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Friday, December 20, 2019
Better Descriptions with Adjectives and Adverbs
Instructions: In today's class you will work on improving your descriptions of people, places and events in order to use more complex and descriptive language. Instead of using simple, boring words, try using more colorful alternatives. Look at the charts below to get started.
Instructions: In today's class we are reviewing expressions related to frequency. In the chart below,
Classifying Adverbs of Frequency: Look at the chart below and analyze the adverbs you see in the box. Decide where you would put each one in the chart on the left. Write your answers in your notebook.
When you are ready, click here to check your answers:
Other expressions of frequency: You can use other expressions to talk about frequency as well. Take a look at the following examples. Tell your partner some true statements about your habits using each of them.
Every + day, week, month, year, etc.
I buy fruits and vegetables at the farmer's market every weekend.
Once a + day, week, month, year, etc.
Once a year, my family comes to visit me from the United States.
Application: Spin the wheel and ask your partner two questions. Then it's your partners' turn to spend the wheel and ask you. Try your best to use the adverbs of frequency from the chart.
Instructions: In this activity you will practice "watercooler talk", informal conversation between employees. Common topics of watercooler conversations are gossip and complaints. Spin the wheel to discover your workplace. Then spend the next 2-3 minutes in an improvised conversation between employees. Then spin the wheel and have another conversation about a different job.
Instructions: You will work in trios to have a series of mini-debates with your partner about which sport is better. In each round, two of you will debate and the third partner will be the judge or moderator. Spin the wheel to receive your sport. Spin the wheel again to get your partner's sport.
Opening Statements: You have 30 seconds to make your opening statement about why your sport is the best. Then your partner will give his/her opening statement for 30 seconds. During this time, you shouldn't interrupt your partner.
Open Debate and Questions: Then you will have 2 minutes to debate your topics with your partner. You can ask questions, interrupt (politely), and respond to what your partner is saying. When the time is up, the judge will determine the winner. Then you switch roles and spin the wheel again to start over.
Here you will find information about the exam, specific test taking strategies for each section, and a series of practice tasks that will help you improve your responses. The purpose of this blog is to give you all of the resources, strategies, and practice exercises you need in an organized manner so that you can systematically prepare for success on the test.
Course Structure: The course requires you to dedicate time each week working on a particular section of the exam. You are asked to complete a diagnostic test and self-assessment at the beginning and end of the course in order to identify your initial abilities and measure the progress you have made by the end. You will also be asked to submit worksheets and voice recordings each week. At three points in the course you will be asked to exchange voice recordings with a partner in order to give and receive peer assessment and feedback.
Course Timeline: The following chronogram is suggested in order for you to stay organized and make the most of the course.
Week 1: 1st Diagnostic Test Recording and Self-Assessment
Week 2: Questions 1 and 2 - Read a Text
Week 3: Question 3 - Describe a Photo
Exchange recordings for peer feedback
Week 4: Questions 4-6 - Respond to Personal Questions
Week 5: Questions 7-9 - Respond to Questions Using Specific Information Provided
Exchange recordings for peer feedback
Week 6: Question 10 - Propose a Solution
Week 7: Question 11 - Express and Opinion
Exchange recordings for peer feedback
Week 8: 2nd Diagnostic Test Recording and Self-Assessment
So, how does that sound? With a little practice and organization, you can dramatically improve your responses on the TOEIC Speaking exam! We hope you enjoy the course.
-Academic Department
Centro Cultural Costarricense Norteamericano
Week 1: 1st Diagnostic Test
Instructions: The video below contains a full TOEIC Speaking practice exam. Use your cellphone or computer microphone to record your voice as you provide answers to the test questions. In order to replicate exam conditions as closely as possible, find a place and time in which you can focus on the test without distractions and complete your recording uninterrupted. The test lasts approximately 20 minutes. In order to help you manage your time, a timer was added to each question to indicate how much time you have to prepare and to respond.
When you finish recording yourself, CLICK HERE to access your Diagnostic Self-Assessment and Reflection form. Since Google Forms do not allow you to save your progress before submitting, it would be a good idea to write your answers in a separate Word document and then copy/paste them when you are ready to submit. Here you will also be requested to submit your audio recording.
Week 2: Questions 1 and 2 - Read a Text
Summary: You are required to read two texts aloud with a length of between 40 and 60 words each. Content of the texts represents something that would normally be read aloud in real life (announcement, commercial, warning, reminder, etc). You will be graded on pronunciation, intonation, and stress.
