2017-05-19 TOEFL: int and ind writing

Greg Malivuk
http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk - notes from all classes
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http://ed.ted.com/lessons/meet-the-tardigrade-the-toughest-animal-on-earth-thomas-boothby
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ETS Guide test 1 - Take some time to carefully reread the text on altruism (that you wrote about last Friday). Then listen again to the lecture about the same topic.
DELTA p. 386 - Read about the score levels for integrated writing and decide what score you think each sample essay received.
Then compare your thoughts with your partner. Do you agree on the scores?
A - 4 - Connections to the reading could be stronger and clearer. The conclusion is vague. There are several small errors.
B - 5 - It’s all one paragraph, but the connections are very clear thanks to transition words, and there’s a wide range of vocabulary and sentence structure.
C - 2 - Misunderstands what altruism is and is confused about what the lecture says about sentinal meerkats eating. It correctly states that humans expect something in return, but misunderstands the lecture’s point that so do meerkats.
D - 3 - Vague about how the points relate to each other. No clear reference to what the reading says about sentinal meerkats sacrificing. The statement about organ donation is not very clear.
E - 1 - Doesn’t really include most of the information from the lecture, and seems to say the lecture supports the reading. (It could be a higher score if it at least made clear that the lecture contradicts the reading, even if it still didn’t include any specific points.)
Graders consider 4 general areas:
1 content - Do you include all the necessary information and support?
2 organization - Are your ideas connected in a clear, logical way? (That is, do you use transition words well?)
3 grammar - Is the grammar good enough to easily understand? Are there a variety of structures?
4 vocabulary - Is the vocabulary good enough to easily understand? Did you use a wide range of words?
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Remember: If your response includes direct copying from the text (and nothing about the lecture), you will receive a 0. If you paraphrase the text (but still fail to include points from the lecture), you will receive a 1.
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The number of words is only a useful guideline to estimate whether you’ve probably included enough information. (That is, it’s very hard to have enough information for integrated writing if your response is shorter than 150 words, and you probably haven’t developed your points enough if your independent response is shorter than 300 words.)
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If typing speed is a problem, you should Google something like “improve typing speed” and do some practice at home.
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BREAK
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If you’re worried about time for the integrated writing, make sure you type out a summary of the points from the listening first.
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Types of signal words you must use to get a high score:
citation language (where does the information come from?)
reading: according to the reading/author/article/text, the reading/author says/states/argues, the author/writer believes
listening: according to the listening/professor/speaker/lecturer/lecture, the lecture/professor says/states/argues, the lecturer/professor believes
comparison/support language (for listenings that support readings)
    The lecture illustrates this with an example of…, Similarly, the lecture says…, Likewise, Supporting this point, the lecture states…,
contrast language (for listenings that contradict readings - this is more common)
    On the other hand, Although, In contrast, The lecture contradicts/challenges/refutes this point, However, On the contrary, The lecture casts doubt on this point
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You could start every integrated writing by typing out this framework. Then add details from your notes.

The reading and the lecture are about
The reading states
The lecture, on the other hand, argues

The first point from the reading is
The professor, in contrast, says
This contradicts the point that

The second thing the reading says is
The lecture, on the other hand, argues
This challenges the point that

The last example in the text is
The lecturer, however, believes
This refutes the point that
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Independent writing: 30 minutes to write a short essay in reponse to a choice prompt
The prompt could be either:
- agree/disagree: “Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?”
- some people / other people: “Some people believe… Others think… Which do you think is better?”
DELTA p. 396 has an example of each type of prompt. Both types end with (something like) “Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.”
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Your independent response should be something like a typical 5-paragraph essay that younger American school student might write.
1 Introduction
2 First supporting point
3 Second supporting point
4 Third supporting point
5 Conclusion
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1 Introduction:
- Describe the options you’re choosing between. (I shouldn’t need to read the prompt in order to understand what topic you’re writing about.)
	[You can paraphrase the prompt here, but don’t copy it directly.]
- Thesis Statement: what is your own opinion?
(- Lead-in: how many reasons will you give for your opinion?)
2-4 Supporting paragraphs:
- Main reason you believe your thesis
- Example(s) to illustrate why this is a good reason for your opinion
5 Conclusion:
- Restate your opinion and reasons.
- Generalization (usually a prediction or recommendation for readers)
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DELTA p. 565 - Take 3 minutes to read the text about earthworms. Then listen and take notes.
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Homework: write a response to BOTH writing prompts for practice test 4 of your book (565 and 566) and email me at [email protected]