New TTS Manual

TEACHER MANUAL—READING

Teaching
TOEFL iBT Skills
®

Workshop Manual
READING | LISTENING | SPEAKING | WRITING

Teacher Manual 3
Teaching TOEFL iBT® Skills Workshop Manual READING | LISTENING | SPEAKING | WRITING
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Teaching TOEFL iBT ® Skills Workshop Manual
Teaching TOEFL iBT® Skills

Workshop Manual
Welcome to this edition of the
Teaching TOEFL iBT® Skills workshop
This teacher workshop manual and its accompanying activities contain
both new and revised materials in all skill areas. The changes reflect ETS’s
commitment to working with you—members of the international English
language teaching community—to create the best and most effective
English language teaching tools in the world.
Table of Contents 1
Table of Contents
Teaching TOEFL iBT® Skills Workshop Manual

Integrated Skills...............................................................................................................................................................................4–8
Reading............................................................................................................................................................................................ 9–19
Listening........................................................................................................................................................................................20–25
Speaking........................................................................................................................................................................................26–34
Writing............................................................................................................................................................................................35–51
Reading, Listening, Speaking & Writing Activities

Activities-at-a-Glance................................................................................................................................................................54–55
Reading Activities......................................................................................................................................................................56–73
Listening Activities.....................................................................................................................................................................74–82
Speaking Activities....................................................................................................................................................................83–93
Writing Activities......................................................................................................................................................................94–110
More Skills & Activities

Activities-At-a-Glance....................................................................................................................................................................112
Note-taking: A Key Skill....................................................................................................................................................... 113–116
Note-Taking Activity......................................................................................................................................................117–120
Paraphrasing...........................................................................................................................................................................121–124
Paraphrasing Activity....................................................................................................................................................125–131
Summarizing.....................................................................................................................................................................................132
Summarizing Activity...................................................................................................................................................133–134
Build Your Own Activity................................................................................................................................................................135
Appendix
Speaking Rubrics...................................................................................................................................................................138–139
Writing Rubrics.......................................................................................................................................................................140–141
To access additional workshop materials visit

www.ets.org/toefl/ibt_workshop_materials
Table of Contents 3
Integrated Skills
Communicative Competence
The TOEFL iBT test’s framework takes into account models of communicative competence. The test was designed to
be a measure of communicative language proficiency in English and focuses on academic language and the language
of university life. Instructors seeking to help build students’ communicative language proficiency often employ
variations of communicative language teaching in the classroom. Communicative language teaching is based on
the premise that people learn languages by interacting, so instructors need to create learning activities that provide
learners with opportunities to interact. In order to better help students learn to communicate in a language, teaching
materials and curriculum guidelines also need to focus on communicative competence—that is, they need to focus
on language meaning as well as form (Savignon, 2002).
Communicative language teaching focuses on the learners’ communicative needs and seeks to understand why they
need or want to communicate in English; that is, their purposes. Students’ most common purposes for communicating
in English include the need or desire to be able to:
• Communicate successfully in an academic environment
• Develop career-related communication skills
• U
nderstand and use English in everyday activities, such as watching movies and videos, using the internet,
and using social media
As instructors, we need to determine which purpose is most relevant for our students. Our goals should include
the following:
• Understanding the types of skills learners need to develop for their communicative purposes
• Creating clear learning objectives that help guide learning and skill development
• M
otivating students with activities that are dynamic, meaningful, contextualized,
and linked to learning objectives
4 Teacher Manual
English for Academic Purposes
TEACHER MANUAL
This workshop focuses on helping instructors understand the skills students need to develop so that they can
successfully communicate in English-speaking academic settings, such as those located in Australia, Canada, New
Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and, increasingly, in non-English-speaking countries where English is
used as a medium of instruction.
Academic communication happens not only in the classroom, where an instructor may welcome questions from the
class, but also outside the classroom. Here are some common examples of interactions that might take place in an
English-speaking academic environment.
Communication in the classroom

• The instructor lectures; students take notes.
• The instructor lectures; students ask questions; the instructor answers questions.
• D
iscussion topics are set; students read; the class discusses the topic; students are given
a related writing assignment.
• A
student asks the instructor a question; the instructor asks for more information and
gives advice.
Communication outside the classroom

• A
student asks a librarian for information; the librarian answers; the student acts or reacts to
the librarian’s response.
• A
student reads an advertisement for housing; the student calls the owner of the house; the landlord and
student meet to discuss arrangements for housing rental.
• O
ther campus interactions include seeing a nurse at the health office, ordering food, leaving messages
on a community board, and working with other students in study groups.
Integrated-skills Approach
Communicative language teaching and learning have been described as forming a tapestry, consisting of the
4 primary language skills: listening, reading, speaking, and writing. The tapestry also includes related skills, such as
“knowledge of vocabulary, spelling, pronunciation, syntax, meaning, and usage” (Oxford, 2001). According to Oxford,
weaving all these skills together “leads to optimal ESL/EFL communication.” This has become known as the integrated-
skills approach.
The integrated-skills approach is authentic because it reflects how we really use language. When we speak or write,
we are almost always responding to something we have listened to, or read, or both.
Some instructors think it is easier to teach individual skills and that it is virtually impossible to teach more than one
skill at a time. As a result, instructors and students often focus on certain language areas in isolation from others,
such as the use and meaning of vocabulary and grammar. But to successfully help students develop the skills they
need to effectively navigate English-speaking environments, instructors need to remember that, while it is important
for students to learn to use language accurately, they do not need to have perfect vocabulary and grammar to
communicate effectively in English.
As Oxford points out, “Even if it were possible to fully develop one or two skills in the absence of all others, such
an approach would not ensure adequate preparation for later success in academic communication, career-related
language use, or everyday interaction in the language.”
Teacher Manual 5
Communicative language teaching provides tasks in which students interact and use all 4 skills (listening, speaking,
reading, and writing) to communicate actively. Collaborative task types that can be used effectively in the
communicative classroom include discussions, problem solving, listening to authentic audio/video material, decision
making, and giving peer feedback. Instructors often have students work together in pairs or groups. These types
of activities can help students become more comfortable with interacting with others in English. To incorporate an
integrated-skills approach in their classrooms, instructors can:
• Give oral directions for reading tasks or written directions for listening tasks
• C
apture students’ written reactions to a reading text by using a reading journal or by asking them
to discuss their reactions in a small group setting
• Require students to take notes as they listen or read
• H
ave students discuss a reading assignment and then write a summary of an opinion on
the subject—all in English
Of course, finding ways to incorporate this type of approach can be challenging for instructors who teach in large
lecture halls filled with students. But even in such settings, it is possible to use interactive tasks by, for example, asking
students to partner with the student to their right or left.
The integrated-skills approach can be highly motivating for students because it lets them participate in authentic
tasks that challenge them to practice communicating in English.
With this approach, learners gain a true understanding of the richness and complexity of the English language and
build confidence in their communication skills.
Assessing Integrated Skills

Proficiency tests (which are often standardized tests) are used for measuring an individual’s language proficiency
against a common standard. Assessment is an integral part of learning. Quality standardized tests, such as the
TOEFL iBT test, now use tasks that assess integrated skills. In addition, since standardized tests need to be highly
reliable, test developers and researchers balance these integrated tasks with contextualized test questions that assess
listening and reading skills separately. The best way to prepare students for this kind of standardized language-
proficiency test is to balance work in formal skill areas with practice in the use of integrated skills.
The material in this workshop is designed to help instructors become familiar with the integrated-skills approach
used in the TOEFL iBT test, so that they can help their students develop the skills they need to communicate
with confidence.
What is the TOEFL iBT Test?

The TOEFL iBT test measures students’ ability to use and understand English at the university level. And it evaluates
how well they combine their listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills to perform academic tasks.
6 Teacher Manual
What Are the Main Features of the TOEFL iBT Test?
TEACHER MANUAL
• I t tests all 4 language skills that are important for effective communication: speaking, listening,
reading, and writing. The TOEFL iBT test emphasizes the student’s ability to use English effectively
in academic settings.
• I t is delivered via the internet in secure test centers around the world. The test can also be taken from
home using the TOEFL iBT Home Edition.
• S ome tasks require test takers to combine more than one skill. To succeed academically in English-speaking
colleges and universities, students need to be able to combine their language skills in the classroom.
Integrated tasks in the test help learners build the confidence they need to communicate
in the academic environments they plan to enter. The integrated tasks ask test takers to:
• Read, listen, and then speak in response to a question
• Listen and then speak in response to a question
• Read, listen, and then write in response to a question
• Read and then write in response to a question in an online class forum
• T he TOEFL iBT Test Speaking section contains 4 tasks, and test takers wear headphones and speak
into a microphone when they respond. The responses are digitally recorded and transmitted to ETS’s scoring
network, where human scorers, trained and certified by ETS, rate them. The scorers are carefully monitored
for accuracy, so test takers and score recipients can be assured of the reliability of the Speaking scores.
Automated scoring technology is also used along with human ratings to score some features of delivery and
language use.
• T he Writing section requires test takers to type a response to material they have heard and read, and to write
in response to an opinion question in an online class forum. Human rating—multiple, rigorously trained
raters score tests anonymously. ETS raters are continually monitored to ensure fairness and the highest
quality. Automated scoring technology is used along with the human ratings to score the writing tasks.
Using both human judgment for content and meaning, and automated scoring for linguistic features ensures
consistent, quality scores.
• T he test can be completed in just under two hours. All test sections will be completed on the same day, so
there is no need to travel to the test center twice.
• N
ote-taking is allowed. Test takers can take notes on any section of the test and they can use those notes
when answering the questions.
Teacher Manual 7
Format of the TOEFL iBT Test
The TOEFL iBT test consists of 4 sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. Instructions for answering
questions are given within each section. There is no computer tutorial.
The chart below shows the range of questions and the timing for each section. The time limit for each section varies
according to the number of questions.
The Test Format
Test Section Description Estimated Timing
Reading 2 passages, 10 questions each 35 minutes
3 lectures, 6 questions each

Listening 36 minutes
2 conversations, 5 questions each
Speaking 4 tasks: 1 Independent and 3 Integrated 16 minutes
2 tasks: 1 Integrated Writing and

Writing 29 minutes
1 Writing for an Academic Discussion
Learning Strategies
Instructors who capitalize on communicative language teaching can help students become responsible for their own
learning by showing them such learning strategies as:
• Predicting the subject of a text based on its title, or information learned from associated captions or pictures
• Discussing or thinking about a subject before reading or hearing about it
• Guessing the meaning of vocabulary from context
• Breaking a sentence or word into parts to understand its meaning
• F ocusing on essential information when listening to or reading a text, such as listening for when an
assignment is due or looking for a particular resource in the library
• Using stress, intonation, redundancy, and organizational clues to identify the main idea of a text
• Organizing notes in an outline into main and subordinate categories
• Using only key words (i.e., omitting articles and other unnecessary words) when taking notes
• Analyzing and synthesizing information (integrating or combining)
• Using notes and outlines to plan what to say or write before beginning a task
Effective language instructors incorporate these types of strategies into their regular classroom activities and
encourage students to practice them on their own. They also urge their students to find strategies for communicating
in English, either in speech or in writing, outside the classroom and to do so every day. For example, students can
find conversation partners who are native speakers of English, or they can correspond with English-speaking online
friends.
References
Oxford, R. (September 2001). Integrated skills in the ESL/EFL classroom. CAL Digest, ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics, pages 1-3.
Savignon, S. (January 2002). Communicative curriculum design for the 21st century. English Teaching Forum, pages 4 and 7.
8 Teacher Manual
Reading
How the TOEFL iBT Test Measures Academic Reading Skills
The Reading section of the test has 2 reading passages, each approximately 700 words long. There are 10 questions
per passage. The estimated timing for the Reading section is 35 minutes.
Passages are taken from college-level textbooks and books or journals of general academic interest. Subject matter
of the passages covers a variety of academic subjects at an introductory level of academic study. Test takers do not
need to be familiar with the subject material. All the information they need to answer the questions will be included
in the passages.
All Reading passages represent these 3 basic categories:
1. Narration (description of an event or a historical or biographical topic)
2. Exposition (explanation of ideas)
3. Argumentation (providing reasons leading to a conclusion)
Some passages have one major focus of development (single-focus passages). These present separate ideas related
to a specific topic, then develop and connect these ideas with some depth and complexity. Single-focus passages
generally fall into one of these categories:
1. Description
2. Narration
3. Analysis
Some passages have a multiple focus. They present information from more than one point of view or provide
information that can be classified into different components. They generally fall into one of these categories:
1. Classification
2. Compare and contrast
3. Cause and effect
4. Problem and solution
The Scoring
Some questions are worth more than 1 point. The raw score on the Reading section is converted to a scaled score
of 0 to 30.
Teacher Manual 9
Reading Question Types
Reading Question Types Description of Question Type*

1. Basic Comprehension Questions include Basic comprehension questions assess knowledge of:
5 types of questions. • Vocabulary
• Sentence structure
• Semantic abilities (understanding of meanings, or differences
between meanings, of words)
• Ability to identify and understand important information
presented in a sentence or paragraph
Each of the following types of questions can There are 5 question types within the basic type:
be used to test basic comprehension of a • Vocabulary
• R eference
reading passage: • Sentence simplification
• F actual information
• Negative fact
a) Vocabulary questions Measure ability to:
• Understand meaning of words and phrases in the context of
a text
b) Reference questions Measure ability to:
• Identify relationships between ideas mentioned in the
passage and expressions that refer to them
c) Sentence simplification questions Measure ability to:
• Identify essential information in complex sentences in
longer texts without getting confused or distracted by less
important details and alternative wording
d) Factual information questions Measure ability to:
• Identify correct responses to questions about important
factual information that is clearly stated in a text
e) Negative factual information questions Measure ability to:
• Determine whether information is true, not true or not
included in a text
2. Reading Inference Questions—Each of the Inferencing questions share some characteristics with both basic
following types of questions can be used to comprehension tasks and reading to learn tasks. They can test
the following:
test Inferencing: • Sentence-level information as do basic information
questions
• Understanding of information across multiple parts of a text
• Ability to connect information and recognize organization
and purpose of a text
a) Inference questions Measure ability to:

• Comprehend an argument or idea that is strongly suggested
but not explicitly stated in the text
For example:
• If an effect is described in the passage, an inference question
might ask about its cause
• If a comparison is made, an inference question might ask for
the basis of the comparison
b) Rhetorical purpose questions Measure ability to:
• Determine why the author uses particular features or
examples
• Determine why the author uses a certain order, sequence or
style of writing
c) Insert text questions Measure ability to:
• Understand the lexical, grammatical, and logical links
between successive sentences
10 Teacher Manual
Reading Question Types Description of Question Type*
3. Reading to Learn Questions Measure ability to:
• Understand more than separate points of information
and the general idea
• Recognize organization and purpose of text
• Conceptualize and organize textual information into a
mental framework
• Distinguish major from minor points and essential from
nonessential information
• Understand both cause-and-effect and compare-contrast
relationships in the text
The following question type is used to test There is 1 type of Reading to Learn Question:
reading to learn information: • Prose summary
a) Prose summary questions Measure ability to:

• Understand major points and relative importance of
information in a text
• Select the major points by distinguishing them from minor
points or ideas that are not in a text
* Examples for each question type begin on page 14.
Teacher Manual 11
Reading Purposes in Academic Settings
Nearly all English-speaking academic situations require students to do a lot of reading. Students will need to read
their textbooks and understand the information there well enough to discuss it and write about it. They will also be
expected to read and understand articles and information from other resources and reference materials such as:
• Newspapers
• Professional journals
• The internet
• Fiction and nonfiction literature
• Historical and biographical works
• Technical manuals
• Academic journals
To be successful in an academic situation, students will need to be able to read efficiently and accurately in English.
1. Reading for basic comprehension requires the ability to understand the following:
• General topic or main idea
• Major points related to the general topic or main idea
• Important facts and details
• Vocabulary in the context of the reading material
2. Reading to learn requires the ability to manage the following reading relationships:
• U
nderstand the ideas in a text and connect them into a logical and complete summary, theory, hypothesis,
or point of view
• U
nderstand relationships between ideas. These can include one or more of the following kinds of
relationships:
• Compare and contrast
• Cause and effect
• Agree or disagree
• Sequence (progression, chain, cycle) of ideas or events
• Problem solution
3. Both reading for basic comprehension and reading to learn require the student to be able to make
inferences (draw conclusions, make assumptions) about the information provided in the reading text.
12 Teacher Manual
Learning Objectives
The materials in this section map out the connections between test questions in the Reading section of the
TOEFL iBT test and their underlying learning objectives. In the Activities that accompany this manual are examples of
classroom activities that may help you prepare students to achieve their individual English learning objectives.
Purpose: Basic comprehension

