TOEFL Junior · ETS

TOEFL Junior

Papers, samples and curriculum documents for this course.

Course units and learning goals

These lessons teach selected course objectives. Check the remaining coverage gaps; the material is not a complete preparation programme.

Lessons →Vocabulary practice →

OV · The TOEFL Junior tests: formats, scores and CEFR

Name the three TOEFL Junior tests and what each one measures
State the sections, item counts and times of the Standard test
Read a section score against the CEFR bands ETS publishes

scaled score: A score changed onto a fixed scale so different test forms can be compared
section: One separately timed and scored part of a test
CEFR level: A level from A1 to C2 that describes what a learner can do in a language

L.1 · Listening: announcements and classroom instructions

Find the main purpose of a short talk by a teacher or school staff member
Pick out the action the speaker wants students to take
Hold one detail in memory while the question is read aloud

announcement: A short spoken message that gives news or instructions to a group
purpose: The reason someone speaks or writes
paraphrase: The same meaning in different words

L.2 · Listening: conversations at school

Follow a conversation between two students or a student and a teacher
Answer gist, detail, reason and next-step questions about one conversation
Infer a speaker’s feeling or plan from what they say

gist: The general main idea of something you hear or read
suggestion: An idea someone offers about what another person could do
infer: To work out something that is not said directly

L.3 · Listening: academic talks

Identify the main topic of a short lesson in science, history or another school subject
Follow examples, comparisons and surprises in an academic talk
Take short notes that keep the key details in order

lecture: A talk that teaches a subject to a class
contrast: A difference between two things, often shown by but or however
note-taking: Writing short words while listening so you remember the key points

LFM.1 · Language Form and Meaning: verbs, agreement and comparison

Choose the verb form that fits the time and structure of a sentence
Make subjects and verbs agree, even when words come between them
Choose correct comparative and superlative forms

subject: The person or thing that does the action of the verb
agreement: The rule that a verb matches its subject, for example he goes but they go
comparative: The form of an adjective used to compare two things, such as taller or more useful

LFM.2 · Language Form and Meaning: connectors, pronouns and word choice

Choose connectors that show the right link between ideas
Choose pronouns and relative words that refer correctly
Choose the word whose meaning fits the context

connector: A word that links two ideas and shows how they are related
pronoun: A word such as it, they or her that stands for a noun
collocation: Words that are often used together, such as make a mistake

R.1 · Reading: notices, emails, schedules and menus

Find facts quickly in non-academic texts such as announcements, emails and timetables
Answer questions about times, people and actions without mixing them up
Work out a word’s meaning from the text around it

scan: To read quickly to find one piece of information
schedule: A list of times when things will happen
context: The words and situation around a word that help show its meaning

R.2 · Reading: academic passages

Identify the main idea of a short academic passage
Find details and understand reference words such as they and this
Recognise why the writer includes an example or comparison

main idea: The most important point of the whole text
reference word: A word such as it or they that points back to something already named
example: One case that shows a general idea is true

R.3 · Reading: stories, inference and purpose

Follow events and characters in a short story
Infer feelings and reasons that are not stated directly
Answer EXCEPT and NOT questions accurately

character: A person in a story
clue: A piece of information that helps you work out an answer
plot: The events of a story and the order they happen in

S.1-2 · Speaking: Read Aloud and Picture Narration

Read a short text aloud clearly, with pauses and stress that help the listener
Tell a story from six pictures with a clear beginning, middle and end
Use past tenses and time links in a one-minute story

narrate: To tell a story in order
stress: Saying a word or part of a word more strongly than others
intonation: The way your voice goes up and down when you speak

S.3-4 · Speaking: Listen-Speak tasks

Take notes on a school announcement or an academic talk
Retell the main points in your own words within one minute
Organise a spoken answer with an opening, key points and details

retell: To tell again what you heard or read, in your own words
key point: One of the most important ideas in a talk or text
summary: A short statement of the main points

W.1-2 · Writing: Edit and E-mail

Choose correct options in an academic paragraph (Edit task)
Write an e-mail reply that answers every question asked
Use a suitable greeting, clear sentences and a polite closing

reply: A message you write to answer another message
greeting: The words that begin a letter or e-mail, such as Dear Ms Park
proofread: To read your writing again to find and fix mistakes

W.3-4 · Writing: Opinion and Listen-Write

Write a 100–150-word opinion paragraph with a clear position and reasons
Report an academic talk in writing, using notes and the pictures shown
Organise ideas with topic sentences and linking words

opinion: What you think or believe about something
topic sentence: The sentence that states the main idea of a paragraph
reason: A fact or idea that explains why something is true

PLAN · Study plan and test day

Build a weekly study plan that covers all sections
Use timing rules for each section on test day
Use official samples and original practice in the right way

timing: Planning how much time to spend on each part
answer sheet: The paper where you mark your answers for machine scoring
guess: To choose an answer when you are not sure

Preparing for this qualification

Standard: Listening Comprehension 42 items, 40 min; Language Form and Meaning 42 items, 25 min; Reading Comprehension 42 items, 50 min; each section 200–300, total 600–900. Speaking: 4 tasks, about 18 min, 0–16, ETS-trained raters. Writing: Edit (two sets), E-mail, Opinion and Listen-Write, 5 questions, about 40 min, 0–16, automated scoring. Schools or local ETS offices arrange the tests.

Teaching coverage still needed

Practice sets are original and fixed-form. ETS equates each form, so a raw count cannot be turned into a 200–300 section score. Speaking and Writing get self-check rubrics and teacher review, never a predicted 0–16 score. The paid Official Guide practice test is not used.