2016-11-30 TOEFL: independent speaking (1-2)

Greg Malivuk
[email protected]
http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk - notes from all classes
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http://ed.ted.com/lessons/can-machines-read-your-emotions-kostas-karpouzis
“The hard problems are easy and the easy problems are hard.” - Things we think of as difficult are easy for computers, things we think of as easy are difficult for computers. (Compare playing chess with recognizing sadness.)
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DELTA p. 218-219 - Listen to the passages and answer the questions.
1 A
2 D
3 A
4 C
5 D
6 A
7 D
8 A
9 C
10 B
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Speaking section: third section, after the 10-minute break
- 20 minutes total, 5.5 minutes of recorded speaking for 6 tasks
1-2: independent, 15 seconds to prepare / 45 seconds to speak
3-4: integrated reading/listening/speaking, 30 to prepare / 60 to speak
5-6: integrated listening/speaking, 20 to prepare / 60 to speak
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Independent speaking: Questions about your own experiences and opinions.
Usually the first task is open-ended, like, “Who is your best friend?”
Usually the second task is a choice, like, “Do you prefer to live in a city or a small town?”
(Sometimes they’re reversed, but you will almost always have one of each type.)
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Your response should include 6 (or 7) parts:
1 Introduction/Description: “My best friend is Fred. He was my classmate throughout childhood and we still keep in touch today.”
2 Lead-in: “There are two main reasons why he is my best friend.”
3 Reason 1: “The first reason is that we grew up together.”
4 Detail/Example: “This means he knows me really well and we went through many important experiences together.”
5 Reason 2: “The second reason is that I can trust him to keep my secrets.”
6 Detail/Example: “For example, once we were playing soccer and I broke my neighbor’s window. Fred didn’t tell anyone and helped me escape without anyone noticing us.”
(if there’s time - 7 Conclusion: “For these two reasons, Fred is and will always be my best friend.”)
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How long does it take to read the response?
My best friend is Fred. He was my classmate throughout childhood and we still keep in touch today. There are two main reasons why he is my best friend. The first reason is that we grew up together. This means he knows me really well and we went through many important experiences together. The second reason is that I can trust him to keep my secrets. For example, once we were playing soccer and I broke my neighbor’s window. Fred didn’t tell anyone and helped me escape without anyone noticing us. For these two reasons, Fred is and will always be my best friend.
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Make sure to use transitions so that your organization is as clear as possible.
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When they listen to your response, they give a score from 0 to 4 based on fluency, grammar and pronunciation, content, and organization. Content and organization are the most important. Fluency and accuracy (grammar, pronunciation, spelling, etc.) mainly just need to be good enough that they don’t hurt understanding.
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With your partner, prepare one response to this question:
Describe your favorite place to study. Explain why it is your favorite. Provide details and examples to support your response.
Make sure it has all the necessary parts:
description, lead-in, reason 1, detail/example, reason 2, detail/example, (conclusion)
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BREAK
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Handout (Oxford p. 46-47) - With your partners, think of one or two synonyms for each bolded word in the 12 prompts.
1 (example) ideal marriage partner = perfect spouse
2 important lesson = useful skill / valuable skill
  learned = gotten / picked up
3 holiday = occasion / event / celebration
  enjoy celebrating = like to experience
4 appropriate activity = suitable place to go / suitable plan / suitable thing to do
  a first date = the first time you go out with someone
5 perfect family vacation = ideal family trip
6 important event = memorable situation / significant occasion
  in your childhood or adolescence = in your boyhood / in your girlhood / in your youth / when you were young
7 skill = ability / talent
  would like to = want to
  learn = acquire / pick up
8 person = man / woman / friend / teacher / etc.
  greatest influence = most impact / most important effect
9 job = occupation / career / profession
  aspire to have = want to have / hope to have / would like to have
  (a job you aspire to have = work you aspire to do / something you would like to do for a living)
10 subject = topic
   would like to = want to
   learn = acquire / pick up
11 well-known person = famous person / celebrity
   made an important contribution = left a significant legacy / had a significant impact
   society = the public / humanity / the world
12 favorite place for rest and relaxation = best place to relax
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This is mostly useful so your introduction doesn’t simply repeat the prompt word-for-word.
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Ask every classmate one of the questions on the handout. Write their name, and check off the parts they have in their response.
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Homework: For the rest of the handout (Longman p. 193-201), take 30 seconds (maximum) to write a brief outline for each of the speaking prompts.