TOEFL, TOEIC, and jobs « Readable Blog

Shall we discuss how to effectively challenge the tyranny of ETS standardized exams? May I strongly recommend reading this earnest critique by Clarissa, a frustrated English teacher who has taught TOEIC and TOEFL and prominent ESL blogger for many years?

TOEFL, TOEIC, and jobs « Readable Blog

As somebody who has often criticized - even ranted against - the overuse and misuse of standardized exams, consider me quite sympathetic of your analysis. It's also worth noting that no outside study has even found a correlation between TOEFL scores and actual academic performance in either university or graduate school. Although I'm less familiar with the TOEIC, it seems to share many of the perceived advantages for large institutions (test consistency, convenience, cost) and the same disadvantages (artificial context, limited scoring, weak correlation with alleged goals, excessive test preparation).
Having said all that, it seems a tad unfair to attack the TOEIC as " still not perfect or very realistic." Not perfect? Isn't that asking for far too much? No standardized test - and very few human endeavors - are "perfect." Noting the TOEIC is not "very realistic" in the next phrase only adds some irony to the critique. May I suggest it "not realistic" to expect any exam to be "perfect"?

Further, I'm not sure that we can wish away either the TOEIC or TOEFL or just advise our students to disregard the results. As an experienced TOEIC and TOEFL teacher, you have seen - first hand - the power to open doors or defer dreams that these strange standardized exams continue to hold. Scores matter. ETS holds real power. Power must be recognized.

Let us, instead, speak truth to power as your fine article does - and prepare students to develop their authentic English skills. For instance, I would recommend students both study for the TOEIC with both a traditional test prep book and the multiskill Target Score (Cambridge University) that correlates authentic newspaper articles to TOEIC vocabulary. In other words, we need to both help our students raise their scores and authentic English communication skills in the short run. TOEFL and TOEIC scores matter. We must be realistic in our counseling to students.

Of course, we also need to find ways to reduce the influence of standardized exams in both international companies and educational institutions, but that is a very daunting, difficult challenge. I would prefer, for instance, that universities supplement the TOEFL with their own language tests - especially for speaking skills. Videotaping a 10-15 minute interview, for instance, can fairly accurately assess student speaking skills and conversational abilities.

I deeply appreciate the author's profound misgivings about both the TOEFL and TOEIC. Far too few English teachers seem willing to note that the ETS emperor has far too few clothes on!

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Looking for Quality, Free Conversation Lessons for Your Advanced ESL or EFL Class?

Are you looking for quality, free conversation materials for your advanced English class? Do you teach ESL to adult or community college students? Or do you teach English as a Foreign language (EFL) thousands of miles from home? And do you sometimes tutor private students to improve their conversation skills?

If so, do yourself a favor and check out the free quality conversation materials from the innovative textbook Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics now.

Enjoy these five free sample chapters including this month's feature PDF Making and Keeping Friends.

Enjoy!

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A Pleasant Surprise!

Sometimes people appreciate our ideas. Sometimes we find an educational site that shares our goals, perceptions, and priorities. Sometimes our efforts draw praise. April 13, 2010 provided a pleasant surprise as ESL teacher.

Under the title "Great Tips", a small, but influential American librarian's blog called eslconversationclubs.blogspot.com shared some ideas from Compelling Conversations. Naturally, I am quite pleased to both be recommended - and to discover an entire community of like-minded educators.

Here's the link to today's blog post to ESL educators, librarians, and conversation club coordinators:


http://eslconversationclubs.blogspot.com/2010/04/great-tips.html

After reading the article, I spent a satisfying hour exploring the deep resources on the blog that dates back several years. Among the excellent resources is a short two page document called ESL Conversation Clubs Best Practices by Jean Kaleda of webjunction.com that deserves a wider audience. Check it out here:
http://eslconversationclubs.blogspot.com/search/label/bestpractices


Enough said. Today provided some surprising validation that conversation clubs fill a vital, often overlooked, need for many American immigrants, ESL students, and other English language learners. And many experts find my little niche, self-published book a valuable, accessible resource. Consider me satisfied!


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What Qualities Do Adult English Language Learners Want in a Teacher?

What makes a great English teacher? Children and Adults apparently disagree.

