Job Discussion Forums

Sour Grape · Joined: 10 May 2005 Posts: 241

This is my first post, but I have lurked for a bit, and haven't seen this topic mentioned. If I am covering old ground please provide a link to the thread in question, and I will say no more.

My situation is as follows. I have a TOEIC class to teach and so I want to hear from anyone who has taught TOEIC before. I haven't, but needles-to-say, I want the students to get value for their money. So any suggestions whatsoever will be much appreciated. Not just things to do in class - I assume the students are going to be asking what they should be doing in their own time to improve their scores as well.

The class starts in two weeks. Before then I will be familiarising myself with the content and structure of the exam. I have also asked the receptionist to find out if any of the students have taken TOEIC before, and if so, their score.

All help will be gratefully received. The class is in Japan, by the way.

Kent F. Kruhoeffer · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Posts: 2129 Location: 中国

Konichiwa Sour Grape-san:

Welcome to Dave's. Wink

Here are 3 good links to get you started:

http://www.ets.org/toeic/index.html (ETS :: TOEIC homepage)

http://www.englishtestprep.com/toeic/tests/ (TOEIC practice tests)

http://www.english-test.net/toeic/index.html (TOEIC practice tests)

In addition to doing practice tests and helping students to develop their vocabularies, you can also help students by introducing concrete test-taking strategies, such as process of elimination:

(Answers A and C are silly, so B or D must be correct! You've now narrowed down the chances of a wrong answer by 50%!)

Basic tips like that may seem like common sense to us, but you'd be surprised how many people don't actually apply the concept, especially when faced with a stressful test situation. With TOEIC, upward progress in test scores seems to result from a steady & long-term combination of a) actually doing the practice tests in class, and b) by helping students develop good test-taking strategies, while c) gently encouraging them and providing materials to help expand their vocabularies.

Most bookshops in Japan have a good selection of TOEIC 'test kits', which include the paper tests and the listening cassettes. Kinokuniya bookshops are great:

http://www.kinokuniya.co.jp/english/contents/network02.html

Ganbatte kudasai ! Mr. Green

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Speed reading is another skill they have to learn. Most students do the worst on the reading part because they run out of time. Do drills in class where they do a short reading and answer questions. Over time, you cut down the amount of time they are allowed to read the passage.

Kent F. Kruhoeffer · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Posts: 2129 Location: 中国

Found 2 more TOEIC resources for you to play around with:

http://www.toeiccity.com/ (TOEIC-City.com)

http://www.1-language.com/materials/toeic/index.htm (1-language.com)

Doglover · Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Posts: 305 Location: Kansai

Sour Grape · Joined: 10 May 2005 Posts: 241

Thanks to all three of you for taking the trouble to answer.

Kent, those links were great, exactly what I wanted for finding out more about the test.

Doglover, I've never heard of the bridge, but if the students are low level, that sounds like a good bet. By the way, if there is a lot of variety of levels in the class, will teaching it be a non-starter? I know it makes most classes extremely difficult to teach but I just wondered if it might be any different in a class heading for an exam. In any case, I have a sneaky feeling the school manager will put anyone wanting to take TOEIC into the class and if it won't work I want to let him know as soon as possible. Anyway, I'll find out the levels next week, and might well PM you.

Gordon and Kent, thanks for the other points you mentioned. I was concerned that I wouldn't have anything to teach them and the class could just as easily go ahead without me. It's good to have some input to give them.