Learning Objectives Example
• Identify the main idea of a reading passage Students read texts in a variety of subject areas that have one major main
• Identify key facts and important information idea or point, or more than one main idea or point.
in a reading passage
• Recognize logical order (sequencing) of
written material
• Identify vocabulary meaning
• Correctly identify the nouns the pronouns
refer to in a text
• Recognize and create accurate paraphrases
(summaries or statements) of information
from a text
Purpose: Inferencing
Learning Objectives Examples
• Recognize why an author explains concepts • Academic passages contain information that lead to logical
in a certain way conclusions. Information may not be stated but can be implied.
• Recognize the logical sequencing of • Passages are purposefully organized to lead to certain comparisons
written material or generalizations.
• Make inferences, form generalizations, and • Passages are sequenced in a logical manner through the use of both
draw conclusions based on what is implied content and grammatical structure.
(not stated specifically but logically
concluded by the information given) in a
passage
Purpose: Learning
• Recognize the organization and purpose of Academic reading passages do not merely present separate (discrete) ideas
a reading passage related to a topic. They also develop and show complex relationships among
• Recognize cause-and-effect relationships, ideas.
compare-and-contrast relationships, and
arguments Some passages, such as texts:
• Be able to create a mental or written • Classify information (discuss categories, organization,
framework or structure, such as a category arrangement of information)
chart, outline, or summary, that organizes • Compare and contrast ideas or information
major points and important details • Discuss problems and solutions
• Tell the difference between major and minor • Present information from more than one point of view
points of information in the passage • Present information that can be classified into different components
• Recognize why an author explains concepts
in a certain way
• Summarize major ideas from a text
Teacher Manual 13
Sample Reading Questions
Below are examples of each of the question types found in the Reading section of the TOEFL iBT test, along with
related learning objectives for each question type. The correct answers are marked with a check mark ( )
Basic Comprehension: Vocabulary

Learning Objective Examples
Identify vocabulary meaning. 1 • Passage: “In the animal world, the task of moving about is fulfilled in many ways.
For some animals locomotion is accomplished by changes in body shape…”
The word locomotion in the passage is closest in meaning to

(A) evolution
(B) movement
(C) survival
(D) escape
2 • Passage: “Some poisonous snake bites need to be treated immediately or the

victim will suffer paralysis…”
In stating that the victim will suffer paralysis, the author means that the victim will
(A) lose the ability to move
(B) become unconscious
(C) undergo shock
(D) feel great pain
Basic Comprehension: Sentence simplification
Recognize and create accurate Passage: “…Although we now tend to refer to the various crafts according to the
paraphrases of information from a text. materials used to construct them—clay, glass, wood, fiber, and metal—it was once
common to think of crafts in terms of function, which led to their being known as
the “applied arts.” Approaching crafts from the point of view of function, we can
divide them into simple categories: containers, shelters, and supports. There is no
way around the fact that containers, shelters, and supports must be functional.
The applied arts are thus bound by the laws of physics, which pertain to both the
materials used in their making and the substances and things to be contained,
supported, and sheltered. These laws are universal in their application, regardless
of cultural beliefs, geography, or climate. If a pot has no bottom or has large
openings in its sides, it could hardly be considered a container in any traditional
sense. Since the laws of physics, not some arbitrary decision, have determined
the general form of applied-art objects, they follow basic patterns, so much
so that functional forms can vary only within certain limits. Buildings without
roofs, for example, are unusual because they depart from the norm. However, not
all functional objects are exactly alike; that is why we recognize a Shang Dynasty
vase as being different from an Inca vase. What varies is not the basic form but the
incidental details that do not obstruct the object’s primary function…”
Which of the following best expresses the essential information in the bolded
sentence? Incorrect answer choices change the meaning in important ways or leave
out essential information.
(A)Functional applied-art objects cannot vary much from the basic
patterns determined by the laws of physics.
(B) The function of applied-art objects is determined by basic
patterns in the laws of physics.
(C) S ince functional applied-art objects vary only within certain
limits, arbitrary decisions cannot have determined their general
form.
(D) T he general form of applied-art objects is limited by some
arbitrary decision that is not determined by the laws of physics.
14 Teacher Manual
Basic Comprehension: Factual information
Identify key facts and important information Passage: “…Sculptures must, for example, be stable, which requires an
in a passage. understanding of the properties of mass, weight distribution, and stress.
Paintings must have rigid stretchers so that the canvas will be taut, and the
paint must not deteriorate, crack, or discolor. These are problems that must
be overcome by the artist because they tend to intrude upon his or her
conception of the work. For example, in the early Italian Renaissance, bronze
statues of horses with a raised foreleg usually had a cannonball under that
hoof. This was done because the cannonball was needed to support the
weight of the leg. In other words, the demands of the laws of physics, not
the sculptor’s aesthetic intentions, placed the ball there. That this device was
a necessary structural compromise is clear from the fact that the cannonball
quickly disappeared when sculptors learned how to strengthen the internal
structure of a statue with iron braces (iron being much stronger than
bronze)…”
According to paragraph 2, sculptors in the Italian Renaissance stopped using

cannonballs in bronze statues of horses because
(A) they began using a material that made the statues
weigh less
(B) they found a way to strengthen the statues internally
(C) the aesthetic tastes of the public had changed over time
(D) the cannonballs added too much weight to the statues
Basic Comprehension: Negative factual information

Identify key facts and important information Passage: “…Although we now tend to refer to the various crafts according
in a passage. to the materials used to construct them – clay, glass, wood, fiber, and metal –
it was once common to think of crafts in terms of function, which led to their
Recognize and create accurate paraphrases of being known as the “applied arts.” Approaching crafts from the point of view
information from a text. of function, we can divide them into simple categories: containers, shelters,
and supports. There is no way around the fact that containers, shelters, and
Recognize statements that are not accurate supports must be functional. The applied arts are thus bound by the laws of
paraphrases of information from a text. physics, which pertain to both the materials used in their making and the
substances and things to be contained, supported, and sheltered. These laws
are universal in their application, regardless of cultural beliefs, geography, or
climate. If pots have no bottoms or have large openings in their sides, they
could hardly be considered containers in any traditional sense…”
The passage discusses applied-art objects in relation to all of the

following EXCEPT
(A) the techniques used in their construction
(B) the ways they have been classified
(C) their function
(D) the universality of the laws that govern them
Teacher Manual 15
Reading to Learn: Prose summary
Recognize the organization and purpose of a Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage
passage. is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer
choices that express important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do
Create a mental framework, such as an not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not
outline/summary, for organizing major points presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is
and important details. worth 2 points.
Distinguish between major and minor points Drag your answer choices to the spaces where they belong.
of information.
Recognize the minor, less important ideas that do This passage discusses fundamental differences between applied-art
not belong in a summary. objects and fine-art objects.
Recognize and create accurate paraphrases of • _______________________________________________________

information from a text.
• _______________________________________________________
• _______________________________________________________
Answer choices:
• The fine arts are only affected by the laws of physics because of the
limitations of the materials that are used. (Correct)
• Applied-art objects are bound by the laws of physics in two ways:
by the materials used to make them, and the function they are to
serve. (Correct)
• Crafts are known as “applied arts” because it used to be common to think
of them in terms of their function.
• In the fine arts, artists must work to overcome the limitations of their
materials, but in the applied arts, artists work in concert with their
materials. (Correct)
• Making fine-art objects stable requires an understanding of the
properties of mass, weight, distribution, and stress.
• The fine-art objects of the twentieth century have often been modeled
on earlier applied-art objects.
Scoring: Partial credit will be used for scoring this question type. Test takers
can receive scores of 0-2 points. If they select only one correct answer, they
will receive 0 points. If they select two correct answers, they will receive 1
point. If they select all three correct answers, they will receive 2 points for this
question.
Note:
Full text may be necessary to eliminate incorrect options. The complete passage used in the examples can be
found on page 19.
The answer response is not traditional multiple choice. Test takers complete a prose summary by selecting
three of the six answer choices.
16 Teacher Manual
Inference Reading: Inference
Make inferences, form generalizations, and Passage: “…The nineteenth century brought with it a burst of new
draw conclusions based on what is implied in a discoveries and inventions that revolutionized the candle industry and made
passage. lighting available to all. In the early-to-mid-nineteenth century, a process
was developed to refine tallow (fat from animals) with alkali and sulfuric
acid. The result was a product called stearin. Stearin is harder and burns
longer than unrefined tallow. This breakthrough meant that it was possible
to make tallow candles that would not produce the usual smoke and rancid
odor. Stearins were also derived from palm oils, so vegetable waxes as well
as animal fats could be used to make candles…”
Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 1 about candles

before the nineteenth century?
(A) They did not smoke when they were burned.
(B) They produced a pleasant odor as they burned.
(C) They were not available to all.
(D) They contained sulfuric acid.
Inference Reading: Rhetorical purpose
Recognize and create accurate paraphrases of Passage: “…Although we now tend to refer to the various crafts according
information from a text. to the materials used to construct them—clay, glass, wood, fiber, and
metal—it was once common to think of crafts in terms of function, which
Make inferences, form generalizations, and led to their being known as the “applied arts.” Approaching crafts from
draw conclusions based on what is implied in a the point of view of function, we can divide them into simple categories:
passage. containers, shelters, and supports. There is no way around the fact that
containers, shelters, and supports must be functional. The applied arts are
thus bound by the laws of physics, which pertain to both the materials used
in their making and the substances and things to be contained, supported,
and sheltered. These laws are universal in their application, regardless of
cultural beliefs, geography, or climate.
If a pot has no bottom or has large openings in its sides, it could hardly
be considered a container in any traditional sense...” Since the laws of
physics, not some arbitrary decision, have determined the general form of
applied-art objects, they follow basic patterns, so much so that functional
forms can vary only within certain limits…”
Why does the author introduce this claim? If a pot has no bottom or has
large openings in its sides, it could hardly be considered a container in
any traditional sense?
(A) To support the position that cultural beliefs cannot
determine that an object of applied art functions in a
way that is contrary to the laws of physics.
(B) To give an example of a particular kind of applied-art
object that is not constrained by the laws of physics.
(C) To disagree with the idea that the laws of physics, not
some arbitrary decision, have determined the general
form of applied-art objects.
(D) To introduce an alternative interpretation of the relation
between applied art and the laws of physics.
Teacher Manual 17
Inference Reading: Insert Text
Recognize the logical sequencing of Look at the 4 squares [ ] that indicate where the following sentence could
written material. be added to the passage.
Make inferences, form generalizations, and draw All 3 of them have strengths and weaknesses, but none adequately
conclusions based on what is implied answers all of the questions the paintings present.
in a passage.
Where would the sentence best fit?
Example of how boxes would appear in the passage text:
Scholars offer three related but different opinions about this puzzle.
One opinion is that the paintings were a record of the seasonal migrations
made by herds. Because some paintings were made directly over others,
obliterating them, it is probable that a painting’s value ended with the
migration it pictured. Unfortunately, this explanation fails to explain
the hidden locations, unless the migrations were celebrated with secret
ceremonies.
Choose a square to add the sentence to the passage. To select a

different location, choose a different square.
Correct answer: Square 1
18 Teacher Manual
Reading Passage
Applied Arts and Fine Arts
(for examples used on pages 14 to 17)
Although we now tend to refer to the various crafts according to the materials used to construct them—clay,
glass, wood, fiber, and metal—it was once common to think of crafts in terms of function, which led to their
being known as the “applied arts.” Approaching crafts from the point of view of function, we can divide them
into simple categories: containers, shelters, and supports. There is no way around the fact that containers,
shelters, and supports must be functional. The applied arts are thus bound by the laws of physics, which
pertain to both the materials used in their making and the substances and things to be contained, supported,
and sheltered. These laws are universal in their application, regardless of cultural beliefs, geography, or
climate. If a pot has no bottom or has large openings in its sides, it could hardly be considered a container
in any traditional sense. Since the laws of physics, not some arbitrary decision, have determined the general
form of applied-art objects, they follow basic patterns, so much so that functional forms can vary only within
certain limits. Buildings without roofs, for example, are unusual because they depart from the norm. However,
not all functional objects are exactly alike; that is why we recognize a Shang Dynasty vase as being different
from an Inca vase. What varies is not the basic forms but the incidental details that do not obstruct the
object’s primary function.
Sensitivity to physical laws is thus an important consideration for the maker of applied-art objects. It is often
taken for granted that this is also true for the maker of fine-art objects. This assumption misses a significant
difference between the two disciplines. Fine-art objects are not constrained by the laws of physics in the
same way that applied-art objects are. Because their primary purpose is not functional, they are only limited
in terms of the materials used to make them. Sculptures must, for example, be stable, which requires an
understanding of the properties of mass, weight distribution, and stress. Paintings must have rigid stretchers
so that the canvas will be taut, and the paint must not deteriorate, crack, or discolor. These are problems
that must be overcome by the artist because they tend to intrude upon his or her conception of the work.
For example, in the early Italian Renaissance, bronze statues of horses with a raised foreleg usually had a
cannonball under that hoof. This was done because the cannonball was needed to support the weight of the
leg. In other words, the demands of the laws of physics, not the sculptor’s aesthetic intentions, placed the
ball there. That this device was a necessary structural compromise is clear from the fact that the cannonball
quickly disappeared when sculptors learned how to strengthen the internal structure of a statue with iron
braces (iron being much stronger than bronze).
Even though the fine arts in the twentieth century often treat materials in new ways, the basic difference
in attitude of artists in relation to their materials in the fine arts and the applied arts remains relatively
constant. It would therefore not be too great an exaggeration to say that practitioners of the fine arts work
to overcome the limitations of their materials, whereas those engaged in the applied arts work in concert
with their materials.
Teacher Manual 19
Listening
How the TOEFL iBT Test Measures Listening Skills
In the 36-minute Listening section, the TOEFL iBT test measures listening skills by using 3 lectures and
2 conversations.
The academic lectures
• Last 4 to 6 minutes
• Are about 500 to 800 words long
• Consist of a professor’s monologue or an interactive lecture
• Use pictures to indicate the setting and the role of the speaker(s)
• Are followed by 6 multiple-choice questions
• Include topics from life sciences, arts, physical sciences, and social sciences
Test takers will need to:
• Grasp the main ideas and the supporting details
• Follow the organization of the lecture
• Understand the relationship between ideas
• Understand the speaker’s attitude and purpose
The conversations
• Last about 3 minutes
• Contain 12 to 25 interchanges
• I nvolve 2 speakers, one of whom is a student in a “service encounter” (with a librarian, for example)
or in discussion with a professor
• Use pictures to indicate the setting and the roles of the speakers
• Are followed by 5 multiple-choice questions
Test takers will need to:
• Grasp the main ideas and the supporting details
• Understand the relationship between ideas
• Understand the speaker’s attitude and purpose
• Comprehend the implications of the conversation
The Scoring
The raw score on the Listening section is converted to a scaled score of 0 to 30.
20 Teacher Manual
Listening Question Types
TEACHER MANUAL—LISTENING
Basic Comprehension
Type 1: M
ain Idea/Gist-content Questions ask about the topic of the lecture or conversation. This main
idea is expressed either directly or indirectly. If it is implicit, it should be clearly inferable.
Example: What are the speakers mainly discussing?

Answer: A research project on climate change
Type 2: G
ist-purpose Questions focus on the why of a communication, rather than on the content, the
what. These types of questions occasionally refer to lectures, though they most often follow
conversations.
Example: Why does the student come to see her professor?

Answer: To talk about a report she is writing
Type 3: Supporting Detail Questions ask about important details that support the main point.
Example: What does the professor offer to do for the man?

Answer: Review the first version of his paper
Pragmatic Understanding
Moving beyond a request for information, these questions explore the speaker’s intentions and attitudes, which often
are not directly expressed. The context of the conversation and the tone of voice also carry meaning.
Type 4: Function Questions explore what the speaker hopes to accomplish, or what motivates the
speaker. When a speaker asks a question, for example, is s/he actually asking for information,
or is the question rhetorical (not requiring an answer)?
Example: Why does the professor mention the XYZ Affair and the Jay Treaty?
Answer: To encourage the student to learn the relationship between events
A wrong answer is often a possible interpretation, but not the correct one.
Type 5: A
ttitude (Stance) Questions assess whether the test taker understands the attitude or position
of the speaker. The question might ask about the speaker’s feelings, likes or dislikes, or how
certain s/he is about something. For example, the expression “yeah, right” can mean entirely
different things, depending on how, where, and by whom it is said.
Example: What is the student’s attitude about the people he currently works with?
Answer: He likes them

Part of a listening text might be repeated in a question to focus your attention on a phrase or utterance.
Tone and context matter!
Connecting Information
Can test takers integrate information to better understand the whole? These questions assess whether listeners are
making connections between or among pieces of information, and whether they can then use this knowledge to
make inferences, draw conclusions, or perform other vital communication functions.
Type 6: O
rganization Questions are usually asked about lectures rather than conversations. Though
they are often straightforward, asking about overall organization, they can also ask how a
particular statement connects to the whole. They might, for example, highlight a speaker’s
rhetorical statement, and test takers will need to recognize when a speaker is digressing,
giving an example, or shifting from general to specific information.
Example: Why does the professor tell the student about the appointment at the doctor’s office?
Answer: To demonstrate a way of remembering things
Teacher Manual 21
Type 7: C
onnecting Content Questions assess whether test takers can identify the relationship
between pieces of information, for example, cause and effect. In addition, listeners might have
to classify items in categories.
Example: What comparison does the professor make between Guatemala and Mexico?
Answer: The length of their coastlines
Type 8: M
aking Inference Questions determine whether a listener can make proper inferences (draw
conclusions, make generalizations, predict outcomes) based on the evidence presented in
the passage.
Example: What does the man imply about the reference books he has already looked at?
Answer: They do not list population by city (He never says this outright, but it is clear he has not
found the information he needs.)
Challenges Faced by Listeners

Native and non-native speakers rarely talk in a completely logical, uninterrupted flow. Listeners need to recognize
interruptions, misunderstandings, clarifications, hesitations, and sentence fragments. They also should recognize:
• D
igressions – when a speaker strays from the main point to make another point that may, at the time,
seem unrelated.
• A
sides – when a speaker makes a parenthetical statement that might reflect the speaker’s attitude about
the topic.
• R
educed speech – when a speaker connects or links words, in the process creating what sounds like a new
word. For example, “What did you say?” becomes “Whadja say?”
• False starts – beginning a sentence and then starting again, as in “I’d like to talk…I’d like to talk about…”
• Misspeaks – errors in pronunciation or grammar that the speaker may attempt to go back and correct.
Listening Purposes in Academic Settings

