Korean Job Discussion Forums

[smitchlovesfunk]

Okay, so i've only been at my first ever school for 2 months and i've been teaching kinergarten and elementry kids.

Now my Director has just told me he wants me to teach speaking and writing for the TOEFL test! This seemed like quite a step up as I have no prior teaching experience and my degree was science based so my essay writing skills are not exactly that great! But I've done a bit of research and maybe it won't be so bad...

I'm gonna take a practice test in the next few days as I've read that this is a must if I'm going to be teaching it.

I've just read this post that was very useful:
http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=112006&highlight=TOEFL
GaryCooper, I would PM you but i haven't reached 25 posts so can't PM yet. You said in that post you could go on forever about this subject, please do!!

My director has bought a few text books. I'm looking through one at the moment which seems pretty good - Complete Guide to the TOEFL test iBT Edition from Thomson Heinle - anyone use this?

Basically I would love as much info as people could give on planning lessons for the speaking and writing sections. I think i'm gonna be doing two 1h30m lessons a week.

Thanks in advance!!

[GaryCooper]

Aside from what I already wrote, I'd say it may be helpful to have conversation questions ready. There are two types of free speaking on the TOEFL: 1) answering a which-one-would-you-prefer sort of question; 2) answering an open-choice question (i.e., one where choices are not provided for you). Continuous drilling on these questions will help them on the speaking. They have fifteen seconds to think about their answer and forty-five seconds to speak.

A list of conversation questions -- thousands of them -- can be found at the very helpful iTESLj website, specifically here:

http://iteslj.org/questions/

As for essays, it's important to have them do a five-paragraph essay as a model. Look for ESL Bee for sample essays:

http://www.eslbee.com

Also, the famed Purdue Online Writing Lab has dozens of handouts on nearly any topic. They can be printed out and used with low intermediate kids. Some of these have to do with different kinds of writing, with paraphrasing and summarizing skills, with the parts of an essay (introduction, body, conclusion, thesis statement, topic sentences, supporting details, transitions -- the things that people look for in good essays). Don't have a URL on that, but it's easy to find.

Gotta go. Any more questions?

GC

[Skippy]

WOW You go whole hog for the school. You have some good enthusiasm.

Let me tell you what is happening. Your boss got one or two parents who want little Taewoo to get some more writing and speaking experience. So boss thinks lets "teach them the test". If you look up TOELF ibt it is for College Students and Adults. So your boss grabs the first really cool looking writing book that goes with TOEFL or some big test and gets those. He listens to the assessment of the parents that their children are great at english

Before you go running off spending 100 dollars on some TOEFL books. Actually get some info on what is going down? Okay two classes 1 1/2 hours long. How old are the students? What is their actual level? Me I have been given basic level 6th grader students to teach TOEFL ibT which was a complete mismatch and hairpulling experience. Look at the book? I would not be surprised to see a dual English/Korean book. Then test the students. Give them a basic essay to do. Then read, correct said essays. And see if your students has the basics. If they are complete begginers Then find some basic Internet sites on traching basic writing and go teach.
If they are actually competent then spend your money on some books on teaching the TOEFL ibt.

Good Luck

[darkcity]

maybe it'll help to download the practice test online and take it yourself to see what it entails.

[Easter Clark]

In related news, I'm looking for a good book to teach Business English to 5th graders.

[bogey666]

[Zyzyfer]

Yeah, if you're going to teach this to young kids who aren't at least studying overseas, it's going to be a nightmare.

No, the director won't listen to your pleas to reconsider the program once it starts and you go crazy.