How to improve your English
Cracking the reading section

Cracking the Reading Section
POE technique – the wrong answer on the TOEFL fall into one of the following categories:
1. Not mentioned – every correct answer must be found in the passage
2. Extreme – correct answers do not generally contain such strong language such as all, always,
impossible, must, never, or none.
3. Right answer, wrong question – some choices contain the information mentioned in the passage,
but don’t answer the question
4. Verbatim – many wrong answers repeat parts of the passage word for word, but the choices use
these words in the wrong context or incorrectly
5. Beyond the information – the wrong answers will go beyond the given information in the passage

Active read the passage – don’t try to understand all details in the passage, just read it and find out
the following information:
1. The purpose
2. The main idea
3. The structure
4.
Question types – each question requires its own strategy
1. Vocabulary in context
2. Reference – what noun / a pronoun / adv. / adj. refers to
3. Lead words – ask about the highlighted word / phrase
4. Detail – ask about specific facts from the passage
5. Paraphrase – which choice that means the same as bolded sentence
6. Definition – find the part of sentence that defines a certain word or phrase
7. Before / After – what type of paragraph would likely precede or follow
8. Sentence insertion – figure out where a new sentence would best fit in
9. Except / Not / Least – looking for the choice that is not supported by passage

c. You need a phrase that tells you what a word means, not example
6. Before / After – eliminate answer choices that
a. Introduce new information
b. Interrupt the structure – the ideas of passage should follow a logical order, don’t return to the
topic that’s been discussed previously
c. Repeat information that has already been mentioned
7. Insertion – eliminate the choices that
a. Doesn’t match – the sentence you add should form a link between two sentences
b. Half-right – the added sentence must matches with both the sentence before and after it
8. Except / Not / Least – eliminate choice that
a. Supported by the passage – the correct answer will contain the information not mentioned and
using extremely language
9. Inference – eliminate any choice that
a. Could be true – you must be able to support the truth of the answer with the passage
b. Extreme – wrong answer will contain extreme wording such as always, never, impossible, all,
none, best, or worst
c. Beyond given information
10. Summary – remove the answer that
a. Too specific
b. Not mentioned

Cracking the Listening Section

Things to do for listening section:
Each lecture or conversation will have a purpose, a main idea, and supportin
g
details. Your
g
oal in
the Listening section will be to find these larger themes in each selection. Because there are only

• What can I do for you today?
• Is there something I can do for you?
After this initial question, the other speaker will states his / her purpose. Usually this involves
asking for some sort of help or assistance. If you are taking notes, you should again write down
what the purpose of the conversation is.

2. Focus on the structure – both lectures and conversations have standard structures.
2.1 Type of lecture structure
a. Compare / Contrast – this type involves finding similarities and differences between two or
more things. Listen for the speaker to introduce the framework by using one of the following
phrases:
• Several theories
• Possible explanations
• Many different views
After the framework is introduced, the speaker will list each item to be discussed and mention its
characteristics. Listen for words that indicate compare / contrast, such as
• Similarly
• on the other hand
• in contrast
• however
• additionally
• also
b. Cause-and-Effect relationships – the lecture attempt to explain why a certain situation occurs.
Listen for the speaker to introduce this type of framework with the following phrases:
• Why would this happen?
• What is the reason for this?
• What leads to this?
If it seems the speaker is describing a cause-and-effect situation, listen for the cause. The
speaker will often use the following phrases to introduce the cause:
• X causes Y

• Process
• Development
• Stages
• Transition
The steps or parts will typically be introduced with clear transitions, such as
• First second third …
• Next …
• Then …
• Initially …
• Finally …
2.2 Types of Conversation Structures
a. Problem / Solution – one student has a problem, and another student offers the solutions.
Listen for the first student to introduce the problem by mentioning one of the following:
• Problem
• Issue
• Difficulty
• Trouble
After describing the problem, the other person will offer some sort of advice or solution. Listen for
the following phrases:
• Why don’t you …
• If I were you, I’d …
• Maybe you should …
• Have you tried / thought of …
For this structure, it is important to listen for what the problem is and what steps or solutions the
speaker may take to solve it.
b. Service encounter – a student will discuss a problem with a professional – usually a professor, a
librarian, or an office worker. The problem will be introduced in the same way as the previous
conversation type, but the response may differ. The service professional will usually explain
exactly what the student needs to do to solve the problem. The solution may involve several
parts. If so, listen for the following words to indicate the steps the student must take:

