FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROGRAMME PREPARATION FOR THE TOEIC EXAM

Transcription

1 FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROGRAMME PREPARATION FOR THE TOEIC EXAM I. COURSE REQUIREMENTS English level B.1.1 or sufficient performance on level test. II. GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE The objective of this course is to prepare students for the standarized TOEIC exam. It has been designed to assess the candidate's current level of English proficiency, allowing them to determine whether they have the level of ability in English to be able to cope in a professional setting. The course covers listening and reading comprehension and the strategies and skills that students need to score higher on the tests. Special attention will be given to the different sections the exams contain so that the students can learn how to deal with them effectively on the exam. Students will take real TOEIC exams to check their improvement. Apart from the course book additional material for their practice at home will be provided. III. CONTENTS Tactics for TOEIC is divided into twenty-eight units. Depending on the units you will find: Reading - with introductions to different reading techniques and reading tests Listening - with introduction to different listening skills In the first week students will take a practice exam to know their level. Later on in the course, there will be further exam practice to check their progress. The book also contains: - Activity files - General glossary of terms - Word list and quizzes - Quizzes key - Alphabetical Word list

2 UNIT 1: Listening Test Part 1 Photographs Focus: Using the photo to predict what you will hear UNIT 2: Listening Test Part 2 Question-Response Focus: Thinking about the meaning of factual questions UNIT 3: Listening Test Part 3 Conversations Focus: Skimming to predict the context before listening UNIT 4: Listening Test Part 4 Talks Focus: Skimming to predict the context before listening UNIT 5: Reading Test Part 5 Incomplete Sentences Focus: Identifying the part of speech, Using your time wisely UNIT 6: Reading Test Part 6 Text Completion Focus: Using context to choose the correct verb form and meaning UNIT 7: Reading Test Part 7 Reading Comprehension Focus: Scanning the questions to decide which ones to answer first UNIT 8: Listening Test Part 1 Photographs Focus: Listening for the correct verb UNIT 9: Listening Test Part 2 Question-Response Focus: Becoming familiar with different ways of answering direct questions, Becoming aware of similar-sounding words UNIT 10: Listening Test Part 3 Conversations Focus: Being aware of same word distractors UNIT 11: Listening Test Part 4 Talks Focus: Becoming familiar with different kinds of what questions UNIT 12: Reading Test Part 5 Talks Incomplete Sentences Focus: Choosing gerunds and infinitives correctly, Improving your knowledge of phrasal verbs UNIT 13: Reading Test Part 6 Text Completion Focus: Choosing the correct path of speech: adjectives and adverbs UNIT 14: Reading Test Part 7 Reading Comprehension Focus: Using context to answer vocabulary questions, Using what you have learnt to help infer meaning UNIT 15: Listening Test Part 1 Photographs Focus: Listening carefully to every detail

3 UNIT 16: Listening Test Part 2 Question-Response Focus: Becoming familiar with time and location structures UNIT 17: Listening Test Part 3 Conversations Focus: Using Vocabulary clues to infer meaning UNIT 18: Listening Test Part 4 Talks Focus: Becoming familiar with re-statements, Being aware of questions involving numbers and quantities UNIT 19: Reading Test Part 5 Incomplete Sentences Focus: Improving your knowledge of suffixes and prefixes UNIT 20: Reading Test Part 6 Text Completion Focus: Using clues in the question to help you choose the correct verb form: future, perfect UNIT 21: Reading Test Part 7 Reading Comprehension Focus: Learning how to answer NOT questions, and questions with names, numbers, dates or times UNIT 22: Listening Test Part 1 Photographs Focus: Listening for the correct prepositions, Being aware of similar sounding words UNIT 23: Listening Test Part 2 Question-Response Focus: Becoming familiar with language used in offers, requests and opinions UNIT 24: Listening Test Part 3 Conversations Focus: Becoming familiar with polite ways of saying no, Listening carefully to the first exchange UNIT 25: Listening Test Part 4 Talks Focus: Becoming familiar with re-statements involving how and why questions, Being aware of same word distrators UNIT 26: Reading Test Part 5 Incomplete Sentences Focus: Improving your knowledge of pronouns UNIT 27: Reading Test Part 6 Text Completion Focus: Choosing the correct word: prepositions and conjunctions UNIT 28: Reading Test Part 7 Reading Comprehension Focus: Learning how to answer questions dealing with charts, tables, forms and double passages

4 IV. ASSESSMENT CRITERIA FOR THE SUBJECT Assessment for this subject is divided into two consecutive stages which are explained as follows: FIRST STAGE: OBTAINING THE APTO Apart from covering the stipulated attendance requirements (minimum attendance is 80%), students will have to do three tests which the teacher will give when he/she considers best. These tests will be mock exams that simulate the official TOEIC test, which students will have to take in order to pass the subject. In order to obtain the APTO, the total score of these mock exams must average 500 points or more. The weighting of each test will be as follows: TEST 1 TEST 2 TEST 3 TOTAL WEIGHTING 20% 30% 50% 100% Estimated dates for the first term mock exams are: 2 nd week of October, 2 nd week of November and 1 st week of December. Estimated dates for the second term mock exams are: 2 nd week of February, 2 nd week of March and 3 rd week of April. Students who obtain a NO APTO will not have the chance of sitting the official final exam and the subject will be receive a fail grade. SECOND STAGE: OFFICIAL TOEIC EXAM Only students who have previously obtained the APTO from the teacher and have signed up within the inscription period for one of the exams set for the semester when he/she received the training may sit the official TOEIC exam. It is compulsory to sit the official TOEIC exam after the course is over, by signing up through the Idioma Moderno Application on the website, to one of the official exam dates published for the semester when the student received tuition and received the APTO. Students who obtain the APTO and who do not take the exam within the stipulated exam period will obtain a fail mark. The TOEIC exam, which lasts approximately two hours, assesses and certifies candidates listening and reading comprehension skills in English. The final grade for the subject Idioma Moderno will be the score obtained in the official TOEIC exam. A minimum score of 500 points in the TOEIC exam is required to pass the subject Idioma Moderno.

5 V. BIBLIOGRAPHY a. BASIC TEXT Grant Trew (2007): Tactics for TOEIC Listening and Reading Test, Oxford University Press. b. ADDITIONAL TEXTS Lin Lougheed (2007): Preparation series for the new TOEIC Test Advanced Course. Longman Lin Lougheed (2004): Preparation series for the new TOEIC Test Intermediate Course. Longman Gina Richadson (2008): Building Skills for TOEIC Test. Longman. c. DICTIONARIES LONGMAN ACTIVE STUDY DICTIONARY. Essex: Longman. LONGMAN DICTIONARY OF CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH. Essex: Longman. CAMBRIDGE LEARNER S DICTIONARY. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. d. GRAMMAR Michael Vince (2003): ADVANCED LANGUAGE PRACTICE. Oxford: Macmillan Education. Mark Foley and Diane Hall (2003): ADVANCED LEARNERS GRAMMAR. Essex: Longman. Christine and Judith Marasco (1998): LOOKING AHEAD: MASTERING ACADEMIC WRITING. Boston: Heinle and Heinle Publishers