TOEFL Speaking and Writing Sections Skills Mastery

Course Certificate

本文是学习 https://www.coursera.org/learn/toefl-speaking-writing-sections-skills-mastery 这门课的学习笔记，如有侵权，请联系删除。

allot分配： alloted time for writing: 20min

the rubrics that ETS use to evaluate the Independent (and Integrated) writing tasks. rubric:规则

Week 01: The iBT Independent Speaking Task

In this first week, you will become familiar with a question type that you will encounter on the real iBT speaking portion of the TOEFL test, specifically the independent speaking task." You will also practice answering some speaking sample questions with suggested templates. This will help you know what to expect when you answer speaking questions and be prepared to plan your responses.

Learning Objectives

---

• Learners will become familiar with the independent speaking task.
• Learners will be able to plan their responses to the independent speaking task

Overview of the Speaking Section

The third section of the iBT test is the speaking section. Right after your 10-minute break, the screen will guide you through the directions. The entire speaking section takes about 15 to 17 minutes to complete. There are two kinds of tasks in this section: an independent task and integrated tasks. For the independent task, you are given a prompt (question) and you need to speak on the given topic. In the integrated tasks, you need to read and/or listen before you speak. Every iBT test has one independent and three integrated tasks.

The link below will help you become familiar with the tasks and know what to expect.

TOEFL iBT Speaking Section: Tips And Tricks

Also, make sure after watching the lectures of this module to come back to this reading and click on the link below. It will take you to a great website with numerous sample questions and answers.

Questions, Topics and Sample Answers for the Speaking Section of the TOEFL® Test

Independent Speaking Task (Part 1)

Welcome to Course 2, Module 1. In this module, we’re
going to take a look at iBT speaking section, specifically the
independent section. As mentioned before, the test starts with the independent task. There are two possible
choices or opinions or situations or
actions to choose from. The preparation time for this
question will be 15 seconds and then you will have 45
seconds to record your answer, there is no right or wrong
answer to this task.

You will first see
a photograph of a person wearing headphones, and you’ll be
instructed to put on your headphones and
listen carefully. You’ll then see the directions
screen for speaking. After you have clicked on the
dismiss direction’s button, you’ll see and hear the prompt
for the first question. After this, you will have 15 seconds to prepare
your response. This is what you will
see that shows you the time you have to
prepare and to answer. After 15 seconds have passed, you’ll hear a beep, and you will then have 45 seconds to deliver
your response. On-screen clock
keeps track of time, a second beat will tell you that you should
stop speaking. After that, you’ll see the
prompt for the next question.

Let’s look at a sample question. This is what a question in the real iBT speaking
tests may look like. Some people enjoy taking
risks and try new things, others are not adventurous, they are cautious and
prefer to avoid danger. Which behavior do
you think is better? Explain why.

ChatGPT:

The preference for taking risks or avoiding them varies from person to person, and neither behavior can be definitively labeled as better than the other. Both adventurousness and caution have their own merits depending on the situation and individual circumstances.

1. Adventurous Behavior:

• Benefits: Taking risks and trying new things can lead to personal growth, discovery, and excitement. It allows individuals to expand their horizons, develop new skills, and overcome challenges. Adventurous people often embrace change, adaptability, and innovation, which can lead to valuable experiences and opportunities.
• Drawbacks: However, excessive risk-taking can sometimes result in negative consequences such as accidents, financial losses, or missed opportunities. Without careful consideration and planning, adventurous behavior may lead to reckless decision-making and impulsive actions.

2. Cautious Behavior:

• Benefits: Cautious individuals prioritize safety, security, and stability, which can help them avoid unnecessary risks and potential dangers. They tend to weigh the pros and cons of a situation carefully, make informed decisions, and minimize the likelihood of negative outcomes. Cautiousness can also foster a sense of responsibility, reliability, and preparedness.
• Drawbacks: On the other hand, excessive caution may lead to missed opportunities, stagnation, or a fear of trying new things. Overly cautious individuals may become overly anxious, rigid, or hesitant to step out of their comfort zone, limiting their personal and professional growth.

Ultimately, the ideal approach lies in finding a balance between adventurousness and caution, depending on the context and individual preferences. Some situations may call for boldness and risk-taking, while others may require careful planning and foresight. By striking a balance between the two extremes, individuals can navigate life’s challenges effectively, seize opportunities for growth, and protect themselves from unnecessary harm.