one of the following types:
• Excited – this tone is typical of the significant event conversation. The speaker is interested in
the event and may be trying to influence others about it.
• Disappointed / Upset – the speaker is not happy about the situation. This usually occurs during
the problem / solution encounter.
• Uncertain or confused – the speaker is uncertain or confused, especially in the service
encounter. The speaker will be unsure of what action to take or how to proceed.
4. Pay attention to transitions – these transitions show up in lectures and conversations as well,
and it is good to note them. However, two other types of transitions to be especially alert for are
reversals and negations.
Reversal transition – if you aren’t listening carefully, you may misunderstand the speaker. Here
are some phrases to listen for:
• You know what?
• We’ll come back to that in a moment
• Actually, let’s …
• Instead
• Better yet
• I don’t want to get into that now.
Negation transition – sometimes speaker uses a positive word to indicate a negation. Look for
phrases like the following:
• I don’t have to explain that, right?
• You guys are okay with this, correct?
• We don’t need to go into that now, okay?

Basic approach
1. Actively listen to the selection – noting the main idea or purpose, structure, and tone. You
should expect to hear the main idea or purpose at the very beginning of the speech, and expect
to hear the majority of the details and supporting examples throughout the rest. A lecture or
conversation usually will have a conclusion as well.
2. Attach the question – no skipping in the listening section, you must answer all questions.

o What about coming back later?
o Why don’t you come back later?
o If I were you, I’d come back later.
o You should come back later.
o You could always come back later.
o May be you could come back later.
o It may not be a bad idea to come back later.
o Multiple multiple-choice questions – you select more than one example. Many times, there
question ask you to list the main ideas or points made in the lecture
3. Use POE aggressively – usin
g
your understandin
g
of the main idea, previous questions, and any
notes you’ve taken to help you.
• Main idea question – wrong answer choices may be too specific, broad, or not mentioned.
• Detail question – wrong answer will contain extremely wording always, none, nothing, never,
every, only, all, everything, and impossible and the contrary to main idea.
• Purpose question – wrong answer will contain new idea and also information contrary to the
main idea.
• Definition question – you need to catch up the information from the lecture. Then use common
sense and vocabulary to eliminate choices.
• Inference / Suggestion question – eliminate the answer that don’t relate to the main idea, fi
g
ure
out the tone that speaker used, and don’t choose the choice containing extremely wording.
• Multiple multiple-choices question – eliminate the choice containing extremely wording and also
not related to the main idea.

**********************

i. It is my belief that …
3. State why you have your opinion – when stating why you believe your position, it may be
helpful to use some of the following phrases:
a. I believe this because …
b. This is because …
c. I feel this way because …
d. Since …
e. The reason I think this is …

Expressing Purpose in Speech – the speaking tasks usually require you to do one of the following:
• Present your opinion on an issue which is similar to the writing task
• Explain facts presented in a lecture or reading
• Summarize someone else’s position
• Describe something of importance to you
Clearly expressing purpose on the speaking section
1. Decide what your purpose is – trying to convince or inform
2. State the thesis – don’t go into details and examples and also don’t repeat the task word
a. For speaking task that ask you to present your opinion or to describe something personal to
you, use the following introductory phrases:
• I believe …
• My view is …
• I think …
• My opinion is …
• I feel …
• My preference is …
After each of these statements, you need to mention the topic and whatever example you’re
going to use.
b. For speaking task that require you to summarize someone else’s opinion or to explain facts, the
following introductions are appropriate:
• This person believes that …

