Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ajuma]

Does anyone know how the writing portion of the TOEFL exam is scored? Do they base it more on content or the use of correct grammar? I've searched the internet, but only come up with the practice questions, NOT how they're scored.

Any help would be appreciated!

[canadian_in_korea]

Hey, I'm not sure about TOEFL but I do know how the CANTEST (canada test for students wanting to go to university....not accepted by all universities i think....but it might give you a general idea/direction)...I hope this helps a little..

[5+] Fluent User. Consistently effective, fully operational command of the language in demanding familiar and unfamiliar contexts of language use, with full comprehension. No language problems that would impede academic success. An exceptional score awarded when a candidate exceeds the minimum for Band 5 in all skills tested.
[5] Very Good User. Very good command of the language in most demanding contexts of language use, especially in area of expertise, with a high degree of comprehension. Only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies in communication, with misunderstandings in some unfamiliar situations, which very rarely impede communication. Level of proficiency considered adequate for full time academic study.
[4] Competent User. Generally effective command of the language in fairly demanding contexts, especially in area of expertise, with a satisfactory level of comprehension. Some inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings in less familiar contexts with more complex language. This level of proficiency in a skill area indicates some weaknesses, which sometimes impede communication, and could affect performance in an academic program. Additional language training would be helpful to improve overall speed and accuracy.
[3] Limited User. Fair command of the language only in moderately demanding language contexts or in interactions with a sympathetic speaker, with limited comprehension. Markedly reduced effectiveness in demanding or unfamiliar situations. The number of systematic inaccuracies and misunderstandings significantly impedes communication and comprehension. Definitely requires additional language training before being considered for academic placement.
[2] Very Basic User. Some ability to function in highly contextualized, familiar situations, but no real command of the language. Frequent systematic errors and misunderstandings seriously impede communication, leading to frequent breakdowns in communication.
[1] Novice. Extremely limited command of the language, with the user limited to handling basic communicative needs.


keep in mind that if the essay is not completed in the given time....there is an automatic .5 reduction. Hope it helps a little...

[Derrek]

Go to a bookstore and you'll find your answers.

Some of the new books were pushed fast and filled with errors, though... be warned.

It does give you a good idea of what the test is like, though.

You can find the information online, I know. Check google.

[ajuma]

Thanks canadian_in_korea. I'll be teaching a TOEIC writing class this semester and I want to know if I should focus my teaching more on the grammar or more on the content. Looks like I have to do a bunch of both!!

[peppermint]

Chances are you'll have to start with structure. From what I was told, Koreans aren't taught how to write a basic five paragraph essay, even in Korean!

[John Henry]

Good question, and I don't know.

What I do know is all of the standardized American placement exams I took didn't give a rat's ass about the content. As long as it generally addressed the issue, you could say whatever you wanted to. What they looked for was stuff like thesis statement in first paragraph, each paragraph supporting the thesis with example, etc., correct punctuation, etc.

Extraneous random stuff was bad, as I recall.

But I'm clueless about tefol. Would be nice to know tho.

[Zenpickle]

I concentrate on the big three:

1. Grammar
2. Structure
3. Content

The first thing I do, though, is have many class discussions and readings to help the kids figure out what their opinions are. You can't write argumentative essays without opinions, and most students haven't figured out what their opinions are yet.

[Scott in HK]

You may want to focus more on structure and content than grammar not because the grammar part is not important, but rather that it is so hard to change.

I taught writing courses in HK to students taking their uni entrance exam. 500 word essay in 75 mins. Over the course of the year, it was hard for the students to change their grammar habits. Extra lessons, empty red pens, mini lessons...everything I did had little impact on their basic grammar mistakes as everything had been so fossilized. So I switch tactics and taught them strucutre and content. It was with this approach that I finally saw their writing marks start to improve.

Peppermint is right. They probably have no idea how to structure an essay. Once you get them writing proper essays with decent content then go back and start to work on the grammar.

The one thing I continued to do was to focus on one grammar point per essay. "Today class we are going to try to get our subject -verb agreement right. So check every verb and subject before you hand your paper in."

Putting 'five paragraph essay' into a browser will bring up a wealth of info about writing...