As you can see, you will have 15 seconds to prepare
your response, and you will have 45 seconds
to answer the question. You will not be penalized
if you have not finished your response
when the time is up, as long as you have completed most of the task as
given in the prompt.

you will have 45 seconds to answer the question，and the preference is Adventurous Behavior, explain

ChatGPT:

In a dynamic world where change is constant, embracing adventurous behavior can be highly advantageous. When individuals dare to take risks and try new things, they open themselves up to a world of possibilities and opportunities for personal growth and development. By stepping outside of their comfort zones, adventurous individuals can expand their horizons, discover new passions, and cultivate valuable skills and experiences. Moreover, adventurousness fosters creativity, innovation, and adaptability, qualities that are increasingly valued in today’s rapidly evolving society. While there may be occasional setbacks or challenges along the way, the rewards of adventurous behavior often far outweigh the risks. Therefore, embracing a spirit of adventure can lead to a more fulfilling and enriching life journey.

Scoring criteria used
by the readers include, delivery, language use,
and topic development. Delivery is about how
clear your speech is. Good responses are those in which the speech is clear with
good pronunciation, natural pacing, and natural
sounding intonation patterns. Language use depends on
how effectively you use grammar and vocabulary
to convey your ideas. Readers will be listening
for how well you can control both basic and more complex
language structures and use appropriate vocabulary. Topic development is about
how fully you answer the question and how coherently
you present your ideas. Good answers generally
use all or most of the time allotted
and the relationship between ideas and
the progression from one idea to the next is
clear and easy to follow.

intonation: 语调；声调；音准；

With that being said, in order to get a high
score you need to, one, clearly state your opinion. For example, you can start with, in my opinion and then follow
that with your answer. Number 2, present
your reasons and details in order to
explain your main idea. Number 3, organize your thoughts. Number 4, avoid repeating the same vocabulary
too many times. Number 5, use a variety
of words and structures. Numbers 6, focus on
clear pronunciation. Finally, number 7, don’t
speak too fast or too slow.

If you need to hear
a sample response on a real iBT question, check out the following link, that’ll give you a clear idea what the readers are looking for. This is the end of Part 1. In the second part of
this presentation, we’re going to look at
some sample questions and some templates that can help you save some time preparing
your responses. See you in Part 2.

Independent Speaking Task (Part 2)

Welcome to this second
part of this presentation. In this module, we
are going to continue to look at the independent
speaking task, but we are going to consider
looking at some templates. They can save a lot of time
preparing your responses. If you have never
taken an IBT test before or you have
taken the test, but you believe that the
preparation time for this speaking task is very short, then you might want to start preparing your answers
with a template, because this can reduce your preparation time and then you can focus on your answers. After reading the
prompt carefully, start by introducing
your chosen subject. This is what you have
decided to talk about. You may do this by slightly
rephrasing the prompt. For example, you can
say, in my opinion, X is better than y because, or personally, I enjoy X
for two or three reasons. Or you can say I enjoy
or I like X because. Or my best or my favorite X is, and rest of the sentence. Or you can say, I would like to, and then use a verb, the action, and then
the reason, because. Another option is personally, I believe X is better than Y, for two or three reasons. In my opinion, X seems to be better than Y
because, or you can say, I prefer, or I would
prefer X over Y because, and then the rest
of the sentence. Finally, another option is to me, X is better, opinion, than Y, and I feel this way
for two or three reasons. Remember, these are all
suggested templates, and there is no right
or wrong answers.

Step two, this part is optional if you have already included
the number of reasons, in your previous sentence. If you have not, then you
can introduce the number of reasons you have for
selecting your subject. Examples are, like one, I feel this way for
two or three reasons. Or the second example is, this is because of
two or three reasons. Or another option is, I have two or three reasons.

Now you can explain your first reason for
choosing your subject. The detailed your reasons here. Ideally, you’ll devote
two or three sentences to each reason you give. Make sure to use
specific examples. Examples here are first,
write the reason. Then, for example, mention
the example or a first off, write the reason, for instance, support your answer with
examples, or for one. Again, write your reason. That is, followed by example. My first reason is that, mention the reason here, what I mean is that, here provides some details. Or you can say for one and
then mention the first reason. Then for instance,
explain your example. Finally, you can say
one reason is that, put your sentence here. What I mean by this is that, and here you will explain
exactly what you mean.

Step four. Next, you
explain your second reason. Once again, try to think
of a brief example or two, to illustrate why you have chosen this subject to discuss. Examples are, secondly, so you put
the second reason here. This is because,
and you explain it. Next, put the reason here, as a result I, and here comes a detail. In addition, I believe or
I feel or I think that, and then you explain
what you mean by this. Another reason is that, here you put your reason. Basically, here you
explain what you mean. My second reason is that, and you explain your reason here.

Step five. This step is optional. If you still have time, then you can introduce
a third reason here. Follow the same structures as the previous ones for your
first second reasons, but try to use
different transitions. For example; and
finally, and lastly, my third or my final
reason is that, or third, and complete
your sentence here.