Instructions: You have 45 seconds to prepare and 45 seconds to respond to each text.
Scoring Rubrics:
Strategies: The strategies presented here are focused on intonation and stress rather than pronunciation of individual phonemes. However, I suggest you visit Jonathan Acuña's pronunciation blog if you would like more detailed practice of individual English phonemes and other pronunciation aspects. CLICK HERE for access.
Strategy 1: Distinguish content words from function words.
English is a stress timed language. That means only certain words in the sentence receive the stress while the others are weakened and condensed. We have two kinds of words: Content Words, which are stressed, and Function Words, which are reduced and condensed to fit between the beats of the content words. The graphic below shows which kinds of words make up each category.
Example: In the following sentences, the content words are marked in bold and should receive more stress from the speaker.
I went for a walk in the country yesterday but it was really hot and I was bitten by a lot of mosquitoes. I can't stand mosquitoes!
By now, you probably do this quite well when speaking. However, many English L2 users struggle with this when reading a text aloud. They concentrate so hard on reading the words carefully and accurately that they end up giving all the words the same stress and they sound robotic, or if they stress the wrong words, they can sound unnatural. Listen to the difference between these three examples.
In the first reading, the speaker gives all the words the same level of stress which makes him sound monotonous and robotic. In the second reading, the speaker incorrectly stresses some function words which makes the recording sound unnatural. In the final reading, the speaker appropriately stresses the content words while reducing the function words which gives the recording a natural sound.
Strategy 2:Use punctuation clues to include appropriate pauses
As the strategy suggests, you will want to make a brief pause each time you come to a comma or final punctuation mark.
We can combine this with Strategy 1 and read a text with appropriate word stress on the content words and include pauses on the relevant punctuation.
Strategy 3:Use appropriate rising and falling intonation
In addition to stress and pausing, you will also need to use appropriate intonation. Keep in mind the following typical intonation patterns in English.
Yes-No Questions: These questions finish with rising intonation.
Are you looking for me (↑)? Can I help you (↑)? Do you like to travel(↑)?
Information-WH Questions: These questions finish with falling intonation.
Whatstyle of flooring tiles do you want to use in the lobby(↓)?
Lists of Three or More Items: Intonation in lists follows the pattern rising, rising, falling. The store sells clothing (↑), equipment (↑), and memorabilia (↓).
Practice Tasks
Instructions: Follow these instructions in order to practice this section of the exam.
Text 1: Few spots in the city are as beloved as City Park. Over ten million visitors play, relax, or enjoy outings with their friends and families in the park every year. Each spring and summer, the park offers a wide variety of activities. This weekend there will be an outdoor jazz concert, a nature program, and special events for children. Most visitors explore the park on foot, although it can also be explored by bike or on horseback. Maps and information on park activities are available at the visitor’s center, which is open daily from nine to five o’clock.
Text 2: May I have your attention for a moment, please? Unfortunately, the lecture originally scheduled for this time, “An Introduction to Accounting”, has been canceled for personal reasons. You may attend this lecture on Monday, Wednesday, or Thursday of next week, however. If those days are inconvenient, we will be pleased to give you a full refund. Thank you for your attention.
Text 3: Thank you for calling Union Motorcycles. We have the city’s largest selection of sport and cruising bikes, and also a full selection of parts, accessories, and riding wear. Visit between nine a.m. and nine p.m. on weekdays, and let our experienced staff attend to all your riding needs. Where else could you go for better riding advice?
Text 4: On Monday, May 7, we will start installing new telephone lines in most of our offices. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to use your telephones until the work is completed later in the week. This will affect your work on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday morning. However, you can use the telephones in the main reception area during that time.
Text 5: All right everyone, we’ve come to the end of our tour of the downtown area, and we’re about to enter the public gardens, where we’ll take a short break. There’s a café here, where you can rest, get something to drink, and look over the schedule for the rest of the day. Let me know if you have any questions.
Summary: You are required to describe a photograph with as much detail as possible. The pictures typically involve topics such as free-time activities, eating and drinking, entertainment, health, household tasks, shopping, travel, business, or street scenes.
Instructions: You have 30 seconds to prepare and 45 seconds to describe the photograph.
Scoring Rubric:
Strategies: In order to provide a complete and well organized description in your response, use the following descriptive framework.
1) Context: Introduce the photograph using a one sentence description that provides the general context and answers the questions Who, What, and Where?
