Korean Job Discussion Forums

[panchotino]

sorry if it has been mentioned before but i couldn't find any info.
i need top find a textbook which is aimed at eventually leading into toefl but for now the student's level is too low to do ibt.ideally i'd like a good writing textbook ( similar to steps to writing but with more challenging topics ) but one with a focus on a particular form of essay writing or grammar style. i have some good discussion topics but as i teach speaking and writing back to back, i'd like the topics and focus i' speaking about to be related so the students can see a progress in the class.
cheers now, have a good week.

[sodabread]

don't know if this is getting to you a bit late, but I'll sound off anyway, seeing as no one else has.
If your kids are eventually going to take the iBT, I'd get them to do the independent essay a million billion times as soon as you can. the questions are pretty open, and the winning-est structure is easy to teach/digest. iBt books tend to scare the pants off people when it comes to the writing, so i'd forget all about them for now.
If you can get a hold of the ETS book, check out the super list of independent essay questions. After sifting through it a little, you can identify the easier questions and immediately get them going on brainstorming, writing outlines, etc.
If your students' level is really too low for this, you might want to try the tapestry series. the purple writing book is a good mix of academic and conversational stuff.
when you feel they are finally able to handle an iBt text, be careful if chosen text is Longman's. I think it can lead students away from their target score (the SCORE is the point, right?) by teaching them things that have little or nothing to do with the real deal.
I taught a mixed level iBT class in San Francisco, so I hear you when you say its all a wee daunting...

Good luck, and feel free to write if you want to discuss toefl related madness. I'm looking for a toefl gig myself, so it wouldn't hurt to talk about it.