Step six is also optional, just like step five. If you have time, you may
conclude your response with a general summary of what you have already discussed. Examples are, “And this is why my best or favorite X is,”
the rest of sentence. Or, “This is why I
believe or I feel or I think that,” and then
finish your sentence. “And these are the
reasons I’d like to,” then add your verb and
the rest of your sentence.

Now it’s time to practice. We’re are going to see
a real speaking prompt, and you’re going to have
15 seconds to prepare. Then you’re going to have 45 seconds to respond
to that prompt. Your answers are not going
to be recorded here, so you may want to
have a device like your phone to record
your answers.

Let’s begin. Here
is your question. Do you agree or disagree with
the following statement? It is important to learn
about other cultures. Use details and examples
to explain your opinion.

Your preparation time will be 15 seconds and your response
time will be 45 seconds. Begin preparing
your response now. Now you can record your response. Well done.

ChatGPT:

Absolutely, learning about other cultures is crucial in today’s interconnected world. By understanding and appreciating different cultures, individuals can foster greater empathy, tolerance, and respect for diversity. This knowledge enables people to navigate cross-cultural interactions more effectively, whether in personal relationships or global business ventures. Moreover, exposure to diverse cultures broadens one’s perspective, encouraging critical thinking and challenging stereotypes. Ultimately, embracing cultural diversity promotes a more inclusive and harmonious society where people from all backgrounds can thrive.

I hope the templates help you
answer the question. Now let’s review what we
learned in this module. We learned that you
can clearly state your opinion, for example, in my opinion, and then finish that sentence with clearly
stating what you mean. Number two, you need to present
your reasons and details. Three, you need to
organize your thoughts. Number four, avoid
repeating yourself. Five, practice
recording your answers and listening to your response. Finally, six, practice
timing your response. This is the end of this
presentation about the independent speaking
task of the IBT. In the next module, we’re going to look at the Integrated Speaking
Task. See you soon.

Sample Speaking Questions

Now that you have watched the lectures, it is time for you to review sample questions. The link below will take you to a great website with numerous sample questions and answers.

Sample Speaking Questions

Quiz: The Independent Speaking Task

Discussion Prompt

Share your answers to the following questions. Also, make sure you comment on at least two classmates’ posts.

1. When you hear an audio of a person, what features can make it sound clear and fluent to you?
2. Have you ever tried to record your answers to an independent question and listen to your own answer? If so, what are some things that you liked about your response?

ChatGPT:

Several features contribute to making an audio sound clear and fluent:

1. Pronunciation: Clear and accurate pronunciation of words enhances clarity and comprehension.
2. Intonation: Natural intonation patterns convey meaning and emotion effectively.
3. Pace: A moderate pace allows listeners to follow the speech without feeling rushed or bored.
4. Pauses: Well-timed pauses help signal transitions between ideas and allow listeners to process information.
5. Articulation: Precise articulation of sounds ensures that words are easy to distinguish.
6. Voice quality: A clear and pleasant voice quality makes the audio more engaging and enjoyable to listen to.
7. Fluency: Smooth and uninterrupted speech flow indicates proficiency and confidence in communication.
8. Volume: Appropriate volume ensures that the audio is audible without being too loud or too quiet.

Overall, a combination of these features contributes to a clear, fluent, and engaging audio experience.

Week 02: The iBT Integrated Speaking Tasks

In this second week, you will become familiar with a question type that you will encounter on the real iBT speaking portion of the test, specifically the integrated speaking tasks. You will also practice answering some speaking sample questions with suggested templates. This will help you know what to expect when you answer to speaking questions and be prepared to plan your responses.

Learning Objectives

---

• Learners will become familiar with the integrated speaking task.
• Learners will be able to plan their responses to the integrated speaking tasks.

Integrated Speaking Questions

We read in Week 1 that the speaking tasks in the Speaking section of iBT consist of one independent task and three integrated tasks. We also explored the independent task. In the second week of course 2, we will learn about the integrated tasks. As mentioned there are three integrated tasks you need to complete.

Integrated Speaking Questions

The first integrated task or question number two is frequently called the “campus question.” You will read a passage about a campus-related topic. Next, you will listen to a conversation about that topic. You will then have 30 seconds to prepare your response and 60 seconds to speak your answer. For question two, where you have both reading and listening passages, you will be asked what the opinion is of a speaker in the listening passage, and you’ll need to explain how that person’s opinion relates to the issues presented in the reading passage.

In question three, you will read a passage about an academic subject. The reading passage will always be about an important academic term or concept that might be found in a college textbook. Next, you will listen to part of a lecture on that same subject. You will then have 30 seconds to prepare your response, and 60 seconds to speak your answer.

