Discourse Coherence: Enhancing the flow of your speech

Discourse Coherence in TOEFL Speaking refers to how well your sentences and ideas connect and flow together.

• Analogy: Imagine you are building a tower with blocks, where each block represents a sentence in your speaking response.
• Good Discourse Coherence: This is like building a strong and steady tower, where each block (sentence) fits together nicely. It means that your sentences connect smoothly, making your speech logical and easy to follow.
• Importance: Having good discourse coherence helps the listener understand your ideas better, much like how a well-constructed tower stands firm and makes sense as a whole.

In the TOEFL Speaking test, focus on creating a logical flow in your speech, where each idea leads naturally to the next, ensuring your speech is clear and coherent.

Technical Explanation

• Dimension: Discourse Coherence
• Model: Language Use
• Construct: Connectives
• Impact on Overall Score: Moderate
• Definition: Measures how well your response is structured to connect ideas, using pronouns, conjunctions, and other connectives.

Responses with a higher Discourse Coherence score (i.e., better use of connectives) correlate moderately with higher TOEFL Speaking scores.

Overall Score Ranges

• Good: 26-30
• Fair: 18-25
• Limited: 10-17
• Weak: 0-9

What the Numbers Tell Us

• For the Discourse Coherence dimension, there is a moderate relationship between the use of connectives in your response and your overall TOEFL Speaking score. To achieve a high score, it is important to create a cohesive response where ideas are clearly connected.
• The chart shows that a Discourse Coherence score of 21 places this response in the "Limited" range (10-17) for overall TOEFL Speaking scores, indicating that while coherence is important, it is one of many factors influencing the final score.
• Approximately 88% of responses scored higher, suggesting that higher discourse coherence is associated with better-performing responses.
• There is an overlap where responses with Discourse Coherence scores between 55 and 76 scored in both the "Fair" and "Good" ranges, indicating that while coherence is significant, it is not the sole determinant of the overall score.
• The impact of this dimension is rated as moderate, suggesting that while discourse coherence contributes to your overall TOEFL Speaking score, it is one of many factors at play.

Conclusion: Improving discourse coherence by ensuring your ideas are well-connected and logically ordered can enhance your TOEFL Speaking score. Focus on using connectives and transitions effectively to create a smooth and coherent flow in your speech, helping you communicate your ideas clearly and effectively.

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Non-Technical Explanation

Consider these lyrics from Try by Pink. They are "coherent" (we can also say they are cohesive).

Think Pink

The coherence in Pink's lyrics can be understood as follows:

• Line 1: The first line sets up a cause-and-effect relationship: "Where there is desire, there is gonna be a flame." It implies that when you have strong desires or passions, there will be consequences or actions that follow.

• Line 2: The second line continues the cause-and-effect idea: "Where there is a flame, someone's bound to get burned." It suggests that when there is a flame or passion, there is a likelihood that someone will experience negative consequences (i.e. get hurt).

• Line 3: The third line introduces a contrast and challenges the assumption that getting burned means certain death: "But just because it burns doesn't mean you're gonna die." It emphasizes that experiencing pain or failure does not mean it's the end; it doesn't signify permanent harm or failure.

• Line 4: The last line emphasizes the importance of resilience and trying again: "You've gotta get up and try, try, try." They encourage you to persevere and keep making efforts (i.e. to find another "flame") despite setbacks or failures. It conveys the message that getting back up and trying again is essential to achieve success or overcome challenges.

Pink's lyrics demonstrate coherence by presenting a sequence of ideas that build upon each other, showcasing the cause-and-effect relationship, presenting a contrast, and ultimately emphasizing the importance of resilience and perseverance. You can do the same thing in your TOEFL Speaking responses.

Take Action

To improve Discourse Coherence scores in TOEFL Speaking using the "Pink method" as an example, you can take the following actionable steps: 

• Establish Clear Relationships: Clearly establish the cause-and-effect relationships between ideas. Practice expressing connections between desires and consequences, or between certain actions and their outcomes. This can be done by using appropriate transition words or phrases such as "because," "so," "therefore," or "as a result." 

• Use Contrast Effectively: Practice incorporating contrasts into responses to highlight differences or opposing ideas. This can be done by using words like "but," "however," or "on the other hand" to introduce contrasting thoughts. Consider how to present different perspectives or alternative viewpoints. 

• Maintain Logical Progression: Ensure that ideas flow logically and smoothly from one to another. Avoid sudden or abrupt shifts in topic or focus. Use transitional words and phrases such as "firstly," "next," "in addition," or "finally" to guide the listener through your ideas in a coherent manner. Provide Examples or Illustrations: Support your statements or arguments with relevant examples or illustrations. Just as the lyrics use vivid imagery to convey meaning, incorporating specific details or examples can make your speech more coherent and engaging. 

• Practice Self-Monitoring: During practice sessions, pay attention to the overall coherence of your responses. Take note of any areas where the connection between ideas may be weak or unclear. Practice self-monitoring to identify and address any gaps in logical progression, coherence, or transitions. 

• Seek Feedback: Collaborate with a language partner, tutor, or TOEFL preparation instructor to receive feedback on your coherence and transitions. They can provide insights on areas for improvement and suggest specific strategies to enhance the flow and coherence of your speaking responses. 

• Analyze and Study Sample Responses: Study sample responses from TOEFL Speaking tests to analyze how coherent speakers structure their ideas and use language to convey logical connections. Identify patterns, transition phrases, and techniques that contribute to effective discourse coherence. Check out AI Assist mode in My Speaking Score to do this. #learnmore

• Engage in Listening and Reading Activities: Improve your overall understanding of discourse coherence by engaging in activities such as listening to podcasts, watching TED Talks, or reading articles. Pay attention to how speakers or writers present and connect ideas smoothly, and try to emulate those patterns in your own speaking. 

By implementing these actionable steps and practicing regularly, you WILL enhance your Discourse Coherence in TOEFL Speaking.

Check out a case study on DC here.