Example: "In this picture I see a couple (who) ordering food (what) in a restaurant (where)."
2) Focal Point: Describe in rich detail the main focus of the picture including what the people are doing, what they look like, their clothing, and their emotional state (if appropriate).
Example: "A waitress is taking a man’s order while his partner is reading the menu. The waitress is wearing a white dress and an apron. She is taking notes on a small pad. The man is wearing a formal long sleeve shirt and the other person at the table has glasses and is wearing a sweater."
3) Speculation: Add detail to your description by making intelligent guesses when you are not completely sure about something. Use speculative language like: may, might, could, perhaps, it seems, etc. You can speculate about the relationship between the people, what they are talking about, what they are doing, what they might have done just before the photo was taken, or what they might do next. Be sure to provide evidence for your speculations, though. Use phrases like: “For that reason, I think...”, “This makes me think...”, “Which is why I think...”, etc.
Example: "It looks like they are in an outdoor patio section of the restaurant. It is quite sunny and there are coffee cups on the table. This makes me thinkthat it might bebreakfast time. Perhaps this is a hotel restaurant and the diners are guests staying there."
4) Relationships: Use prepositions of place (on, next to, under, behind, etc.) to describe the placement of different people and objects in the photo. Use phrases to direct the listener’s attention to different parts of the photo like: “in the background”, “in the foreground”, “on the left/right”, “in the bottom right corner”, “in the center”, etc.
Examples: "On the table in the foregroundthere are empty dishes and coffee cups. There seems to be a plant or flowerin the center of the table. In the background of the picture I can see other customers eating and conversing at their tables and behind them there is a garden or green area with trees and bushes."
Sample Response
Instructions: Examine a sample response for this section of the TOEIC. You will hear a test taker describing the photograph below.
In this first recording you will immediately realize that the speaker's lack of organization causes his description to sound messy as he mentions details in a random way. If he followed a structure, he would be able to create a description with better cohesion.
Listen to the speaker's self-assessment as he reflects on his first recording and identifies strategies to improve.
Listen to the speaker's second recording and notice how his ideas are much more organized. He begins by identifying the context before describing the focal point of the photo. He speculates but provides evidence for his ideas and this provides substance for his description. Are there any other aspects of the description that he could still improve?
Practice Tasks
Instructions: In the link below you will find a worksheet where you can perform the following tasks.
Task 1: Write a paragraph (100-150 words) describing the photograph below. Use the description framework to organize your ideas. Begin with a one sentence description of the context. Who do you see? What are they doing and where? Then describe the focal point of the image with rich detail and conservative speculations. Move your description to other aspects of the photograph to enrich your description.
Task 2:
Write a complete introductory sentence (context) answering the questions who, what, and where. Write words and phrases regarding the focal point, possible speculations, and relationships. Then use these notes to record a 45 second description of the photo below.
Task 3: Record yourself as you describe the following photographs for 45 seconds each. After each one, listen to your recording and transcribe your description. Reflect on what you did well and what you could improve. Write some notes in the column on the right about your strengths and improvement opportunities regarding your organization and flow, timing, and details of your description. Rerecord a description of the same photo. Listen to the second recording and compare it to the first.
Peer Feedback
Instructions: Send your assigned peer one of your Read a Text recordings and one of your Describe a Photo recordings. Complete the Peer Feedback Worksheet and send it to your peer with copy to your Coach and the Head of Training. CLICK HEREto access the Peer Feedback Worksheet.
Week 4: Questions 4-6 - Respond to Personal Questions
Summary: You are asked to imagine that you are participating in a market research survey over the phone. You are required to provide brief answers to three questions about the same topic. These questions will ask about your personal experiences or opinions.
Instructions: In this section you DO NOT have any time to prepare. You must begin speaking as soon as the question is read. You have 15 seconds to respond to questions 4 and 5 and 30 seconds to respond to question 6.
Scoring Rubric:
Strategies: You will need to think quickly to answer these questions as there will be no time to prepare your response before you are required to speak.
1) Identify and answer everything the question is asking. Be aware that some questions will ask for multiple pieces of information.
“When and where do you…?” - Place and Time
“How often do you…?” - Frequency
“How do you decide…?” - Method
“What is your favorite... , and why?” - Example and Reason
2) Use appropriate tenses and structures in your response.
“What is one of the most popular…?” - Present
“When was the last time...?” - Past
“What is the most...you have ever…?” - Present Perfect / Past
3) In order to provide complete answers quickly, transform the question into your opening sentence.