In English-speaking academic environments, listening takes place not only in traditional classrooms and lecture
halls, but also in offices, libraries, cafeterias, dorms, sports fields, recreation centers—any place students, faculty,
and staff communicate.
Whether in a discussion group, housing center, or professor’s office, a student listens for:
• Basic understanding: to comprehend the main ideas and the important details.
• P
ragmatic understanding: to grasp the reason for a communication. For example, what is the speaker’s
purpose, motivation, or attitude?
• C
onnecting and synthesizing information: to understand the relationship between pieces of information.
For example, is the speaker comparing and contrasting information, or showing its cause and effect? What
conclusion can the listener draw? What generalization can be made?
To understand the purposes of listening is one thing, to succeed in academic English environments is another. Success
requires skill mastery, and the following learning objectives provide a breakdown of the specific types of listening
skills measured by the TOEFL iBT test.
22 Teacher Manual
Listening Tasks: Learning Objectives and Examples
The materials in this section map out the connections between test questions in the Listening section of the TOEFL iBT
test and their underlying learning objectives. In the Activities that accompany this manual are examples of classroom
activities that can be used to help you prepare your students to achieve their individual English learning objectives.
Purpose: Basic comprehension

Learning Objectives
• Identify the topic or main idea of a lecture or conversation
• Identify major points and important details of a lecture or conversation
• Identify the overall purpose of the communication
Purpose: Pragmatic understanding
Learning Objectives
• Recognize how word/sentence stress and intonation help convey meaning

• Recognize the speaker’s attitude, degree of certainty, and/or specific purpose or motivation
Purpose: Connect and synthesize information
Learning Objectives
• Recognize how information is organized, including identifying introductions and conclusions
• Recognize the connection between or among pieces of information
• Recognize topic changes and digressions
• Form generalizations, draw conclusions, predict outcomes, and make inferences
Success on the TOEFL iBT Test Listening section will require that a test taker demonstrate skill mastery by selecting
correct responses to the following types of questions.
Types of Listening Questions and TOEFL iBT Test Samples

Below are listed the 8 question types with 1 or 2 related learning objectives given for each, along with sample
questions from the TOEFL iBT test. Correct answers are marked with a check mark ( ).
Basic Comprehension Questions

Type 1: Main Idea/Gist-content Question
Related Learning Objective: Understand the topic of the lecture
Sample Question: What is the talk about?
• A comparison of 2 approaches to decision making
• A formula for evaluating business plans
• A process for improving decision making
• A method for gaining consensus within groups
Teacher Manual 23
Type 2: Gist-purpose Questions
Related Learning Objective: Recognize the speaker’s overall purpose
Sample Question: Why does the student visit the professor?
• To get some note cards for his presentation
• To show her some examples of common errors in research
• To review the notes for his presentation with her
• To ask for help in finding a topic for his presentation
Type 3: Detail Questions
Related Learning Objective: Identify the important details of a lecture
Sample Question: According to the professor, what is one important result of using AHP?
• People can make decisions more quickly
• People are provided with several different outcomes
• People can take advantage of the latest technology
• People can better understand the decisions they make
Pragmatic Understanding Questions

Type 4: Function Questions
Learning Objective: Recognize the purpose behind the speaker’s statement and how word stress
Related
and intonation help convey this purpose
Sample Question: What does the professor mean when he says this: (The text will only be heard.)
Professor
Now there’s some AHP software out there that lets you do the math, but I’m not gonna get into that level of detail
now. The important thing that I want to talk about is not the mathematics of it so much as the concept.
• He wants the students to use the AHP software for an assignment.
• He does not think the AHP software is useful.
• He wants to give only a general explanation of AHP.
• He thinks the students can understand the math without his help.
Type 5: Attitude (Stance) Questions
Related Learning Objective: Recognize the speaker’s degree of certainty and how word stress and
intonation help convey meaning
Sample Question: What does the woman mean when she says this: “All of Europe. Hmmmm…”
• She knows which book the man needs.
• She is too busy to find the information for the man.
• She is not sure she has heard the man correctly.
• She is not sure she can find the information for the man.
24 Teacher Manual
Connecting Information Questions
Type 6: Organization Questions
Related Learning Objective: Recognize when a speaker is shifting from the general to the specific
Sample Question: Why does the professor mention the expansion of the railroad in the nineteenth century?
• To emphasize the importance of the railroad to the development of farming in the Southwest.
• To explain the increased mobility of Native American peoples.
• To provide background for a discussion of Southwestern tourism.
• To give an example of the dangers tourists faced in the Southwest.
Type 7: Connecting Content Questions
elated Learning Objective: Connect pieces of information and use implied information to draw a
R
conclusion
Sample Question: According to the professor, what does the Hopi House demonstrate?
• 2 Native American groups share control of the Grand Canyon tourist industry.
• The history portrayed by the tourist industry is not always accurate.
• Native American art and culture have not been influenced by tourism.
• The Grand Canyon Railway has benefited many Native American groups.
Type 8: Making Inference Questions

Related Learning Objective: Use language, stress, and intonation to determine a speaker’s attitude
and degree of certainty, and to make an inference based on this assessment
Sample Question:
Replay:
Speaker 1
Hm, well…I’d still call it a planet. Like I said before…it may be small, but it’s got an atmosphere and a moon, and orbits
the Sun and…
Speaker 2
Come on…it’s obviously a KBO. I mean, it’s in the Kuiper belt, it’s made of the same materials, it orbits the same way
and it’s smaller than any other planet. I think it’s clear.
What can be inferred about the students?
• They both disagree with the professor’s conclusion.
• The woman has not yet reached a conclusion about Pluto.
• The man easily convinced the woman to change her mind.
• They have come to different conclusions about Pluto.
Teacher Manual 25
Speaking
How the TOEFL iBT Test Measures Academic Speaking Skills
The Speaking section is designed to evaluate the test taker’s ability to speak in an academic environment. The test
taker will be asked to respond to 4 questions while speaking into a microphone. The tasks include the following:
• T he Paired Choice task is an independent speaking question about a topic that is familiar to the speaker. Test
takers are asked to make and defend a personal choice between 2 contrasting options.
• T he Fit and Explain task is a campus-based integrated question in which test takers read a paragraph, listen to
a conversation about the reading, and discuss what they read and heard.
• T he General/Specific task is an academic integrated question in which test takers read a short paragraph,
listen to a lecture related to the reading, then discuss what they read and heard.
• T he Summary task is an academic integrated question in which test takers listen to a short lecture, then
discuss what they heard.
The integrated tasks require the test taker to integrate English-language skills—listening and speaking, or listening,
reading, and speaking. The test taker will be asked to base the spoken response on the listening passage or on the
listening and reading passages together.
• The entire Speaking section is approximately 16 minutes long.

• Response time allowed for each question ranges from 45 to 60 seconds.
• Responses do not require knowledge of academic content.
• The test taker can take notes to use when responding to the speaking tasks.
• The test taker will have a short time to prepare a response for each of the 4 questions.
Scoring Overview
Speaking responses are scored by both human raters and the ETS automated scoring engine, SpeechRater®. This
combines the benefits of human judgment with the consistency of automated scoring. SpeechRater primarily
measures features described in the Speaking rubrics under Language Use and Delivery.
It is important to note that a high-scoring response may contain occasional errors and minor lapses in any of the areas
described below—what is being evaluated is the overall comprehensibility of the response.
The following abilities are measured, as represented by the test taker’s response:
1. Topic development, that is, whether the test taker

• Completely answers the question
• Presents ideas coherently
• Presents ideas and relationships between ideas in a way that is clear and easy to follow
2. Delivery of the response, whether

• Speech is clear, pronunciation is good, pacing and intonation patterns sound natural
• The response is easy to understand
3. Language use, how well
• Test taker demonstrates control of basic and complex grammatical structures and vocabulary
After all 4 tasks are rated, the scores of the ratings are totaled. The sum of the scores is statistically
converted to a scaled score of 0 to 30.
26 Teacher Manual
Speaking Task Types
TEACHER MANUAL—SPEAKING
Independent Speaking Task: Paired Choice
Description
• Consists of a single question that asks the test taker to make and defend a personal choice between 2 contrasting behaviors
or courses of action
• Assesses the test taker’s ability to express a personal preference from a given pair, elaborate on that preference, and support
it with reasons
• Assesses the test taker’s overall intelligibility and range of grammatical and lexical usage when discussing a subject that
does not require knowledge of academic content
Preparation time, 15 seconds; response time, 45 seconds
Integrated Speaking Task: Fit and Explain (A Reading/Listening/Speaking campus situation topic)
Description
• Consists of 2 sources and a single question

• A reading passage (~100 words) that presents a campus-related issue
• A listening passage (~90 seconds) in which speakers express their opinion about the reading
• A question that asks the test taker to summarize the speaker’s opinion within the context of the reading passage
• Assesses the test taker’s ability to combine and analyze the information from the written and spoken sources
• Assesses the test taker’s ability to synthesize (or integrate) the information from both the written and spoken sources in a
meaningful, coherent response
Integrated Speaking Task: General/Specific (A Reading/Listening/Speaking academic course topic)
Description
• Consists of 2 sources and a single question
• A reading passage (~100 words) that gives background information about an academic topic
• A listening passage (~90 seconds) that provides further illustration of the topic
• A question that asks the test taker to combine and convey important information from the reading and the
lecture
• Assesses the test taker’s ability to combine and analyze the information from the written and spoken sources
• Assesses the test taker’s ability to synthesize (or integrate) and express academic information from both a written and a
spoken source
Integrated Speaking Task: Summary (A Listening/Speaking academic course topic)
Description
• Consists of 1 listening passage and a single question

• A
listening passage that is an excerpt from a lecture (~2 minutes) and that explains a term or concept and
provides examples to illustrate that term or concept
• A
question that asks the test taker to summarize the lecture, demonstrating understanding of its structure and
the relationship between the examples and the overall topic
• Assesses the test taker’s ability to understand and convey key information from an academic lecture
Teacher Manual 27
Speaking Tasks in Academic Settings
The ability to speak in different kinds of situations is important for academic success in English-speaking educational
environments. In colleges and universities, for example, students need to show that they understand class discussions,
lectures, and reading material by talking about the information with their professors and classmates.
In the classroom, an instructor will often ask students to share their opinions on the topic being discussed.
Students need to speak English well enough to:
• Express and support their opinions
• State and explain choices
In other parts of the university campus, students should be able to hold casual conversations with other
students and staff in places such as the:
• Bookstore
• Housing office
• Residence facility
• Library
• Food service areas
In casual conversations, students need to be able to speak in a variety of settings about various topics such as:
• Class schedules and assignments
• Campus news and activities
• University rules and regulations
In their casual conversations, students need to be able to use a variety of language functions or purposes
such as:
• Expressing and supporting their opinions
• Discussing principles and beliefs
• Summarizing the opinion of others
28 Teacher Manual
Speaking tasks are generally referred to as either independent or integrated speaking tasks
Independent speaking task
• Requires students to use their personal ideas and experience to complete a task.
Integrated speaking tasks

• R
equire students to respond to questions about particular reading and/or listening material. Sometimes the
listening and reading materials present the same point of view and sometimes they present different views
on a topic.
• F or integrated speaking tasks, students should develop good note-taking skills to help them organize and
present information from different sources. (See More Skills and Activities for more information about note-
taking skills.)
• To speak accurately and effectively in integrated speaking tasks, students should be able to:
• Identify and summarize main ideas and related details from written and spoken sources.
• M
ake inferences (draw conclusions from evidence or reasoning not directly stated in the source
material, but that can be concluded from the context) based on the written and spoken sources.
• S elect, organize, and present information that is unrehearsed and created by the student in the time the
task is presented.
For the listener to understand the response, students need to be able to control the accuracy of their
• Pronunciation
• Grammar
• Rate of speech
Students should be able to use pauses and intonation effectively in order that the listener may understand the
intended meaning of the response.
Further descriptions of independent and integrated speaking tasks, and the learning objectives with
examples of successful spoken responses are in the next section.
Teacher Manual 29
Learning Objectives
The materials in this section map out the connections between test questions in the Speaking section of the
TOEFL iBT test and their underlying learning objectives. In the Activities book that accompanies this manual are
examples of classroom activities that may help you prepare your students achieve their individual English learning
objectives.
Speaking Task: Independent

• Present and support likes, dislikes, and values. A student is asked to give an opinion or state a preference in class. What
• Present and support opinions. the student speaks about is based on the student’s previous knowledge or
• State a position on a topic and support it. experience, not on the subject matter from the course.
• Make a recommendation and defend it.
In a social situation, one student asks another to talk about his or her
country. The student responds with a brief and clear description and
explains why visiting his or her home country would make a great
vacation trip.
Speaking Task: Integrated (Both academic and university-based situations)
• Identify and summarize major points and During the class session a student is asked to respond to a question
important details from written and spoken about what the professor just said and how it relates to a previous reading
sources. assignment. The student is able to paraphrase both the written and
• Paraphrase (restate in other words) spoken information.
information from written and spoken sources.
• Synthesize (combine and convey) information A student overhears a conversation between 2 students in a residence hall
from written and spoken sources. about possible tuition increases. The student expresses an opinion based
• Recognize and express the objective, purpose, on the points made in the conversation.
and attitude of a speaker.
• Connect concrete facts and details with
related abstract concepts.
• Take and use notes to organize information
before speaking.
Speaking Task: Speaking (All types)
Learning Objectives
• Use a variety of signal words and phrases (expressions that provide signals about the direction or shift in the focus of the
speech such as “on the other hand,” or “for example,”).
• Use appropriate idiomatic speech.
• Use vocabulary effectively.
• Use an appropriate range of grammatical structures.
• Produce speech that is intelligible (clear, understandable, and meaningful with minimal listener effort).
• Sustain speech at an even pace for a short time (1 minute).
• Use stress, intonation, and pauses to express meaning effectively.
30 Teacher Manual
Understanding the Speaking Scoring Rubrics
Each TOEFL iBT Speaking response is scored holistically on a 4-band scale, with 4 being the highest score and 1 the
lowest. A score of 0 is assigned to responses in which the speaker is unwilling or unable to provide a response to the
question. The score on a speaking task represents an overall judgment of how well the response communicates the
intended message. Raters evaluate the overall quality of the language and discourse features of the responses.
2 Scoring Rubrics are used to guide raters in evaluating the responses. The Independent Speaking Rubric is used
to evaluate responses to the independent task. The Integrated Scoring Rubric is used to evaluate responses to the
3 integrated tasks.
Key Features of the Scoring Rubrics

Both scoring rubrics, the Independent Scoring Rubric and the Integrated Scoring Rubric, define the key characteristics
of responses in terms of 3 important dimensions: delivery, language use, and topic development. When raters evaluate
responses, they consider all 3 dimensions equally. No one dimension is weighted more heavily than another.
Delivery
The 2 key features that characterize delivery are clarity of speech and pace. Pronunciation, stress, and intonation
most often determine the clarity of speech in a response. The rate of speech, length of utterances, and the degree
of hesitancy or choppiness all factor into the pace of a response. For example, a level 4 delivery is characterized by
speech that is generally clear and uses stress and intonation patterns effectively. Mostly fluid speech is sustained
for the required time. There may be some minor problems but they do not cause difficulty for the listener. There
is a certain ease of presentation in responses that show level 4 delivery. At the very lowest band level for delivery,
speakers generally have problems maintaining the flow of speech for the time allotted. The speech in low level
responses tends to be fragmented and contains long pauses or it may be mostly unintelligible due to serious
pronunciation difficulties.
Language Use
The most salient features pertaining to language use at the highest band level are the efficiency of word choice and
grammatical structures to convey meaning and the automaticity with which they are created. What stands out in a
response that shows level 4 language use are a control of a wide range of vocabulary and a comfort with a variety of
structures. Moving down the scale, word choice becomes less efficient and more vague. It takes more words to convey
the same information. At the lower band levels, a smaller range of vocabulary and structures is evident. Responses at
the lower band levels for language use are therefore marked by frequent repetitions and greater difficulty expressing
meaning clearly.
Topic Development
The topic development demands of the Independent tasks differ to some extent from those of the integrated tasks.
For the independent task, in which test takers speak about their own experiences, preferences, or opinions, topic
development is characterized by the fullness of the content provided in the response and its overall coherence.
At the highest level, responses address the tasks by clearly communicating a point of view and providing well-
supported reasons or explanations with some elaboration. Responses do not need to be tightly organized, with a
clear beginning, middle, and end; but in responses at the highest band level, ideas progress smoothly and cohesively,
making the response easy for the listener to follow. Moving down the scale, fewer supporting details and less
elaboration are evident. Ideas are not as well connected and their progression not as cohesive. At the lowest band
level, very little relevant content is expressed; ideas are very general and vague.
Teacher Manual 31
In integrated tasks, test takers speak about information that they have listened to and/or read. For these tasks topic
development is characterized by the accuracy and completeness of the content provided in the response as well as
its overall coherence. At the highest level, responses address the tasks by presenting relevant information from the
reading and listening material and organizing it in a way that makes it easy for the listener to follow the progression
of ideas. Responses in the highest band provide the major information requested as well as some supporting detail
or elaboration on the topic. Responses at this level may contain minor inaccuracies or omissions, as long as they
do not impede the overall coherence and completeness. Moving down the scale, fewer supporting details and less
elaboration are evident, generally with more omissions and inaccuracies. The progression of ideas becomes less fluid
and the connection between pieces of information becomes less clear. The amount of content decreases and the
response may become somewhat repetitive. At the lowest band level, very little relevant content is expressed; ideas
presented are very general or inaccurate.
Descriptions of Performance at Various Score Levels
Level 4 Communicates Effectively

