Speaking and Writing Strategies for the TOEFL iBT

394 Pages·2009·3.4 MB·English

ii - Speaking and Writing Strategies for the TOEFL iBT
Copyright © 2009 by Bruce Stirling
All rights reserved.
Duplication, distribution or database storage of any part of this work by any means is
prohibited without prior written approval of the publisher.
G+3TiC=C® and OPDUL=C® are registered trademarks.
For permission to use material from this text or CD, please forward your request to
[email protected].
ISBN-10: 1-889057-58-4
ISBN-13: 978-1-889057-58-3
Speaking and Writing Strategies for the TOEFL iBT
On the web at www.argumentmapping.com.
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TOEFL® is a registered trademark of Educational Testing Services (ETS®), Princeton, New Jersey, USA.
The material in this text, including argument maps, speaking and writing prompts, speaking and writing
strategies, speaking and writing sample responses, and the proficiency checklists and rating guides, were
created and designed exclusively by the author, Bruce Stirling. This publication is not endorsed or
approved by ETS.
Speaking and Writing Strategies for the TOEFL iBT - iii

Contents

DEVELOPING AN ARGUMENT ………………………..……………………….….. 1
Arguments and the TOEFL iBT…………………………………………..……………… 1
What is an Argument? …………………………………………………………………….. 1
Personal-Opinion Argument: Deduction .……………………………………………… 2
Rhetorical Strategies ………………………………………………………………………. 4
Personal-Opinion Argument: Induction ……………………………..………………… 7
Developing Your Opinion ………………………………….……………………………… 8
Fact-Based Argument: Deduction ………………………………………………………11
Fact-Based Argument: Induction .………………………………………………………13
Coherence = A High Score ………………….………………………………………….. 14
Argument Mapping………………………..……………………………………………… 14
G+3TiC=C…..…………………………………………………………………………….... 15
TASK ORDER……………………………………………………………………………… 19

WRITING TASKS

INDEPENDENT ESSAY.………………………………………………………….… 21
G+3TiC=C…………….…………………………………………………………………..… 21
Basic Independent Essay……………………………………………………………… 22
Agree-Disagree Prompts …….………………………………………………………….. 22
OPDUL=C …………….……………………………………………………………………. 26
Preference Prompts …….………………………………………………………………… 37
Compare-Contrast Prompts ….………………………………………………………… 40
Advantage-Disadvantage Prompts …….……………………………………………… 49
Advantage Prompts ….…………………………………………………………………… 52
Disadvantage Prompts..…………………………………………………………………. 54
Reason Prompts ………………………………………………………………………….. 55
Quality Prompts.….………………………………………………………………………. 63
Writing Practice .………………………………………………………………………….. 66
Advanced Introduction Strategies .…………………………………………………… 67
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Simple Hooks .…………………………………………………………………………….. 67
Complex Hooks ..…………………………………………………………………………. 68
Advanced Thesis Strategies..…………………………………………………………… 72
Predictor Thesis…………………………………………………………………………… 72
Writing a Predictor Thesis ……………………………………………………………… 73
Predictor Thesis: Parallelism .………………………………………………………….. 74
Gerund Predictor Thesis………………………………………………………………... 75
Predictor Thesis: Using Synonyms……………………………………………………. 76
1. Predictor Thesis: When to Write…………………………………….……………… 77
2. Predictor Thesis: When to Write……………………………………….…………… 79
Advanced Conclusion Strategies ……………………………………………………… 82
Advanced Independent Essays………………………….………………………….. 87
Emergency Independent Essay……………………………………………………… 95
Contrarian Independent Essay……………………………………………………… 97
Writing Practice …………………………………………………………………………… 99
What Have You Learned? ……………………………………………………………… 100
INTEGRATED ESSAY ……………………………………………………………… 101
Argument-Counter Argument Essay……………………………………………… 102
OPDUL=C …………………………………………………………………………………. 102
ETS’s Testing Method…………………………………………………………………... 103
1. Argument-Counter Argument Essay: Step-by-Step ………………………….. 105
The Black-and-White Rule.……………………………………………………………. 113
Organization: Point-by-Point Style .………………………………………………….. 117
Organization: Block Style ……………………………………………………………… 119
Paraphrasing……………………………………………………………………………... 121
2. Argument-Counter Argument Essay: Step-by-Step ………………………….. 125
Three Common Problems ……………………………………………………………… 131
Writing Practice.........................…………………………………………………….. 136
Show-Support Essay.………………………………………………………………….. 141
Show Support Essay: Step-by-Step.…………………………………………………. 144
Writing Practice.…………………………………………………………………………. 150
Emergency Integrated Essay……………….………………………………………. 152
What Have You Learned? ……………………………………………………………… 157
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SPEAKING TASKS

