TOEFL Preparation 1
Office: 318 Snell Hall; Phone 737-6979 (you can leave a voice message if I'm not there.)
Email: Rick.Finnan@orst.edu
Web site: http://www.orst.edu/~finnanr
Office Hours: Tuesday&Thursday 9:30 - 10:50
Classes meet: Tuesday&Thursday 8:00 - 9:20 a.m. in Education 306
Required Materials: Longman Introductory Course for the TOEFL by Deborah Phillips
Longman Introductory Course for the TOEFL User's Guide
Optional Materials: Longman Introductory Course for the TOEFL Audio Cassettes
Course Objective: This course can help you improve your scores on the TOEFL by
€ showing you effective ways to prepare for each section of the test
€ familiarizing you with types of questions, "distractors," and "pitfalls" used in the TOEFL
€ sharpening your test-taking skills and building your self-confidence
€ developing your awareness of your own strong and weak points so you can allocate your study time better.
1) Homework will be assigned for every class. Do it.
2) Attend every class; be on time and be ready to listen actively and to ask questions.
You will receive a mid-term and a final grade of S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory) based on your attendance, preparation, participation and homework.
1) Practice makes perfect. You should not expect to significantly improve your TOEFL score simply by attending this class for three hours each week. Learning a language is somewhat like learning the skills necessary for playing a sport or a musical instrument. Only by using your skills can you make them stronger. Do all your assignments, and do them on time. Use English whenever you can; learn to make opportunities for yourself to exercise all four skills, including writing and speaking.
2) You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. This course offers you some water, but you must make the effort to drink it. And remember, in addition to water, everyone needs food. This course is a study aid. It is not a substitute for working hard in your other English courses. You need a full and balanced approach to improving your English. Experience shows that people who are truly eager to improve their English and who follow the suggestions given by their teachers will progress faster and go farther than those who foolishly expect to be carried to their destination.