Delivery • Uses relevant intonation and stress patterns to convey meaning
• Produces clear pronunciation with minor errors to create generally clear flow of speech
• Can be easily understood
Language Use • Good range of grammar and vocabulary
• Word choice is effective with only occasional errors
Topic Development • Choice is clear
(Independent Task) • Choice is supported with ample and appropriate reasons
• Clear progression of ideas
• Length and content are appropriate to the task
Topic Development • Demonstrates understanding of key ideas
(Integrated Tasks) • Includes ample details/elaboration (with only minor inaccuracies)
• Clear progression of ideas
• Relationships among ideas are clear
Level 3 Communicates Satisfactorily

Delivery • Use of stress and intonation is satisfactory (does not cause problem for sympathetic listeners)
• Occasional pronunciation errors do not cause breakdown in communication
• Can be easily understood with only minor lapses in intelligibility
• Mostly fluent with some hesitancy
Language Use • Word choice and grammar allow satisfactory communication of ideas and information
• Sufficient vocabulary and grammar to express ideas and information (with some
circumlocutions and hesitations)
• Errors cause only minor difficulty for listeners
Topic Development • Choice stands out
(Independent Task) • Supporting reasons and details are provided
• Reasoning is clear but may be somewhat limited in scope
• Ideas may progress unevenly at times
Topic Development • Demonstrates understanding of key ideas
(Integrated Tasks) • Includes details but elaboration may be limited
• Content is mostly complete (with minor inaccuracies or omissions)
• Ideas progress unevenly at times
32 Teacher Manual
Level 2 Communication is Limited
Delivery • Speech is mostly understandable by sympathetic listeners
• Pronunciation and stress errors occur (but repetition may allow speaker to be generally
understood)
• Able to sustain speech for most (if not all) of the allotted time
• Speech is somewhat choppy with frequent pauses/hesitations
Language Use • Grammar is mostly limited to basic forms and structures
• Struggles to complete complex structures
• Vocabulary is limited but adequate to convey basic ideas
• Vocabulary limitations result in vague expression of ideas of more complex ideas
Topic Development • Provides some relevant information but development is limited
(Independent Task) • Supporting information for choice is limited and may be list-like
• Reasoning may be incomplete (vague or undeveloped)
• Repetition of key ideas
• Ideas progress unevenly
Topic Development • Most key ideas are provided
(Integrated Tasks) • Details or elaboration may be missing, inaccurate, or vague
• Relationships among ideas may not be clearly marked, requiring listeners to fill in the gaps
• Ideas progress unevenly
Level 1 Communication is Weak

Delivery • Speech does not “flow”
• Speech is mainly choppy and disjointed with frequent pauses
• Pronunciation struggles often make it difficult for listeners to understand
• Usually unable to sustain speech for the allotted time
Language Use • Demonstrates very limited control of grammar or vocabulary
• Uses only basic structures with error
• Word choice is limited; inaccuracies cause difficulty for listeners
Topic Development • May provide some information relevant to the task (usually limited to a single idea)
(Independent Task) • Details are limited and often not clearly connected
• Lacks coherence and is difficult to follow
Topic Development • May provide some information related to key ideas (usually limited to a single idea)
(Integrated Tasks) • Idea may be repeated
• Related details are generally omitted or inaccurate
• Lacks coherence and is difficult to follow
Sample Speaking Responses

Benchmark Speaking Responses
To better understand each of the performance levels on the TOEFL iBT Test Speaking section, please refer to the
Independent Speaking Rubric as you listen to the Benchmark Speaking Responses (to the Paired Choice question
in the Speaking Benchmarks section), which are provided online at www.ets.org/toefl/ibt_workshop_materials.
The annotations below describe each response and explain the rating it received from official ETS raters.
Teacher Manual 33
PAIRED CHOICE—Independent Speaking
Some universities require first-year students to live in dormitories on campus. Others allow students to live off
campus. Which policy do you think is better for first-year students and why? Include details and examples in your
explanation.
Level 4 Benchmark
In this response, the speaker provides a clear and coherent response. She is able to maintain a steady, fluid pace with
little to no hesitation. Her pronunciation is very good. There is minor but noticeable first-language influence on stress
and intonation patterns, but they do not obscure meaning for the listener. She demonstrates a range of vocabulary
and grammar that is appropriate to the task. In general, the response is well developed. The speaker clearly states her
opinion and provides several reasons for her point of view. She then explains each reason in varying degrees of detail.
There is a clear progression of ideas and an ease of presentation typical of a level 4 response.
Level 3 Benchmark
The speaker has some minor pronunciation problems but overall his speech is clear and fluid. He makes many
systematic grammar errors such as, “to make student live in the dorm” and “I think it safe.” However, these inaccuracies
do not seriously interfere with meaning. His vocabulary range does seem somewhat limited, resulting in vague or
imprecise expression of ideas at times. He clearly states his opinion and provides two reasons. However, his reasoning
lacks detail, and there are some minor problems with coherence as he attempts to develop those reasons. For
example, he suggests that it is “safer” for students to live in the dorm because they don’t know the environment. He
does not explicitly explain the link between safety and lack of familiarity with the campus environment.
Level 2 Benchmark
Although the speaker has problems pronouncing some words, most are clear and do not interfere with meaning.
However, overall delivery is choppy and at times distracting for the listener (“to know [long pause] about the city
[long pause] and [long pause]...”). The speaker’s limited range and control of grammar and vocabulary often result in
vague, unsupported ideas (it is better to live in the dorm “because it is more easy for them to live,” “...don’t raise much
problems”). While she does attempt to support her opinion, she struggles to provide sufficient support for her ideas.
Level 1 Benchmark
Overall, the speaker has an extremely limited range of grammar and vocabulary and struggles to express her ideas.
She may be able to string together only a few words and often relies on individual words to convey meaning.
(“…students/[relationships]/communication so/very familiar/hmmm/cause…”). As a result very little coherent content
is expressed. While she is able to sustain speech for the full 45 seconds, her delivery is choppy and fragmented with
numerous pauses and hesitations that requires considerable listener effort.
Additional Speaking Sample Responses

Each score level on the Speaking rubrics represents a range of ability. Performances within a level can vary slightly
from one test taker to the next and from one response to the next. Additional Speaking Sample Responses are
provided online at www.ets.org/toefl/ibt_workshop_materials for a better understanding of the performance
range for each level. As you listen to several test takers’ responses to the tasks, please refer to the following:
• Independent Speaking Rubric (Paired Choice)
• Integrated Speaking Rubric (General/Specific)
• Annotations for sample responses
For your reference, a transcript of each test taker response follows each annotation.
34 Teacher Manual
Writing
TEACHER MANUAL—WRITING
How the TOEFL iBT Test Measures Writing Skills
In English-speaking academic environments, students are expected to communicate their written ideas clearly and
accurately. They are required to express opinions based on personal knowledge and experience, and to support those
opinions with details and examples. Often, students are asked to participate in academic discussion forums online,
and they are asked to make contributions to these discussions.
Other types of assignments require students to demonstrate in writing that they can understand and relate
information they have read and listened to. To accomplish this students need to understand the key ideas in both the
listening and reading, determine how that information is related, and then connect it in writing.
In the 30-minute Writing section, the TOEFL iBT test measures these writing skills by means of 2 distinct task types.
Writing Task Types

The Integrated Writing Task
• Displays a reading passage of about 300 words for 3 minutes
• F ollows with a 2-minute lecture by a speaker who discusses the same topic from a different perspective and
contributes additional information
• Among other possibilities, it may include one of the following:
1. A reading passage that presents a point of view or a reason for taking or not taking an action; a
listening passage that challenges the points made
2. A reading passage that describes a problem; a listening passage that presents the reasons/ways
the problem is solvable or really not a problem at all
• Redisplays the reading passage and presents a writing prompt/question
• Allows 20 minutes for writing and revising the response to the question
Test takers will:
• Read and take notes on the first passage
• Listen to and take notes on the second passage
• Respond to a prompt in 150 to 225 words explaining, for example, how:
1. The listening passage undermines the points made in the reading
2. To solve or overcome the problems described in the reading
• Not be penalized for writing a longer response
The Writing for an Academic Discussion Task

• A
post from a professor briefly frames the topic and poses an opinion question related to the topic for the
class to discuss
• Brief posts from other students then provide different positions on the issue
• T he test taker is asked to contribute their own position on the question, supporting their opinion with their
own reasoning, experiences or knowledge
Teacher Manual 35
• Test takers have 10 minutes to complete the task
• An effective response will contain at least 100 words
Test takers will:
• Make a contribution to the discussion
• Provide support for opinions or choices
• Write clearly and accurately
Writing Tasks in Academic Settings

Once students are enrolled in an English-speaking academic environment, they will be given writing tasks. Successful
students who master assignments will:
1. Consider the purpose of writing.

Is it to persuade? To inform? To compare or contrast?
2. Analyze the audience so as to use the correct tone.

Is the audience a professor? A class? An even larger audience?
3. Use the 5-step “process writing” approach:
• P
re-writing is the brainstorming and planning stage. This is when writers read and gather information,
analyze the audience, and decide on specific topics.
• D
rafting is when writers try to record their thoughts on paper. At this point, neatness and accuracy are not
especially important. What is important is to record ideas.
• R
evising is the process of improving the draft. Feedback from the instructor or peers can help writers see
where their writing lacks clarity, or in what ways the writing can be improved. It is not unusual for writers to
revise 2 or 3 times.
• E
diting is when mechanical errors, such as grammar and punctuation, get corrected. To save time, it is better
to edit after revising.
• P
ublishing usually means turning in a completed assignment to a professor. It can also refer to other ways in
which writers share their work.
Writing Examples
Integrated Writing
xample 1: A student writes a midterm paper that combines the important information from class lectures and
E
discussions with relevant information from assigned readings.
xample 2: A student is asked to compare and contrast the points of view presented in a class lecture with those
E
in associated reading material. The final paper uses information from both sources to present a clear contrast.
Writing for an Academic Discussion
xample: Students are asked by a professor to contribute to a discussion within the context of an online class
E
discussion forum. After framing the topic, the professor poses an opinion question related to the topic for
the whole class to discuss online. Students actively participate and contribute to the discussion by providing
their own positions on the question, and supporting their opinions with their own reasoning, experiences or
knowledge.
36 Teacher Manual
Helpful skills for integrated writing tasks
Integrated writing can be especially challenging for students, for they need to understand both listening and reading
passages, and then establish the relationship between the two. Following are some useful skills. More information
about the skills listed here can be found in More Skills and Activities.
Note-taking: It is beneficial for students to write down important key ideas while listening to class lectures
or discussions. These notes can be used when writing.
Outlining: An outline is a visual plan that helps writers organize and present ideas logically. It also helps
show the connections among ideas.
Summarizing: When student writers take the main points from listening or/and reading passages and
concisely explain them, without details, they are summarizing.
Paraphrasing: A paraphrase is a restatement of part of a reading or listening passage in a student’s own

words. It is usually shorter than the original.
Citing: If student writers use someone else’s words or ideas—either paraphrasing them or quoting them
directly—then it is important to cite the author’s name or the title of the work and a page number.
Connecting/linking: Transitional words or phrases help writers connect ideas. This is like building bridges
between sections of writing. Readers are then able to better understand the writers’ ideas.
The materials in this section map out the connections between test questions in the Writing section of the TOEFL iBT
test and their underlying learning objectives. In the Activities that accompany this manual are examples of classroom
activities that may help you prepare your students to achieve their individual English learning objectives.
Tasks Learning Objectives

