Teacher Discussion Forums

Dear everyone,

A member of this forum sent me the following letter. In order to promote discussion, I shall post it here, with the name anonymously removed. I prefer to answer all such questions in public rather than private.

Question: What answers would you give to this teacher? Use specific reasons and examples to support your response.

The letter:

I haven't been teaching that long, but I was CELTA-trained and the non-TOEFL lessons I do draw a lot from CELTA presentation methods. But I've found that those simply don't work in a TOEFL writing class- I can't, for example, pre-teach vocabulary for the Integrated Task each time we do one. I've tried doing group outlining on the board for the Independent task, but I find students often think that that is "The correct outline" and will use everything in it, rather than using it as a guide. Also, many of my students are resistant to brainstorming, outlining, and editing, as they seem to feel they won't have time for them on the test (many are returning TOEFL veterans).

You mentioned that you used the Longman text- how do you present the lessons? Do you read through the examples and have them do the exercises? Do you lecture about structure? I'm still struggling to figure out how to present my materials to my classes, especially when I have learners that go at such different speeds (for example, I'll have them write a paragraph with a plan to edit each other's for a specific error, and one person will finish in 5 minutes what takes another half an hour.) How do you keep the class together and focused? How would you handle great differences in learner abilities in a small class (for example-one person who could easily achieve a 4 on a writing task with a someone whose grammar makes their essays nearly incomprehensible?)

I'm sorry if these are novice-type questions, but I sometimes I feel like trying to teach TOEFL writing is like wrestling a 300-lb elephant with 8 legs. Any strategies or tips for how to structure and run a 4 hour writing lesson would be helpful, the more detail the better. Your input is much appreciated.

End of letter.

OK. Any thoughts?

One of the weaknesses of CELTA when I did it, was that it did not go into much detail as to how to teach writing. Here are a few options that may help:

1. Paired writing - Get students to write in pairs
2. Split it up, don't get students to write the whole task. (You can also get students to write a paragraph and pass it on.)
3. Set some writing for homework or allow students to finish the writing for homework.

I think you also need to do timed-writing exercises fairly early on so that students know how much time they have available. Also don't forget that the writing is now integrated, so when you set tasks they should also be integrated.

The iBT is computer based, so students need to have experience of writing on a computer, it is surprising how intimidating a PC can be when used for tests.

James

P.S. I have some resources that may help at:
http://www.jamesabela.co.uk/exams/TOEFL.html

On brainstorming: "Hey, kids, you'd better brainstorm before you write. Otherwise your writing will look stiff. Trust yourself. If you let your subconscious spit out ideas, you may find something cool that your conscious mind can tool into an argument."

Slower or faster?: give the too-fast kids an extra task (say, newsmagazine silent reading, Academic Word List writing, editing of their assignment, etc.) while you work on the lower level kids. Or, make the assumption that you should aim at the top, as some TOEFL teachers have to do.

Using the Longman in class: Do expansion questions on the reading. Do the listening in class. Try (but don't dwell) on questions about the reading. Assume that good students already have L1 strategies they can bring to L2 English. Don't overdo strategies.

Homework for the Longman: Have them summarize a longer reading without the summaries. Have them summarize a listening at home. Usually the reading and the writing is done at home, but the book is recommended as a completely in-class affair.

I teach backwards. Crash and burn on your first attempt, you kids, and then look back at what you have done well and what you can learn. I have kids mine the ideas and the vocabulary in the text. The TOEFL conditions are for the backwards-style class. The test is live-and-learn, not learn-then-live. Get used to the salt mines from the get-go. Grades? Everyone gets an A if they try yet fail. I have students record new vocabulary words in a three-ring binder, where they also put completed essays, notes about the four skills, and anything else that makes a good self-created portfolio/toolbook for this kind of class. The binder is a sense of accomplishment, such that my kids get peeved when I am slow getting it back. (Hey, teacher, where's my binder?) That's cool.

For what it's worth, I don't quite believe in classic test preparation. Cram and drill is not enough. Pulling back and thinking about the material and getting some learning out of it -- that, to me, is my idea of a TOEFL class. There are kids that need ONLY the familiarity with the test -- say, native-speaking-level students who talk amazingly but who have poor academic skills -- but for the most part I have English-impaired kids who are whiz kids at tests but don't have the English. They need to know it and how to use the four skills with it. So I have a live-and-let-live attitude about when they take the actual test. It's THEIR job to pass the test. It's my job to have them learn along the way.

One more thing: Disregard those parts that I said that don't fit your context.