One way for ESL teachers to prepare students for the TOEFL test is by engaging them in communication exercises. For example, one activity is to divide students up into pairs and have them sit back-to-back so they're not facing one another, then give them a speaking task. This might involve telling about their day, families or home country. The student that isn't speaking should be listening to what the partner is saying, but not interacting with the student. The partner would then provide feedback on what his partner was saying. The partners would then switch roles.
One way to practice fluency when learning a new language is to tell stories or jokes. ESL teachers can engage students in such activities by providing them with story-like jokes. The students then study the joke and practice retelling it, in their own words, either to a partner or to their teacher. The exercise teaches students the importance of comprehending information and presenting it in a fluent, natural way.
One way to focus on different aspects of a new language is by role playing. For example, to help students learn verbs, teachers might pick a few keywords and have students use them in a designed conversation that emphasizes their usage. Aside from helping students learn how to use words in various contexts, it also helps them practice fluency and their ability to comprehend and respond to conversation on the fly.
Teachers can help students prepare for life beyond the ESL classroom by simulating a real-life situation, such as an interview. For example, teachers can have students split into pairs. One can act like a boss and the other an interviewee. The student playing the boss asks the interviewee questions about why he's best-suited for the job, and the student playing the interviewee answers accordingly. For larger classes, the teacher can have a series of stations, each simulating a different interview scenario, to allow students to rotate between stations.