Integrated Writing • Analyze the knowledge and experience of the audience and write accordingly
• Extract and summarize major points and important details from written and aural sources
• Take relevant notes and organize these notes coherently before writing
• Accurately paraphrase and cite source information
• Tie together information from different sources and modes (for example, reading passages,
and lectures)
Writing for an Academic • Gauge the knowledge and experience of the audience and write appropriately for it
Discussion • Clearly articulate one’s own position or opinion and give supporting evidence from personal
experience or knowledge
All Types of Writing • Pre-write, that is, brainstorm and list all ideas related to a topic before writing
• Outline, identifying one main idea and supporting points
• Develop the response with appropriate explanation and detail
• Express ideas clearly and coherently
• Use transition words and phrases to create a smooth flow of ideas
• Vary sentence structure and vocabulary and use each accurately and appropriately
• Follow the conventions of spelling, punctuation, and layout and organize information
Teacher Manual 37
Understanding the Writing Scoring Rubrics
The Writing rubrics are scaled on a range of 0 to 5 and, like the Speaking rubrics, use a holistic scoring method. A
writing sample is not broken into parts. Verb tenses are not isolated from transition words and phrases, which are not
separated from word choice or the overall elaboration of ideas. Instead, each entire piece of writing is looked at and
scored as a whole.
When scoring, a rater might have the following questions in mind: Has the writer responded to the prompt or task?
Is the response relevant and clear? In the integrated task, has the test taker selected the important information
from the lecture and presented this information in relation to the relevant information in the reading? Or, instead
of writing about the content of the passages, has the writer simply given personal opinions? This is not appropriate
for TOEFL iBT test integrated writing tasks; personal opinions are not responsive to the task. In contrast, writing for
academic discussion tasks specifically request the writers to contribute to a discussion using personal knowledge and
experience to develop and support a point of view that is relevant to the discussion and that is adequately elaborated
with explanations, exemplifications and/or details.
These written responses will not be compared with responses written in a more relaxed, untimed setting. For that
reason, even the highest score on the test, a 5, may have some minor flaws, similar to those one would expect in
a draft response. For example, a 5 response could contain sporadic word choice or form errors. There might also
be grammar or punctuation mistakes. Despite these or other imperfections, the writing responds to the prompt,
develops ideas, makes connections, covers points clearly and accurately and is clear and comprehensible. Responses
scored 4, 3, 2, 1, or 0 are increasingly more flawed.
Within each of the levels of scored tests, the responses vary. There is a range, in the same way that there is always an
ability range among students. Thus, raters are trained to look at each response holistically, at the same time adhering
to clear guidelines. Following are the rubrics for the two writing tasks.
Part 1: Integrated Writing Rubrics and Explanations
SCORE 5 RUBRIC: A response at this level successfully selects the important information from the lecture and
coherently and accurately presents this information in relation to the relevant information presented in the reading.
The response is well organized, and occasional language errors that are present do not result in inaccurate or
imprecise presentation of content or connections.
Inside the Rubric: Writing that receives a score of 5:
• Correctly responds to the prompt that is given
• Selects and presents the relevant main points from both the lecture and the reading
• Demonstrates the relationship between each of the main points of the lecture and the reading
• Includes only information from the lecture and reading, and that information is accurately conveyed
• Adds supporting details
• Is clear and well organized
• Connects all information and uses transition words and phrases
• M
ay have some minor language errors, such as in grammar, punctuation, spelling, or word form or usage.
These do not, however, affect the overall clarity of the writing. Neither do they confuse the reader about the
content and meaning of the passages
38 Teacher Manual
SCORE 4 RUBRIC: A score at this level is generally good in selecting the important information from the lecture and
in accurately presenting this information in relation to the relevant information in the reading, but it may have minor
omissions, inaccuracy, vagueness, or imprecision of some content from the lecture or in connection to points made in
the reading. A response is also scored at this level if it has more frequent or noticeable minor language errors, as long
as such usage and grammatical structures do not result in anything more than an occasional lapse of clarity or in the
connection of ideas.
• Correctly responds to the prompt that is given
• Selects and presents the most important information from both the lecture and the reading
• D
emonstrates the relationship between each of the main points. It will be clear that specific points in
one passage either support or call into question points in the other passage. Some points might be
slightly inaccurate
• U
ses transition words and phrases to connect the information from the lecture and the reading.
These connections may occasionally lack clarity.
• May have more minor language errors in word usage or grammatical structures.
SCORE 3 RUBRIC: A response at this level contains some important information from the lecture and conveys some
relevant connection to the reading, but it is marked by one or more of the following:
• A
lthough the overall response is definitely oriented to the task, it conveys only vague, global, unclear, or
somewhat imprecise connection of the points made in the lecture to points made in the reading.
• The response may omit one major key point made in the lecture.
• S ome key points made in the lecture or the reading, or connections between the two, may be incomplete,
inaccurate, or imprecise.
• E rrors of usage and/or grammar may be more frequent or may result in noticeably vague expressions or
obscured meanings in conveying ideas and connections.
• Responds to the prompt, but the response may not be complete or entirely correct.
• S elects and presents the important information from the lecture and the reading, but more of this
information may be missing, incomplete, or incorrect.
• A
ttempts to demonstrate the global relationship between the main points. But, the way in which the writer
relates it to the reading may be unclear or even inaccurate.
• Provides details that support the main points, but some may be missing, incomplete, or incorrect.
• C
onnects the information from the lecture and the reading, but the connections may lack
clarity and correctness.
• May have more frequent grammar and usage errors, and these errors may confuse the reader.
Teacher Manual 39
SCORE 2 RUBRIC: A response at this level contains some relevant information from the lecture, but is marked by
significant language difficulties or by significant omission or inaccuracy of important ideas from the lecture or in the
connections between the lecture and the reading; a response at this level is marked by one of more of the following:
• T he response significantly misrepresents or completely omits the overall connection between the lecture and
the reading.
• The response significantly omits or significantly misrepresents important points made in the lecture.
• T he response contains language errors or expressions that largely obscure connections or meaning at key
junctures, or that would likely obscure understanding of key ideas for a reader not already familiar with the
reading and the lecture.
• Indicates that much of the lecture has not been understood.
• M
ay contain some important information from the lecture and the reading, but other information may be
inaccurate or missing.
• E stablishes an incorrect or confusing relationship between the reading and lecture, or it does not relate
them at all.
• C
ontains language errors or expressions that will definitely confuse the reader, making it very difficult to
understand the main points of the passages and how they relate to one another.
SCORE 1 RUBRIC: A response at this level is marked by one or more of the following:
• The response provides little or no meaningful or relevant coherent content from the lecture.
• The language level of the response is so low that it is difficult to derive meaning.
• Contains little or no information from the lecture.
• C
ontains such serious and frequent errors in sentence structure and usage that the writing is difficult or
impossible to understand.
SCORE 0 RUBRIC: A response at this level merely copies sentences from the reading, rejects the topic or is otherwise
not connected to the topic, is written in a foreign language, consists of keystroke characters, or is blank.
• Copies sentences directly from the reading.
• Does not relate to the topic or task.
• Is not written in English.
• Is blank.
40 Teacher Manual
Part 2: Writing for an Academic Discussion Rubrics and Explanations
SCORE 5 RUBRIC: The response is a relevant and very clearly expressed contribution to the online discussion, and it
demonstrates consistent facility in the use of language. A typical response displays the following:
• Relevant and well-elaborated explanations, exemplifications, and/or details
• Effective use of a variety of syntactic structures and precise, idiomatic word choice
• Almost no lexical or grammatical errors other than those expected from a competent writer who is writing
under timed conditions (e.g., common typos or common misspellings or substitutions like there/their)
Is fully successful. It clearly expresses a contribution to the discussion. Ideas are relevant and well elaborated with
exemplifications, explanations, and/or details. The writer connects all ideas, so the reader does not have to guess at
intended meaning. In addition, it demonstrates consistent facility in the use of language. There is an effective use of
a variety of syntactic structures and precise idiomatic word choice. In a level 5 response there are almost no lexical
or grammatical errors. Common typos or common misspellings or substitutions expected from a competent writer
writing under timed conditions may be present.
SCORE 4 RUBRIC: The response is a relevant contribution to the online discussion, and facility in the use of language
allows the writer’s ideas to be easily understood. A typical response displays the following:
• Relevant and adequately elaborated explanations, exemplifications, and/or details
• A variety of syntactic structures and appropriate word choice
• Few lexical or grammatical errors
Is generally successful and it provides a relevant contribution to the discussion. Ideas are adequately elaborated with
explanations, exemplifications, and/or details. Facility in the use of language allows the writer’s ideas to be easily
understood. It displays a variety of syntactic structures and there is appropriate word choice. Lexical and grammar
errors may be present, but these do not interfere with the reader’s understanding.
SCORE 3 RUBRIC: The response is a mostly relevant and mostly understandable contribution to the online discussion,
and there is some facility in the use of language. A typical response displays the following:
• Elaboration in which part of an explanation, example, or detail may be missing, unclear, or irrelevant
• Some variety in syntactic structures and a range of vocabulary
• S ome noticeable lexical and grammatical errors in sentence structure, word form, or use of idiomatic
language
Is partially successful. The contribution to the discussion is mostly relevant and mostly understandable, but there
could be times when parts of an explanation, example, or detail may be missing, unclear, or irrelevant. The response
displays some facility in the use of language. There is some variety in syntactic structures and range of vocabulary.
However, a typical response at this level also displays some noticeable lexical and grammatical errors.
Teacher Manual 41
SCORE 2 RUBRIC: The response reflects an attempt to contribute to the online discussion, but limitations in the use of
language may make ideas hard to follow. A typical response displays the following:
• Ideas that may be poorly elaborated or only partially relevant
• A limited range of syntactic structures and vocabulary
• An accumulation of errors in sentence structure, word forms, or use
Is mostly unsuccessful. It represents an attempt to make a contribution to the discussion, but ideas may be hard to
follow because of limitations in language use. So, a typical response at this level may present ideas that are poorly
elaborated or only partially relevant. It displays a limited range of syntactic structures and vocabulary. There may also
be an accumulation of errors related to sentence structure, word form, or general language use.
SCORE 1 RUBRIC: The response reflects an ineffective attempt to contribute to the online discussion, and limitations
in the use of language may prevent the expression of ideas. A typical response may display the following:
• Words and phrases that indicate an attempt to address the task but with few or no coherent ideas
• Severely limited range of syntactic structures and vocabulary
• Serious and frequent errors in the use of language
• Minimal original language; any coherent language is mostly borrowed from the stimulus
Is unsuccessful. It represents an ineffective attempt to contribute to the discussion. There are limitations in language
use that may prevent the expression of ideas. Typical responses at this level may show words and phrases that
indicate an attempt to address the task but there are few or no coherent ideas expressed. Any coherent language
may be mostly copied from the stimulus and there is minimal original language. The range of syntactic structures and
vocabulary is severely limited and there are serious and frequent errors in language use in general.
SCORE 0 RUBRIC: The response is blank, rejects the topic, is not in English, is entirely copied from the prompt, is
entirely unconnected to the prompt, or consists of arbitrary keystrokes.
The writer might copy words directly, not address the topic at all, or even write in another language or submit no
response.
42 Teacher Manual
Sample Writing Responses for the Integrated Writing Task (Question 1)
Benchmark Writing Responses
To better understand each of the performance levels on the TOEFL iBT test Writing section, please refer to the
Integrated Writing Rubrics and Explanations beginning on page 38 as you read the Benchmark Writing Responses,
which are provided below. (These are in response to Writing Task #1 which will be explored in the workshop.) The
annotations following each benchmark describe each response and explain the rating it was assigned by official
ETS raters.
Benchmark 5
Response:
The reading passage and the lecture are both talking about the memoir of the Chevalier de Seingalt and its rate
of accuracy.
The first point of the lecture disputes the reading passage’s argument that the Chevalier wasn’t wealthy. The lecture
suggests that the fact that he borrowed money from Swiss merchants doesn’t mean his poverty. The Chevalier
probably had to convert his assets into money in order to pay for his parties and gambles. However, because it takes
time to do so, he may first have borrowed cash to deal with all the costs.
The second point of the lecture argues against the reading passage’s opinion about the Chevalier’s conversation with
Voltaire. The reading passage argues that the conversations may not be accurate, because the conversations had
taken place long before it was recorded. However, according to the lecture, the Chevalier used to write down every
conversation with Voltaire, immediately after they had finished conversing. As a result, the Chevalier could use his
notes and journals to complete his memoirs with Voltaire.
The third point of the lecture refers to when the Chevalier escaped from prison. It is said that the Chevalier had
escaped from jail using a piece of metal to make a hole in the ceiling, while the reading passage believes that he may
just have bribed the jailers to get out of prison. However the lecture disagree with such thought by comparing the
Chevalier to other prisoners who had even more powerful friends but never succeeded in escaping. Also, it provides a
material of the old Venician government, in which it is described that soon after the Chevalier’s escape, the ceiling of
the room he had stayed, had to be repaired.
Unlike the reading passage, the lecture considers the memoirs of the Chevalier de Seingalt as a reliable and valuable
historical source.
Annotation:
Note that in coverage of all 3 points, as well as in the final sentence of the response, the writer has explicitly indicated
what the relationship between information from the reading and the lecture is; though test takers need not do this
explicitly, it is one successful strategy for ensuring the cohesion of a response. There are a few language errors in this
response that illustrate quite well the Scoring Guide’s reference to ‘errors that…do not result in inaccurate or imprecise
presentation of content or connections’: note, for example, the word form error ‘gambles’ in point 1 coverage, and the
subject-verb agreement error (‘lecture disagree’) and less-than-ideal word choice (‘material’) in point 3 coverage. The
word choice error in point 2, ‘complete his memoirs with Voltaire’ is confusing—he did not write the memoirs with
Voltaire—but the idea of who, if anyone, wrote the memoirs along with the Chevalier is not central to this point, so
the error can be overlooked in what is overall a well-written response.
Benchmark 4
Response:
According to the reading passage, the Chevalier de Seingalt wrote a lot of things during his life, and his memoir has
become very valuable for studying European history. But there are some different ideas between the lecture and the
reading passage, which are arguing about whether his memoir is accurate and true.
Teacher Manual 43
According to the reading passage, Chevalier was very rich while living in Switzerland and he spent a lot of money.
However, he used to borrow some money from others. The evidence indicates that he was not really rich. But
according to the lecture, the professor says he needs some time to convert his work into cash, so he had to borrow
some cash for a few days.
In the reading passage, there is no doubt that he has met with Voltaire, a famous writer during that time. But it seems
impossible to capture all their conversations completely. However, according to the lecture, the professor states that the
conversations could be based on the notes or journals of Chevalier. So she thinks that the conversations could be true.
According to the reading passage, people doubt that he really escaped from the prison by making a hole in the
ceiling. People think that he was able to escape because he had very powerful friends, who could offer him a bribe.
But in the lecture, the professor indicates that other prisoners had more powerful friends that Chevalier did. Chevalier
still got to escape. That is really a good reason to support the professor’s idea. And also according to the history,
evidence shows that the ceiling of the prison was repaired after Chevalier escaped.
Annotation:
This response provides examples of inaccuracy and omission of information from the lecture that are minor. For
point 1, instead of mentioning that the Chevalier’s assets were of the type that took time to convert into money—the
lecturer refers them as ‘property’—the test taker mentions that the Chevalier had work that it took time to convert
into money. One interpretation of this is that the test taker thinks that the Chevalier had done some writing that he
was going to sell; since it’s possible that the process would also take time, the gist of the point comes through, but
that detail is wrong. Coverage of the second point also contains the gist of what the lecturer explains, but the detail
about when the Chevalier took notes—‘immediately after conversing…’—is omitted. The third point is conveyed with
mixed results: the lecturer’s contention about the other prisoners is incomplete—the assertion ‘none of them were
ever able to bribe their way to freedom’ is omitted entirely—but the reference to the prison ceiling being repaired is
well-conveyed.
Benchmark 3
Response:
Giving some logical reasons, the professor is defending the Chevalier’s memoir and making it reliable. She uses
sophistications to make the critics convince that their claim on memoir is not true.
First of all, she mentions the issue about borrowing some money from a merchant by Chevalier. She thinks the
Chevalier was in trouble with cash and he hadn’t enough time to prepare it to provide the money. So the loan is
reasonable and it doesn’t show his poverty. Secondly, the critics say that he escaped out the jail by bribing the
watchman. But we know that there were more powerful men there in the jail with much more powerful friends and
relations that made the escape so easier for them but they weren’t able to escape. Therefore, we can accept what the
Chevalier have said about the way he could manage to escape from the prison using a piece of metal and digging
the ceiling. And the last reason the critics gives on unreliability of the Chevalier’s memoir is that the details of the
conversation between Chevalier and Voltaire is not truly mentioned in details in the Chevalier’s memoir. They believe
that there’s a long period of time between the time they were conversing and the time Chevalier wrote that on paper.
And it is impossible to write the exact talk that occurred at that time. However, the professor solves the dilemma
easily. In his point of view, the Chevalier had a chance to get the tool due to the watchman’s come and go to repair the
ceiling.
Overall the professor is trying to make his opinion seem to be true.
Annotation:
The highlighted portion of the response contains a usage error that results in a degree of obscured meaning that is
characteristic of 3-level responses. The general sense of the lecturer’s first point is conveyed: the writer understands
that in the Chevalier’s day, it took time to get cash, and that this idea can be used to disprove the contention that the
Chevalier was poor. But the verb choice and the use of a pronoun with an unclear antecedent in the phrase ‘to prepare
it’ does not help the writer’s case.
44 Teacher Manual
The writer recognizes that there are 2 other points from the reading that need rebutting, but she or he may not
have been able to comprehend and/or select the important information from the lecture’s second point, about
the Chevalier’s note-taking habits. Thus the writer gets credit for conveying content from the lecture’s first and
third points. When one point is omitted entirely or, as is the case here, when the reading point is referenced but its
corresponding lecture point is not discussed, the response should be held to the score of 3.
Benchmark 2
Response:
The reading passage show Chevalier’s memoir is doubtful. In other words, it dispute about the accuracy of the
memoir. So the professor argue against the reading passage.
First she said Chevalier have needed to borrow money because he was living Switzerland for a long period. Although
he had wealth, he wasn’t living his own country and he had to borrow money from a Swiss merchant
Second, she prove about the accuracy of the conversations between Chevalier and the famous writer Voltaire.
Chevalier and Voltaire met and conversed and they will keep their contact indirectly. So though it was not a direct
contact, it can be evidence that they keep conversation.
At last, she present evidences about Chevalier’s escape from a notorious prison in Venice. There were many prisoners
who have more powerful friends. But no one escaped except Chevalier. It means jailers couldn’t be bribed to free him.
In other words, his escape was not connected his political friends.
Annotation:
This response is typical of responses that earn the score of 2 in that it omits important points made in the lecture.
Only the highlighted portion above represents sufficient coverage of information from one of the lecture points.
Benchmark 1
Response:
Before I start, I’d like to introduce very briefly about the Chevalier de Seingalt.
According to the reading passage and the lecture, he met various famous people and his memoir has been a valuable
historical source about European society in 18th. That memoir is about the all of people who he met spoken words.
It is one of the habit of the Chevalier de Seingalt. Due to that , he could be more accurate on conversations and
skeptical in critics.
Another habit is loan for fortune. That means he didn’t have any stereo type to other people about borrow or loan
the money.
Last of thing is trying to questioning to himself.
From these his passions, he could overcome anything that come from very hard situations, such as the case of the
event of he escape from a notorious prison in Venice, Italy. Chevalier is a person who is political and famous in the
world. Especially in Venice.
Annotation:
This response is best described by the Scoring Guide’s first bulleted point for the score point of 1: there is ‘little or no
meaningful or relevant coherent content from the lecture.’ As a result, it is difficult to understand whether the test
taker understood what the task for this item type actually involves. Additionally, it is difficult to derive meaning from
phrases such as ‘stereo type to other people about borrow.’
Teacher Manual 45
Writing Responses for Participants to Score
Response A
The reading passage and the lecture discusses about the accuracy of the memoir written by Chevalier de Seingalt. The
writer says that there are many parts in the memoir that are not true, and the lecturer contradicts these parts, insisting
that the memoir is indeed quite accurate.
The passage tells that he borrowed a lot of money when he lived in Switzerland, although the memoir tells that he
was very wealthy while staying there. This contradicts the fact told in the lecture that he had to borrow money in
order to purchase properties initially.
The reading passage says that the conversations between Chevalier and Voltaire can’t be accurate, because it
has been written years after the talk. However, the professor tells that Chevalier wrote down everything he could
remember after the talk, and witnesses who have lived with him have approved the fact.
The reading passage tells that Chevalier has bribed the jailers to escape from the Venetian prison, using the politically
connected friends. On the contrary, the lecturer tells that other prisoners had much stronger friends, and still they
couldn’t escape by offering bribes. Plus, after Chevalier’s escape, the ceiling of the room where he stayed had to be
repaired, which implies that he really did escape the jail by himself.
Response B
The lecture states that the Chevalier’s memoirs were accurate. The passage states that the critics are skeptical about
the accuracy of Chevalier’s memoirs. The lecture and passage are in contrary to each other. The main topics for
contention are about Chevalier’s wealth, Chevalier’s meeting with the famous writer and Chevalier’s escape from
prison in Venice. According to the passage the critics argue that these records are not accurate. The lecture defends
these records by giving sufficient proof.
The passage had stated that since Chevalier had borrowed money from a Swiss merchant he was not a rich man and
hence his memoir is not accurate. The lecture answers this by stating that Chevalier was a wealthy man. He spent a
great amount of money on parties and gambling. To support this he had to sell his property. It usually takes some
time to convert property to liquid asset. He had to take loans to support his partying and gambling habits because it
takes time to sell the property.
The critics in the passage argued that since Chevalier wrote about the conversation with Voltaire many years after
the conversation it cannot be accurate. The lecture refutes this by telling that Chevalier used to take note of his
conversation with Voltaire at the end of each day. He used these notes later while writing the memoirs. His friends had
seen him consult his notes while writing his memoirs about his meeting with Voltaire.
The critics in the passage also disagree about Chevalier’s claim on how he escaped from the prison in Venice, Italy.
They say that it is difficult to escape by making a hole in the ceiling by using a piece of metal. They state that he bribed
the jailers and they helped him to escape. He used his powerful friends to bribe the jailers. The lecture defends this by
stating that there were many others in prison who had more powerful friends than Chevalier but they were unable to
escape from jail. The lecture also states that by seeing the archives of government records of that period they could
see that the ceiling of the prison in Venice had to be repaired. Thus the lecture says that Chevalier escaped from jail
without bribing anyone.
The lecture completely defends Chevalier’s records and its accuracy, and gives enough proof and data to support the
authenticity of Chevalier’s claims. The critics in the passage have to come up with more data to disprove the accuracy
of Chevalier’s memoirs.
46 Teacher Manual
Response C
Chevalier de Seingalt, an adventurous writer, cited some stories of the incidents that happened to him, named
memoirs. Some critics believe that his writings are equivocal and not sustainable. But there are further explanations to
dispute the criticisms as follows.
First criticism interrogates the wealthiness of Chevalier. The fact that Chevalier borrowed a sum of money when he
was in Switzerland can not signify that he has not been so rich. In fact, there might had been need to a certain amount
of time for Chevalier to exchange his properties into a form by which he could organize the parties and gambling.
Therefore, he had requested a merchant to allow him to borrow that money temporarily.
The other doubt is how the Chevalier’s conversations with Voltaire could be accepted as an accurate historical
document while he has written the memoirs long years after they met. This question could be easily replied through
considering the notes that Chevalier has prepared from the conversation with Voltaire. He has probably employed the
notes to write the memoir.
Finally, some critics shed a shadow of doubt on whether Chevalier has really escaped from the Venice prison and has
not been liberated by the wars. Because he has had many friend over there. The answer is that there have been people
with more power and relations than Chevalier in that jail who did not thrive to escape from the jail. On the other
hand, there are some pieces of evidence proving that the ceiling of Chevalier’s cell was repaired sometimes ofter the
occasion of his escape.
Reading Passage
The Chevalier
Toward the end of his life, the Chevalier de Seingalt (1725−1798) wrote a long memoir recounting his life and
adventures. The Chevalier was a somewhat controversial figure, but since he met many famous people, including
kings and writers, his memoir has become a valuable historical source about European society in the eighteenth
century. However, some critics have raised doubts about the accuracy of the memoir. They claim that the Chevalier
distorted or invented many events in the memoir to make his life seem more exciting and glamorous than it really
was.
For example, critics note that in 1760, while living in Switzerland, the Chevalier claimed to have been very wealthy.
Yet evidence recently surfaced that he borrowed money from a Swiss merchant at that time. Critics argue that if the
Chevalier had been very rich, he would not have needed to borrow money.
Critics are also skeptical about the accuracy of the conversations that the Chevalier records in the memoir between
himself and the famous writer Voltaire. No one doubts that the Chevalier and Voltaire met and conversed. However,
critics complain that the memoir cannot possibly capture these conversations accurately, because it was written
many years after the conversations occurred. Critics point out that it is impossible to remember exact phrases from
extended conversations held many years earlier.
Critics have also questioned the memoir’s account of the Chevalier’s escape from a notorious prison in Venice, Italy.
He claims to have escaped the Venetian prison by using a piece of metal to make a hole in the ceiling and climbing
through the roof. Critics claim that while such a daring escape makes for enjoyable reading, it is more likely that
the Chevalier’s jailers were bribed to free him. They point out that the Chevalier had a number of politically well-
connected friends in Venice who could have offered a bribe.
Teacher Manual 47
Sample Writing Responses for the Writing for an Academic Discussion Task
(Question 2)
To better understand each of the performance levels on the TOEFL iBT Writing section, please refer to the Writing
for an Academic Discussion Rubrics and Explanations beginning on page 41 as you study the following benchmark
examples.
Your professor is teaching a class on economics. I mean, we’re so used to science and technology that we are
Write a post responding to the professor’s not even aware of all the things we use in our daily lives. I
question. would probably choose space satellites. This technology
happened in the last hundred years, and it has become
In your response, you should:
Paul important for so many things. Just think about navigation, or
• Express and support your opinion.
telecommunications, or even the military.
• Make a contribution to the discussion in
your own words. I am thinking about medical progress. Like, for example, when
scientists discovered things about healthy nutrition. I am
An effective response will contain at least 100 thinking of identifying all the vitamins we need to stay healthy.
words. You will have 10 minutes to write it. I am not sure exactly when the vitamin discoveries happened,
Claire but I know they are very important. Our health is much better
than it was 200 years ago.
Dr. Achebe
When people are asked about the most important
discoveries or inventions made in the last two
hundred years, they usually mention something
very obvious, like the computer or the cell phone.
But there are thousands of other discoveries or
inventions that have had a huge impact on how we
live today. What scientific discovery or
technological invention from the last two hundred
years—other than computers and cell phones—
would you choose as being important? Why?
Benchmark 5
Response:
I agree with Claire, medical progress is defiantely one of the best inventions in the last 200 years. However, a big
reason why we are able to be healthy is not merely because of medicine. I think sewage systems are the most
important invention. In the 19th century, with growing urban populations and pollution, all cities at that time had bad
sewer systems. The cities were dirty, smelly grounds for diseases. Proper sewage management meant that the citizens
could live healthier, pollution free lives. Moreover, many diseases like cholera could be avoided more effectively.
Hence, improving general health and life standards.
Annotation:
This is a 5-level response. It successfully contributes to the discussion by picking up on Claire’s point about medical
progress. There is considerable elaboration on Claire’s point in the explanation of how the development of urban
sanitation systems have contributed to overall health. Although there is an error in the last sentence (as written, it
is a fragment), syntactic complexity and accurate vocabulary contribute to a clear explanation of the importance of
sanitary engineering.
48 Teacher Manual
Benchmark 4
From my personal point of view, I think the most important invention is the light bulb. Before it was invented, people
had have to use candles for illumination in the evening. It’s performance is not very stable, and it is produce really
high tempreture which would probably lead to a fire accident. Light bulbs, however, produce constant and bright
lighting at nights. One light bulb could use for several years, which is quite convenient-people don’t need to storage
many bulbs. What’s more, it is safer than past candles. This is a huge progress in technology, and I consider it as the
most vital invention from the last 200 years.
Annotation:
This response, a generally successful contribution, doesn’t rise to the 5-level descriptor of “almost no lexical or
grammatical” errors (e.g., “had have to use,” “it is produce,” “one light bulb could use,” “don’t need to storage”). It
nevertheless employs a variety of syntactic structures and word choice that are often (though not always) appropriate.
Most ideas are adequately elaborated and easily understood; it’s clear why the writer thinks the light bulb is the most
important invention (e.g., it’s safe, and it lasts a long time), as expected for a 4-level response.
Benchmark 3
I think the most important discovery is the light, because without it today we would not be able to enjoy anything we
have today, such as computers, television, cellphones and everything... Then the medicines that help and save lives,
as Claire said, today we have a healthy and much better life than in the past... Vehicles are another wonderful creation
of man, today we can meet other places and people, much faster than we could imagine in the past, and i love cars,
especially the olders
Annotation:
In this partially successful response, it is possible that by referring to a number of different inventions (choice of most
important invention, “light” / classmate’s post, “medicine” / another choice of an important invention, “vehicles”), the
writer then was not able to provide elaboration that would make this response more than just “partially successful.”
This lack of focus results in a somewhat list-like response, which is best characterized as “elaboration in which part of
an explanation, example or detail, may be missing, unclear, or irrelevant.” This list-like approach provides only limited
opportunity for the writer to show his or her facility with language, and what is shown fits with the 3-level descriptor
of “some noticeable errors” (e.g., “meet other places,” “especially the olders”).
Benchmark 2
I mean , the develpment of traffic really make a great of difference of our daily life. In the past , when the traffic is not
convient , people had a difficult to delivey food or travel to visit friends and relatives that long time no see . As the
develpment of traffic , the economy is developing too because people can sell things to other area and get things
from differernt places more easily . M
Annotation:
In this 2-level response, the writer’s ideas are difficult to follow right from the start; the aim here was probably to
identify the development of transportation as the most important technological invention, but poor word choice
makes that unclear. Nonetheless, unlike a response that would only meet the 1-level overarching descriptor, this
response can be understood as an attempt to make a relevant contribution to the discussion (e.g., because of traffic/
transportation, “the economy is developing too because people can sell things to other area…more easily”).
Teacher Manual 49
Benchmark 1
According to me, science and technology is very advance. but some of the peoples are not aware about science and
technology. we see many thing discoveries of phones, setellites are very effection
Annotation:
This unsuccessful response seems mainly to be discussing the importance of science and technology rather
than identifying the one most important invention or discovery. This does not seem to be a rejection of the topic
(score point 0); in fact, there may be an attempt in the last sentence (“… discoveries of phones, setellites are very
effection…”) to make a contribution to the discussion by referring to Paul’s post, which focuses on satellites. However,
the reader is forced to guess at how the content is related to the discussion. Additionally, language use errors are
severe and frequent, making meaning difficult to discern.
Writing Responses for Participants to Score