Marisa Constantinides, a prominent EFL teacher and blogger, wrote a fascinating article that explores this issue in a fascinating post. Here it is.

http://marisaconstantinides.edublogs.org/2010/02/14/what-kind-of-teacher-are-you-are-you-in-your-students-hall-of-fame/comment-page-1/

While I have no experience teaching young child, the survey confirms my perceptions about the educational desires of adult students. Many adult students work and struggle in boring, stressful positions so they seek more creativity and passion in their English classes – and English teachers. Further, given the time pressures, instructors who both efficiently manage their classes and display patience are appreciated.

I would be curious, however, to know if there is a difference between various types of adult learners. For instance, many Business English classes in an EFL context include many middle-class professionals while many more working class adults attend ESL classes in English speaking classes. I also wonder if different ages of adults would provide different responses. Would younger working adults look for the same qualities as seniors taking an English class? Would creativity and passion still top the list of desired characteristics for English teachers?

The bottomline remains the same: our English students invest considerable time, energy, and often money into their studies. It behooves us to create compelling English lessons, exude energy, and patiently, clearly their "good mistakes".

“I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.”
Socrates (BC 469-BC 399) Greek philosopher of Athens


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The Dogma of Dogme | Kalinago English

What makes a compelling classroom conversation, anyway?

This excellent overview of the Dogme teaching style, by ELT and Business English expert Karenne Joy Sylvester provides a solid primer. It also provides an intellectual "defense" of simple, authentic, and meaningful conversations in our ESL and EFL classrooms. If you are taking a methods class, you will especially appreciate this article. Check it out!





The Dogma of Dogme | Kalinago English

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Happy New Decade! How Will We Change? Will We Discuss Change in Our ESL Classes?

Happy New Decade! How Will We Change? Will We Discuss Change in Our ESL Classes?

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Add Informational Interviews to Your ESL Classroom

Almost everyone agrees that adult ESL teachers should help their English students develop their job skills and practice mock job interviews in our English classes.

During these difficult economic times, however, I would suggest that ESL and even EFL instructors working with college and university students also should focus on practical employment skills. Videotaping practice interviews – and longer is better – remains an invaluable tool.

Yet ESL teachers can also help ESL/EFL students conduct research for possible jobs with information interviews. A common practice in the United States, informational interviews allow job seekers to meet working professionals in their field, collect detailed information on working lives, and expand their network of valuable contacts. Sometimes it also leads to job leads, internships, and even jobs.

More About Informational Interviews on the Web

Vanderbilt University, an elite private university in Tennessee, has compiled an impressive list of 60 informational interviews from a wide variety of disciplines and professions. (Peabody is a leading school of Education within Vanderbilt University). These provide illuminating examples of real-life informational interviews. Note: some speakers have a strong southern accent.
http://streams.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/hod1210/sort_field.htm

Here’s a solid collection of typical informational interview questions from About.com, a fairly reliable New York Times-owned website. Questions are divided into Occupational and Functional categories.
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/infointerviews/a/infointervquest.htm

Here’s a basic video, perhaps targeted for adult education and community college students, that reviews the fundamentals of conducting an informational interview.
http://education-portal.com/videos/Conducting_an_Informational_Interview_Video.html

Naturally, many students hope to find job leads from their informational interviews. ESL students can always use more practice job interviews. This chapter of potential job interview questions and quotations comes from Compelling Conversations that I have used with community college, adult education, and university students.
http://www.compellingconversations.com/pdf/practicing_job_interview.pdf

From my perspective, holding both long mock job interviews and hearing trip reports of information interviews are practical, effective uses of precious classroom time.

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What Do Your ESL Students Believe? Find Out!

Why Bring ‘This I Believe’ Essays and Podcasts Into Your English Classroom?

What are your core beliefs? More importantly, what are the core beliefs of your English students? How do you know? Do you like listening to quality radio essays to improve listening skills and critical thinking skills? Are you looking for a friendly way to gently nudge your EFL students into reflecting on their experiences and expressing their ideas?

If so, you might want to consider adding This I Believe radio essays to your curriculum. This I Believe, originally a radio program hosted by legendary journalist Edward R. Murrow in the 1950s, has been resurrected by National Public Radio as a weekly feature.

While the 1950s version sought out short personal essays by leading intellectuals, artists, and prominent personalities, the 21st century version is far more democratic. Anybody can submit an essay – and thousands and thousands of individuals around the world – have.