SPEAKING TASK ONE…………………………………….………………………. 159
Independent Task: Single-Question Prompt ……………………………………….. 159
OPDUL=C …………………………………………………………………………………. 161
Delivery ….………………………………………………………………………………… 161
Speaking Subjectively ………………………………………………………………….. 162
Basic Response …………………………………………………………………………. 162
1. Basic Response: Step-by-Step …………………………………………………….. 162
Rating Yourself…………………………………………………………………………… 166
Rating in a Class ………………………………………………………………………… 167
How Long Should My Response Be?………………………………………………… 167
2. Basic Response: Step-by-Step .……………………………………………………. 168
3. Basic Response: Step-by-Step …………………………………………………….. 172
Four Common Problems ………………………………………………………………. 174
Help! - My Response is Too Long! ……………………………………………………. 177
Help! - My Response is Too Short!….…..…………………………………………… 178
Advanced Strategies ……………………………………………………………………. 180
Advanced Introduction Strategies …………………………………………………… 182
Predictor Thesis…….……………………………………………………………………. 184
The Rhetorical Why….………………………………………………………………….. 187
Advanced Conclusion Strategies …………………………………………………….. 188
Advanced Responses……………………………………………… …………………. 192
Emergency Response …………………………………………………………………. 197
Contrarian Response ……………………………………………………………….… 198
Speaking Practice ……………………………………………………………………….. 199
What Have You Learned? ……………………………………………………………… 200
SPEAKING TASK TWO .…………………….…………………………………….. 201
Independent Task: Paired-Choice Prompt ….………………………………………. 201
1. Agree-Disagree Prompt: Step-by-Step……………………………………………. 202
2. Agree-Disagree Prompt: Step-by-Step …………………………………………… 205
Support-Don’t Support Prompt: Step-by-Step ……………………………………. 207
Preference Prompt: Step-by-Step ……….……………………………………………. 209
Argument-Counter Argument: Step-by-Step…………………………………….… 210
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Advantage-Disadvantage: Step-by-Step ………………………………………………. 212
Speaking Practice.…………………………………………………………………………. 214
What Have You Learned?...……………………………………………………………… 216
SPEAKING TASK THREE ………………………………………………………….. 217
Integrated Task: Read-Listen-Speak ………………………………………………….. 217
OPDUL=C….………………………………………………………………………………… 218
ETS’s Testing Method ……………………………………………………………………. 218
Developing a Response: Step-by-Step…………………………………………………. 220
How Long Should My Response Be? ………………………………………………….. 227
Five Common Problems ………………………………………………………………….. 229
Help! - My Response is Too Long!….…………………………………………………… 230
Help! - My Response is Too Short! ……………………………………………………… 231
Emergency Response …………………………………………………………………… 233
Speaking Practice …………………………………………………………………………. 235
What Have You Learned?.……………………………………………………………….. 241
SPEAKING TASK FOUR ….………………………………………………………… 243
Integrated Task: Read-Listen-Speak ………………………………………………….. 243
ETS’s Testing Method ….…………………………………………………………………. 243
Developing a Response: Step-by-Step.………………………………………………… 245
How Long Should My Response Be? .…………………………………………………. 252
Four Common Problems …………………………………………………………………. 255
Emergency Response ..….……………………………………………………………… 256
Speaking Practice……….…………………………………………………………………. 257
What Have You Learned?.……………………………………………………………….. 262
SPEAKING TASK FIVE ……..………………………………………………………. 263
Integrated Task: Listen-Speak …………………………………………………………. 263
ETS’s Testing Method ……..……………………………………………………………… 263
Developing a Response: Step-by-Step….……………………………………………… 266
How Long Should My Response Be? ………………………………………………….. 275
Contrarian Response .…………………………………………………………………… 277
Three Common Problems ..……………………………………………………………… 278
Emergency Response ……..……………………………………………………………. 282
Speaking Practice ……………………………………….………………………………… 283
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What Have You Learned?…………..……………………………………………………. 285
SPEAKING TASK SIX …..…………………………………………………………… 287
Integrated Task: Listen-Speak ………………………………………………………….. 287
ETS’s Testing Method…..………………………………………………………………… 287
Developing a Response: Step-by-Step….……………………………………………… 289
How Long Should My Response Be? ..………………………………………………… 297
Three Common Problems ……………………………………………………………….. 299
Emergency Response…………………………………………………………………… 303
Speaking Practice ………………………………………….……………………………… 304
What Have You Learned?.……………………………………………………………….. 306

