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scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

How tricky is it to teach a course leading to the Internet-based TOEFL ? We are having a dispute about who should teach this course. I say any competent EFL teacher with some computer skills can do it. My colleague says that we should be looking for teachers with specific experience in teaching to the I-TOEFL.

What are the opinions of the forumites ?

Sashadroogie · Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 12:28 pm Post subject:

Trained monkey work, for the most part. But does require extremely high threshold of BOREDOM!

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Boredom tolerance, I think you mean:-)

It's like tolerance of ambiguity....tolerance of cut-and-dried same-same...
All of us who deal in measuring proficiencies are well-used to this!

Anyway, agree with Sasha - only someone in love with the idea of CALL would be likely to argue that this requires some special expertise.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 1:00 pm Post subject:

Nah, I prefer 'threshold'. Sounds more likely to involve the PAIN that it actually does inflict on the poor sod saddled with this type of class.

At least the endless 'what does the man imply' cassettes could be just left to play out by themselves while the 'TOEFL instructor' had a kip in the back of the classroom and while the learners furiously inferred.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 1:07 pm Post subject:

God, I am BORED today. I even checked to see how typical a phrase like 'boredom threshold' really is. I frequently coin new phrases, or malapropisms might be better.

Anyway, this is a real phrase, after all. But still, I am SO SOOOOO bored. I think I need to get stuck into that second bottle a little earlier today than my normal postprandial tipple.

http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/threshold

Sashadroogie · Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 1:08 pm Post subject:

But, having said that, at least I don't have to suffer the inanity of TOEFL classes. Long may that continue, hic!

johnslat · Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 1:59 pm Post subject:

Dear scot47,

I've done it both ways - paper-based and computer-based. In my opinion, anyone who could teach the paper-based version competently would have no difficulty in doing the same for the computer-based version.

Regards,
John

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Golly, I feel so CLEVER when people tell me that I am right !

Sashadroogie · Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 3:29 pm Post subject:

Scot, you're big and clever!

johnslat · Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 4:22 pm Post subject:

Oops, forgot about The Law of Unintended Consequences. Very Happy

Regards,
John