“What is the most important holiday in your country?”
-The most important holiday in my country is…
“What do people in your country like to do on vacation?”
-For vacation people in my country tend to prefer…
4) Become familiar with useful phrases that can help you organize your ideas quickly.
“Well, there are a lot of _____ that I like, but if I had to choose one, it would have to be ________.” (framing your answer)
“I would have to say that my favorite ______ is ______.” (framing your answer)
“The reason I say this is because…” (adding detail)
“One reason for this is…” (adding detail)
“For example, you can…” (adding detail)
“Hmmm, that’s a good question.” (buying time)
“Well, uh...let me see...basically in my country people like to…” (buying time)
5) Improvise if necessary. You have to answer the question appropriately but you do not have to tell the truth. Don’t waste time thinking of a true answer if it would be quicker and easier to make it up.
Practice Tasks
Instructions: Listen to the following audio tracks and record your voice as you respond to them. In each case, you will have 15 seconds to respond to questions A and B and 30 seconds to respond to question C. You will hear a beep in the recording to indicate when to begin and finish your responses. Listen to your recordings and think about how you could improve your responses.
Task 1: Imagine a Canadian marketing firm is doing research in your country. You have agreed to participate in a telephone interview about holiday celebrations.
a) What is the most important holiday in your country? (15 seconds)
b) Why do you think this holiday is important? (15 seconds)
c) How do people in your country celebrate this holiday? (30 seconds)
Task 2: Imagine a US marketing firm is doing research in your country. You have agreed to participate in a telephone interview about vacations.
a) What is your favorite way to spend a vacation? (15 seconds)
b) What did you do on your last vacation? (15 seconds)
c) What do you think is a good way for a family to spend a vacation, and why? (30 seconds)
Task 3: Imagine a US marketing firm is doing research in your country. You have agreed to participate in a telephone interview about clothes shopping.
a) Where and when do you usually shop for clothes? (15 seconds)
b) How do you decide where you will shop for clothes? (15 seconds)
c) How important is the way you dress at work, and why? (30 seconds)
Task 4: In this task your listening comprehension, thinking speed, and improvisational abilities will be tested. You will hear a rapid fire list of questions for which you will need to provide a 15 second response. You will hear a beep that signals when when to start and stop your responses. For an extra challenge, listen to the audio again and provide different responses for each question. This will help you work on your improvisation skills which can come in handy in this section of the real test.
Week 5: Questions 7-9 - Respond to Q's Using Specific Info
Summary: You will see a document in the form of a written agenda or schedule and a caller will ask you 3 questions that require you to provide specific information from the document.
Instructions: You will have 30 seconds to read the document before you hear the questions. You will have 15 seconds to respond to questions 7 and 8. Question 9 will ask you to summarize some of the information and you will have 30 seconds to respond to this one.
Scoring Rubric:
Strategies: You will need to provide socially appropriate and factually accurate responses to the caller’s questions. The following strategies could help you.
1) Skim the document to understand its structure and identify where key information can be found. This will save you valuable seconds when responding to the questions.
Look for arrival and departure dates, start and finish times of meetings, names of people or companies
Look for exceptions marked with asterisks or signaled in some other way as this information might be relevant for one of the responses to the questions.
Consider the following example. A quick scan will reveal lots of potentially useful information that may be relevant when you hear the questions.
The image below highlights key information regarding travel arrangements.
The image below highlights the names of people. This information is very likely to be asked for in the questions.
The image below highlights key information about manner, status, and reasons. In particular the information about the reason why the Avon Hotel was chosen over the Grand Hotel is likely to be relevant. Also, the asterisk next to lunch indicates that additional information is provided below.
2) When answering a question, use filler language to buy time while scanning for the specific information you need.
I'd be happy to find that information for you...
Let me just check the agenda here...
Let's see...according to the information I have...
3) Be diplomatic when giving bad news. Use phrases to soften your answer when giving negative responses.
Unfortunately, Mr. Smith will not be attending the conference due to a schedule conflict.
I’m sorry to say that it looks like the scheduled dinner meeting has been canceled.
I´m afraidthat won´t be possible because...
Practice Tasks
Instructions: You will find 5 practice exercises below. For each one, play the audio and record your voice as you answer the questions. You will have 30 seconds to study the information. Then you must respond immediately to each question with no preparation time.
Task 1: Listen to the audio and record your voice as you respond to the questions. You may need to click on the image to see it more clearly.
