TOEFL PREPARATION I

Question Answering Techniques

60 hour Syllabus


1. READING – 18 hours

Introduction to the TOEFL – Advice on study and practice – How the different sections are linked - Structure of Academic Reading Passages – Finding the topic and main idea – How to read actively – Following direction markers – The importance of skimming – Breaking down and simplifying sentences – Dealing with difficult vocabulary – Basic principles for answering questions – Process of elimination – Two-pass system – It’s in there – Question Types – Classroom practice and lab practice.

2. WRITING – 15 hours

Scoring on the writing section – Understanding and answering the questions – Essay organization – Planning – Time constraints - Writing a thesis statement – Giving appropriate reasons – Supporting your reasons with examples and details – Introduction, Body and Conclusion – Use of linking words – Keeping it simple - The 2 writing tasks – Using templates – Practice in the classroom and at home.

3. LISTENING – 15 hours

The different listening tasks – The importance of the first 20 seconds - Listening for the main idea or purpose – Following the structure – Sub-topics and examples – Tone and attitude – Transitions or signal words – Question types – Attacking the questions – Using POE – Practice in the classroom and the lab.

4. SPEAKING – 12 hours

Scoring on the Speaking section – The six different tasks - Delivery, intonation, pronunciation, flow and clarity – Developing your answer with reasons and examples – Using appropriate language – Templates for the different tasks – Beyond the templates – Speaking practice in the classroom and recording your voice in the lab – Listening and analyzing your answers.