I do not believe that parents should select their children’s friends. It would be harmful to children
if they were not allowed to choose their own friends. Parents should be interested in their
children’s friends, but they should let their children pick their own friends.
Clear transition statement: giving statement of example and its explanation by starting with the
topic or thesis of the previous paragraph (underlined phrase)
One reason I believe that parents should let their children pick their friends is that children need
to develop independence (topic sentence). It is very important for a child to become independent,
and the early part of a child’s life can affect the level of independence a child has (statement of
example). For example, children who are not allowed to pick their friends may believe that their
parents will always make important decisions for them (explanation of significant). This belief
could make children dependent on their parents, which would have a negative effect on their
development (explanation of significant).
Other phrases that accomplish this progression are as follows:
• One reason …
• Another reason …
• Additionally …
• First …
• Second …
• Third …
• Furthermore …
• Moreover …
And our final paragraph may say: In addition to the feelings of resentment a child may have, a
final reason parents shouldn’t pick their children’s friends is that the children may not get along
very well.
Wrapping things up: The conclusion
Conclusion needs to have good transitions when restates your thesis. Here are some good words
and phrases to use for your final paragraph.
• And also
• In conclusion
• Finally
Core Concept: Listening Section

How is listening section – you will be listen to both lecture and conversation
In a lecture, you can expect to hear the following;
1. Opening – the lecturer will greet the class and announce the topic of the lecture
2. Purpose of the lecture – after stating the topic, the speaker will usually mention what the
lecture will focus on
3. Details and / or examples – lecture will include several supporting details or examples
4. Conclusion – will not always be as obvious as in writing. Some lecture or talks will end rather
abruptly.
5. Question and / or comment – in academic lecture or talk – these questions typically reinforce
the speaker’s purpose
In a conversation, you can expect to hear the following:
1. Greeting – two people talking will first exchange greetings
2. Statement of purpose / issue - it typically revolve around a problem or an issue faced by one of
the speakers
3. Response – after the problem / issue is raised, one of the speaker will respond, usually by
making suggestion to the other
4. Resolution – the conversation will end with some sort of closing or resolution to the problem
When listening to the conversation / lecture, you need to do the following:
1. Identify “what” the topic is
2. Figure out “why” the topic is being addressed
3. Note the supporting “examples”
Lecture analysis
The speaker will provide an introduction, supporting reasons and examples, and some sort of Merriam-Webster:

หมวด อังกฤษ - ไทย:
เปน Dict Lexitrom+Hope+Nontri 3 เลมรวมอยูในเว็บ
เดียว

หมวด อังกฤษ – ไทย – อังกฤษ: หมวด อังกฤษ-ไทย, ไทย-อังกฤษ: หมวดคําที่มีความหมายเหมือนกัน หรือ thesaurus หมวด Phrasal Verb Dictionary:
Cambridge International Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs:


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ศัพทบัญญัติราชบัณฑิตยสถาน 19 สาขาวิชา:
ศัพทระบบเกษตร:
หลักเกณฑการเขียนคําทับศัพท อังกฤษ – ไทย ของราชบัณฑิตยสถาน:

3. คํายอ อังกฤษ - อังกฤษ
หมวดดิกชันนารีพูดได (Talking Dictionary): หมวดพจนานุกรมแปลไดหลายภาษา:
หมวดดิกชันนารีภาพ หมวด Download โปรแกรมมาใช offline

โดยคลิกที่คําวา “Get the FREE download”
หมวดที่ 2 Grammar

หมวดเวปตางประเทศ
เว็บตรวจแกรมมาร ตองสมัครสมาชิกกอน ถึงจะใชงานได

6. AMERICAN ENGLISH - BRITISH ENGLISH ตารางเปรียบเทียบคําที่อเมริกันและอังกฤษใชตางกัน

7. Words of Love - A Valentine's Vocabulary

8. CAREER VOCABULARY คําที่แสดงอาชีพตาง ๆ หมวดคําศัพทที่มักใชผิด: :8080/~brians/errors/errors.html หมวด Idiom: หมวดเทคนิคการจดคําศัพท ใน Vocab Notebook (สมุดจดศัพท)
หมวดทดสอบคําศัพท
1. ทดสอบคําศัพททั่วไป
2. สํานักขาว BBC 3. สํานักขาว VOA หรือ VOICE OF AMERICA

ฟงขาวอานชา ๆ เปนภาษาอังกฤษ หรือ Special English
ฟงขาว บทความ และการสอนภาษาอังกฤษ เปนภาษาไทย(คน
อานเปนคนไทย)
4. สํานักขาว RADIO JAPAN ONLINE Homepage มีใหฟงทั้งหมด 22 ภาษา 5. สํานักขาว CNN

