Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Hopelessly Human]

Hi,

I have just been offered a job that is pretty much exclusively teaching TOEFL now. This school normally only hires experienced teachers, but I have no teaching experience at all, only a TESOL certificate. And they know that. These are high level students, elementary to HS. I know the TOEFL is a pretty difficult test, even for native English speakers. Am I getting in over my head if I take this job?

Thank you

[hubba bubba]

edited due to drunkeness..

[Hopelessly Human]

Too bad I already saw what you wrote hubba bubba, you better have been WAAAAAY friken drunk. If I'd have taken you seriously I would have blown my brains out, it was that bad. But I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. At least you had the sense to pull it.

[mrd]

You're probably aware since you took the course, but TOEFL material is really boring, and if you're working with high schoolers who already don't want to do any work to begin with, you're dealing with a super-painful day of classes.

I would prefer to teach non-TOEFL material to younger kids where I could spice things up and have some fun.

[Hopelessly Human]

[Missile Command Kid]

With the right books, it's not that painful to teach. It's a very tough test, you bet, and teaching TOEFL all the time would be very regimented. Higher level kids are a lot easier for a newbie to teach than kindies or low level mid/high schoolers. I'd say go for it, have the academy pick up a good set of books, and enjoy yourself!

[robot]

it's tough, but much easier than the SAT.

i actually enjoy teaching the iBT. even moreso now with the new changes.

quite a hard thing for a newbie to teach... if you want the kids to get anything out of the course, you'll really have to research it a bunch.

but definitely doable.

ROBT.

[frankly speaking]

I have taught TOEFL prep courses for a few years and if you don't have a firm background explaining grammar rules you will be in way over your head. The reason that many native speakers don't get perfect scores on the test is because the difficult questions in each section are not based on what sounds correct. Certain sentences sound correct to a native speaker but in fact are grammatically incorrect.

Can you clearly define what a subject adverbial clause is? Knowing grammar is one thing but explaining to someone who doesn't understand the language fluently is another. I am certain that if you have half a brain and learned anything in University that you can do it. However, you will have to spend a lot of your free time preparing and deeply understanding the material. I suggest going out and getting a book on the TOEFL and taking the prep test in the back. IF you score less than a 550, you shouldn't take the job. 580-600 without studying should be appropriate for native speakers. Good luck in whatever you decide.

[foystein]

If you think it is a tough test for native speakers don't take the job. It isn't.

[Hopelessly Human]

[jinju]

[Hopelessly Human]

[venus]

Don't listen to the nay sayers. Frankly speaking is being very extreme in his / her post. Any job takes a bit of settling into, not all of us are experts when we start them, but we get our bearings and learn as we go and that goes for ANY job.

Apart from the fact that the gig could be what you make of it, TOEFL isn't that bad.

I taught it once and the text book had lots of fun quizzes and exercises / comprehension exercises etc... You can also make games / quizzes\ etc to go alongside or reinforce the material.

It was nice to be teaching real grown up English for once. And the students (or their parents at least) will WANT to pass that test.

And if you go to Kyobo book store and pick up a few TOEFL activity books and TOEFL text books / guide books (something and Barren... or is it just called Barrens...? That was ACE) you will be able to read through and get well prepared with the material.

If you don;t like teaching baby Engish or elementary hakwan - lets go / up up and away... etc, and want to feel more like a real teacher, you might just quite like it.