TOEFL SEPTEMBER
COURSE
W E L C O M E
P A C K E T
FALL
2019
International Academic Center Zdravka
ÄŒelara 12/III
Belgrade, Serbia +381/11 334 9639 office@iacbg.org
Welcome to the International Academic Center TOEFL test preparation course! Dear Toefl Student,
Congratulations on making an extraordinary decision that reflects your ambition and spirit of intellectual curiosity. You have a bright future ahead of you! We assure you that you have made an excellent choice in selecting the International Academic Center (IAC) for exam preparation. Not only do we provide the wisdom and experience that comes from decades of high-stakes exam preparation, but we also specialize in the higher education process, having hosted for two decades the EducationUSA program, the U.S. Department of State’s Official Information Resource for students and higher education professionals. Our expertise extends outside the test preparation classroom, and our clients study throughout the world - on every continent except Antarctica, and we do not doubt that somewhere a Serbian scientist is preparing to embark on that adventure. Always remember you can be as big as your dreams. Over the next six weeks, IAC’s dedicated professionals will work closely with you to help you reach your Toefl potential. Shaped by decades of experience, IAC's Toefl preparation team teaches the strategy and tactics necessary to perform well on exam day. Your IAC classroom experience will "drill the skills" you need to perform well on test day. In this Welcome Packet you will find: An Overview of the Toefl’s Structure and Timing The Course Syllabus with an in-depth look at each class Information on Structure and Practice for each section of the test Readings & Materials to Build your Skills (both Toefl and English) We look forward to working with you over the next several weeks and we cannot wait to see how you turn your Toefl worries into Toefl triumphs! Welcome to a new beginning!
Elizabeth A. Chung Executive Director
Welcome Pack Table of Contents
Page 1..................................................................................Overview of the Toefl Page 2..........................................................................................Course Syllabus Page 4...................................................An In-Depth Look at the Course Syllabus Page 7..........................edX ETSx TOEFL Test Preparation: The Insider’s Guide Page 8.................................................................................Toefl Reading Section Reading Section Structure Sources for Reading Practice Page 9...............................................................................Toefl Listening Section Listening Section Structure Sources for Listening Practice Podcasts Page 11.............................................................................Toefl Speaking Section Speaking Section Structure Sources for Speaking Practice Page 14.................................................................................Toefl Writing Section Writing Section Structure Sources for Writing Practice Toefl Essay Rubrics Independent Essay Examples with Scores Appendix A…...........................................................................Helpful Information English Practice How to Register for the iBT Toefl Test
International Academic Center Zdravka
Čelara 12/III
Belgrade, Serbia +381/11 334 9639 office@iacbg.org
page
1
Overview of the Toefl Component
Sections (in order)
Time
Reading
3 - 4 passages 10 questions per passage
54 - 72 minutes
Listening
3 - 4 lectures, 6 questions each 2 - 3 conversations, 5 questions each
41 - 57 minutes
10 Minute Break
Speaking
1 independent question Express an opinion on a familiar topic 3 integrated questions Speak based on reading and listening tasks
17 minutes
Writing
1 independent essay Write based on reading and listening 20 minutes, 150 words minimum 3 integrated questions Express an opinion on a familiar topic 30 minutes, 300 words minimum
Approximately 55 minutes
Scoring Total score 0 - 120. This figure is the sum of the four Section Scores. Each section will be scored from 0 - 30.
International Academic Center Zdravka
ÄŒelara 12/III
Belgrade, Serbia +381/11 334 9639 office@iacbg.org
page
TOEFL iBT Course Outline: September 11th – October 18th, 2019
International Academic Center Zdravka
Čelara 12/III
Belgrade, Serbia +381/11 334 9639 office@iacbg.org
2
page
3
First payment is due at start of course. Second payment is due on or before week 3: September 25th, 2019
International Academic Center Zdravka
ÄŒelara 12/III
Belgrade, Serbia +381/11 334 9639 office@iacbg.org
page
An In-Depth Look at the Course Syllabus
4
Week 1 1.1 - Students will receive a full overview of the test, including content and how the test is scored. Then students will be introduced to the Speaking and Writing sections of the test, as both sections tend to need a great deal of practice. By the end, students will understand the structures of the test and above mentioned sections. The homework given will allow students their first opportunity to write an Independent Essay!