In question four, you will listen to part of a lecture which is followed by a question. Next, you will have 20 seconds to prepare your response and 60 seconds to speak your answer, which will always be a summary of the lecture. Now, let’s look more closely at what these academic-courses questions look like and what they will be asking you to do.

Please go through the questions in the given sample test so that you can watch the videos with better understanding of what the questions look like. This sample test is available on the ETS website. It will take approximately 17 to 20 minutes to complete all four speaking tasks. The following link will take you to the website where you can download the test.

TOEFL iBT Speaking Practice Sets (For Test Takers)

Integrated Speaking Task (Part 1)

welcome to course two module two. We’re continuing to look at iBT
speaking tasks, but this time we’re going to look at the integrated tasks,
specifically campus questions. For this second question or
the first integrated task, you’ll read a short campus announcement,
an article in the campus newspaper or a letter published in
the campus newspaper. Then there will be two reasons
that explain why the change or decision will be made or should be made. And you’ll have 45 seconds
to read that passage.

After your reading time is over,
the text will disappear. Then you will hear two students
talking about what you just read. One of the students will either agree or
disagree with the change. Or very rarely,
that person might have a mixed opinion. He or she will give two reasons for
their support or opposition. These reasons will address the reasons for
the change mentioned in the reading. After hearing the conversation, you will be asked to summarize what
you have read and listened to. You’ll have 30 seconds to
prepare your answer and 60 seconds to speak.

As mentioned,
the task starts with a short reading. The reading part is about 100 words long. And again as mentioned, you’re given
45 seconds to read it and take notes. The changes are usually related to
buildings on the university campus or classes and majors at the university. Transportation on a university campus or extracurricular activities at
the university, sports, clubs, etc.

The listening section of the task
is always a conversation, which is about one and
a half to two minutes long. It is always between a man and a woman. The speaker either agrees or
disagrees with the points in the reading.

Now let’s see what
the question will look like. The question will look
like something like this. The woman expressed her opinion
of the university’s plan. State her opinion and the reasons
she gives for holding that opinion. After the prom is displayed,
you will have 30 seconds to prepare. You cannot see the reading
while you prepare or speak.

Yeah, the best way to
start your response is by stating the main points
from their reading passage. You can start like this,
according to the announcement or article or letter, and
here you mentioned the main point. And second state the reasons
from the reading, for example, you can say this is because x and
y, the two reasons that you
found out from the passage.

Third, use a transition word to summarize
the main point from the conversation. For example, you can say, however, the man
or the woman does not support this change. Or you can say the man or
the woman support this change. Or you can say the man or the woman
has a mixed opinion of this change. Fourth step is stating the first reason. You can say to begin with,
he or she points out that and here complete the sentence with
the reason used by the speaker. And step five mentioned the second reason. You can say, moreover,
he or she argues that, and again here you can
complete your sentence with the second reason
mentioned by this speaker.

In this website,
englishsuccessacademy.com, you can find some free practice tests and
some samples of the responses. This is the end of this presentation
about campus questions or question two. In the next part, we’re going to look
at the integrated speaking question, number three.

Integrated Speaking Task (Part 2)

Welcome to the second
part of this presentation about iBT integrated
speaking tasks. In this section, we’re
going to look at the lecture questions
specifically. In the 3rd question, you will first see a short
reading that comes from a textbook or an article
in an academic field. The reading gives two or three important
characteristics or categories. You will have 45
seconds to read it. Then you’ll hear part of the classroom lecture on this
same topic as the reading. The professor presents two
or three applications of the theory or agrees or disagrees with some of
the ideas in the passage.

Then you’ll see a question
that asks you about the relationship between the
reading and the lecture. You will have 30 seconds
to prepare your response, and 60 seconds to speak.

The passages that are used in this question are academic texts. For example, they can
be about life science, social science, physical science, humanities, and so on. The passages are about 80
to 110 words in length. The passage will treat the
topic in general terms, but the lecture is more
about a specific topic. The lecture is about
two minutes long.

After their reading and
listening are over, you’ll see the question prompt, which may look like this. The professor
describes the behavior of horses and antelopes in herds. Explain how their
behavior is related to their sustainability
for domestication.

Now, let’s look at some
templates that can help us answer this question. Before we go on, note
that the X stands for the concept introduced in
the passage and the lecture. The first sentence
can look like this. From the reading passage, X is described as, and then complete the sentence. The second part of your response should
relate to the lecture. For example, the
professor illustrates or demonstrates X by giving
one or two examples. This third sentence
can be an example. You can say, in
the first example, and then continue to
finish the sentence. Then for number four, in the second example, mention the second
reason or example. The 5th part is an optional
summary, and you can say, so, therefore, these examples
demonstrate or show, X.

