Day 20 — Take an Interview · Intensive (Set 2)
Phase II · Targeted Drills · Speaking · Day 20 of 30 · ⏱ ~1.5 hours
📍 You are here: Day 19 · Discussion → Day 20 · Interview intensive (Set 2) → Day 21 · Writing (Email + Discussion)
Second interview set 🎙 — this time push for flexibility on Q3 and Q4. By now the templates should feel like logic-prompts, not scripts.
🎯 Today's goal: Deliver a natural, well-anchored 45-second answer to each question — with a real counter on Q3 and a acknowledged limit on Q4.
✅ You're done when: you've recorded + submitted Interview Set 2, then run the transcription self-test on one answer.
⏰ Step 1 — Warm-Up: Anchor It
Trains the concrete-anchor habit that separates Band 5 from Band 4.
👉 Open the Warm-Up Exercise
4 items · auto-graded.
🔁 Step 2 — Rapid interview reps
Warm up with 4–5 quick prompts from the "Websites for TOEFL Practice" section, recording each. Then run the transcription test: record one answer, transcribe it word-for-word, and check whether it reads like something you said (good) or something you wrote (too template-y).
🟢 Band 4→5 Lock the Q1/Q2 structure and always include one anchor (a place, a person, a number).
🔵 Band 5→6 On Q3, add "Now, someone might say…, and that's fair — but…"; on Q4, acknowledge a limit ("Of course, it's not a magic fix, because…").
Step 3 — Individual Task
⭐ Today's Individual Task — Speaking Task 2: Interview Set 2
Theme: Shopping & consumer choices. Answer all four. 45 seconds each, no preparation. Record + keep your script.
- Q1 · Personal recall
Think back to the last time you made a major purchase, either online or in a store. What did you buy, and what did you like or dislike about the experience? - Q2 · Reaction & preference
Do you prefer shopping online or in a physical store? Why? - Q3 · Opinion with support
Do you think online reviews help people make better decisions, or do they mislead them? - Q4 · Broader issue
In the future, do you think almost all shopping will be done online? Why or why not?
📤 Submit your individual task for Hasmik's feedback: post the recording 🎙 and the script 📝 in the "Tasks for Review and Feedback" section on Telegram and indicate which day's task it is..
💡 Pro Tips
- Outgrow the template. If your transcript reads like an essay, drop two "banned" phrases (no "First of all… Secondly…", no "In conclusion").
- Anchor every answer — the same generic answer works for any prompt, and that's exactly why it scores low.
- Vary your closers — never use the same one twice in a set.
- Q3/Q4 reward thinking out loud, not reciting — let the structure guide you, then improvise inside it.
📁 Portfolio Entry — log Day 20
- 📅 Date · ✅ Steps completed (Y/N) · ⏱️ Time spent
- 📊 Warm-up score: ___ / 4
- 🎯 Interview Set 2 submitted? (Y/N) · transcription test verdict: essay-like / natural / fragments
- 🎯 Confidence today (1.0–6.0) · 🏆 One Win + 🤔 One Challenge
📞 Your 2 one-on-one meetings with Hasmik are included — if you haven't booked yet, message us to set the dates.