Job Discussion Forums

burngirl · Joined: 03 Dec 2006 Posts: 29

Despite the fact that my school has had me teach 2 "beginner" TOEFL-preparation classes over the past year, I feel like I have a very limited understanding of what the testing is, how to prepare for it, and even moreso how to teach it!

Unfortunately, the situation here is that there is a great demand for such courses, but at my school there has been no real development of a program to teach it, so we're basically handed a book and told "go and practice these exercises with them".

But I want to know HOW to teach it, what skills they need to know, and some tips I could use to make my classes much more useful than they currently are.

As a teacher, I realize that I'll likely have to keep teaching test preparation for the duration of my career. So I'm eager to learn how to do this right.

Does anyone know of resources for me? Are there books out there that educate teachers on how to best teach TOEFL/TOEIC/IELTS?

Thanks so much!

father Mackenzie · Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Posts: 105 Location: Jakarta Barat

Burngirl

If you have taught TOEFL classes already I assume you started and finished with the same class.
You need to pre-test the students so you have an idea what their weaknesses are and then base your teaching around that.
What books are you using? North Star? ETS the official guide to the new TOEFL iBT Barrons? because if you are then are you using and reading the teachers book to help you with the process?
Use the internet to search forums to help identify ways to learn.
Are you using paperbased tests or iBT cd roms which will help the students and you do simulated testing?
You need to test the students on speaking, writing, listening, reading in timed events and they need to able to use and identify areas such as context, structure, inference, use of appropriate vocabulary and also write and speak to a formalised structure which will help them with the test.

These are some sites that can help you

http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/category/teaching/tefl/exams/ets/toefl/
http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/category/teaching/tefl/exams/ets/toefl/
http://global-english.lefora.com/2008/08/29/toefl-ibt-speaking-independent-topic-list-open-cho/page1/
http://www.english-test.net/toefl/index.html

There are so many. But get yourself the teachers book and read it and also read the activities the students have to do, that will help you also.

I hope this is of some help

iain · Joined: 09 May 2007 Posts: 15 Location: northern italy

So many schools are either very naive, daft or dishonest when it comes to exam preparation. How on earth can you have a TOEFL preparation course for 'beginners'? What is TOEFL? It's a Test of English, albeit in a mildly academic context, and to take it or pass it your students need to learn English in the same way that anyone else would, regardless of their long-term aims. It's worth introducing TOEFL-type question modules at regular intervals so that your students feel that they are on-track but that won't be a hard thing to do.
Does your school tell its beginners how long it will take them to do well in TOEFL? If they fail, will it be their fault or your fault?

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Never done TOEFL, but had to do FCE and CAE prep for years, like you I got no training and lots of kids int he class shouldn't even have been there.

burngirl · Joined: 03 Dec 2006 Posts: 29

Wow. This goes to show how little I know.

Well, my school has broken it up so that we teach according to the different sections of the test. I've taught listening, and now speaking and writing. There are various levels of iBT for us. Currently the students I teach are at the lowest level.

There is no teacher's guide available to me. I'm sorry; I don't have the book with me right now so I can't tell you which one I'm teaching from.

I've used the internet, and it's come up with a few helpful things, but I was hoping for a more comprehensive "how to teach" test-taking book - just as their are books to help teachers develop in other areas - with more reliable and thorough info than what I've currently found on the net.

We use the iBT cd roms.

Thanks though for the links and the advice you've given so far!

SueH · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Posts: 1022 Location: Northern Italy

There's a book
'How to teach for Exams' Burgess & Head, Pearson-Longmans, ISBN 0-582-42967-6

which you might find useful. Can't comment personally as it's one of a batch I picked up on my last trip to the UK and I haven't read it yet (and don't need to for my current students).