Free apps to improve your English for the TOEFL and IELTS speaking exams.
by John Grant
I’m often asked by students which online resources they can use to improve their speaking skills in preparation for taking either the IELTS or TOEFL exam.
I base my recommendations on three criteria:
- Motivating
- Easy to use
- Free (mostly)
- Google pronunciation
This completely free (amazing !!) function in the Google search engine allows you to hear and see how a word is pronounced in both British and American accents. Also, it has a practice button allowing you to try to pronounce it with feedback to see what you are doing wrong. This is a real game changer! Just type the word and type pronunciation. For example, try to type ‘wonderful pronunciation‘ into your search engine. Try it now!
Note: This works best with Google Chrome.
Duolingo
The free version of this app is a must-have for mobile phone owners. Practice small discrete lessons based on topics to expand your vocabulary and improve your grammatical accuracy. The daily reminders and point system keep you motivated and you can finish a lesson in less than 10 minutes. Perfect for the commute!
Note: There is a paid version that eliminates the ads.
3 Drops
This beautifully designed app builds your vocabulary in a wide variety of topics with a clean interface. The constant repetition of vocabulary ensures that you won’t forget new vocabulary.
Note: The free version has a time limit for how long you can use it, but it is more than enough for daily use.
4 Busuu
A variety of lessons on common topics will keep you motivated with very natural conversations. This app uses cutting-edge AI machine learning to constantly improve the app! Also, it has a feature that connects speakers of other languages to grade each other’s progress . This is a great source if you would like to move beyond textbook English.
Note: The free version limits access to the whole lesson so you may want to pay for the full version.
5 Ted Talks
This is a huge resource of lectures and talks on almost any subject imaginable. Use these lectures to practice summarizing skills that are so vital for the academic lectures you encounter in both the IELTS and TOEFL. Each lecture has subtitles in many languages so you read along with the lecture in both English and Japanese! This feature also allows you to navigate the lecture easily so you can repeat sentences and phrases.
I will be back soon with more tips and suggestions!