TOEFL 2026 Speaking Practice — Level Easy (for score 80+) #21

Listen to each question and give a spoken response. Aim to speak for 20–30 seconds per answer.

Score 100 — Perfect

I remember a time when my best friend, Min-ji, finally finished her master’s degree last spring. To celebrate, we decided to go to this tiny, hidden rooftop cafe in Seoul. It was actually quite spontaneous; we didn’t even make a reservation, but somehow we got the perfect table just as the sun was setting. We spent hours talking about her future plans and laughing about our college days. Honestly, the atmosphere was just so exhilarating because we hadn’t seen each other in months. The reason it was so memorable for me wasn’t just the fancy cake or the view, but the feeling of pure connection we shared. It was a pivotal moment in our friendship because we realized that even as our lives change, we’ll always stay close. It really meant a lot to me.

135 words

Score 80 — Good

I remember a time when my best friend graduated from university last month. We decided to go out for a nice dinner at a Korean BBQ place downtown to celebrate. We ordered a lot of meat and just talked for hours about our plans for the future. It was really fun because we hadn’t seen each other in a long time. I think this experience was memorable because it felt like a big turning point for her. We also took a lot of photos together to keep the memory. It was just a simple night, but I felt really happy to be there with her. It was definitely a special day that I’ll remember for a long time.

118 words

Score 100 — Perfect

In my social life, I definitely lean toward having just a few close, long-term friends rather than a huge circle of acquaintances. For me, it’s all about the quality of the connection. I feel like it’s hard to have really deep, meaningful conversations when you’re constantly surrounded by a crowd. Actually, I have this one friend, Ji-won, who I’ve known since middle school. We’ve been through so much together, and because our bond is so **profoundly** rooted in years of shared experiences, I can talk to her about anything without feeling judged. It’s a very **spontaneous** kind of friendship where we don’t need to plan big events; we’re just comfortable hanging out at a coffee shop. So, I’d say I really value that intimacy over having a wide network. It’s just much more fulfilling for me.

136 words

Score 80 — Good

In my social life, I definitely prefer having just a few close friends instead of a big group. For me, it’s just more comfortable to spend time with people I’ve known for a really long time. When I’m with my best friends, I don’t have to worry about what I say or how I act, so I can just be myself. We usually just go to a cafe or watch movies at home, and we talk about everything. It’s pretty relaxing because I don’t like big parties or meeting new people too often. So, yeah, I guess I really value those deep connections and long-term friendships more than having lots of acquaintances and things like that.

116 words

Score 100 — Perfect

Personally, I believe that having friends with different interests is actually more rewarding than just sticking to people who are exactly like you. I mean, if you only hang out with people who share your hobbies, things can get pretty stale. For instance, my best friend, Min-jun, is totally into extreme sports, while I really prefer quiet nights reading or playing video games. At first, I thought we wouldn’t have anything in common, but our friendship has been quite pivotal for my personal growth. He encourages me to be more spontaneous and try new things, like rock climbing last summer, which was honestly an exhilarating experience I never would have had otherwise. Because of this, I think having diverse friends helps you see the world from new perspectives. So, I definitely don’t think friends need to be identical to have a great connection.

143 words

Score 80 — Good

Personally, I believe that it’s actually better to have friends who have different interests. Um, for example, my best friend really loves playing basketball, but I’m more into painting and reading books. At first, I thought we wouldn’t have much to talk about, but it’s been great. Because we like different things, he teaches me about sports, and I show him my art projects. It’s really fun because I get to learn new hobbies that I never tried before. If we only liked the same things, our friendship would be kind of boring, I think. So yeah, I definitely prefer having friends who are different from me because it keeps our friendship interesting.

113 words

Score 100 — Perfect

I think that such activities are actually a great idea. I mean, it’s pretty hard to connect with people when you’re just focused on work or classes all day. If there’s a mandatory event, it kind of breaks the ice and helps everyone get to know each other on a more personal level. For instance, last year my company held a mandatory weekend retreat at a lake house nearby, and honestly, I was a bit skeptical at first. But, after we spent the whole day hiking and cooking meals together, I realized how much we had in common. It was a pivotal experience for me because I ended up making two really close friends there. As a result, our team communication improved significantly. So, I’d say these events are definitely worth it.

132 words

Score 80 — Good

I think that such activities are actually not a very good idea. Well, I mean, if you force people to socialize, it often feels kind of awkward. For example, at my last job, we had a mandatory group dinner every month. Everyone just sat there feeling uncomfortable because we felt like we had to talk, but we didn’t really have anything to say. It felt like a chore instead of a fun time, you know? I think it’s better when people make friends naturally. When you choose to hang out with coworkers on your own, it’s much more relaxed and you actually enjoy the time together. So, forced events just don’t work for me.

114 words