TOEFL iBT Academic Skills intermediateSpring 2013

Instructors: Adam Leskis Office Hours: Monday-Thursday, 5:30-6:30 Phone: XXXXXXX Email: XXXXXXXCourse time: Monday-Thursday Room: 402A

6:30-8:35pm

TEXTBOOKS Northstar - Intermediate (Beaumont)

COURSE DESCRIPTION This course is designed to give students practice with both academic English skills as well as activities found on the TOEFL iBT. The course provides learners with strategies to both improve their skills in the Academic English and to help them improve on the TOEFL iBT exam. While students explore such skills as summarizing, taking notes, paraphrasing, skimming, scanning, writing timed essays, developing critical thinking and making reference. In addition, the learners practice on the model tests.

COURSE GOALS 1. Students learn to become independent learners so that they can better take control over

timing of the exam and are familiar with TOEFL iBT model tests. 2. Students will acquire strategies for the reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills

necessary to succeed and perform efficiently in the Academic English.3. To improve students' communicative skills, their Academic language skills and test-taking

abilities. Students will encounter the same content material, tasks and question types that appear on the test.

GRADING SCALE Grading is based on a 100 points (average) grading scale. You must pass the course with an 80 points average:Participation 20 points Multiple-draft essays 35 pointsHomework 20 pointsFinal Presentation 25 points________________________________________________TOTAL 100 points

Participation:Participation is 20 points of your grade. Attendance is not part of your grade. However, attending class is necessary in order to earn a participation grade. As of the first day of your enrollment, being late by 15 minutes or more, unauthorized breaks, or early departures will receive a 0 participation grade for the day. If you miss a class, you are still responsible for turning in due assignments, finding out about current assignments either from classmates or the instructor, and completing homework assignments. If you have an excused absence, you may earn a participation grade by a) stopping by the office to briefly meet with your instructor or b) having a conversation on the phone with your instructor. Please read lessons before coming to class, so that you are fully prepared to participate.

Multiple- draft essays:The essay topics will be sample topics from the TOEFL iBT. Draft (a) will be revised for content and organization, draft (b) will be revised for grammatical mistakes and draft (c) will be the final draft.

Final PresentationYou will receive 25 points of your grade. It is small group presentation. The instructor will give more specific instructions after the fifth week.

COURSE SCHEDULE This is a 100-hour course over the span of 10 weeks. The Course Schedule may be subject to change.

Week Section/ Date Topic Unit/ Page

First

Listening/Reading 4/29

Conversation about false advertising and Advertizing on the air

"Changing World"

Unit 1Advertising

Speaking/Writing 4/30

Use examples from the reading and listening excerpts to explain emotional appeals in ad.

Write about a product you enjoy and explain how to advertising it

Skill focus 5/01 Skimming and scanningTOEFL iBT practice5/02

Overall listening section of TOEFL iBT Taking notes

Second

Listening/Reading5/06

Conversation about her parents' expectations concerning her plan of study.

Sensation seekers. "High School Star Hospitalized for Eating

Disorder"Unit 2

Extreme Speaking/Writing

5/07 Describe a time in your life when you did

something obsessively.

Relate the different meanings of the word obsession to the experience of Tony Hawk, the skateboarder.

Multiple-draft essay #1(a) due

Sports

Skill focus5/08

Making inferences

TOEFL iBT practice 5/09

Listening Practice

Third

Listening/Reading5/13

A student talks to a financial aid advisor about scholarships.

Victims Intermediate ms fraud "The Organic Health Center"

Unit 3 FraudSpeaking/Writing5/14

Role play a situation that supports the points of view described in the listening and reading excerpts.

Describe an experience with fraud or dishonesty.

Multiple-draft essay #1(b) due Skill focus

5/15 Quiz 1 Using context clues

TOEFL iBT practice 5/16

Overall reading section of TOEFL iBT Question types

Fourth

Listening/Reading5/20

About making an oral presentation Jackie Torrence

"The Metamorphosis"

Unit 4 Storytelling

Speaking/Writing5/21

Using the concept of anthropomorphism, compare yourself to an animal, animal, plant or non-living thing and describe your traits and abilities.

Synthesize the information in the listening and reading excerpts to convey how the author, Franz Kafka, uses anthropomorphism to describe the man, George Samsa.

Multiple-draft essay #1(c) dueSkill focus

5/22 Identifying and using rhetorical structure

TOEFL iBT practice 5/23

Reading practice

Listening/Reading5/27

About his accent and adjusting to life in a big city.

Speaking of gender "Code Switching"

FifthUnit 5

Language

Speaking/Writing5/28

Identify a group that has been stereotyped and support your opinion with examples.

Discuss the concept of stereotyping highlighted in the reading excerpt and use the example of stereotyping highlighted in the listening excerpt.

Multiple-draft essay #2(a) dueSkill focus

5/29 Paraphrasing Quiz 2

TOEFL iBT practice 5/30

Overall speaking section of TOEFL iBT Question 1-6

Sixth

Listening/Reading6/03

Missing a deadline for a project Town Hall Meeting in Hyannis "Transforming a Tradition" Unit 6

TourismSpeaking/Writing

6/04

Tourists visiting the long-necked women of the Padaung tribe.

Tourism to Antarctica Multiple-draft essay #2(b) due

Skill focus6/05

Summarizing

TOEFL iBT practice 6/06 Speaking practice

Seventh

Listening/Reading6/10

About a teaching assistant's responsibilities. The story of I Love Lucy "A Different Kind of Family Show"

Unit 7 Humor

Speaking/Writing6/11

Explain why the joke in the listening excerpt was funny according to the theories presented in the reading excerpt.

Funny TV shows or movies Multiple-draft essay #2(c) due

Skill focus 6/12 Quiz 3 Summarizing

TOEFL iBT practice 6/13

Overall writing section of TOEFL iBT

Eighth

Listening/Reading6/17

About how to dress for job interviews Fashion in the workplace "Traditional Fashion for Today's Woman"

Unit 8 FashionSpeaking/Writing

6/18

The potential risks and benefits of cosmetic surgery.

Schools having a uniform policy. Multiple-draft essay #3(a) due

Skill focus6/19

Comparing and contrasting

TOEFL iBT practice 6/20 Practice writing

Ninth

Listening/Reading6/24

Plagiarism and academic dishonesty Expert opinions on spanking "To Spank or Not to Spank" Unit 9

PunishmentSpeaking/Writing

6/25

The proper punishment for a serious crime, such as murder.

Debate the arguments for and against the death penalty.

Multiple-draft essay #2(b) dueSkill focus 6/26 Using detailed examples

Quiz 4 TOEFL iBT

practice 6/27 Mini Test

Tenth

Listening/Reading7/01

Researching a report on marriage Finding a spouse "What's Wrong with Tradition?"

Unit 10 Marriage

Speaking/Writing7/02

Compare and contrast your view on marriage.

Summarize the points made in the reading excerpt about polygamy, society, and religion, giving support with examples.

Multiple-draft essay #2(c) due Skill focus

7/03 Identifying and using cohesive devices Quiz 5

TOEFL iBT practice 7/04 Final Presentation