Preparing for TOEFL – Tips for the Integrating Writing Tasks, Part 1
Submitted by: Kimi
The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam is broken into four distinct categories of language proficiency: Speaking, Reading, Listening, and Writing. Although the writing tasks are where the majority of ESL students shine, there are certain things to consider when you are preparing for the test. Keep in mind that when you are writing, your answers need to illustrate your strong grasp of the English language, which includes a large vocabulary, knowledge of English grammar and proper sentence structure, and finally your ability to express your beliefs and opinions concisely and accurately. Here are some tips to help you prepare for the writing aspect of the grueling four hour test.
TOEFL Integrated Writing Task – an overview
There are two separate Writing Tasks in the TOEFL exam: Integrated and Independent. The first, the Integrated Task requires students to read a short passage (approximately between 250 and 300 words in length) about an academic topic. Students have a limited amount of time to finish the reading; only three minutes in total. You can feel free to take notes as you read this. When the three minutes are over, the reading passage disappears from the screen, so you really should be taking notes as you read, not afterwards.
Once the three minute reading passage is done, you will then listen to a university professor giving a lecture on the same topic as the reading passage, but he will include further details that were not included in the reading. Some of the information the professor provides will be his opinion, while other information may possibly include further facts and statistics. Both opinions and facts are important to remember and should be included in your notes. The listening passage lasts for two minutes, so focus is indeed required. Again, take notes as you listen to ensure that you include everything in the answer.
When the listening passage is complete, the monitor will display the question, both in written form and spoken form. Students are then given 20 minutes to complete their answer, which should be between 150 to 225 words; however, if you go over the word count, there will be no penalty, but shorter answers will be penalized.
The goal of the student is to write a summary of the reading passage and the university lecture and connect the two. The key factors in your answer are to effectively prove that you understand both the reading and the lecture and how to connect the two, and to do so in a grammatically accurate way with perfect sentence structure and spelling.
Taking notes
As with all areas of study, taking notes is a key element to success. They help organize your thoughts and ensure that each ideas or elements of the passages are covered. DO NOT attempt to answer the writing questions without taking notes; your answer will not be concise. This is because without your notes, you are “shooting from the hip”, meaning that you are not taking careful aim.
During the reading passage, jot down short descriptions of each important fact or statistic. Then, when you are ready to answer the question, you will be able to remember the details. Also, when the lecture is presented to you, the reading passage will disappear from the monitor, meaning that you will not be able to refer to it until it is time to answer the question.
Your notes shouldn’t be too detailed; do not write your notes in complete sentences since this takes too much time. Be concise: write down what you think is important in POINT-FORM. For example, if the reading passage said that there are 200 different species of cats in the world, you should write down “world cats = 200”, not “there are 200 different species of cats in the world.” The first note is concise and short and can be completed in a matter of two or three seconds, while the second note requires too much time and thought that will take too much time. You will likely not be able to get through it all.
For the university lecture, take your notes as you listen to him; do not wait until the lecture is finished before you start taking notes; listen and take notes at the same time. Once again, write down only what is important; if the professor restates what you have already read, do not write it down. Only write down “prof. agrees with reading” or something similar. Keep your notes short and concise and don’t be too long-winded. Keep your ideas organized so that when you are preparing your answer, all the information will be at your fingertips. Also of importance is the fact that the reading passage will once again appear on your screen once it is time to write your answer. This is a great tool to refer to when you are answering the question, especially since your notes are organized.
But since the reading passage is once again on your monitor, why should you take notes? The answer is simple: the reading passage is long and if you want to express one idea, you will have to search through the article in order to cite it properly; however, if you have notes your answers are right there in point-form: easy to read and understand what you will do next.
Latest Articles about: TOEFL
1: Preparing for TOEFL – Building your English speaking skills2: Preparing for TOEFL – Explaining the Integrated Writing Rubrics
3: Preparing for TOEFL – Explaining the Independent Writing Rubrics
4: Preparing for TOEFL – Explaining the Speaking Rubrics
5: TOEFL Test Score: How the test is scored
Word Count: 921 Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2011 Time: 9:18 AM
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