English teachers and global travelers might appreciate the sample podcast This I Believe: Inviting the World to Dinner by travel writer and Parisian resident Jim Haynes. Students might also appreciate the open spirit and generosity, but if not, they can choose from over 200 other radio essays. In short, The This I Believe website includes a tremendous amount of free resources for teachers and students. Teachers can sign up for the free mailing list and download an exceptional discussion guide. Amazon also sells several collections of This I Believe essays from both the modern version (with audio) and the original collections from over 50 years ago.

Why don’t you try it in your English class? Here is a simple reproducible homework worksheet that allows English students to find, summarize, and share their own favorite podcasts. I usually have students “introduce” their choice in both small groups and before the entire class. After students have listened to several “this I believe” radio essays, they feel more comfortable writing their essay and presenting it before the class for a final project.

So far, my intermediate and advanced students have both enjoyed the assignment and produced original, reflective work. The flexible format also means that English teachers can modify it to meet student or course requirements. Writing instructors can ask for essays; speech instructors can require a speech. Yet students get an often rare chance to hear intelligent voices reveal their personal philosophies in an engaging manner. Further, our students get to speak their minds and share their insights in our strange, wonderful language. I believe that makes a compelling English class too!

As Mr. Murrow would say, “good night and good luck.”
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This I Believe Homework Worksheet

Links: This I Believe
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4538138


Please select one radio segment, based on a personal essay, and read by writers. Find a story that resonates with you. Listen carefully. Take notes. Fill out the worksheet below. You will be asked to share your selection with classmates in both a small group and the entire class.

Student:
This I Believe Title:
Author/Reader:
Length:

Who is the author?


What’s the main idea?


Why did you choose this podcast?


Did you hear any new words or phrases?
1.
2.
3.


Who do you imagine is the audience for this podcast? Why?




What is your reaction? Why?



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Starting, and Building, a Compelling Conversation

How do start and build a satisfying conversation?
There are a million ways, but here's a simple slogan.
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You can create compelling conversations by asking simple, yet deep, questions like:

What brings you here? How did you hear about this class (party/event/movie)? What do you like to do online? Where were you born? How many miles do you think that is from here? Where are you in your family's birth order? What makes you smile? What have you been reading recently? Can you recommend any movies to see or rent? What's the most beautiful place you've seen? What qualities do you look for in new products? What do you look for in jobs? Which issues are important to you? How did you decide to live here?

Who chose your name? Why? What music inspires you? Where are you coming from? Where are you going? Where do you feel most comfortable? Why? How do you release stress? What do you appreciate about living here? What did you learn at your last job? What do you do to stay healthy? What TV shows would you recommend to a visitor to your country? Why? Have your habits changed in the last year? What changes have you seen in __? How would your friends describe you? What would you add?

So who do you want to talk to today? Who will you meet? What will discover about your new conversation partner?

“Colors fade, temples crumble, empires fall, but wise words endure.”
- Edward Thorndike (1874-1949), American psychologist

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Sound Comparisons: What is the correct way to say this in English?

How do you say that again? Which is correct? What is a sound comparison?

English teachers and linguists might also find website www.soundcomparisions.com worth a visit. Focusing on the many different dialects of English across the world, it implicitly challenges the notion of a “correct” or “accurate” pronunciation of English. The sound files come from England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, North Amerca, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Nigeria, India, and Singapore. Some accents, for this American listener, require significant effort to understand. All dialects, however, successfully function within their local areas.

Of course, context matters. If international students plan to study at an American university, it behooves them to listen to North American dialects – and make sure that their pronunciation is clear and comprehensible to American listeners. If they hope to attend a Scottish university, students might want to try out that accent as the target sound. Being audience focused, after all, is part of effective communication and good manners.

That is also why I very seldom "correct" international friends on their pronunciation if I can understand the word. If asked, I will gladly observe the standard "American" pronunciation and repeat what I heard. Yet focusing, perhaps even obsessing, on "correct" pronunciation can often block English language learners from communicating ideas and being themselves in English. Let's keep the focus on comprehensibility and ideas - and remember the wide, wonderful world of English accents!

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Welcome To Compelling Conversations for ESL/EFL Teachers

Welcome to Compelling Conversations!
Volume 1: Issue 1

This issue has been long overdue, and for our first 2009 issue, we would like to personally thank you for subscribing to our newsletter for English teachers. We appreciate your visit to our website and, for this reason, we have good news:

A discount coupon for our book! If you've haven't had the opportunity to get a copy of our book, we have lowered the price for our subscribers: you can get $5 off the regular price for Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics (for ESL learners and teachers)! Click here to get your copy for $15 (instead of $20).

