2016-06-28 Pre TOEFL: independent writing task

Greg Malivuk
[email protected]
http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk - Notes from all my classes
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Goals for Today:
Summarize the general structure of the TOEFL iBT.
Describe the two TOEFL writing tasks.
Create short outlines for sample independent writing prompts.
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TOEFL iBT (internet-based test) - about 4 hours (schedule 5 hours of your day to take it)
4 sections, 30 points each
Reading - 60-80 minutes (3 or 4 reading passages)
Listening - 60-90 minutes (6 or 9 listening passages)
	10-minute BREAK!
Speaking - 20 minutes (six speaking tasks)
Writing - 50 minutes of writing (20 minutes for the integrated task and 30 minutes for the independent task), plus some time to read and listen before the integrated task

http://www.americanexamservices.com/about-the-toefl/toefl-scores-usa-universities - TOEFL requirement for different universities in the US
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Integrated Writing: read a text, listen to a lecture (which either supports or contradicts the points from the text), then write for 20 minutes about how they are related
Independent Writing: 30 minutes to write your response to a question about your own opinion or experience

“If you could meet a famous entertainer or athlete, who would that be, and why? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.”

There’s no correct answer to this question, it’s just your own opinion. What do they look for when they give you a score?
- grammar and syntax
- do you clearly answer the question?
- how you support your answer to the question (which “reasons and examples” you give)
- organization (the structure of your essay)
- vocabulary (do you use words correctly? do you use English words?)

5-paragraph short essay:
1 Introduction with some background and your answer to the question.
2 First reason for your answer (with details and examples)
3 Second reason (with details and examples)
4 Third reason (with details and examples)
5 Conclusion - summarize your three reasons and your answer, then generalize with recommendations for readers or predictions for the future
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Write a short outline for your answer to the question you read above

“If you could meet a famous entertainer or athlete, who would that be, and why? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.”
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If you have 30 minutes to write a 5-paragraph essay, how much time should you spend on your outline?
3-5 minutes to prepare (outline)
5-6 minutes per paragraph
a couple of minutes to proofread and correct mistakes that you notice
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To practice typing a TOEFL answer, you might want to use Notepad or another program that doesn’t show your mistakes.
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TOEFL readers are going to focus more on the organization and clarity of your writing. Mistakes that don’t hurt their understanding probably won’t hurt your score.
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Homework: take 5 minutes to prepare your answer (write an outline) for this question:

“Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Face-to-face communication is better than other types of communication, such as letters, email, or telephone calls. Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.”