On the main website of
ETS related to iBT TOEFL, you can find some
sample questions and some sample answers. This is the end of
the second part, and in the next part, we’re going to look at the last question in the
iBT speaking section.

Integrated Speaking Task (Part 3)

In the last part of this module, we’re going to look at the last speaking question which is another integrated task,
question number four. Question 4, which is the
last task to be completed in the speaking section
is also called summary task because you
need to summarize a lecture. The lecture is an
academic subject and it’s about 90 seconds long. You do not need to read a passage before
hearing the lecture. You’re allowed to take notes. You will have 20 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak.

After the lecture is over, you will see the question
that will look like this. Using specific examples and
points from the lecture, explain the professor’s
concept of X. In the preparation time
that you’re given, you need to give the main points of the lecture and also be able to provide specific
supporting information. Just like the previous tasks, a template can help you save
a lot of preparation time. Here is a template
for the lecture task. First, start with mentioning
what the lecture is about. For example, you can say, the lecture is about, and then you can
finish the sentence. Second, you can say, the professor uses two
examples to demonstrate. Then three, mention
the first example. You can start by saying, in the first example and put the example to complete
your sentence. Sentence four, you can say, in the second example
and here complete your sentence like
the second example mentioned in the lecture. Finally, you can have a summary. You can say, in summary,
or you can say, therefore or ultimately, use a sentence to summarize the
whole point of the lecture.

Let’s look at this
template in more detail. As mentioned, you can begin your response by giving
the topic of the lecture. You can start by saying, the lecture is about, or the topic of the lecture is, or the professor
mainly talks about.

You can continue your response
by adding some citation, which is the part you
indicate that you are taking information
from the lecture. For example you can say, the professors says that, or according to the lecture, or the professor gives some
reasons why X is important.

Third, use some transition words to make a list of the key
parts of the lecture. This will make your
presentation more organized. For example you can say, first, the professor gives
some definition or examples of, or second, he talks about, or moreover, he discusses, and you can complete your sentence with the information from the lecture.

Next, use the examples from the lecture to support
the main idea. You can say, the professor
uses this as an example, or you can say, for instance, and finish your sentence with the example from the lecture, or you can say, to illustrate this the professor mentions and then talk
about the example.

If you’ll still have time, make a concluding statement that wraps up the
ideas of the lecture. You can use transition
words like all in all, in conclusion, or in short. This is the end of Module 2. If you need to practice
with an interactive test, IBT offers a free interactive
tests on the main website. Thank you for watching. In the next module, we’re going to look at the integrated writing task
of the IBT. See you soon.

Quiz: The Integrated Speaking Tasks

答案：

Discussion Prompt

Share your answers to the following questions. Make sure you comment on at least two classmates’ posts.

1. How can note-taking help you answer the integrated questions better?
2. Do you prefer to take notes as much as possible, or do you prefer to listen carefully instead of note-taking and rely on your memory? Why?

Week 03: The iBT Integrated Writing Task

In this third week, you will become familiar with a question type that you will encounter in the real iBT writing portion of the test, specifically the Independent writing task. You will also practice answering some sample questions with suggested templates. This will help you know what to expect when you complete the writing section of the test and be prepared to plan your answers.

Learning Objectives

---

• Learners will become familiar with the integrated writing task.
• Learners will be able to plan their responses to the integrated writing task.

Overview of the Integrated Writing Task

Overview of the Writing Section

Just like the Speaking Section, the Writing Section consists of two task types: the Integrated task and the Independent task. Unlike the speaking section, though, the Integrated task comes before the Independent task.

The TOEFL Integrated Essay

• First, you will have three minutes to read an article (four paragraphs, 250-300 words) about an academic topic.
• Next, you will listen to a lecture (2-3 minutes) that opposes the main argument of the reading.
• Finally, you must write an essay (150-225 words) about the relationship between the two sources.
• You can read the article while writing your essay, but you cannot hear the lecture again.

In this module, you will become familiar with the Integrated task first and in the next module, you will learn more about the Independent task. Please click on the link below to read about the Integrated writing task. There is also great information about many other resources that can help you learn about this task. Make sure you look at the sample questions on the website as well.

Ultimate Guide to TOEFL Integrated Writing: Tips and Practice

Integrated Writing Task (Part 1)

Welcome to Module 3
of course Number 2. In this module we’re
going to look at iBT Integrated writing task, specifically the
structure of the task. Now, let’s preview
the task together. For the integrated writing task, you read a short passage. You’ll have three minutes
to read this passage. Then you’ll listen to a short
lecture on the same topic. You then write an
essay summarizing the lecture and the
reading passage and showing the
relationship between them. You’ll have 20 minutes to
write your essay and it should be about 200-250 words. It’s called integrated
task because it includes reading of a passage and
listening to a lecture. You need to type your answers.

