Korean Job Discussion Forums

[iiicalypso]

Don't forget that the TOEFL essay grading scale is changing later this year, and will be scored from 0 to 5. There will be two different types of writing-- independent (traditional type of question) and integrated (students read a passage, listen to a short lecture, and have to address both of them). I still haven't got a handle on the integrated writing, and I check the TOEFL website www.toefl.org every couple of weeks. They do have the scoring rubrics available on the website, if you want to get the official word.

The biggest problem I have found with my students is that many of them have never been taught how to think. A lot of them are technically competent but have no idea how to generate evidence and detail. I wish that I had a magic bullet for this, but I just spend a lot of time brainstorming ideas and encouraging them to think creatively.

[ajuma]

iiicalypso: I think that this is going to be my major stumbling block, too. I've been talking with a lot of people and picking everyone's brains! I know quite a few of the students who will be taking the class (a plus, I think!) and challenging them to form an opinion about something that they have no opinion about will be the hardest part. It's going to but challenging, but fun! I'm looking forward to it!

[iiicalypso]

I have been thinking about the ways that I have motivated middle schoolers to brainstorm in the past, and I remembered one technique that I used that was pretty successful. I also used it in the US with high school teachers to learn about sonnets, so it is pretty flexible.

All you need are plastic easter eggs (or, as I have been using here, the little plastic bubbles that vending machine toys come in) and paper. Write down topics or subjects that you want the students to brainstorm about. I always start with something general, like "inventions" or "a good life". I make each student pick one of the bubbles at random and then give them a preformatted brainstorming graphic organizer. It is simply a rectangle in hte middle (for a thesis statement or topic sentence) and about 20 circles radiating out.

Of course what they end up doing is just like regular brainstorming-- we talk about connecting related ideas that they come up with, and eliminating bad ones. I will write ideas on the board, and then give them another paper and then have them brainstorm on a more specific topic, and then keep narrowing ideas down until they have somehting useful.

The trick is that by using the plastic bubbles it feels more like a game than work. It creates a slightly more carnival-like atmosphere. Sometimes I will even make it into a bit of a gameshow, with students competing to come up with the most "good" ideas (I am, of course, the judge). Of course there are valuable prizes like erasers or stickers.

While this may not be a perfect solution, I know that at least it gives them a greater range of ideas from which to choose, and more than once I have seen the ideas that one student came up with appear in another student's paper, which means that they are paying attention and learning new ideas.

Any other hints?

[ajuma]

Great idea! Since these are uni students, I'll probably stay away from the "carnival" idea, but having them come up with a topic sentence, then drawing the circles and having them narrow it down to "what works and what doesn't" seems like a great idea! Thanks!!

[Zyzyfer]

Barron's "Writing the TOEFL Essay" book has like 6 brainstorming techniques in it, though they do get a bit heavy. Still, if you're having some trouble with essay writing and want to do a little research about it, that might be worth a thumb-through if you can find it in a bookstore here.

[ajuma]

Thanks so much for all the help/advice! I'm really looking forward to teaching this class. You all gave me lots of good ideas to help my students!

Thanks again!!!

[inthewild]

Is brainstorming necessary for TOEFL writing?

ie... on the TOEFL Writing section, does the test taker have to come up with a topic or is the topic given to him? Or...?

Thanks.

[Derrek]

Well, class #1 of my TOEFL writing class was today.

I'm glad I seriously over-prepared, as I knew a lot of my material wouldn't work, depending on their level.

Someone said these students can't think for themselves -- preach it! Better to say they can't seem to form an opinion. They're smart, but they don't know how to express a feeling in English (and I'm learning they can't seem to form an argument in Korea either).

Give them a topic, and they can't seem to form reasons why they have an opinion about it. Just "yes" or "no" is about all I can get from them unless I really prod them along. And I tried to choose school-specific topics I figured they'd care about.

I'd say this is where the brainstorming comes in handy. Yes, the TOEFL provides a topic, but these girls have to learn to express an opinion on something easy before they start debating TOEFL-level questions. That's my take on it, anyway.

One topic question I gave them seemed to get a lot of response. It had to do with studying too much, and the excessive time students spend at Hagwons. They were actually able to come up with a few reasons why studying too much is bad. I about fell over in happiness when one of the girls sort of said, "If we study too much the studying is not good quality."

I learned today that a good thing to do is to give them an essay question, then make them write down three/four reasons why they feel the way they do about their answer. I then use those sentences as the basis for their introductory sentence, followed by supporting evidence in additional paragraphs. Outline, outline, outline.

I'm going to prepare three more topics for next class on individual pages. I will include prompts to outline three of their "reasons" for having an opinion on the issue. After they finish the outline, I will have them try to write a full argument.

Gotta teach 'em to crawl first, I figure.

[ajuma]

I've looked over the TOEFL essay questions and there are some topics that MOST people wouldn't have a strong opinion either way on (example:

[Zyzyfer]