SUPER TOEFL Elective – ELI 089-006 / 099-006 (Fall 2011)

Course Description:

In this class, you will learn about and practice skills and strategies necessary for doing well on the TOEFL and in academic classes. The 1:30 to 2:20 section, taught by Jane Kirsch, will focus on listening and speaking skills. The 2:30 to 3:20 section, taught by Melissa Allen, will focus on reading and writing.

Course Objectives:

1) – To familiarize students with the four parts of the IBT TOEFL;

2) – To enable students to use test-taking strategies to maximize their score;

2) – To develop the reading, writing, listening and speaking skills necessary to do well on the TOEFL and be successful in academic classes.

Course Expectations

Students should attend class regularly, participate actively and come to class prepared. Students who miss more than 4 classes will receive an NG (no grade) for the class. Absences during the last week are counted, too.

If you must miss a class, talk to one of your classmates to find out what you missed.  If you must miss a test, you must contact the teacher, Melissa Allen, (malle2@gmu.edu) or Jane Kirsch (jkirsch@gmu.edu) on the scheduled test day (or before) if you want to arrange a make-up test.  Make-up tests will only be given if the absence is due to an illness or emergency.

Students should come to class on time. If you are more than 10 minutes late, it will be counted as half an absence. 

Please turn off your cell phones before you come into class.

Course Textbooks and Materials:

Longman Preparation Course for the IBT TOEFL Test (Second Edition) with CD-ROM and Answer Key by Deborah Phillips. Students should get new (not used) copies. 

Course Requirements and Grading

This course will include in-class exercises and activities, homework, and tests. 

The midterm exams are tentatively scheduled for October 12 for Listening/Speaking and October 12 and 17 for Reading/Writing during the regular class period.

The final assessments will be held the last week of classes during the regular class period. Listening and Reading assessments will be on Monday, December 5. There will also be an in-class Integrated Writing Task and an Integrated Speaking Task on Wednesday, December 7 that will be included in the final exam grade.

At the end of the semester, students will receive a final grade of A (excellent), B (good), C (average) or NG (no grade). The following grading scale will be used:  A= 90-100; B=80-89; C=70-79; NG=0-69 or more than the 4 allowed absences. 

The final grade will be determined as follows:

20%  listening/speaking midterm

20%  reading/writing midterm

20%  assessed homework and classroom assignments

40%  final assessments (reading/writing/listening/speaking)

Recommendations: 

1) Students are invited and encouraged (but not required) to attend the weekly TOEFL workshops. The workshop time and location will be announced in core classes and on the ELI bulletin board in Northern Neck 108.

2) Students are strongly encouraged to use the CD-ROM that comes with their text for further practice of the skills and strategies covered in class.

HONOR CODE

This class is covered by the GMU Honor Code, which states:

“Student members of the GMU community pledge not to cheat, plagiarize,

steal or lie in matters related to academic work.”

http://academicintegrity.gmu.edu/honorcode/