Response A
For me, the invention of the airpline, by brazilian inventor Santos Dumont, is a good example of a important invention
from the last two centuries.It made possible to connect different place even if they are thousand of miles away from
another.People can be in any place of the world within twenty four hours or less from the time they get inside an
airplane.This is fantastic!Also, the world trade become more efficient.You can eat fresh lobsters from northeastern
Brazil even if you are in Dubai!I think that is really interesting.Since the ancient Greece the man wanted to fly like the
birds, and Mr Dumont made it possible.And I am partiullary proud of him because he was a brazilian citizen, just like
me.So, thats my opinion, I could show you some of my admiration for this great man and his beautiful invention.
Annotation:
This is a generally successful response (band 4). It makes a relevant contribution to the discussion. The writer’s
choice of airplanes as the most important invention is clear, and the reasons the writer has chosen this invention are
adequately elaborated (speed of travel, effect on world trade, national pride in the inventor) with plenty of details.
Nevertheless, the response does not reach band 5 because of grammatical errors (“it made possible to connect,”
“thousand of miles,” “place of the world,” “world trade become more efficient”) which go beyond what would
be produced by a competent writer under timed conditions. The response also lacks the more precise, idiomatic
language that would be seen at the 5 level.
Response B
The chemisty improvement should be mentioned.With so many different icons and elements being discovered and
even created,humnas are able to creat materials that are far more useful than those in the past.For instance,the steals
now are more solid than and water-proof thanks to the chemical progress.In another case,we have plasitc bags that
are useful when we go shopping,but since plastic bags can do great harm to the environment,they are replaced with
more advanced bags.Some chemisty improvement are widely used in geolegy,medicine,clothing and other areas.
Therefore,the time has witness
Annotation:
This is a partially successful response (band 3). The writer makes a relevant contribution to the discussion by claiming
that improvements in chemistry have also been an important discovery. The writer supports this idea by stating that
new and improved materials, useful to humans, are a result of these discoveries. However, the response becomes
unclear when the writer attempts to develop these ideas. (Details and explanations about developments in steel are
unclear or incomplete, and the point about “plastic bags” and “more advanced” bags lacks clarity). The response also
contains a number of noticeable grammatical errors in sentence structure and word form (“…the steals now are more
solid than and water-proof…”), although it also contains some accurate and effective structures (e.g., “…hum[an]s are
able to creat[e] materials that are far more useful than those in the past.”).
50 Teacher Manual
Additional Sample Writing Responses
As with speaking, a score level in the Writing section also represents a range of ability. Performances within a level
can vary slightly from one test taker to the next and from one response to the next. Additional Sample Writing
Responses are provided online at www.ets.org/toefl/ibt_workshop_materials to help better understand this
performance range. As you read several test takers’ responses to tasks on the Writing section of the TOEFL iBT test,
please refer to the following:
• Integrated Writing Rubric (at the end of this book)
• Writing for an Academic Discussion Rubric (at the end of this book)
• The annotations online at www.ets.org/toefl/ibt_workshop_materials
Teacher Manual 51
Reading, Listening,
Speaking & Writing Activities
Activities-at-a-Glance
Activities
At-a-Glance
1
ACTIVITY Title KWL
Target Skill Reading to Learn
Proficiency Level Any
Learning Objectives • Use strategies before, during, and after reading to aid in the construction and enhancement
of meaning
2
ACTIVITY Title Syllable Sort
Target Skill Reading; also Speaking
Learning Objectives • Identify vocabulary meaning
• Produce speech that is intelligible
3
ACTIVITY Title Dance Article Sequencing
Target Skill Reading for Basic Comprehension and Reading to Learn
Proficiency Level High Intermediate/Advanced
Learning Objectives • Make inferences based on what is implied in a passage
• Recognize the organization and purpose of a passage
• Recognize logical sequencing of text
4
ACTIVITY Title Cave-Painting Article
Learning Objectives • Identify the main idea of a passage
• Identify key facts and important information in a passage
• Make inferences based on what is implied in a passage
• Create a mental framework, such as a category chart or an outline/summary, for organizing and
recalling major points and important details
• Distinguish between major points and minor points of information
• Recognize and create accurate paraphrases of information from a text
5
ACTIVITY Title Library Conversation
Target Skill Listening for Basic Comprehension and Pragmatic Understanding
Proficiency Level Intermediate
Learning Objectives • Identify major points and important details of a conversation
• Recognize a speaker’s attitude and degree of certainty
• Identify the overall purpose of the communication, such as to complain or apologize
6
ACTIVITY Title Stress and Intonation
Target Skill Listening for Pragmatic Understanding
Proficiency Level Intermediate/High Intermediate
Learning Objectives • Recognize how word/sentence stress and intonation help convey meaning.
7
ACTIVITY Title Like it or Dislike it
Target Skill Independent Speaking
Proficiency Level Low Intermediate
Learning Objectives • Express and justify likes, dislikes, values, and preferences
54 Activities
8
ACTIVITIES
ACTIVITY Title Ancient Sites
Target Skill Integrated Speaking
Proficiency Level Intermediate/Advanced
Learning Objectives • Give a spoken summary of a reading or listening passage
• Analyze integrated Speaking task types
• Sustain speech at an even pace for a short time
9
ACTIVITY Title Speaking about Familiar Topics
Target Skill Speaking
Learning Objectives • Describe familiar persons, places, and activities
• Talk about events and actions
• Use vocabulary effectively
• Use an appropriate range of grammatical structures
• Sustain speech at an even pace for a short time (1 minute)
10
ACTIVITY Title Cultural Relics
Target Skill Integrated Writing
Learning Objectives • Introduce and practice contrasting
• Write a paragraph
11
ACTIVITY Title Self-Employment
Target Skill Writing
Learning Objectives • Write for academic discussion
• Write and support opinions
• Understand the Writing for an Academic Discussion task
12
ACTIVITY Title Robot Teachers
Learning Objectives • Write for academic discussion
• Express agreement and disagreement in writing
Activities 55
Reading Activities
1
ACTIVITY
Instructor
Title KWL
• Use strategies before, during, and after reading to aid in the construction and
Learning Objectives
enhancement of meaning
Materials KWL Chart, any reading passage
Time 30 minutes
Instructor Directions
This activity helps activate prior knowledge about an academic topic. By activating prior knowledge about a topic,
students will be better able to comprehend a new text. Because students are reading with the intent to learn new
information, students read actively. In addition, this activity gives students practice in summarizing a text.
1. Give each student a copy of the KWL chart.

2. Tell students the title or main topic of the reading passage that they will read.
3. Have students work alone or with a partner to write down all of the facts that they already know about the
topic.
4. Draw a KWL chart on the board.
5. Elicit ideas from the whole class and complete the K column on the board.
6. Have students work alone or with a partner to write down at least 3 or 4 additional facts that they want to know
about the topic.
7. Hand out the reading passage. Ask students to read the passage and notice whether the passage contains any
information that they already know, and whether it answers any questions that they want to know.
8. Ask the students some basic comprehension questions about the passage. Clarify as needed.
9. Ask students to work alone or with a partner to write down any new information that they learned from
the passage.
56 Activities
1
ACTIVITY
ACTIVITIES—READING
Student
Title KWL
• Use strategies before, during, and after reading to aid in the construction and
Learning Objectives
enhancement of meaning
Student Directions
1. Look at your copy of the KWL chart.
2. Your teacher will tell you the title or main topic of the reading passage that you will read.
3. Work alone or with a partner to write down all of the facts that you already know about the topic.
4. Look at the KWL chart that your instructor has on the board.
5. Give some of your ideas for the K column and your teacher will write them on the board.
6. Work alone or with a partner to write down at least 3 or 4 additional facts that you want to know about the
topic.
7. Your instructor will give you a reading passage. Read the passage and notice whether the passage contains any
information that you already know, and whether it answers any questions that you want to know.
8. Your instructor will ask you some questions. Answer the basic comprehension questions about the passage.
9. Work alone or with a partner to write down any new information that you learned from the passage.
Activities 57
1
ACTIVITY
Student Handout—KWL
Topic: ________________________________________________________________
K W L
What I already KNOW about What I WANT to know What I’ve LEARNED about
the topic before reading about the topic the topic after reading
58 Activities
2
ACTIVITY
Instructor
Title Syllable Sort

Learning Objectives
Materials KWL Chart, any reading passage
Time 30 minutes
The purpose of this activity is to give students an opportunity to “play” with words. Students need multiple exposures
to a new word before it can become part of their own active or passive vocabulary. This can be used as a pre-reading
task where students skim a reading passage quickly before reading it. This can also be used as a follow-up task after
students have read the passage and answered comprehension questions about it.
1. Give students Handout 1.