1.2 - The class will begin with a discussion of the students’ first attempt at writing a Toefl Independent Essay (the teacher will try his/her best to alleviate any woes the students may be feeling). Afterwards, the teacher will introduce the Reading section, and how to prepare for it, to the students. The students will then continue practicing Speaking drills (and perhaps cursing their tongues). By the end, beyond introductory Reading section knowledge, students will also understand each type of question they will encounter throughout the section. Week 2 2.1 - Students will get their first sound of the Listening section, as well as information on how the section is structured. After a couple of Listening drills, the teacher will try to impress upon them the value of podcasts. Next, students will learn more about the integrated speaking questions (as opposed to the independent speaking question), and begin to practice the first type of integrated speaking question. Finally, students will drill a Reading passage to test whether or not they have begun to understand how to work through passages. By the end, students will understand the basics of the Listening section, what to expect for the second Speaking question, and will have more understanding of their current Toefl reading abilities. 2.2 - The teacher will begin the class by checking in with how the students are coping with their Independent Essays. The remainder of the class will entail drilling of the skills students have learned to date, giving them the much needed practice they will need to excel on the Toefl test.
International Academic Center Zdravka
ÄŒelara 12/III
Belgrade, Serbia +381/11 334 9639 office@iacbg.org
page
5 Week 3 3.1 - Students will learn more about, and begin to drill, the second type of integrated speaking question. By this point, students should be feeling comfortable with how to approach the Reading and Listening sections, so these will continue to be drilled and practiced. The teacher will of course allow students to raise any outstanding issues they may have. This will be the first class that the teacher does not pass out an Independent Essay for homework and the students will feel relieved. 3.2 - The students will drill each type of Speaking question that they have studied in class to date. In the teacher’s experience, students are usually not happy by the end of such drilling, but the teacher is because he/she knows that the students are getting practice and making valuable improvements. Then, the students will be subjected to a lengthy Listening drill in order to get them closer to being accustomed to the lengthy amount of focus necessary for Toefl success. By the end, students will be feeling tired and rest will be well-earned. Week 4 4.1 - The entirety of this class will be dedicated to the Integrated Essay, the first essay which will be written on the Toefl exam. By the end, students will understand this task’s structure as well as how to structure their essay. The homework provided will be the first step students must take in order to internalize the above mentioned understanding. 4.2 - The beginning of this class will be used to discuss how the students fared with their first solo attempt at an Integrated Essay. Afterwards, students will begin to work on the fourth, and final Speaking question. Probably they will not like it because it is not simple, but the teacher will remind them of the true value of practice. Students will then go through a modest Listening drill and then be prepared to write another Integrated Essay for homework.
International Academic Center Zdravka
ÄŒelara 12/III
Belgrade, Serbia +381/11 334 9639 office@iacbg.org
page
6 Weeks 5 and 6 By the beginning of the 5th week, students will have learned about, and practiced, everything they will encounter on the Toefl exam. The teacher will begin to greatly encourage the students to dig deep and focus on where their weaknesses still lie. The more the students are able to express where they feel shaky, the better equipped the teacher will be to provide them with even more supplementary material that helps each individual student focus intently on his or her weaknesses. Throughout the classes of the final two weeks, everything will be drilled. By the end of this course, students will be well prepared to encounter the Toefl exam. The goal of this course is to make the Toefl exam as much of an English test as possible. What this means is that what the students encounter, concerning the mechanics of the test and what they need to do to succeed, should come as absolutely no surprise. After this course, the results of the student’s Toefl exam will come down to his or her ability to work with the English language. That being said, throughout the course the teacher will provide students with more than enough sources to help them practice English and make sure they are as comfortable as they can be come test day!
International Academic Center Zdravka
ÄŒelara 12/III
Belgrade, Serbia +381/11 334 9639 office@iacbg.org
page
7
edX ETSx TOEFL Test Preparation: The Insider’s Guide Part of doing well on any test is taking advantage of the multitudes of available practice material. That is why we recommend that our students enroll in and work through the free course Toefl Test Preparation: The Insider’s Guide created by ETSx on the edX website. This course, like your Toefl course at IAC, is designed to last 6 weeks, with 2-4 hours of work each week. However, you are free to work at your own pace and finish it as quickly or slowly as best suits you. What you will learn in this course: How to improve your English language skills How to effectively navigate the four sections of the TOEFL test: Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing Tips to help you prepare for the TOEFL test How the TOEFL test is scored How to use your TOEFL test scores for employment, study, visas and scholarships Ways to manage your time during the test Where to find additional resources about the TOEFL test How to register for the TOEFL test
You will also learn all of the above information in your Toefl course at IAC, however we believe that learning the same information from various sources is the best way to completely internalize it, so come test day there are absolutely no surprises.