Now you’re going to
see the best way to start writing your essay. Number 1, read the
passage very carefully. Number 2, take note of the main points presented
in the reading passage. Number 3, listen to the
lecture and take notes. Number 4, compare or contrast your notes from the
passage and the lecture. Finally, plan your response.

The reading passage in
the writing section is about 200-300 words long, about half as long as those
in the reading section. The passage can be about
any academic subject, like the physical
sciences, life sciences, social sciences, arts,
humanities, etc. The passage typically describes
a theory, or a concept, or a problem, an issue, a system of classification,
or a process. You’ll have three minutes
to read the passage. You’re allowed to take notes. The passage will be back on your screen once a
lecture is over.

The fact that can help you
with your note-taking is that the passage is usually about a general concept and focuses on no more than two
or three main points. You need to find and extract those points
from the reading.

A lecture lasts
about two minutes. It will be on the same
topic as the passage. You will hear the
lecture only once. Note-taking is allowed.

Once a lecture is over, you need to look at
your notes and find a relationship between the
passage and the lecture. The most common form of
relationship is opposition. In this kind, the
lecture contradicts or disagrees with the points
presented in the passage. However, the passage may
present a generalization and the lecture may give examples that support this generalization. The passage may present a problem and the
lecture a solution that successfully
or unsuccessfully deals with the problem. Still another possibility
is the passage may describe a cause and the lecture
may describe the effect.

Then there will be time
to plan your response. As you remember, you’ll
have only 20 minutes in which to prepare the response for the integrated writing task. You may divide your time
more or less like this. You’ll have two to three
minutes for pre-writing, which includes:
reading the question, looking over your notes, and thinking about the
passage and the lecture. Then it’ll be the
writing section. You can have about 15
minutes to write your essay. Finally, you will have 2-3 minutes to look for
incorrect problems, the content, grammar,
and mechanics. This is the first part
of this presentation. In the second part, we’re going to look at some
templates that can help you save some time when you
plan your integrated essay. See in Part 2.

Integrated Writing Task (Part 2)

Template

Body Paragraph 1

Body Paragraph 2

Conclusion

Practice

And listen a lecture

Then

Quiz: The Integrated Writing Task

我的选项：

答案：

Week 04: The iBT Independent Writing Task

In this fourth week, you will become familiar with a question type that you will encounter on the real iBT writing portion of the test, specifically the Integrated writing task. You will also practice answering some sample questions with suggested templates. This will help you know what to expect when you complete the writing section of the test and be prepared to plan your answers.

Learning Objectives

---

• Learners will become familiar with the independent writing task.
• Learners will be able to plan their responses to the independent writing task.

Overview of the Independent Writing Task

Overview of the Independent Writing Task

The last task you need to complete on an iBT test is writing an essay. Just like the Integrated Writing task, there is one independent writing task. However, you will not need to read or listen before you type your response. You will have 30 minutes to write your essay on the topic you receive. Although ETS does not state a minimum requirement for the length of the essay, your essay should be about 300 words.

The questions you need to answer ask you to respond to an issue with your opinion. This is how the question usually appears followed by a wide variety of statements as in the following example:

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

Technology has improved the quality of life in the world.

Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

There is no correct or incorrect answer to this question. You are encouraged to use your opinion and personal ideas. Therefore, you should not try to answer this question with memorized phrases.

Scoring

iBT raters will assign a score to your writing based on three areas:

1. Topic development: your score will depend on the number and types of examples, details, and reasons you use to support your idea. Get a top score by making your essay “well-developed” and supporting your ideas well.
2. Organization: this means your essay should be easy to follow from the beginning to the end. All the points you include must be related to the essay topic and to the main idea you are making in your response. Get a top score by not repeating ideas (therefore avoiding redundancy), not making unclear connections, and not including unrelated points to your main idea (also called irrelevant ideas).
3. Language use: this criterion is related to vocabulary and grammatical structure. Use several different sentence structures and choose appropriate words. You will not get a top score if 1) your writing is difficult to follow, 2) you write in too-simple sentences, or 3) your vocabulary is limited.

The following link will show you the rubrics that ETS use to evaluate the Independent (and Integrated) writing tasks. TOEFL iBT® Test — Independent Writing Rubrics

The Prompt

The prompt gives you the topic which you must write about. All the prompts are very general and do not require any special knowledge or experience. As mentioned, you will need to make a choice and choose an idea to support. There is no correct or incorrect answer to the question. The most common topic areas for prompts are education, culture, business, travel, career, friendship, communication, technology, and so on.