2. Ask students to skim a reading text in order to find words with different numbers of syllables.
3. Ask students to write the words in the appropriate columns.
4. Ask students to check their work with a partner.
5. Read aloud words from each column and ask students to repeat after you.
If your students are competitive, you can see who can complete the activity first!
Activities 59
2
ACTIVITY
Student
Title Syllable Sort

Learning Objectives
Student Directions
Handout 1
Look at a reading text. Find words with different numbers of syllables. Write the words in the appropriate columns.
1-Syllable 2-Syllable 3-Syllable 4-Syllable

Words Words Words Words
60 Activities
3
ACTIVITY
Instructor
Title Dance Article Sequencing

Learning Objectives • Recognize the organization and purpose of a passage
Materials Dance article
Part 1: 1 hour
Time
Part 2: 1 hour
Part 1:
1. Make several copies of the dance article on page 63. Cut each copy of the article into its 4 paragraphs, and mix
up each set of 4 paragraphs so that they are in a different order.
2. Before beginning the activity, ask the students some pre-reading questions about the art of dancing, such as:
• What are the different types of dance?
• What is the difference between creating and performing a dance?
• What do you know about Western dance?
• How is Western dance similar to or different from dance in your own country?
• D
o professional dancers create their own dances, or are they only performing the dance that has been
created by others?
3. Have students form groups of 3 to 5, and give 1 set of the mixed paragraphs to each group. (The students
should not have read the article before this activity.)
4. Ask the students to put the 4 paragraphs in order and discuss why they chose that order.
5. Ask a representative from each group to present the order his or her group has chosen and to give at least 2
reasons for the group’s choice.
6. With the whole class, discuss the main idea of each paragraph and how each idea builds on the next idea.
7. Have the students work in their groups to circle the main idea and underline the words and phrases that help
them follow how the ideas are continued from one paragraph to the next.
Activities 61
3
ACTIVITY
Instructor (Continued)
8. After the students have completed their underlining task, hand out copies of page 64.
Discuss the ideas that are continued from these words and phrases:
• male-dominated
• in the hands of men
• agitation for…personal freedom…came from…women
• T he women who created modern dance were asserting for themselves…
the right to follow personal inspiration
Also discuss any additional cues the students may have found.
9. Collect the paragraph sets from the groups.
Part 2:
1. O
n another day, make several copies of the first paragraph of the dance article. Take each copy and cut the
paragraph into 4 separate sentences. Mix up the sentences in each set so that they are in a different order
from the original.
2. Have students form groups of 3 to 5, and give 1 set of the mixed sentences to each group.
3. Ask students to place the sentences in the correct order.
4. S how the students the correct sentence order by using an overhead projector. Discuss what the main idea is
and what the supporting ideas are in the first paragraph.
5. Discuss grammatical cues such as the following:
• I n sentence 1 of paragraph 1, the use of “…not just…was also…” places emphasis on the second part of
the sentence, which contains the main idea of the article: that art (dance) is about who is creating it and
not just about who is performing it.
6. Refer the students to the chart of transitional words and phrases (page 66). Briefly discuss the use of each
category listed.
7. M
ake several copies of the second paragraph of the dance article. Take each copy and cut that paragraph into 4
separate sets. Mix up the sentences in each set.
8. H
ave students work in their groups to place the sentences in correct order. Have them look for transitional
words and phrases in the sentences to help find the logical sequence of the text.
9. Ask the students to present their choice of the correct order of sentences to the class and to explain why they
chose that order.
62 Activities
3
ACTIVITY
Student Handout
ORIGINAL SAMPLE
-
Reading Passage
Dance Article
The revolutionary force of fresh ideas known as “modern dance,” which developed at the start of the twentieth
century, was not just about how dancers were supposed to move; it was also about how art should be made and
who should make it. In the West, dance as a serious theater art had always been a male-dominated group endeavor,
requiring the contributions of hundreds of individuals (from dancers and musicians to carpenters and stagehands)
and substantial outlays of money. There was virtually no way to practice the art of dance, either as a dancer or a
choreographer, outside the large ballet companies. Like most large enterprises, especially those that rely on the
support of the wealthy and powerful, ballet companies tended to resist change.
Ballet was unique in one way: although its dominant institutions were in the hands of men, the stars of the ballet
stage were women. In no other nineteenth-century enterprise, artistic or otherwise, did women play so significant
a role as they did in classical ballet. Behind the scenes, it is true, men remained in charge. Even the most acclaimed
ballerinas danced, quite literally, to the tunes of men. With rare exceptions, men composed the music and the
librettos, devised and staged the dances, collected and disbursed the money, and, as ballet masters and critics, set
the standards and shaped the images that the dancers embodied onstage and off. A ballerina might express her
personality in her dancing, but that personality was expressed through companies owned and managed by men.
Nevertheless, dance was one area of public endeavor in nineteenth-century Europe where women’s talents were
not only prized but idolized. The ballerinas whom audiences cheered were well rewarded; they had both money and
fame. It is not surprising that they did not separate themselves from the institutions and traditions that had nurtured
them to strike out on their own by creating dances of a purely personal inspiration under conditions of their choosing.
When agitation for this kind of personal freedom began, it came not from within the ballet establishment, but from
women like Loe Fuller at the Folies-Bergère in Paris, who designed, choreographed, and organized her own dance
show. The goal of these women was unfettered self-expression through body movement. The freedom they won for
themselves has invigorated theatrical dance in the West, including ballet, ever since.
The women who created modern dance were asserting for themselves something that poets and painters in the West
had come to take for granted by the end of the nineteenth century: the right to follow personal inspiration without
following the tastes of some private or institutional patron. This right was inherent in the cultural phenomenon
known as Romanticism that began in Europe toward the end of the eighteenth century. Although Romanticism
meant different things at different times to different people, common to all its manifestations was an emphasis
on the individual as opposed to society, on feelings and intuition as opposed to rationality and calculation, on an
almost mystical faith in the ability of an inspired artist to perceive universal truths and to communicate those truths
to others. Romanticism had a built-in bias against the status quo; the artist needed no official sanction for his or her
genius, and could expect incomprehension and resistance from the institutions that society had set up to monitor
“good taste” in the arts. William Wordsworth, who challenged accepted taste in English poetry at the beginning of the
nineteenth century, urged would-be poets to look within for their justification. “You feel strongly, trust those feelings,
and your poem will take its shape and proportions as a tree does from the vital principle that actuates it.” If the word
“poem” is changed to “dance,” you have the recipe that the pioneer of modern dance, Isadora Duncan, followed in her
seminal career.
Activities 63
3
ACTIVITY
Student Handout (Continued)
SAMPLE ANSWER
Reading Passage
Dance Article
Sample answer with main idea highlighted and key words and phrases underlined.
The revolutionary force of fresh ideas known as “modern dance,” which developed at the start of the twentieth
century, was not just about how dancers were supposed to move; it was also about how art should be made and
who should make it. In the West, dance as a serious theater art had always been a male-dominated group endeavor,
requiring the contributions of hundreds of individuals (from dancers and musicians to carpenters and stagehands)
and substantial outlays of money. There was virtually no way to practice the art of dance, either as a dancer or a
choreographer, outside the large ballet companies. Like most large enterprises, especially those that rely on the
support of the wealthy and powerful, ballet companies tended to resist change.
Ballet was unique in one way: although its dominant institutions were in the hands of men, the stars of the ballet
stage were women. In no other nineteenth-century enterprise, artistic or otherwise, did women play so significant
a role as they did in classical ballet. Behind the scenes, it is true, men remained in charge. Even the most acclaimed
ballerinas danced, quite literally, to the tunes of men. With rare exceptions, men composed the music and the
librettos, devised and staged the dances, collected and disbursed the money, and, as ballet masters and critics, set
the standards and shaped the images that the dancers embodied onstage and off. A ballerina might express her
personality in her dancing, but that personality was expressed through companies owned and managed by men.
Nevertheless, dance was one area of public endeavor in nineteenth-century Europe where women’s talents were
not only prized but idolized. The ballerinas whom audiences cheered were well rewarded; they had both money and
fame. It is not surprising that they did not separate themselves from the institutions and traditions that had nurtured
them to strike out on their own by creating dances of a purely personal inspiration under conditions of their choosing.
When agitation for this kind of personal freedom began, it came not from within the ballet establishment, but from
women like Loe Fuller at the Folies-Bergère in Paris, who designed, choreographed, and organized her own dance
show. The goal of these women was unfettered self-expression through body movement. The freedom they won for
themselves has invigorated theatrical dance in the West, including ballet, ever since.
The women who created modern dance were asserting for themselves something that poets and painters in the West
had come to take for granted by the end of the nineteenth century: the right to follow personal inspiration without
following the tastes of some private or institutional patron. This right was inherent in the cultural phenomenon
known as Romanticism that began in Europe toward the end of the eighteenth century. Although Romanticism
meant different things at different times to different people, common to all its manifestations was an emphasis
on the individual as opposed to society, on feelings and intuition as opposed to rationality and calculation, on an
almost mystical faith in the ability of an inspired artist to perceive universal truths and to communicate those truths
to others. Romanticism had a built-in bias against the status quo; the artist needed no official sanction for his or her
genius, and could expect incomprehension and resistance from the institutions that society had set up to monitor
“good taste” in the arts. William Wordsworth, who challenged accepted taste in English poetry at the beginning of the
nineteenth century, urged would-be poets to look within for their justification. “You feel strongly, trust those feelings,
and your poem will take its shape and proportions as a tree does from the vital principle that actuates it.” If the word
“poem” is changed to “dance,” you have the recipe that the pioneer of modern dance, Isadora Duncan, followed in her
seminal career.
64 Activities
3
ACTIVITY
Student
Title Dance Article

Learning Objectives • Recognize the organization and purpose of a passage
Student Directions
Part 1:
1. In your small group, look at the 4 separate paragraphs of an article about dance. Place the paragraphs in logical
order and discuss why you believe this is the correct order.
2. Have someone in your group present the order you have chosen to the class and give at least 2 reasons for
your choice.
3. Your instructor will discuss with the class what the main idea of each of the 4 paragraphs is. After this, work
with your group to underline the words and phrases that help you follow how the ideas are continued from
one paragraph to the next.
4. Hand the set of 4 paragraphs back to your instructor. Work alone or with a partner to write down any new
information that you learned from the passage.
Part 2:
1. In your small group, look at the 4 separate sentences given to you by your instructor and place the sentences in
the correct order.
2. After discussing the correct order with your instructor, look at the 9 additional sentences given to you from the
second paragraph and place the sentences in the correct order.
3. Review the list of the transitional words and phrases listed on the next page with your instructor. Working in
your group, locate any of these transitional words in the 9 sentences and underline them.
4. Use these transitional words to help you place the sentences into logical order.
5. Present the order you chose to the class, and refer to the underlined words that helped you make that choice.
Activities 65
3
ACTIVITY
Student (Continued)
Transitional Words and Phrases and Their Purpose
again, also, and, and then, finally, first, second, third, next, still,
Sequence: to show order of information or events; logical
too, and so forth, afterward, subsequently, finally, consequently,
development of ideas
previously, before this, simultaneously, concurrently
besides, equally important, finally, further, furthermore, nor, lastly,

To add information
what’s more, moreover, in addition
because, for, since, for the same reason, obviously, evidently,

To prove a point furthermore, moreover, besides, indeed, in fact, in addition, in any
case, that is
whereas, but, yet, on the other hand, however, nevertheless, on

the contrary, by comparison, where, compared to, up against,
To compare and contrast ideas, events, and points of view balanced against, vis-à-vis, although, conversely, meanwhile,
after all, in contrast, although this may be true, still, though, yet,
despite, as opposed to
immediately, thereafter, soon, after a few hours, finally, then, later,

Time (sequence of events) previously, formerly, first (second, third, etc.), next, and then, as
long as, as soon as
Cause and effect: what makes something happen (cause) as a result, because, consequently, for this purpose, so, then,
and the result (effect) therefore, to this end
definitely, extremely, obviously, in fact, indeed, in any case,

absolutely, positively, naturally, surprisingly, always, forever,
Emphasis (of a point or idea)
perennially, eternally, never, emphatically, unquestionably,
without a doubt, certainly, undeniably, without reservation
Exception (to show an exception to rules, ideas, events, and yet, still, however, nevertheless, in spite of, despite, of course, once
so on) in a while, sometimes
for example, for instance, in this case, in another case, on this

Examples (to introduce examples of a point or idea) occasion, in this situation, take the case of, to demonstrate, to
illustrate, as an illustration, such as
in brief, on the whole, summing it up, to conclude, in conclusion,

To summarize and conclude an explanation of ideas, points,
as I have shown, hence, therefore, accordingly, thus, as a result,
or events
consequently, as has been noted, as we have seen
66 Activities
4
ACTIVITY
Instructor
Title Cave-Painting Article
• Identify the main idea of a passage

Learning Objectives
• Create a mental framework, such as a category chart or an outline/summary,
for organizing and recalling major points and important details
Materials Lascaux-cave-paintings article on page 70
Part 1: 30 minutes
Time Part 2: 30 minutes
Part 3: 1 hour
Part 1:
1. Before beginning the activity, ask the students some pre-reading questions, such as:
• What do you know about ancient cave dwellers?

• Why do you think ancient cave dwellers created cave paintings?
2. Discuss with the entire class the importance of making inferences (recognizing ideas that are implied but not
directly stated) in a reading. (You can draw conclusions from the information provided in a reading.)
3. Have the students quickly read the entire passage just to get a sense of the overall meaning and major points.
4. Have students reread the first 2 paragraphs of the Lascaux-cave-paintings article.
In the second paragraph, the author discusses the location of the cave paintings. Have the students work in
pairs to review the following statements and decide which are directly stated in the paragraph and which are
implied by the reading. Have the students circle the statements that are implied.
• In France and Spain, cave paintings were found deep inside the caves.
• In other parts of the world, cave paintings were found near cave entrances or out in the open.
• Artists in other places wanted others to easily see the paintings.
• In France and Spain, the artists had to work in cramped and dark places.
• Artists in other places had plenty of natural light.
Ask students to make other inferences or form other conclusions based on what is implied in this paragraph.
Activities 67
4
ACTIVITY
5. Have the students reread the rest of the reading passage and create a list of additional inferences and conclusions
they can make.
Part 2:
One effective way of organizing information from a reading passage is to create a mental framework for the major
and minor points presented. Outlining the information is one framework, and categorizing the information in chart
form is another.
1. In this part of the activity, students practice creating a chart to organize the information presented in the
Lascaux-cave-paintings article. Have students read paragraphs 3, 4, and 5 of the article.
2. After they have read the paragraphs at least once, give the students the chart below. Have the students find
partners and work together to place the 7 pieces of information from the reading into the appropriate section
of the chart. (This information is in note form, and not necessarily in complete sentences.) Students need to
differentiate between the opinions presented, as well as the supporting details about those opinions.
(See answer key on page 69.)
Scholars’ Opinions about Why Lascaux Reasons That Substantiate Reasons That Disprove
Cave Dwellers Hid Their Art (support) This Opinion This Opinion
a. Explains why over-painting occurred—because the pictures had no further use after the hunt.
b. No proof that drawings of men are shamans; they could be hunters instead.
c. Opinion—related to special hunting ceremonies to prepare hunters for the hunt.
d. Does not explain why the paintings were hidden so well.
e. There were many layers of painting, possibly showing different years of migrations.
f. Elements of drawings include geometric patterns near animals and men, as well as drawings
of men that have bird or animal heads.
g. Opinion—record of seasonal migrations of animal herds.
68 Activities
3. Hand out the answer key below so students can check the accuracy of their answers.
Discuss any questions as needed.
• A
sk the students how charting information from a text helped improve their comprehension
of the information.
Options for advanced students
(These will take longer than the 30 minutes suggested for Part 2. The work can be done individually or in pairs.)
1. Have students find at least 3 other details that are not listed above and add them to the appropriate spaces
in the chart.
2. Give the chart to the students with the 3 opinions filled in and no other answer choices. Have the students
fill in the rest of the chart without help from other students or the instructor.
3. Give the chart to the students completely blank with no answer choices and have them fill it out themselves.
Part 3:
1. On another day, have the students paraphrase the information from the charts without looking at the original
text.
2. After their summaries are written, have the students refer back to the original text to make sure they used
different words and sentence structures in their paraphrases.
3. Have the students compare their summaries with partners.
4. Have students form groups of 3. Ask each group member to select 1 of the 3 opinions discussed and explain
the reasons to either support or disprove it. The students should not just read what they have written in their
summaries, but orally paraphrase the notes from their charts.
Answer Key for Category Chart

There were many layers of painting,

Opinion—record of seasonal
possibly showing different years of
migrations of animal herds.
migrations.
Pictures show animals wounded by

Opinion—related to special hunting arrows and spears.
ceremonies to prepare hunters for Explains why over-painting
the hunt. occurred—because the pictures had
no further use after the hunt.
Opinion—related to deeper tribal Elements of drawings include