6. สํานักขาว Reuters

7. สํานักขาว AP

8. องคการสหประชาชาติ

9. ขาวสั้นทั่วโลก
ขาวสั้นของ BBC(อังกฤษ), VOA(อเมริกัน), และ NHK(ญี่ปุน)

10. ฟงขาวผานอินเตอรเน็ตของประเทศตางๆ หลายสําเนียง ของคนทั่วโลกที่พูดภาษาอังกฤษ


หมวดที่ 5 Listening

หมวดสนทนาทั่วๆไป:
Particles in Conversation Questions 1 – 7 (มี test เกี่ยวกับการใช preposition ในบทสนทนา) หมวดสนทนาภาษาอังกฤษทางโทรศัพท:
หมวด Job interview

หมวด Free ตําราสอนภาษาอังกฤษ
เลมที่ 1- หนังสือเรื่องสนทนาอังกฤษธุรกิจ หรือ Business Conversation

เลมที่ 2 - หนังสือเรื่องเรียนลัดไวยากรณจากการสนทนา หรือ Grammar through Conversation
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เลมที่ 3 - หนังสือเรื่องคําลวงภาษาอังกฤษ

เลมที่ 4 - บทภาพยนตรของภาพยนตรที่นาสนใจและภาพยนตรที่ฉายทาง UBC


2. คําคม/บทกวี/เพลง/สุภาษิตของไทยแปลอังกฤษ สํานวน ไทย-อังกฤษ ที่เกี่ยวกับ เพื่อน ความรัก กฎหมาย ธรรมชาติ
เวลาและโอกาส
สุภาษิต คติพจน คํา
พังเพยและสํานวนไทย-อังกฤษเปรียบเทียบ
เพลงชาติไทย เพลงสรรเสริญพระบารมี
เพลงลอยกระทง

หมวดวรรณกรรมตางประเทศ
1. วรรณกรรมตางประเทศตางๆ

สามกก ภาคภาษาอังกฤษ
นิทานจีนโบราณ (Ancient Chinese stories) 16 เรื่อง "กระบี่เยยยุทธจักร (เดชคัมภีรเทวดา)” ภาค
ภาษาอังกฤษ

พรอมคําแปลภาษาไทย
2. คําคม/บทกวี/เพลง/สุภาษิต
สุภาษิต 6 หนา 162 บท
แรงบันดาลใจ 3 หนา 38 หัวขอ
3. ถอยคําเปนคติ

ใหแงคิดและกําลังใจในการดําเนินชีวิต
นิทานอีสปประมาณ 400 เรื่อง
เว็บรวมลิงคสําหรับเด็ก

หมวด Reading Comprehension:
หมวดที่ 7 Writing

หมวดการเขียนภาษาอังกฤษ:

(อันนี้เปนรวมลิงค)

หมวดการเขียนภาษาอังกฤษโดยไมใชคําฟุมเฟอยเยิ่นเยอ:
หมวดที่ 8 English Test

หมวดแบบฝกหัด/แบบทดสอบ:
ศูนยสอบ online ของไทย
(คลิกที่คําวา START TEST บรรทัดลาง) มี 3000 เว็บทดสอบภาษาอังกฤษ

ตองสมัครสมาชิก หมวดที่ 9 Resource

หมวดการศึกษาสําหรับเด็กเรียนชั้นอนุบาล:
หมวดศึกษาภาษาอังกฤษดวยตัวเอง:

หมวดเว็บคนไทยสอนอังกฤษ
หมวดชวยเด็กนักเรียนทําการบาน: หมวด Encyclopedia:
1. รวมทุกแขนง

เลนเหมือนแฮงแมน แตเปนรูปเคก
3. เกมสอื่นๆ
เกมสเติมพยัญชนะ เพื่อสรางคําศัพทที่สนุก ลองเลนดู
เกมของ Webster Dictionary

เกมสนี้ ถาเติมผิดไมเสียคะแนน, แตยอมแพหัก 1
คะแนน, ถาพอขึ้นระดับสูงขึ้นรูสึกยาก เลนชักไมสนุก ก็คลิกตรง คําวา Bubbletoonia เพื่อกลับไปเริ่มที่งายลงก็
ได
เกมสเรือแตก
เกมสจิ๊กซอ
ใหคลิกตรงคําวา Definition Games แถบซายมือ

Software สําหรับเด็ก เมื่อ
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