In the 5th edition of the TOEFL Official Guide, ETS provides a list of TOEFL independent essay questions. Look over the sample questions. You will also see thorough information in the text, however, below is a useful summary of central subjects divided into types.

Expect a TOEFL independent writing question in one of these four styles:

• Agree/Disagree – most common style; used about 50% of the time
• Multiple Choice – used about 20% of the time
• Paired Choice – used about 20% of the time
• “Good Idea” – used about 10% of the time

Below are samples of each question type.

Sample TOEFL Independent Essay Questions

1. Agree/Disagree Style Prompt:

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Overall, the wide use of the internet has a mostly positive effect on life in today’s world.

2. Multiple Choice Style Prompt:

Neighbors are the individuals who live near us. In your opinion, what kind of neighbor is the best?

• A quiet neighbor
• A neighbor who is similar to us
• A supportive neighbor

Use specific details and examples in your answer.

3. Paired Choice Style Prompt

Some people like living in a big city while others prefer a small town. Which place would you choose? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

4. “Good Idea” Essay Prompt

The administrators of a university have decided to change which campus areas are prioritized as they revise their budget. They will now budget more money on sports and athletic facilities than on campus libraries. Do you think this is a good idea? Why or why not? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your position.

In this module we will look at some approaches that can help you start and plan your essay when you answer any independent writing task. We will also go over some useful templates that will save you time. However, remember that these templates are merely suggestions that can help you save time and are by no means the only accepted way to write your essay.

Before you proceed, please follow the link below to read more about this task. There is a seven-minute video which summarizes these points as well. The information is available on ETS.org and explains what the task looks like and what you are expected to do. Independent transcript

Finally, after watching the videos, come back to this reading and click on the following link. It will take you to a website that has more than 100 topics to choose from. Next, pick the topic of your choice, time your writing for 30 minutes, and write an essay on that topic. 104 TOEFL Independent Writing Topics. When you finish writing your essay, check it against the rubric to make sure that your essay answers the question properly. If you need a high-score sample answer to help you get ideas, check the following link:

2 Perfect-Scoring TOEFL Writing Samples, Analyzed • PrepScholar TOEFL

Sources:

www.ets.org

The Official Guide to the iBT Test (fifth edition) 2017.

TOEFL Writing (2021) – Sample TOEFL Essays and Questions | Test Resources

Independent Writing Task (Part 1)

Welcome to course 2, module 4. The first part of this
presentation about iBT Independent Writing Task. We’re going to focus on the task structure
and see how you can get ready to use your
time and plan your answer. Let’s take a look at the
structure of the test first. As we’ve read, you’re going
to have 30 minutes to answer a question and your
answer needs to be about 300 words long. It’s important to right the body, your personal opinions
about the question asked, and there’s no right or wrong
answer to this question, you need to type your
answers on the computer.

After you have completed the
intake raided writing task, you will see the directions for the independent writing task. After you click on
this misdirections, you will see the prompt or the topic that you
must write about. You will be able to see the prom as you are working
on the response, your screen will look like this, on the left side, you will see the direction and the question and
on the right side, you’ll be able to
type your answers. There are some useful
features that you should use, you will have to cut
button, paste button, undo button and
another useful feature here is the word count, and you can see how many
words you have typed. For this question, the readers are looking for
three main things. One, development, that means the readers are
looking for how well you develop the topic with your details,
examples, and reasons. If you just use a lot of
words and sentences that don’t really support the points you are making about the topic. Or if you just develop ideas
not related to the topic, you’ll receive a low score. Second, organization, this
basically means a reader can read your essay
from beginning to end without becoming confused, you can help the reader
follow your ideas by writing in paragraphs and
using good transitions. The third criterion
is language use, readers are looking for things
like sentence structure, word choice, and vocabulary. It’s also important that you use grammar that’s strong
and consistent. We will talk about all these
three in course number 3 when we talk about tips
and strategies in writing.

Now we’re ready to start, how are you going to start
planning your essay? The first step is reading the essay prompt or the
question very carefully. Then you’re going to
brainstorm or think about the prompt and writing everything that
comes to your mind. Three, plan your
response and write a very short outline that can help you organize your thoughts.

First step is reading the prompt, that means reading
the prompt very carefully to understand all
the parts of the question. Because sometimes some
of the prompts or questions have several parts, then you need to make sure you can paraphrase that question, this will help you understand
the prompt more thoroughly. Here is an example, some learners think doing assignments with friends is more helpful other people
prefer to study alone. Which side do you agree with? Explain why using specific
details and reasons.

Now let’s analyze this prompt this prompt says that
there are two opinions regarding how learners prefer
to do their assignments, a, some people prefer to do their assignment
with friends, b, some people prefer to do
their assignments alone. You need to decide which of these positions you
want to support. If you want to choose the first, then you need to
make sure there are enough good reasons to help
you defend your opinion. If you find a stronger reasons that supports studying alone, then you need to stick with that?

