TOEFL 2026 Speaking Practice — Level Easy (for score 80+) #31

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 I decided to learn how to bake sourdough bread last summer. I’d say I was honestly intimidated by the process at first, but I really wanted to master it because I was spending so much time at home. It was actually a pretty **meticulous** process, especially feeding the starter every single day, which felt like a huge responsibility. I mean, you can’t just rush it, right? I watched a ton of tutorials online, and after a few failed attempts, I finally pulled a perfect, crusty loaf out of the oven. It was such an **exhilarating** moment for me. I’m really glad I stuck with it, because now I can bake whenever I want. Learning that skill was definitely worth the effort and helped me stay productive during that time.

134 words

Score 80 — Good

I remember a time when I decided to learn how to bake bread. This was last year during the winter because I was spending so much time at home. I felt like I needed a new hobby to keep myself busy. It was actually pretty difficult at the start, you know? I had to follow the recipe so carefully, but my first loaf came out really hard and flat. It wasn’t great. I kept practicing every weekend, and eventually, I got better at it. I think I chose to learn it because I wanted to eat fresh bread without going to the store, and it was a fun way to spend my Saturday afternoons.

114 words

Score 100 — Perfect

When I learn new things, I’m definitely the type of person who prefers to jump right in and learn through trial and error. I mean, reading manuals or watching long tutorials just feels a bit tedious to me. For instance, last summer I decided to learn how to bake sourdough bread. Instead of following a recipe book, I just grabbed some flour and water and started mixing. My first loaf was a total disaster—it was basically a rock! But because of this, I learned exactly what went wrong, like how the dough felt when it was over-proofed. I found the experience incredibly **exhilarating** because I was actually solving problems in real time. It was a **pivotal** moment for me because I realized that for me, making mistakes is the best way to really understand a new skill.

137 words

Score 80 — Good

When I learn new things, I usually prefer to just jump in and practice by trial and error. I mean, I’m not really the type of person who likes to read long manuals or watch boring videos. For example, when I started learning how to bake cakes, I didn’t look at any recipes at first. I just tried mixing ingredients together and seeing what happened. It was kind of messy, but I learned a lot from my mistakes. I think I prefer this way because it’s much more fun and I remember things better when I actually do them. It’s just easier for me to learn through practice than reading instructions.

111 words

Score 100 — Perfect

Personally, I prefer to focus on one skill at a time. I’ve found that when I try to juggle too many things, I just end up feeling scattered. For instance, last summer I decided to learn how to play the acoustic guitar. Instead of taking on coding or a new language at the same time, I dedicated every evening to practicing my chords for about an hour. Because of this, my progress was actually quite rapid. I was able to master a few songs in just a month, which was an exhilarating experience for me. If I had split my attention, I think I would have just felt overwhelmed. It’s definitely more rewarding to make genuine progress in one area than to have only a superficial understanding of several things at once.

132 words

Score 80 — Good

Personally, I prefer to focus on one skill at a time because it’s much easier for me to stay organized. When I try to learn too many things at once, I just feel really overwhelmed and don’t make much progress. For example, last year I tried to learn both guitar and Spanish at the same time, but it was just too much. I mean, I wasn’t really getting better at either one, so I decided to stick with just the guitar. Now, I’m actually seeing some real results and I feel way more confident. So yeah, I think it’s better to just focus on one thing until you’re good at it, you know?

113 words

Score 100 — Perfect

I think it would be a fantastic idea for schools and companies to set aside time for personal growth. Honestly, I feel like when people only focus on their main work, they get burned out pretty quickly. If they could spend even an hour a week on a hobby, like learning a new language or even coding, it would be a **pivotal** change for their mental health. For instance, my friend Min-jun works at a huge tech firm in Seoul, and he was feeling really discouraged lately. But then, he started taking a pottery class during his lunch break, and it just completely revitalized his energy levels. Because of this, he’s actually more productive at his real job now. I mean, it’s **profoundly** beneficial to broaden your horizons, so yes, I definitely support making space for that.

137 words

Score 80 — Good

I think it would be a great idea for schools and companies to let people learn new things during the day. Um, I mean, it’s really important because people get tired if they only focus on one thing all the time. Like, if I’m studying math for hours, I get bored and stop paying attention. But if I could spend even a little bit of time learning something else, like a new language or maybe how to draw, I would feel much more relaxed. It’s just a good way to take a break and recharge. So, I think having that kind of free time would actually make everyone more productive and happy in the end.

115 words