment.

[@lisayschoi9862]

Thanks millions.

[@zainabalwali95]

Thank you Josh! I really appreciate your effort in this video about new question.

[@TSTPrep]

Thanks for taking the time to leave such a nice comment. Much appreciated :)

[@sameer_sah]

Thank you Josh for the detailed explaination. Hope your fingers are fine now !😀

[@TSTPrep]

Thank you :)

[@ozcanf6680]

Thank you Josh, this is very helpful 👍

[@ericaferrideoliveira4610]

Thank you so much Josh!

[@wisamey]

You and your guides for speaking and writing were the reason that my speaking score went from 22 to 26 and my writing score went from 23 to 28. I got 113 overall score. Cant thank you enough 🙏

[@ruchamehta8600]

Hey, how long did it take for you to get your TOEFL scores after the test day?

[@wisamey]

@@ruchamehta8600 test was on 24 dec, got the result on 29 dec.

[@TSTPrep]

Happy to hear that:) Thank you so much for your kind words. It would be a HUGE help if you could leave a review on Trust Pilot - es.trustpilot.com.

[@wisamey]

Done

[@mosesndebesa450]

Very hepful Josh

[@КаналМиланыЖуравлёвой]

Wow! Thanks a lot!🌅

[@vanDKnaNL]

I feel a little scared about that new format. What if my opinion on that topic is already mentioned of one of the 2 students?

[@TSTPrep]

That's totally fine, but be careful not to spend too much time repeating what they say. Express your opinion in your own words.

[@vanDKnaNL]

@@TSTPrep thank you, will try my best

[@leilysdream5666]

THANKS A LOT :) WELL DEFINIETY IT WILL BE MUCH MORE EASIER. THANKSSSSSS

[@FelixKeh-w7c]

Josh, so, for further clarification: there are mainly two paths to answer this new writing question: 1)correlate my writing with the previous posts, meaning I can agree or disagree with either of them first, but remembering to add my own contribution to this discussion afterwards. 2) ignoring the previous posts and mentioning none of the information in them, I just start a complete brand-new personal idea on this discussion and give examples and details, etc., by which I add new contribution to this discussion. Is what I said above correct, Josh?🙏

[@FelixKeh-w7c]

I think speak something completely different might be much easier.

[@FelixKeh-w7c]

either of the two paths emphasizes "contributing to the previous discussion".

[@TSTPrep]

That's correct. You can choose to mention one or both speakers, but technically, you don't have to mention either speaker as long as whatever you say adds to the topic in a meaningful way.

[@FelixKeh-w7c]

got it!!♥@@TSTPrep

[@omeryagzaluc1548]

I guess it is more relax than the former one.

[@FrurandyAkum]

Sir thanks very much for these updates It's vert easier than the other independent writing task 2 Sir I still appreciate you for these videos They didn't updates us in our school about these .which tomorrow am writing my TOEFL exam Thanks very much sir josh

[@TSTPrep]

Thank you for commenting. How did your test go?

[@beewel-r8l]

Thank you so much.

[@ataaeffahsylviaduah2572]

Hy Josh, my question is that should the answer be in a paragraph form? and must we add connectives like firstly, secondly and so on when answering or we should just go straight to the points

[@TSTPrep]

It should be in paragraph form and also use the transitional phrases you are asking about. Here is a link to an article that has an example of the correct structure. Hope it helps. :) tstprep.com/articles/toefl/sample-essays-for-the-writing-section-of-the-toefl-test/

[@marwaKakar-r3i]

I believe globalization makes our world more and more interconnected. I can emply with confidence that one of the differences of our era is about globalization; what I want to make point of it is this that human being has alot more life assets today by trades, travels and other types of communication than other times of human history. Also it is important to say that globalization do makes societies far more foreign from each other in fact very familiar and connected which we can expect with adoration and peace. But I should remark, not all connections are based with good wells and people of different countries makes effort to gain one sided profits and leave considerable harms to others. Because of this, there must be accepted policies that causes equality and balance of economic power not putting pressure nor colonising.

[@marwaKakar-r3i]

If anyone could check my answer it will be a significant help for me!

[@anaserrano2152]

Thanks Josh! I didn’t have idea it had changed 😅

[@hediyeh_savari]

Thank you, dear Josh. This was so helpful😍🤩

[@shakolaa946]

Thank you sir

[@emmagray8544]

can I have mixed opinions here? saying it has a positive impact but also seeing the downsides of globalisation, for example harming the environment. And support both my points with examples and details

[@TSTPrep]

You can have mixed opinions but it is not recommended. Keep in mind you only have 10 minutes, so it is easier to only develop one side. Plus, if you argue both sides, it increases the risk of you copying one of the other student’s exact points by mistake. In short, we strongly suggest sticking to one side.

[@gabrielalopes284]

Thanks for your video! Both questions will be like that?

[@farhadkazemipour4247]

I checked the links in the description but it seems the writing link is broken, also thank for your helpful template you explained

[@TSTPrep]

Thank you for commenting and here is the link - drive.google.com/file/d/1ZWv72rlPez6Iwt5Xk4GbhsZVDxkraJ9q/view.

[@jonathangra-v6l]

thanks!

[@paperbackonly8438]

I’m not sure it’s easier than the independent writing … I see the reason why it may seem easier, but, ASIDE from the time-constraint, it seems to have put the question in a … more elevated context … more about society and less about personal experience. I mean I get it, it’s called ACADEMIC discussion.

[@TSTPrep]

Thanks for taking the time to comment.

[@rosmeryquesada7019]

Thank you, Josh! I definitely think this question is way easier than current independent writing, and the adjustment time helps to finish the test quickly and be less tired.

[@TSTPrep]

Thanks for taking the time to comment.

[@saheltayebi9402]

Josh I would be really and truly grateful if you answer my question! Can i write this task with a template like my personal belief is ...... for two reasons. first of all, second of all, finally, that's why i believe that .... or is it so essay-like? Thank you 🙏🏻

[@TSTPrep]

Here is a link to our updated guide with templates that you might find useful. - drive.google.com/file/d/1ZWv72rlPez6Iwt5Xk4GbhsZVDxkraJ9q/view

[@ES-qm5hr]

This change seems like it will dumb down the test to level which might make it pointless. I wonder how long it will stay like this.