TOEFL
Instructor: Carmen Carbajal
Location: Mitchell Community College
Continuing Education B-6
Time: Monday through Thursday
Continuing with preparing the Transitional student for institutes of higher learning, we began strenuous preparation for the TOEFL exam. The TOEFL exam provides the language skills needed to succeed in a university tting. It is also beneficial in a student’s job, social and community life.
The following is an eight-week lesson plan that provides a comprehensive approach to TOEFL exam preparation. Topics are as follows:
Listening Comprehension
Reading Comprehension
Writing
Grammar/Structure
Listening/Reading/Writing Synthesis
A variety of publishers are utilized in this program. “Barron’s” TOEFL is our primary resource. However, “ARCO’s” and “NTC’s” TOEFL have also proven very uful. Other materials are listed with each topic of this curriculum plan.
LISTENING COMPREHENSION
Materials:
Barron’s TOEFL Tapes
TOEFL]
Arco’s TOEFL and Tape Recorder
Copies of Model Tests 1,2,3,4
Copies of Practice Tests 1,2,3,4
Objectives:
1. Comprehend cau and effect relationships.
2. Identify and recall the main idea.
3. Sequencing.
4. Inferring (Almost half of the questions in this ction of the TOEFL are inference questions.)
5. Drawing Conclusions.
6. Determine feelings and emotions.
7. Summarize a story.
8. Distinguish between fact and fiction or opinion.
Methodology:
1. When students arrive to the class they get the handouts for the test.
2. They listen to the tape. They are allowed to listen to it twice, as this is practice not the real test.
3. They should try to answer as many questions as possible the first time, so that during the cond time they just check for mistakes and correct them.
Comments: Barron’s Listening Comprehension tests include the written questions, which is an advantage for the students. This visual aid helps students glean pertinent information form the tape.
Using Barron’s TOEFL for Part A of the Listening Comprehension (short conversations) pr
ents more of a challenge for the students. NTC’s or ARCO’s is ud for Part B (Longer Conversations) and for Part C (Talks and Lectures) becau the (NTC’s & ARCO’s) are not long and difficult.
Evaluation: (for Part A of TOEFL)
1. Details and Vocabulary Words
2. Idiomatic expressions (determine meaning)
3. Suggestions (recommendations)
4. Assumptions
5. Predictions
6. Inference (suggested or implied, but not stated)
7. Identifying Problems
8. Topics (main idea)
Evaluation: (for Parts B and C – Longer conversations and talks)
1. Restatement
2. Inference
3. Main idea
4. Preceding/Following Topic
5. Location
Comment: When the students listen to the tape/cd for the cond time, they are then given the answers. Subquently, the tapes are played again, so that they understand where and why they made a mistake. They are expected to get 80% of the answers correct.
READING COMPREHENSION
Materials:
Copies from: Arco’s and Baron’s TOEFL
Tape/CD player
Accompanying Tapes/CD’s
Objectives:
1. Identify main idea.
2. Identify cau and effect relationships.
3. Place events in quential order.
4. Distinguish fact from fiction or opinion.
5. Determine emotions and feelings from context clues.
6. Predict outcomes.
7. Analyze and evaluate author’s point of view.
8. Obtain critical information and details.
Methodology:
This ction includes approximately five reading passages from either Barron’s or Arco’s TOEFL. The students receive their reading passage at least a day before, so that they may familiarize themlves with the topic.
The day of the test, the passage is read together as a group. This gives students an opportunity to ask questions. This usually takes 15 or 20 minutes.
Then the questions are given out, and for the remaining 30 minutes students take the “test”. They answer one question each. If they answer incorrectly, the instructor gives the correct answer and the class proceeds to the next question.
