Teaching the TOEIC®

Teaching the TOEIC® exam
•Background of the TOEIC®
test.

test.
•Our material, Tactics for
TOEIC® textbook

test.
•Our material, Tactics for
TOEIC® textbook
•How to go about teaching it.

Background on the TOEIC® exam

The Test of English for International
Communication (TOEIC) is "an English language test
designed specifically to measure the everyday
English skills of people working in an international
environment.“

There are different forms of the exam: The TOEIC
Listening & Reading Test consists of two equally
graded tests of comprehension assessment
activities totaling a possible 990 score.

The newer TOEIC Speaking & Writing Test comprises
tests of pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, fluency,
overall coherence, and structure (organization of
sentences) totaling a possible 400 score.

The Tactics for TOEIC® textbook

A comprehensive set of ETS-endorsed materials to
improve language proficiency and succeed in the TOEIC®
Listening and Reading Test.
Level: Beginner (A1) to Advanced (C1)

This course is designed specifically to develop the test-
taking and language skills needed to do well in the TOEIC®
Listening and Reading test. It is endorsed by Educational
Test Service (ETS) and contains authentic ETS test
questions. The material can be used for self-study or in
class, suiting a variety of course lengths and styles.

Features of the Textbook
-Content is authorized by ETS and contains official TOEIC® test items
-A range of practical Test tips, Language building activities, and Tactics
reinforced with immediate practice to help students succeed in the test
-Two complete practice tests with tapescripts and explanatory key
provided by ETS
-Listenings feature a range of speakers to familiarize students with the
accents heard in the TOEIC® test
-Understanding natural English sections raise awareness of sound
changes that can make native speech difficult to understand
-Mini-tests to review and reinforce test tactics and vocabulary from the
units
-Word list and accompanying vocabulary review quizzes
Student's Book and Practice Tests are available separately

-The book covers all 7 parts of the test, the 4 listening parts and
the 3 reading parts, in sequence….4 times….for a total of 28
units.
Have a look at the text, what is the student required to do in
each part?

-The book covers all 7 parts of the test, the 4 listening parts and
the 3 reading parts, in sequence….4 times….for a total of 28
units.
Have a look at the text, what is the student required to do in
each part?
-Each unit focuses on two test skills. A skill will be introduced,
then practiced, then the second skill will be introduced and
practiced. After that, there is a mini-test to hone those skills and
this can be done in class or as homework. Find out the student’s
preference.

-The book covers all 7 parts of the test, the 4 listening parts and the 3
reading parts, in sequence….4 times….for a total of 28 units.
Have a look at the text, what is the student required to do in each part?
-Each unit focuses on two test skills. A skill will be introduced, then
practiced, then the second skill will be introduced and practiced. After
that, there is a mini-test to hone those skills and this can be done in
class or as homework. Find out the student’s preference.
-Each unit ends with a practical application of some language point,
usually related to the tasks in that unit.

When we say the test focuses on skills, there are number of
them that you will familiarize yourself with in each lesson. For
example, for the Reading Part 5, you’ll look at identifying which
part of speech is necessary; a noun, a verb, an adjective, or an
adverb. In some ways, it’ll be up to you to think of what you can
“teach” the students in the part.
How would you go about helping a
student improve on this skill?

The TOEIC® exam is a part of life in Japan, and for many people a
barrier that is standing between you and your
goals. Nevertheless, we don’t need to be afraid of the exam,
because anyone can get a good score on the exam with basic
knowledge of English and some test-taking skills. Today, I want
to look at three basic skills for the TOEIC® Listening, or most any
other English exam really.
-Inference
-Paraphrasing
-Avoid distracters
Now, what do I mean by those? Let’s start with inference.

Inference is the ability to guess, more or less. In the first
part of the TOEIC® listening section, you will see
photographs and then be asked to select a sentence which
best describes each picture. Now, before you listen, you will
need to make some inferences.
In order to do well on this section, practice quickly coming
up with as many true English sentences in your head about a
given photograph as you can. Infer what is happening and
create sentences using mostly “there is/are”and present
continuous “They are ___ing”.

1. There is a cup full of pens on the desk next to the computer.
2. The woman is looking at her computer screen.
3. The woman is holding a sheet of paper.
One of these will probably be the answer, and you'll prepare the vocabulary in you
head. The best way to approach these questions is to scan the picture completely
and identify what's happening, just like a journalist or a spy. Ask yourself: who,
what, where, why? Listen for any words that are stressed, as they may hold a clue.

Paraphrasing is another important concept to remember. Paraphrasing is
the ability to say the same idea, but using different words.
Here is a quick example of paraphrasing:
1. "Paraphrasing is a very important skill for most English tests."
2. "For many tests of English, being skilful at paraphrasing is extremely
important."
Almost all the time, the answer that you see on the test will use different,
paraphrased words, from the listening. The ability to recognize how they
are paraphrasing will be key to identifying the answer. There are a few
things to listen for. They may use different vocabulary with the same
meaning in order to make it harder to choose the correct answer. They
may also change the word order or use different grammar.
.

1. "The most effective way to build your English skill is to
study regularly."
2. "The most effective way of building your English skill is to
do studying on a regular basis.“
If the original sentence is in the active voice, they may
change it to passive or vice versa.
1. "To improve English, you should learn new vocabulary on a
daily basis."
2. "To improve English, new vocabulary should be learned on
a daily basis"
.

Finally, let’s look at distracters which you will
find in each part of the TOEIC® Listening. The
multiple choice answers will try to distract you
by using very similar, or even the same word.
For example, let's look at one word which can
have several meanings, like 'mind'. .

Make sure that the answer is using the word in the same way it
should be used in the answer. Because the correct answer is
usually paraphrased, if you hear the same keyword in the
conversation and the answer, it is usually not correct!
Here are some of the things to be careful about for part 1:
words that sounds similar but are in fact different
the right words used inaccurately
the right words used in a confusing manner
answers that are only partially true
words that refer to a context other than the one shown in the
picture
words related to, but not in the picture

for part 2:
words that sound similar but have different
meanings
wh- questions - who what, when, where, why, what -
that need logical answers
questions with question tags
yes / no questions which may have no direct yes / no
answers

for part 3:
similar-sounding words
inaccurate words
confused word order
words that change the meaning
negative words (hardly, not, etc.)
words associated with time (always, never, etc.)
It will help if you can read the question, and possibly even the
answers, before you hear the dialogue. Check all the options and
don't choose too quickly. When you are taking the actual exam, pay
attention to the context. Try and picture the speakers and where
they are.

Teaching the TOEIC®

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