Next step is brainstorming, when you gather ideas and think and write any ideas
that come to your mind, it will prepare you to focus and pay attention
to the topic. In this section,
you need to think about quantity over quality. The more ideas you
write, the better, you don’t need to worry about
them being right or wrong, you’ll have a chance
to go through them and pick the ones that you want
to use in your answer.

Now you can start
planning the essay, the first step in planning has to choose your basic thesis. Thesis is the controlling or
central idea of an essay. This simply means choosing what you want to
support or agree with. Remember that when
you choose a thesis, there’s no right or wrong answer. Next, you need to
choose your reasons. These reasons need to be strong enough to support your thesis. Next, you need to write
a simple outline, you don’t have to write
a formal outline, just a basic plan for your
four or five paragraphs. You may be tempted to skip
this step to save time, but an outline will actually
save you time as it will help you focus and keep
your essay organized.

Finally, before you continue, let’s think about the
time that you have. As you remember,
you’re going to have 30 minutes for this question. Ideally, you don’t want to spend more than five minutes in
understanding the prompt, brainstorming and
planning your essay. This is the end of part
1 of this presentation. In the second part, we’re going to look at some useful templates
that can save you some time as you plan
and type your response. See you in the second part
of this presentation.

Independent Writing Task (Part 2)

Welcome back. In the first part of this presentation,
we became familiar with the iBT independent writing task and
its structure. In the second part, we’re going to look at
some templates that can save you some time as you type your response. Your essay should include
these essential parts. Number one,
you need to have an introduction. Number two,
write body paragraph number one. Next, write body paragraph number two. Depending on the topic and your time, you might choose to have
body paragraph number three. And finally,
you will need to write the conclusion.

The first paragraph your essay
will be the introduction. You can start with a hook,
which will be your first sentence. Hook is an interesting sentence that
introduces the general topic of the essay. Try something like,
it is critically important that we, and then add a verb, and then your idea
related to the topic of the essay. The second sentence is the main point,
which is your main argument. Start with personally, I believe, and complete that with your idea or
your opinion about the topic. You may choose to have a third
sentence with a transition. You can say, I feel this way for
two reasons, which I will explore in
the following essay. This third sentence is optional.

Paragraph number two,
right after the introduction, is your first body paragraph. You can start with a topic sentence. This sentence summarizes your
first supporting reason. Try something like, to begin with, and then mention your first reason or
your idea. Sentences two and three can be about
the same idea with more explanation. Explain what you mean without talking
directly about a personal experience. Finally, you can have sentence four,
the transition. Just use, my personal experience is
a compelling illustration of this. Again, this sentence is optional. And you may choose to have sentence
six to end this paragraph, including your personal example or
your personal story.

Body paragraphs two and three are very
similar to body paragraph number one. The first sentence will
be a topic sentence. This sentence summarizes your
second supporting reason. You can begin with a transition
word like furthermore. Sentences two and
three are the explanation sentences. They explain what you mean. You can shorten to one
sentence if necessary. Sentence four is the transition. You can use a transition word like for
instance in order to go on and present more information. Finally, sentences five to the end of the paragraph are the personal example and
story. This can be an example from your
life that illustrates this argument. Again, it should make up about
60% of the whole paragraph.

In the previous module about
the integrated writing task, we learned that
the conclusion is optional. However, for the independent task, we need
to have a conclusion if you have time. You can have a short paragraph
with two sentences only. The first sentence can restate the thesis. Simply paraphrase your thesis. Begin with, in conclusion,
I strongly feel that, and state your opinion about the question. And the second sentence can be the
restatement of the two reasons that you mentioned in the body paragraph. For example, you can say,
this is because reason one and reason two.

Now let’s practice. Here is a sample question from ETS. Do you agree or
disagree with the following statement? Students are more influenced by their
teachers than by their friends. Use specific reasons and
examples to support your answer. Be sure to use your own words. Before you get started,
listen to these instructions. Make sure that your time you response for
no more than 30 minutes. Also, do not write your response,
but type your answers. And make sure you turn
off Auto text correction. Finally, do not use a dictionary or
any other resources. This is the end of this presentation and
also the end of course number two. In course number three,
we will explore many tips and strategies for
every single section of the iBT test. We’ll see you soon.

Quiz: Independent Writing Task

My Choice:

Answer:

后记

熟悉了TOEFL的Speaking和Writing部分的组织架构。写作部分我使用的是李笑来主编的TOEFL词汇书和TOEFL iBT 高分作文。好好打磨自己的英语能力。