International Academic Center Zdravka
Čelara 12/III
Belgrade, Serbia +381/11 334 9639 office@iacbg.org
page
Toefl Reading Section
8
You will read 3-4 reading passages You will answer 10 questions for each passage This section will last 54 to 72 minutes The reading passages that you will encounter on the Toefl test will all be roughly 700-900 words long. The topics of the passages will range from the humanities (e.g. social studies, history, art, etc.) to the sciences (e.g. biology, geology, chemistry, etc.). However, do not get very nervous because passages on difficult topics will be filled with simple words. Think of it as reading an article in National Geographic or a similar publication. Anyone with a competent English level should be able to read the passage and learn something without the requirement of special knowledge. Throughout your Toefl course at IAC, you will learn the strategies necessary to work through the reading section with speed and skill. However, internalizing these strategies will always require more work on your own outside of class. To help get you started, it is important to create a regular English reading habit if you do not already have one. Here are some excellent news and article sources: The New York Times - www.nytimes.com The Economist - www.economist.com Scientific American - www.scientificamerican.com National Geographic - www.nationalgeographic.com Newsweek - www.newsweek.com Time Magazine - www.time.com Smithsonian - www.smithsonianmag.com The Atlantic Monthly - www.theatlantic.com Wired - www.wired.com Delanceyplace (non-fiction book excerpts) - www.delanceyplace.com DailyLit (bite sized literature) - www.dailylit.com Arts & Letters Daily - www.aldaily.com Aeon (provocative essays, ideas, and videos) - www.aeon.co While going through these sources there is potential that you will encounter many vocabulary words that you are not familiar with. Be sure to have your dictionary at the ready! Another way to help yourself build up vocabulary is to make a daily habit of visiting the Freerice website (http://beta.freerice.com).
International Academic Center Zdravka
ÄŒelara 12/III
Belgrade, Serbia +381/11 334 9639 office@iacbg.org
page
Toefl Listening Section
9
You will listen to 3-4 lectures and answer 6 questions for each You will listen to 2-3 conversations and answer 5 questions for each This section will last 41-57 minutes The lectures that you listen to in the Toefl listening section, like the reading passages, will be on topics ranging from the humanities to the sciences. The conversations that you listen to will always be between two people, a man and a woman, who are discussing a topic that is somehow related to university life. You will only be able to listen to each lecture and conversation once. There are many sources available for you to practice Toefl listening questions:
The Toefl Go! App will let you practice questions from all 4 sections of the Toefl test.
The Toefl iBT Interactive Sampler provides free unlimited access to past TOEFL iBT questions from all four sections of the test: https://www.ets.org/toefl/ibt/prepare/toefl_interactive_sampler/ The Toefl iBT Quick Prep also has questions from past tests. It includes questions from all 4 sections and transcripts of the audio portions: https://www.ets.org/toefl/ibt/prepare/quick_prep/ When you run out of listening questions from these sources, you can also check YouTube! By typing in “Toefl Listening Practice” you will find many audio sources with attached questions. However, these are slightly lower quality and should be used as practice with the understanding that you are not using the best material available to you. General English Listening Practice Only practicing Toefl listening questions will not sufficiently help you build your English listening ability. It is also important for you to create a regular English listening routine. If you have access to Netflix or a similar service, take advantage of it! If you are in a position to explain why you are watching TV so much, tell your parents you are practicing for the Toefl!
International Academic Center Zdravka
Čelara 12/III
Belgrade, Serbia +381/11 334 9639 office@iacbg.org
page
10 The best way to make sure that you always have English listening material on hand is to get into podcasts if you are not already! Podcasts are similar to talk radio, except that you can download them directly to your phone and listen to them while on the go. To begin downloading podcasts, you will need to first have a suitable app on your phone. Castbox is a great app for both iPhones and Androids. Once you have this app downloaded, you can begin searching for and downloading podcasts! The folks at IAC really like the following list of podcasts: Down 2 Business English Business English Podcast 6 Minute English BBC Radio's A History of the World in 100 Objects ESL Pod's English Cafe I Will Teach You a Language Luke's English Podcast NPR's Ted Radio Hour NPR's Hidden Brain The Knowledge Project Philosophize This! Radiolab History on Fire
International Academic Center Zdravka
ÄŒelara 12/III
Belgrade, Serbia +381/11 334 9639 office@iacbg.org
page
11 Toefl Speaking Section You will complete 4 tasks: 1 independent task and 3 integrated tasks This section will last 17 minutes The speaking section on the Toefl is designed to let you show your ability to quickly and concisely answer questions. The independent task will ask you to choose your position on a general and easily understood topic. The integrated tasks will include reading and listening components from which you will need to pull information and answer specific questions. The independent task lets you convey your opinion while the integrated tasks test your ability to repeat information. While preparing for the Toefl test, it is important for you to speak English as much as possible. If you have someone in your life who you believe speaks English at a high level, use this person! Just be sure to buy him or her a coffee from time to time. :) Online you can find many resources that will allow you to speak English more often. One such resource is a language exchange program. This is designed for two people to share their languages with one another. So your goal would be to find a native English speaker who wants to learn Serbian. One such website is Conversation Exchange: https://www.conversationexchange.com/ Fair Warning: You already know that the internet is visited by dark people who tend to make the experience worse for everyone. Unfortunately, you can also find these people on Conversation Exchange (due to it being a free service). There are also many wonderful people who genuinely wish to learn a language. So just, you know, be careful.
