MATERIALS:       

Required Text:

Solorzano, Helen S (2006). NorthStar: Building Skills for the TOEFL iBT—Advanced. New York: Pearson

                Education.
Recommended Texts:

Phillips, D. (2003). Longman preparation course for the TOEFL test: The Paper Test. White Plains, NY: Pearson Education

Mahnke, M. K, & Duffy, C. (1996). The Heinemann ELT TOEFL Preparation Course. Oxford, UK: Heinemann (for

                vocabulary and grammar study mainly)

Schmitt, D., & Schmitt, N. (2011). Focus on Vocabulary 2: Mastering the Academic Word List. White Plains, NY: Pearson

                Longman.

Lab/Homework:

Other materials: Bring to every class …    

1 three-ring binder, standard (8 1/1 x 11") filler paper; highlighters, pens, pencils, eraser, 1 stapler; make a

separate vocabulary section for words on one half and definitions/examples on the other; 1 hole punch (for your

room)

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course is designed to help you improve your score on the TOEFL,using academic language skills and test taking strategies. The class will practice for specific sections of the test.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: By the end of the course, students will be able to

1. approach the Listening, Structure/Written Expression, and Reading/Vocabulary sections of the paper-based TOEFL (PBT) with appropriate test-taking strategies;
2. approach the Listening, Reading, Integrated Skills, and Independent Skills sections of the Internet-based TOEFL (iBT) with appropriate test-taking strategies;
3. approach the integrated skills Academic English Language Skills Assessment Test (AELSAT) with appropriate test-taking strategies; 

EXPECTATIONS:

1. Attendance
2. Homework

GRADING:

                Grades will be based on test/quiz performance and homework submitted. Regular attendance and effort are necessary in order to do well in class. Students are expected to discuss homework, exercises, and checkpoint tests in class. STUDENTS MUST BE PRESENT FOR ALL QUIZZES OR TESTS. Important notes: No make-up tests will be given, except in documented medical cases. Missed quizzes, tests, and homework will be recorded as 0 and entered into the average.

    Grading criteria:

1. Homework                                                            20%
2. Performance: Quizzes, Tests, Rubrics            80%

                                                                                                            100%                                                                        

SMC Grading scale: 

                100-94%  A; 93-91%  A-; 88-90%  B+; 87-84%  B; 83-81%  B-;  80-78  C+; 77-74  C; 73-70  C-;
69-67 D+; 66-60  D; 59 and below: F

LEVEL ADVANCEMENT:

                Level advancement is 75 percent based on class performance and 25 percent on scores achieved during EXIT testing, including the Writing Placement & Assessment, Accuplacer, and Oral Skills Placement & Assessment tests. Students with a Total Achievement Score of 80% or higher may be recommended for level advancement.

Syllabus

Week 1: Diagnostic test to assess level; Introduction to the course; Purpose for taking the TOEFL course and areas needed to improve; differences between the paper-based (Institutional) TOEFL, the new TOEFL iBT, and the in-house test for the Academic English Program (AELSAT)

                General Strategies for improving the TOEFL score

                Note-taking Strategies

Week 2:  Vocabulary Strategies, Reading Strategies, Discourse Cues

Unit 1: Addiction—Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing, Skill Focus: Comparing and Contrasting

                GRAMMAR, G√12 (Prepositions & Prep. Phrases),

                GRAMMAR, G√13 (Main and Subordinate Clause Markers)

                VOCABULARY, V√6 (Latin and Greek roots, Groups 1-3)

Week 3: Unit 2: Communities—Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing, Skill Focus: Using Detailed Examples
GRAMMAR, G√14 (Prepositional Phrases & Subordinate Clauses)

                VOCABULARY, V√6 (Latin and Greek roots, Groups 4-6)
VOCABULARY V√6 (Latin and Greek roots, Groups 7-9)

Week 4:                 Unit 3: Personality--Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing, Skill Focus: Making Inferences

                                GRAMMAR, G√15 (Appositives and Noun Structures), GRAMMAR & VOCABULARY review tests

                                Speaking & Writing tests

Week 5:                 Unit 4: Trends—Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing, Skill Focus: Identifying and Using Main Ideas and Details

                                GRAMMAR, G√25 (Standard Word Order), G√26 (Word Order in Subordinate Clauses) 

                                VOCABULARY V√ 7 (Prefixes—negation, number and size, very small, very large)

Week 6:                 Unit 5: Cross-Cultural Insights—Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing, Skill Focus: Using Context Clues

                                GRAMMAR, G√27 (Inverted S-V Word Order)

                                VOCABULARY V√ 7 (Prefixes—time, where)

Week 7:                 Unit 6: Faith—Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing, Skill Focus: Summarizing

                                GRAMMAR, G√28 (Parallel Structure), G√29 (Paired Expressions)

                                VOCABULARY V√ 7 (Prefixes—amount, relationship, judgment, other) 

Week 8:                 Unit 8: Perspectives on War-- Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing, Skill Focus: Paraphrasing 

                                GRAMMAR, G√30 (Confusing Words and Expressions), GRAMMAR & VOCABULARY review tests

                                Speaking & Writing tests