APPENDIX

SCORING ……………………………………………………………………………….. 307
Independent Essay Proficiency Checklist…………………………… ………………. 310
Independent Essay Rating Guide ……………………………………………………… 312
Integrated Essay Proficiency Checklist ………………………………………………. 314
Integrated Essay Rating Guide.………………………………………………………… 316
Independent Speaking Proficiency Checklist .………………………………………. 318
Independent Speaking Rating Guide..………………………………………………… 320
Integrated Speaking Proficiency Checklist…………………………………………... 322
Integrated Speaking Rating Guide .……………………………………………………. 324
EXERCISES ……………………………………………………………………………. 326
Identifying Rhetorical Strategies …………………………………………………….… 326
Identifying Opinions.……………………………………………………………………… 327
Checking for Parallelism……………………………………………………………….... 328
Gerund Predictors ………………………………………………………………………… 329
ANSWER KEY …………………………………………………………………………. 330
Identifying Rhetorical Strategies ………………………………………………………. 330
Identifying Opinions .……………………………………………………………………... 330
Checking for Parallelism….……………………………………………………………… 331
Gerund Predictors.………………………………………………………………………… 332
INDEPENDENT ESSAY RATINGS ………………………………………………… 333
Agree-Disagree Prompt……………………………………………………………..……. 333
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Preference Prompt…………………………………………………………………………. 333
Compare-Contrast Prompt………………………………………………………………. 333
Advantage-Disadvantage Prompt.……………………………………………………… 334
Advantage Prompt….……………………………………………………………………… 335
Disadvantage Prompt …………………………………………………………………….. 335
Reason Prompts…….……………………………………………………………………… 336
Quality Prompt .……………………………………………………………………………. 338
Advanced Independent Essays ….……………………………………………………… 338
INTEGRATED ESSAY RATINGS ………………………………………………….. 339
SPEAKING TASK RATINGS .………………………………………………………. 340
Audio Scripts.…………….………………………………………………………………… 343
Glossary……………………………………………………………………………………… 379
Also From Nova Press…..………………………………………………………………… 382
Speaking and Writing Strategies for the TOEFL iBT - ix

®
TOEFL iBT Facts

1. The TOEFL iBT is an English language proficiency test. TOEFL tests academic
English language proficiency. For TOEFL, academic English means first year,
college-level English.

2. TOEFL means “test of English as a foreign language.” iBT means “internet-
based test.” Internet-based means the test computers are connected to the
internet. Your answers will be sent via the internet to be scored by ETS.

3. The TOEFL iBT is designed and implemented by Educational Testing Services
(ETS) Princeton, New Jersey, USA.

4. You cannot pass or fail the TOEFL test. You will get a score out of 120 total
points. Your score measures your English language proficiency. The higher
your score, the higher your English language proficiency.

5. The TOEFL iBT is divided into four test sections. You cannot change the task
order.

Section Task Time Score

Reading 3-5 essays 60-100 minutes 30/30

Listening 2-3 dialogues
4-6 lectures 60 minutes 30/30

break 10 minutes

Speaking 2 independent tasks 2 minutes
4 integrated tasks 18 minutes 30/30

Writing 1 integrated task 23 minutes
1 independent task 30 minutes 30/30

____________________________________________________________________

Total: 4 hours 120/120
____________________________________________________________________
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6. Before you take the TOEFL test, find out the TOEFL requirements of the school
to which you are applying. Some U.S. colleges and universities do not require a
TOEFL score.

7. In some countries, you can take the TOEFL PBT (paper-based test). If you
want to go to graduate school in the United States, do not take the PBT. Take
the iBT instead. Why? Because graduate and post graduate students at U.S.
universities are expected to teach undergraduate classes. That means you
must be able to speak academic English proficiently. That is what the iBT
tests. The PBT does not test speaking.

8. In the United States, you can register for the TOEFL iBT online or by phone.
Visit www.ets.org for registration information. In the United States, the busiest
registration times are at the end of each school semester when TOEFL courses
end and TOEFL students are ready to take the test. The TOEFL test is very
popular. Register as early as possible.

9. You can take notes during the test. Pencils and paper will be supplied. You
cannot use your own pencil or paper. After the test, you must give your notes
to the test site manager.

10. Expect to use an old-style Microsoft keyboard when you take the test.

11. Your TOEFL iBT score is good for two years. You cannot renew your TOEFL
score. You must retake the test and get a new score. For more TOEFL
information, visit www.ets.org.