Teaching TOEFL is like Winning a Trophy

TOEFL test is an effective way to measure English fluency among non-native English speakers. About 25 million students appear for TOEFL every year throughout the world. Though TOEFL is not considered as the easiest subject in ESL (English as a second language) to teach, it is a challenge that lot many love to accept. TOEFL exams cover up 4 key areas namely speaking, reading, writing and listening. There are 30 marks for each section, total of 120 marks. Nevertheless TOEFL reminds us about massive textbooks and bunch of 12 CDs, which seem to be boring even before a fresh start. Let’s have a look at the most simplified approach of teaching TOEFL.

Practice Tests - One preliminary test will let you measure the aptitude of the student, before you start grooming him/her for TOEFL. You will know the extent to which the pupil needs training. A lower level of English course will definitely prove to be beneficial if the basics are not very strong. There are various vocabulary test that include fill-in the blanks, multiple choice questions, match the following, jumbled words etc.

Preparing lessons for reading - TOEFL test includes the ability of students to read academic English. Reading newspaper and publication can add on to the reading skills. Few best selling single volume books include A Tale of Two Cities, The Lord of the Rings, The Little Prince, And Then There Were None, Dream of the Red Chamber, The Hobbit etc. They are not just interesting books but will definitely polish your reading skills.

The integrated approach - Writing, chiefly, follows two formats. These are internet-based test (iBT) or paper-based writing. As far as internet-based test is concerned, these cover two tasks. In the first task, we read the passage carefully and thereafter listen to the speaker. We can note down the points that are fruitful during the discussion of the same topic. The second task includes writing an essay and matching them according to the topic's relevance. In the paper based test, the students are asked to write 200-300 words relating to a particular topic. Current affairs should be the key topics of practice. Some interesting and extraordinary topics that you can read and write on include:

• Impact of media on society
• Fast food nation
• Violence in sport
• Internet censorship
• Teaching children with learning disabilities
  
  
  
  
  

Mastery in sentence structure - Formulating the sentence structure in the way desired by the examiner is yet another way to add on to your TOEFL score. For this, one has to be very strong at English grammar. Guiding the students with proper use of prepositions, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, articles, verbs, tenses etc. is a must. Wren and Martin English grammar book is very beneficial.

Managing the time - After gaining proficiency in reading, listening, writing or speaking areas, the next target must be to strive for taking less time in every successive attempt. Note down the time taken by the students and quality of the work delivered. Are we able to deliver a good speech within the time limit or could we write better if we did not fall short of time? Time management technique that works:-

• Make a list
• Set deadlines
• Stop multitasking
• Use your downtime

These are the questions that can be well answered with the saying, “practice makes the man perfect”. The more you practice, the better you gain. And then you come up with flying colors.

Reading Is To The Mind What Exercise Is To The Body

It is very well said that reading is dreaming with open eyes. Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. It gives us some place to go when we have to stay where we are. Books has a whole world in itself. We can fantasize of having a ride on the world’s biggest roller coaster, visiting our prince charming who comes riding on the white horse, diving into the deep blue ocean, swimming in gold coins, tasting the best world cuisine and what not..This is what a book does to us. There are various reasons why reading is considered as the best hobby ever. Books are the only best friends who will never leave us alone even on an isolated island.

Books expand our horizon. Every time reading adds something new to life with perfect blend of diverse subjects. Start by picking up the book on the subject of your interest and then slowly climb the stairs of complex subject. There are different genres of books available today. These are Science, Fiction, Satire, Drama, Romance, Mystery, Horror, Self help, Guide, Travel, Children's group, Religious, History, Mathematics, Anthologies, Poetry, Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Comics, Art, Cookbooks, Diaries, Journals, Prayer books, Series, Trilogies, Biographies, Autobiographies, Fantasy etc. Whether we are reading fiction or reality, books can never bring boredom.

Books broaden the outlook and enable mind to grasp new concepts easily. It increases the power and extent of imagination and gives us creative ideas. Reading is very healthy for the brain and keeps it active 24*7 hours. Not only theory, but the practical part can be well achieved through reading. Reading at early age sharpens the mind. It increases our vocabulary and improves pronunciation. We get to learn number of new words plus their meaning. We start framing better sentence structure with proper tenses, prepositions, adjectives and conjunction. It is very well said reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. Reading is a complete package of fun with learning.

In the hustle bustle of the world, peace is something we all need. Reading is a very peaceful hobby. We can enjoy reading books in complete silence either on our bed, sofa, in the garden or while traveling. We enjoy reading any where, any time and any place for that serene and tranquil atmosphere. Books take us to the journey of inner thoughts. Books can take you to any decade from ancient time to medieval period or modern time. Similarly it can take you to the place you have always fantasized for. Your thirst of traveling can be very well quenched by reading books. Do you know anything else that offers such enjoyment?