Or just download our free Compelling Conversations chapters on Change and on Job Interviews.

Don't forget to check out our special thank you offer again at the end of this newsletter.

In This Issue Articles of Interest The Compelling Conversations Blog recently had a post on World Englishes, which linked to a review on a book by the same name. In this newsletter you will find an intro to Eric Roth's review (to the right), and for the sake of providing different perspectives on the subject matter, here are a few articles that have caught our attention. What is Offshore English? UsingEnglish.com provides a short article on how native English speakers are not always considered the best choice for foreign businesses. Perhaps the debate for International English should focus on the listening audience. Standard Englishes & World Englishes This is an extensive article on English as a global language for business, which was written by Jeanette Gilsdorf, a Professor in the Department of Information Systems at the College of Business Administration at California State University – Long Beach. The radio program This I Believe was also reviewed on the Compelling Conversations Blog. We offer an assignment/worksheet on the post, and you will find an intro and direct link on the right.

World Englishes Review by Eric Roth Do the English in England speak the same English as the Americans, the Jamaicans, the South Africans, the Australians, the Irish, and the Indians? Do they even speak the same English as they did 100 years ago before radio, television, and the internet? Should there be a global standard for all English speakers? Linguist Andy Kirkpatrick raises these and many other provocative questions in his exceptionally documented book “World Englishes: Implications for International Communication and English Language Teaching” published by Cambridge University Press. Read more » This I Believe Tuesday, March 24, 2009 What are your core beliefs? More importantly, what are your students’ core beliefs? How can you help English language learners improve their listening skills while exploring their own personal philosophy? Do you use radio podcasts in your English classrooms or ask students to write personal essays? If so, you might want to visit www.ThisIBelieve.org for excellent, fascinating authentic listening materials. Read more »

Speaking of radio programs, do you like podcasts? VOA News makes Special English podcasts; check out Baseball Terms: This Is a Whole New Ballgame! Are you (or will you be) teaching an ESL class? Here are a few articles that relate to our trademark phrase "Ask more. Know more. Share more." on conversations in the ESL classroom, along with other articles about teaching abroad: How useful are comprehension questions? This is a useful article by Mario Rinvolucri, which provides example questions and things you can do to check your students for understanding (before asking them directly). Memoirs of a Teacher This article gives the perspective of an ESL teacher who followed in his mother's footsteps after an experience in Korea. He debated about going, but the experience proved fruitful. Improving Teacher-Student Interaction This report on an action research project provides insights on how to effectively get your students to participate in class. Having active students isn't just about asking compelling questions, but rather how they are asked! Teaching English in Vietnam This article goes over the requirements, available positions, what living there means, and the general expectations you should keep in mind on what it takes to teach ESL in Vietnam. Vietnam Embraces English Classes - and Looks for Communicative English Teachers Thursday, April 2nd, 2009 My recent trip to Vietnam to meet English teachers and lead a professional development seminar at the American-Pacific University, Vietnam lead to many wonderful moments and a few surprising conversations. Teaching English in developing countries always poses challenges, and Vietnam falls into that category. Let me share a few selective details to provide a brief introduction to the education atmosphere for English teachers who prefer a communicative approach to grammar drill and kill tasks. Consider the gap between a traditional teacher-centered education philosophy and modern student-centered approaches for teaching English. Read more » By the way, the Compelling Conversations Blog will be getting a make-over! Yes, we'll soon be incorporating more digital media, changing our theme, and we'll be making it easier for you to get a copy of our class worksheets. We want to move beyond mere text and incorporate more pictures and sound to create a livelier, more 21st century look. Again, as a newsletter subscriber, you qualify for a $5 discount on our downloadable ESL ebook that makes teaching conversation in English class a simple joy. Why not buy your copy today? Click here for your copy of Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics (for ESL learners and teachers) for $15 (instead of $20)!

This is a monthly newsletter from CompellingConversations.com.




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More Practical Tips to Help English Students Ace the Job Interview

During these difficult economic times, English teachers should take every possible opportunity to focus on job interview skills. As blog readers know, I'm a big fan of both videotaping practice interviews and having ESL/EFL students conduct research for possible jobs with information interviews.

Here is an excellent, concise list of simple practical steps for English language learners to take when preparing for a job interview - and a few post-interview suggestions worth noting. The fine article comes from the Q Blog for English language learners. It's a fine resource. Check it out.

Official Q Blog: How to Succeed in an Interview

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