[ajuma]

Thanks for the help and advice. I've been teaching writing for some time now and have picked up a few tricks to break through that "fossilized" grammar. I realized that ME correcting their errors was worthless. They took a look...said "Oh, yeah...that's right" and made the same mistake the next time. What I do now is tell them what KIND of mistake they made (V for verb, A for article, Sp for spelling) and have THEM correct the mistakes in the back of their notebook under the proper heading. After writitng (they must write the error AND the correction in the back) "I am student. I am A student" and the like 25 times, the NEXT time they write a sentence, they start to think "Oh! I need to put an article here or I'll have to write it again!"

I'll continue to do this and add your suggestions to the syllabus...especially the brainstorming, thesis sentence writing, and how to write supporting paragraphs.

Thanks again!

[Zyzyfer]

[ajuma]

Thanks Zyzyfer!! That's a help!! Could you PM me with the finer details? This will give me a base for where to start with them.

As far as the students doing their own correcting goes...it's a lot LESS work for me when I only have to tell them the KIND of mistake, instead of having to correct every word. (Much easier to write "V" than cross out "swimmed" and write "swam".) I also use a * next to some of the errors for the more complex problems. I spend about 10-15 minutes at the beginning of each class going from student to student to help with questions or problems.

[fandeath]

I wouldn't mind the in-depth version. How big is it?

Please post it here or PM me. Thanks

[Zyzyfer]

I'll post it up here tomorrow.

[christinajou]

They have a range of scores from 6 to 0. You need to take all content, structure, coherency, etc. into account. It's like a regular essay.

6- (shows consistent proficieny)
well organized, addresses the topic, included examples ad details, has few grammatical errors and vocbulary

5- (shows inconsistent proficiency)
well organized, addresses the topic, included fewer examples an details, has more errors in grammar and vocabulary

4- (shows minimal proficiency)
adequately organized, addresses most of the topic, inludes some examples and details, has errors in grammar and vocabulary that confuse meaning

3- (shows developing proficiency)
is inadequately organized, addresses part of the topic, includes few examples, has many errors that confuse meaning...

2 - (little proficiency)
disorganized, not address the topic, does not include exmaples, has many errors that consistently confuse meaning...

get the point...i don't think i need to explain 1 and 0. hope this helps.

[Zyzyfer]

Taken straight, word for word, from the sheet that I use.

Score 6
This essay demonstrates a high degree of competence in writing. The essay has a clear thesis that is developed in well-organized paragraphs. Generalizations are supported by clear and persuasive reasoning and by specific details and examples. The writer responds clearly, effectively, and thoughtfully to all aspects (questions) of the writing task (prompt). The sentences are free from all but the most minor errors and have structural variety.

Score 5
This essay demonstrates clear competence in writing. The essay has a clear thesis and generally well-organized and well-developed paragraphs. Generalizations are supported by clear and persuasive reasons and specific details, but the paper may have fewer details than a 6 essay will have. The writer responds effectively and clearly to the writing task while it demonstrates a competent understanding of the prompt. The sentences are free from major grammatical errors and have some degree of structural variety (e.g. subordination).

Score 4
This essay demonstrates basic competence in writing. The essay has a thesis that adequately addresses the topic. The paragraphs are adequately organized and developed with some appropriate details and examples. The writer responds to the writing task but may neglect some aspects of the prompt. The sentences are understandable, but may have grammatical and mechanical errors that occasionally confuse the reader.

Score 3
This essay demonstrates marginal competence in writing. The essay contains a thesis that is not clear, and demonstrates a weak understanding of the function and organization of paragraphs. It lacks specific and relevant development of generalizations, as well as a weak understanding of the prompt. The writer may distort or neglect some aspect(s) of the task. The sentences marked by frequent errors in sentence structure, grammar, and word choice.

Score 2
This essay demonstrates incompetence in writing and will probably be flawed in more than one of these areas: The essay may lack a thesis. The paragraphs are underdeveloped or very poorly organized. The writing may suggest problems with focus or may contain irrelevant details and specifics. The writer may neglect important aspects of the writing task or seem confused about the writing task or passage. Sentences have serious and persistent errors in sentences structure, grammar, and word choice; sentences are often unintelligible.

Score 1
This essay demonstrates an inability to address the writing task. The essay is undeveloped and/or incoherent; it may also have severe and repeated problems in sentence structure, grammar, and word choice.