International Academic Center Zdravka
ÄŒelara 12/III
Belgrade, Serbia +381/11 334 9639 office@iacbg.org
page
12
International Academic Center Zdravka
ÄŒelara 12/III
Belgrade, Serbia +381/11 334 9639 office@iacbg.org
page
13
International Academic Center Zdravka
ÄŒelara 12/III
Belgrade, Serbia +381/11 334 9639 office@iacbg.org
page
14 Toefl Writing Section You will have 20 minutes to write 1 integrated essay You will have 30 minutes to write 1 independent essay This section will last approximately 55 minutes For the integrated essay you will need to first read a passage and listen to a lecture on the same topic. Then, you will analyze how the ideas in the lecture cast doubt on the ideas in the passage. This essay should be a minimum of 150 words long. For the independent essay you will respond to a prompt asking your opinion on a topic. This essay should be a minimum of 300 words long. If you do not already enjoy writing, then you probably will not find this section very enjoyable. You must be able to write clear ideas and structure them properly. Throughout your IAC Toefl course, you will be given many chances to write essays. Your teacher will give you great feedback which can be used to improve the next essay you write. Take advantage of this! The independent essay will be easy for you to practice: all you need is the prompt and time to write. However, because the integrated essay has the reading and listening components, you will need access to this extra material. You can use the sources listed in the Toefl Listening Section part of this Welcome Packet to find these materials.
International Academic Center Zdravka
ÄŒelara 12/III
Belgrade, Serbia +381/11 334 9639 office@iacbg.org
page
15
International Academic Center Zdravka
ÄŒelara 12/III
Belgrade, Serbia +381/11 334 9639 office@iacbg.org
page
16
International Academic Center Zdravka
ÄŒelara 12/III
Belgrade, Serbia +381/11 334 9639 office@iacbg.org
page
Example Independent Essays with Scores Prompt: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Always telling the truth is the most important consideration in any relationship. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Level 5 Response Source: TOEFL iBT Writing Sample Responses, 2005.
International Academic Center Zdravka
ÄŒelara 12/III
Belgrade, Serbia +381/11 334 9639 office@iacbg.org
17
page
Level 4 Response Source: TOEFL iBT Writing Sample Responses, 2005.
Level 2 Response Source: TOEFL iBT Writing Sample Responses, 2005.
International Academic Center Zdravka
ÄŒelara 12/III
Belgrade, Serbia +381/11 334 9639 office@iacbg.org
18
page
Appendix A
English Practice An important aspect of the IAC Toefl course to consider is that it is not an ESL course, meaning the main goal of this course is not to help you improve your English. The main goal of the course is to get you ready for the Toefl. That being said, you certainly will pick up on some English improvements throughout the course if you are paying attention. Ultimately, if you are currently feeling shaky about your ability to use English, it will be primarily your responsibility to do the extra practice necessary to make improvements. If you have English grammar books from school, get those out and dust them off! There are certainly some grammar conventions that you have yet to learn completely. Your Toefl teacher will also be happy to help guide you to other sources and answer all of the questions you may have. An excellent source for practicing your English grammar is the Perfect English Grammar website. There are many exercises that you can go through to refresh your English grammar knowledge: https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/grammar-exercises.html
How to Register for the iBT Toefl Test Registering for the Toefl test is easy...if you know how! Otherwise it can appear to be a complex project that leaves you with many questions. To help you out, we have created the following PDF with step-by-step instructions on how to register for the test. Click the following link to download the PDF: Download
International Academic Center Zdravka
ÄŒelara 12/III
Belgrade, Serbia +381/11 334 9639 office@iacbg.org
19
International Academic Center Zdravka
ÄŒelara 12/III
Belgrade, Serbia +381/11 334 9639 office@iacbg.org