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Korean Job Discussion Forums "The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
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citizen erased

Joined: 06 Apr 2008
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 8:59 am Post subject: Advice for 4 iBT TOEFL Presentations |
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I have to give four 1-hour presentations on "how to teach" the iBT test.
It would be really nice if there were some outlines I could use. I am doing searches now but its not looking promising.
I wouldnt mind 4 hours of actual lessons but this is supposed to be 4 hours on teaching methods. Any advice would be a big help. |
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jellobean
Joined: 14 Mar 2006
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 6:30 pm Post subject: |
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Good Luck! From what I've seen, there aren't any published materials on how to teach. We just work from the study books and learn as we go. We stress improving English skills, but I've heard that the Korean test prep places teach "tricks" to getting the answers right. Have you actually taught this test? Your own experiences are probably the best info you have. |
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Eedoryeong
Joined: 10 Dec 2007 Location: Jeju
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Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 1:16 am Post subject: Re: Advice for 4 iBT TOEFL Presentations |
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citizen erased wrote: |
I have to give four 1-hour presentations on "how to teach" the iBT test.
It would be really nice if there were some outlines I could use. I am doing searches now but its not looking promising.
I wouldnt mind 4 hours of actual lessons but this is supposed to be 4 hours on teaching methods. Any advice would be a big help. |
You should get the Longman. There's a really poopy other guidebook out there. The Longman contains many techniques (you have to get the CD set with it) for zeroing in on details and lots of coaching for the single biggest change from the old TOEFL - the speaking section. Basically you have to teach coaching. But you have several techniques you can impart to your student teachers. This should be easy once you have the book. One hour each language skill. The reading and writing sections will fill themselves as there are tons of points the Longman goes over. The speaking should be a layered approach to coaching starting from basic objective identification, to note-taking, to making a skeleton of what you'll say, and then finally layering in key words and phrases that will guide your spoken answer. I can't remember about the listening section now but if you rush order the book you can figure out this whole teaching seminar in like a day.
EDIT: I forgot to add: you've got to teach the format as well, and outline the big differences from the old TOEFL test (e.g. scoring system, how things are judged, timing and timing techniques, etc. etc.) |
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Ed Provencher
Joined: 15 Oct 2006
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 6:50 pm Post subject: |
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I think it would really help if you have taken the TOEFL iBT, and have had a year or more of teaching experience in order to run a good workshop on how to teach the TOEFL iBT.
I have taken the TOEFL iBT (score 105/120), and I have been teaching this test to students for 6 months. I wouldn't feel comfortable if someone expected me to be an expert on the material at this point, but I could share some basic experiences.
The first and most important thing to understand is the damn test. What I mean is you really need to know what it is like to take the thing. I'm a native speaker of English and a college grad, but I only earned a score of 105. I claim ignorance of the demands of the test.
Note: Ideally, I'd make anyone who wants to teach the TOEFL iBT to take the test. It's about 4-4.5 hours long. When this is impossible to do, I recommned the following...
Advice #1: Most prep books have mini-tests (30 minutes or less) in them. Make the teachers you will teach take one for each skill.
I would facilitate a group discussion after each mini-test. Ask each teacher to talk about their experience, their thoughts, etc., while you take notes. Then with the remaining time, use your own teaching experience and knowledge of the textbooks you have been using to give some pointers on things like your favorite activities to do and why, amount of activities one can expect to do in an hour, and typical homework assignments. Use your notes as a guide to what you focus on.
Sorry, but I only have one piece of advice. Here are some quotes about "experience" to turn you on to my suggestion.
Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn. ~C.S. Lewis
Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards. ~Unknown
*Please let me know how it goes and what you did.  |
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