Task 2: Listen to the audio and record your voice as you respond to the questions. You may need to click on the image to see it more clearly.
Task 3: Listen to the audio and record your voice as you respond to the questions. You may need to click on the image to see it more clearly.
Task 4: Listen to the audio and record your voice as you respond to the questions. You may need to click on the image to see it more clearly.
Task 5: Listen to the audio and record your voice as you respond to the questions. You may need to click on the image to see it more clearly.
Peer Feedback
Instructions: Send your assigned peer 2 of your Respond to Questions Using Specific Information Provided recordings. Complete the Peer Feedback Worksheet and send it to your peer with copy to your Coach and the Head of Training. CLICK HEREto access the Peer Feedback Worksheet.
Week 6: Question 10 - Propose a Solution
Summary: In this question you will play the role of a customer service representative. You will listen to a voicemail message from a person (usually a client) expressing some kind of problem and then you will send a reply voicemail in which you propose a solution.
Instructions: You listen to the caller's voice recording but nothing will be printed for you to read. Afterward, you will have 30 seconds to prepare your response and 60 seconds to speak. In your response you must show that you fully understand the caller's problem and propose a reasonable solution.
Scoring Rubric:
Strategies: It is helpful to use the following framework to organize your ideas and provide a coherent and complete response.
1) Introduction: In your opening sentence say who the message is for, identify yourself and state why you are calling. The following frames can help you create your introduction.
"Hello, this message is for ___(caller's name)___. I am __(your name)__ from __(your company)__ and I'm returning your call about __(the problem)__."
"Good afternoon, this is __(your name)__ from __(your company)__. I am calling __(caller's name)__ to talk about __(the problem)__."
Example: "This is a message for Jenny Pollard. This is ______ from the Central Heating Company returning your call. I got your message regarding the fact that your new heating system doesn't seem to be working properly and I want to see how we can help you with this.
2) Focus on the Problem: After your introduction you should apologize and express sympathy for what the caller is going through. These phrases can be helpful.
I'm/We're sorry to hear that...
I/We'd like to apologize for this...
Please accept my/our apologies for this...
We sincerely hope you will accept our apologies for this situation.
I know it must feel frustrating for you to be in this situation.
Be sure to restate the issue in your own words so that the TOEIC raters can tell that you fully understand the problem. One way to do this in a natural way is to offer some kind of explanation about why the problem may have occurred. Take a look at these examples.
Situation: Delivery was late.
We recently hired a new delivery driver and he got lost on his route. That is why he arrived a little late with the delivery.
Situation: Wrong color chair was shipped.
It seems that there was a problem with the computer system in the warehouse and that is why the wrong color chair was shipped to you by mistake.
Provide a viable and time-bound solution or suggestion about how the problem can be fixed. Give specific time references regarding what you will do and when.
We´re going to arrange for someone to fix the problem this afternoon.
We'd like to send the missing parts by courier to your office this evening.
I would like to offer you a replacement copy. Come by the store anytime this week to pick it up.
We will fix the problem in the system immediately so that this problem will never happen again.
If the problem does not have a solution, you can explain what steps you will take so that the problem doesn't happen again in the future. You can also offer some kind of financial compensation if appropriate.
Because this was our mistake, we would like to offer you a 20% discount on your next purchase.
3) Wrap Up: Finish the call by offering another sincere apology.
So once again, I would like to apologize on behalf of _____ for the trouble you had.
We're really sorry for the mistake and I can assure you it will not happen again.
Practice Tasks
Task 1: It is helpful to practice making the introduction for your phone call so that you don't have to think too hard about it on the real exam. Practice saying a one or two sentence introduction for the situations below. Be sure to provide the following info:
Your name
The caller's name
Your reason for calling
1)Tara Smith called the Davenport Language School to complain that she never received some information about the Spanish courses she had requested via email.
2) Peter McFarland called Natural Flooring to report that the color of the floor tiles that were recently delivered to his house did not match the color of the sample floor tile he had selected.
3) Will Burns called the Trust Bank to report that he misplaced his debit card while on vacation and to request a replacement as soon as possible.
4) Jack Welsh called Big Savings Electronics to complain that the new high resolution television he purchased has a blurry image.
5) Jessica Garcia called Parkview Hotel to report that the her name was misspelled on her bill.
Task 2: Practice outlining a sample response for this section by listening to the audio below and completing this WORKSHEET.
Task 3: Record yourself as you provide complete 60 second responses to the following situations by using the suggested framework to help organize your ideas.
Identify yourself and state why you are calling.
Apologize and express sympathy for the trouble.
Provide a specific, time-bound solution for the problem.
Finish the call with another sincere apology.
Call 1: Listen to the audio below. Take 30 seconds to prepare your response and 60 seconds to speak.
Call 2: Listen to the audio below. Take 30 seconds to prepare your response and 60 seconds to speak.
Week 7: Question 11 - State an Opinion
Summary: In this question you will be asked to give your opinion about a given topic and provide reasons and details to support your opinion.
Instructions: You will listen to a narrator describe the instructions and read the question. The question will be displayed on your screen. Then you will have 15 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to respond. You should say as much as you can in the time allowed.
Scoring Rubric:
Strategies: In this section you will be evaluated on your ability to provide a complete and well organized response. The following strategies can help you with this.
1) Recognize what the question is asking: Question prompts in this section typically fall into the following categories. Pay close attention to what the prompt requires so that you are sure to respond completely and appropriately.
Preference: Would you rather ... or ... ?
Agree / Disagree: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
Hypothetical: Imagine you were ...
Direct Opinion: What is your opinion about ... ?
2)Organize your ideas: In order to provide a coherent and cohesive response to this task, it is helpful to follow this simple framework to organize your talk.
Introduction: Express your opinion in the first one or two sentences so that the listener clearly understands what you think. Do not "sit on the fence" and fail to commit to a clear opinion when asked to choose between two alternatives. As with other sections of this test, you have to provide an appropriate response, not necessarily a TRUE response. If it is easier for you make something up rather than give your real opinion, DO IT!
Content: It is important to support your opinion with reasons and details. Use transitional phrases to guide the listener.
Conclusion: Finish your talk by restating your opinion in different words.
Practice Tasks
Task 1: Try outlining a sample response to the following prompts by drawing a similar chart in your notebook and filling it with keywords and phrases.
Imagine your town is planning to build a new shopping mall close to where you live. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why?
Some people believe that private cars should be banned from city centers. What do you think?
Do you agree with the following statement? "Competition is a fact of life and children should learn to be competitive when they are young." Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
Some people like to travel with a group. Others would rather travel by themselves. Which do you prefer and why?
Task 2: Choose three of the following prompts and record yourself providing a 60 second response. Listen to your recordings and identify areas that could be improved regarding organization of ideas and details.
Some people like to work at jobs that are exciting and full of new challenges. Other people prefer jobs where the work is routine and predictable. What kind of job would you prefer and why?
Would you prefer to work at home or in an office?
Do you agree or disagree that dogs make better pets than cats?
Would you prefer to find a job in your hometown or in a different city?
Some people like to buy goods or services in person. Other people prefer to shop using the internet, catalogs, or TV. Which way of shopping do you prefer and why?
Some people prefer to fix or build things by themselves. Others prefer to pay other people to do these types of things. Which way do you prefer, and why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
You have just won a contest and for your prize you can choose either a small car or an airline ticket. Which would you choose? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
If you were hiring a new employee, would you prefer to choose someone who is very intelligent or someone who is very reliable? Use reasons and examples to explain your choice.
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? “It is better to be a member of a group than to be the leader of a group. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
Some people think children should be taught how to cook at school, others think it is their parents’ responsibility to teach them. What is your opinion and why?
Peer Feedback
Instructions: Send your assigned peer 1 of your Propose a Solution recordings and 1 of your State an Opinion recording. Complete the Peer Feedback Worksheet and send it to your peer with copy to your Coach and the Head of Training. CLICK HEREto access the Peer Feedback Worksheet.
Week 8: 2nd Diagnostic Test
Instructions: Now that you have finished the course, it is time to do your final diagnostic test to measure your progress. The video below contains a full TOEIC Speaking practice exam. Use your cellphone or computer microphone to record your voice as you provide answers to the test questions. In order to replicate exam conditions as closely as possible, find a place and time in which you can focus on the test without distractions and complete your recording uninterrupted. The test lasts approximately 20 minutes. In order to help you manage your time, a timer was added to each question to indicate how much time you have to prepare and to respond.
When you finish recording yourself, CLICK HERE to access your Diagnostic Self-Assessment and Reflection form. Since Google Forms do not allow you to save your progress before submitting, it would be a good idea to write your answers in a separate Word document and then copy/paste them when you are ready to submit. Here you will also be requested to submit your audio recording.
Thank you so much for your participation in this course. We wish you the best of luck on your exam!