No proof that drawings of men
ceremony and mythology—certain geometrical patterns near animals
are shamans; they could be
animals were ancient ancestors or and men, as well as drawings of men
hunters instead.
protectors of the tribe. that have bird or animal heads.
Activities 69
4
ACTIVITY
Student Handout
Reading Passage
Lascaux-Cave-Painting Text
In Southwest France in the 1940s, playing children discovered Lascaux Grotto, a series of narrow cave chambers that
contain huge prehistoric paintings of animals. Many of these beasts are as large as 16 feet (almost 5 meters). Some
follow each other in solemn parades, but others swirl about, sideways and upside down. The animals are bulls, wild
horses, reindeer, bison, and mammoths outlined with charcoal and painted mostly in reds, yellow, and browns. Scientific
analysis reveals that the colors were derived from ocher and other iron oxides ground into a fine powder. Methods
of applying color varied: some colors were brushed or smeared on rock surfaces and others were blown or sprayed.
It is possible that tubes made from animal bones were used for spraying because hollow bones, some stained with
pigment, have been found nearby.
One of the most puzzling aspects of the paintings is their location. Other rock paintings—for example, those of Bushmen
in South Africa—are either located near cave entrances or completely in the open. Cave paintings in France and Spain,
however, are in recesses and caverns far removed from original cave entrances. This means that artists were forced to
work in cramped spaces and without sources of natural light. It also implies that whoever made them did not want
them to be easily found. Since cave dwellers normally lived close to entrances, there must have been some reason
why so many generations of Lascaux cave dwellers hid their art.
Scholars offer three related but different opinions about the mysterious origin and significance of these paintings.
One opinion is that the paintings were a record of seasonal migrations made by herds. Because some paintings
were made directly over others, obliterating them, it is possible that a painting’s value ended with the migration it
pictured. Unfortunately, this explanation fails to explain the hidden locations, unless the migrations were celebrated
with secret ceremonies.
Another opinion is that the paintings were directly related to hunting and were an essential part of a special
preparation ceremony. This opinion holds that the pictures and whatever ceremony they accompanied were an
ancient method of psychologically motivating hunters. It is conceivable that before going hunting, the hunters would
draw or study pictures of animals and imagine a successful hunt. Considerable support exists for this opinion because
several animals in the pictures are wounded by arrows and spears. This opinion also attempts to solve the over-
painting by explaining that an animal’s picture had no further use after the hunt.
A third opinion takes psychological motivation much further into the realm of tribal ceremonies and mystery: the belief
that certain animals assumed mythical significance as ancient ancestors or protectors of a given tribe or clan. Two types
of images substantiate this theory: the strange, indecipherable geometric shapes that appear near some animals, and
the few drawings of men. Whenever men appear, they are crudely drawn and their bodies are elongated and rigid.
Some men are in a prone position and some have bird or animal heads. Advocates for this opinion point to reports
from people who have experienced a trance state, a highly suggestive state of low consciousness between waking
and sleeping. Uniformly, these people experienced weightlessness and the sensation that their bodies were being
stretched lengthwise. Advocates also point to people who believe that the forces of nature are inhabited by spirits,
particularly shamans* who believe that an animal’s spirit and energy is transferred to them while in a trance. One
Lascaux narrative picture, which shows a man with a birdlike head and a wounded animal, would seem to lend
credence to this third opinion, but there is still much that remains unexplained. For example, where is the proof that the
man in the picture is a shaman? He could as easily be a hunter wearing a head mask. Many tribal hunters, including
some Native Americans, camouflaged themselves by wearing animal heads and hides.
Perhaps so much time has passed that there will never be satisfactory answers to the cave images, but their mystique
only adds to their importance. Certainly a great art exists, and by its existence reveals that ancient human beings were
not without intelligence, skill, and sensitivity.
*Shamans: holy people who act as healers and diviners
70 Activities
Activities 71
4
ACTIVITY
Student
Title Cave-Painting Article
• Identify the main idea of a passage

Learning Objectives
• Create a mental framework, such as a category chart or an outline/summary,
for organizing and recalling major points and important details
Student Directions
Part 1:
1. Read the entire Lascaux-cave-paintings article just to get a sense of the main topic and major points.
Do not worry about understanding it completely, because you will read it again during this activity.
2. Reread the first 2 paragraphs of the article.
3. In the second paragraph, the author discusses the locations of the cave paintings. Review the following
statements with a partner and together decide which are directly stated in the paragraph and which are
implied by the reading. Circle the statements that are implied.
• In France and Spain, cave paintings were found deep inside the caves.
• I n other parts of the world, cave paintings were found near cave entrances or
out in the open.
• Artists in other places wanted others to easily see the paintings.
• In France and Spain, the artists had to work in cramped and dark places.
• Artists in other places had plenty of natural light.
4. With your partner, identify other inferences or conclusions you can make based on what is implied in
this paragraph.
5. Reread the rest of the article with your partner and create a list of additional inferences and conclusions
that you can make.
72 Activities
Part 2:
1. Read paragraphs 3, 4, and 5 of the article.
2. With your partner, place the 9 pieces of information from the article into the appropriate sections of the chart
on page 71. (This information is in note form, and not necessarily in complete sentences.)
• Explains why over-painting occurred—because the pictures had no further use after the hunt.
• No proof that drawings of men are shamans; they could be hunters instead.
• Opinion—related to special hunting ceremonies to prepare hunters for the hunt.
• Does not explain why the paintings were hidden so well.
• There were many layers of painting, possibly showing different years of migrations.
• E lements of drawings include geometric patterns near animals and men, as well as drawings of men
that have bird or animal heads.
• O
pinion—related to deeper tribal ceremony and mythology—certain animals were ancient ancestors or
protectors of the tribe.
• Pictures show animals wounded by arrows and spears.
• Opinion—record of seasonal migrations of animal herds.
3. Check for the accuracy of your answers in the answer key that your instructor gives you.
4. Think about how charting information from a text helped improve your comprehension of the information.
Discuss this with the entire class.
Part Three:
1. Paraphrase the information from the chart without looking at the original text.
2. After your summary is written, refer back to the original text to make sure you have used different words and
sentence structures in your paraphrases.
3. Compare your summary with a partner.
4. Gather in groups of 3. Select one of the opinions discussed in the article and explain the reasons that either
support or disprove the opinion. You should not just read your summary but orally paraphrase the notes in the
chart.
Activities 73
Listening Activities
5
ACTIVITY
Instructor
Title Library Conversation
• Identify major points and important details of a conversation

Learning Objectives
• Identify the overall purpose of the communication, such as
to complain or apologize
Audio recording of “Library Conversation” at
Materials
www.ets.org/toefl/ibt_workshop_materials
Part 1: 30 minutes
Time
Part 2: 20 minutes
Part 1:
1. Before beginning the activity, ask the students some pre-listening questions, such as: Where do you usually
look for information in the library? Have you ever asked a librarian for help finding a reference in the library?
2. Play the audio from Listening Set 4 of the TOEFL iBT® practice test, which is at www.ets.org/toefl/ibt_
workshop_materials, and have the students listen to the entire conversation. The conversation takes place in
the library between a student and a reference librarian.
3. Arrange students in groups of 3 to 5, and ask each group to list the important details of the conversation (e.g.,
who the student talks to, what he wants, what someone tells him, what he does next). Each group should
choose 1 student to be the recorder, who will write the important details of the conversation.
4. Have each group share its list. List all the details on the board where everyone can see.
5. Have the students listen to the conversation again, and have the groups check for any missing details or facts.
6. Have each group share any additional details, and list them on the board.
7. Have students write down the details listed on the board and write a summary of the conversation for
homework.
74 Activities
Part 2:
ACTIVITIES—LISTENING
1. On another day, play the conversation a third time for the students.
2. List the following discussion questions on the board (or on an overhead):
• What is the student’s purpose for talking to the librarian?

• Describe the attitude of the student. What clues are in the conversation to help you do this?
• Describe the attitude of the librarian. What clues are in the conversation to help you do this?
• Does the attitude of either speaker change during the conversation?
• Describe the degree of certainty of the librarian. What clues are in the conversation to help you do this?
3. Have the students discuss these questions in their small groups. Students can use the vocabulary provided
below as a guide for their discussion of the speaker’s attitude, degree of certainty, purpose, and motivation.
Vocabulary
For Attitude* For Degree of Certainty For Purpose or Motivation
Frustrated Unsure/uncertain To answer a question
Hopeful Not very sure/certain To apologize
Impatient Somewhat sure/certain To complain
Patient Quite sure/certain To get help with a problem
Relaxed Very sure/certain To offer
Unconcerned Absolutely sure/certain To provide feedback
Understanding Doubtful To recommend
Worried Somewhat doubtful To suggest
Somewhat confident
Quite confident
Very confident
Absolutely confident
*A feeling or emotion about a fact or state
Activities 75
5
ACTIVITY
Listening Passage — Library Conversation Transcript
Narrator
Listen to part of a conversation in a library.
Librarian
Hi. Can I help you?
Student
Yeah, I’m looking for a reference book.
Librarian
OK. Do you know the title?
Student
Well, that’s the thing. I’m not exactly sure what I’m looking for. I need, uh, information on European demographics.
Librarian
OK, do you just need population statistics, like, total population, male-female…real basics for demographics?
Student
Yeah. Population, literacy rate, uh, let’s see…life expectancy by gender, like if women tend to live longer than men…
things like that.
Librarian
OK, well, I-I’m pretty sure you can get most—if not all—of those statistics from an atlas. I can tell you where to find
one in the reference section.
Student
Yeah, but I’m kind of looking for it by city, not by country, and the atlas I saw…
Librarian
[understanding the problem]
Uh huh…I see…
Student
Well, do you know if there are any other reference books I can use for this? To find the statistics by city?
Librarian
[stumped, but trying to think of something]
City, you say. Any particular part of Europe? Eastern, western…southern?
76 Activities
Listening Passage (Continued)
Student
No. Pretty much all across Europe.
Librarian
[unsure she will be able to help]
All of Europe. Hmmm. Y-you know, maybe you could tell me what this is for, I mean, maybe if-if I know,
I can help you better.
Student
Yeah, OK. Geography with Professor Miller and it’s sort of an analysis of, uh, urban areas, a comparison of population
trends and, uh, economic indicators, social indicators, I guess…
Librarian
[running out of ideas]
OK, well, there’s something called the Demographic Yearbook, but it’s—but I don’t think it’s gonna do it by city.
Student
Yeah, I think that’s just by country.
Librarian
You’ve already looked at it? I think, I-I think you’re right, but I’m just gonna check it first, ’cause it would be easy if it
were there.
[looking through the book]
Yeah. Population. By country…OK let’s see. Did you, I mean, did your professor give you any ideas on where to look? I
mean, because, if you need the demographic information by city…
Student
No, she-she didn’t. She just gave us the assignment and I figured I could find what I needed here without too
much of a problem.
Librarian
Yeah, it should be easier than this. I mean, I know there’s one for North American cities, but I don’t think that’ll be a big
help.
Student
Nah.
Librarian
Tell you what. Let’s go over to the reference section. Let’s take a look around that area and see if anything looks
promising.
Activities 77
5
ACTIVITY
Student
Title Library Conversation
• Identify major points and important details of a conversation

Learning Objectives
• Identify the overall purpose of the communication, such as to
complain or apologize
Student Directions
Part One:
1. Form small groups of 3 to 5 students. Choose 1 member of the group to act as the group’s recorder—
the individual who will document, in writing, the group’s work.
2. Working in groups, listen to the entire conversation that takes place in the library, and list the important details
of the conversation: Who does the student talk to? What does he want? What help does he get? What does he
do next? What is the conclusion of the conversation?
3. Share your group’s list with the instructor so she or he can write them on the board.
4. In your group, listen to the conversation again and check for any missing details.
5. Share any additional details so your instructor can add them to the board.
6. Write down all the details listed on the board, and then for homework, write a summary of the conversation.
Part Two:
1. Form small groups of 3 to 5 students.

2. Listen to the conversation a third time.
3. Working in groups, discuss the following questions. You can use the vocabulary listed on the next page to
guide your answers.
• What is the student’s purpose for talking to the librarian?

• Describe the attitude of the student. What clues are in the conversation to help you do this?
• Describe the attitude of the librarian. What clues are in the conversation to help you do this?
• Does the attitude of either speaker change during the conversation? If so, how does it change?
• Describe the degree of certainty of the librarian. What clues are in the conversation to help you do this?
78 Activities
Vocabulary
For Attitude* For Degree of Certainty For Purpose or Motivation
Frustrated Unsure/uncertain To answer a question
Hopeful Not very sure/certain To apologize
Impatient Somewhat sure/certain To complain
Patient Quite sure/certain To get help with a problem
Relaxed Very sure/certain To offer
Unconcerned Absolutely sure/certain To provide feedback
Understanding Doubtful To recommend
Worried Somewhat doubtful To suggest
Somewhat confident
Quite confident
Very confident
Absolutely confident
*A feeling or emotion about a fact or state
Activities 79
6
ACTIVITY
Instructor
Title Stress and Intonation
Materials Handout 1
Time 30 minutes
Begin this activity by giving the following overview to students: The TOEFL iBT test Listening section measures your
ability to understand spoken English. The test contains academic lectures and conversations. One type of question in
the Listening section is called “Listening for pragmatic understanding.” In this question type, you will be asked to:
• recognize a speaker’s attitude and degree of certainty
• recognize a speaker’s function or purpose
One way that a speaker can express meaning is through word or sentence stress. Today we are going to do some
activities that will help you to see how word stress and intonation can convey meaning.
1. Give students Handout 1.

2. Read the sentences in Part 1 aloud so that students can hear you stress a different word each time.
3. Read the sentences aloud and ask students to repeat after you.
4. Discuss the differences in meaning for each.
5. Give students time to ask questions.
6. Ask students to do Part 2. Assist as needed.
7. Check the answers together as a call.
8. Read the sentences aloud so that students can hear you stress a different word each time.
9. Read the sentences aloud and ask students to repeat after you.
10. Ask students to do Part 3. Students can have fun with this part.
11. Ask students to do Part 4.
12. Summarize the lesson for students. Follow up by showing students some of the “pragmatic understanding
questions” on a sample listening test.
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6
ACTIVITY
Student
Title Stress and Intonation
Student Directions
Handout 1
STRESS AND INTONATION

Part 1:
Read each sentence. Stress the word in bold. Read the sentence in parentheses, indicating a slight difference in the
meaning of each sentence. Notice how stressing a different word conveys a different meaning for the sentence each
time.
I know how to make pizza. (I know how to make pizza, not someone else.)
I know how to make pizza. (I am sure I know.)
I know how to make pizza. (I know how to make pizza. I don’t know why it’s made.)
I know how to make pizza. (I can actually make it, not buy it or order it.)
I know how to make pizza. (Pizza, and not something else.)
Part 2:
Look at the sentences in column A. Stress the word in bold. Then choose the sentence in column B that best
expresses the meaning for each sentence.
Column A Column B
A. He likes to ride his bicycle in the park. 1. He likes to ride his bicycle, not do something else with it.
B. He likes to ride his bicycle in the park. 2. He likes to ride his bicycle, not loves/ hates/wants/needs to ride it.
C. He likes to ride his bicycle in the park. 3. He, not someone else, likes to ride his bicycle.
D. He likes to ride his bicycle in the park. 4. He likes to ride his bicycle in the park, not somewhere else.
E. He likes to ride his bicycle in the park. 5. He likes to ride his bicycle, not ride something else.
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Student (Continued)
Part 3:
Work with a partner. Practice saying each phrase or question below in several different ways.
1. “How are you?”
Ask this question to:
• a close friend
• a small child
• a person you haven’t seen in years
• a police officer
2. “Are we having pizza for dinner?”
Ask this question as if:
• you love pizza
• you’ve had it 7 nights in a row and are disappointed
• you thought you were going to have pasta
3. “What is that smell?”
Ask this question as if you smell:
• a rose
• your favorite food
• garbage
4. “It’s cold in here.”
Say this sentence to express that:
• it feels great
• you are very uncomfortable
• you are surprised
Part 4:
Write out a number of sentences. Read each of them stressing a different word each time you read them. Notice how
the meaning changes depending on which word you stress. Don’t be afraid to exaggerate the stress.
82 Activities
Speaking Activities
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ACTIVITY
ACTIVITIES—SPEAKING
Instructor
Title Like It or Dislike It
Learning Objective • Express and justify likes, dislikes, values, and preferences
• 2 pieces of paper or index cards of different colors for each student: 1 with the phrase “Like
It” printed on it and the other with the phrase “Dislike It.”
• Categories of names of people, movies, food items, activities, or places. (It is preferable to
Materials
photocopy the categories and cut them into separate pieces of paper. There should be a set
of 6 pieces of paper for each group.)
• A list of expressions for offering opinions
Time 20 minutes
(Note to instructor: You can choose some or all of the categories, or you can substitute any of the categories and
their contents as you think appropriate for your students. These topics are to help students practice their language
skills, so use topics you think will work well with your students.)
1. Divide the class into groups of 3 to 5 people.

2. Have each group select a category from the 6 listed on page 84 (food, types of films, activities, music, areas of
study, travel destinations) and choose 1 person in each group to facilitate the discussion that will follow. If
possible, print the 6 categories, cut them apart and affix them to separate cards, and give the cards to the
facilitators of each group.
3. Give each student 2 index cards (or pieces of paper) of different colors: 1 color card with the phrase “Like It”
printed on it and the other with the phrase “Dislike It” printed on it.
4. The facilitator chooses 1 of the 6 categories and reads each of the items on the list.
5. Each group member must hold up his or her “Like It” or “Dislike It” card in reaction to each item on the list.
6. Then each person in the group must explain why he or she likes or dislikes each of the items in the chosen
category. The person can refer to the examples of expressions for offering opinions (page 85) or make up their
own sentence. The most important thing is that everyone express an opinion quickly and justify it.
7. Allow about 1 minute for each person to a group to explain his or her opinion. Thus, allocate approximately
5 minutes per group to discuss a category.
8. Have the groups change facilitators, have the new facilitators choose another 1 of the 6 categories, and repeat
steps 1 through 4. This time, shorten to 30 seconds the time that students have to discuss their opinions.
(2½ minutes per group.)
9. In total, each group should discuss as many different categories as they can in 20 to 30 minutes.
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ACTIVITY
Student
Title Like It or Dislike It
Learning Objective • Express and justify likes, dislikes, values, and preferences
Student Directions
1. As a group, decide which person will be the group’s facilitator.
2. The facilitator chooses 1 of the 6 categories.
3. Each group member should have 2 colored index cards (or 2 pieces of colored paper): 1 with “Like It” on it and
the other with “Dislike It.”
4. The facilitator reads the items listed under the chosen category one by one to the group.
5. Each group member must hold up his or her “Like It” or ”Dislike It” card, depending on each one’s individual
reaction to each item. Each person must also quickly explain why she or he likes or dislikes each of the items in
the chosen category. Each member has 1 minute to speak. As the group members give their opinions, they may
refer to the examples of expressions for offering opinions from the paper your instructor has handed out.
6. Next, your group chooses a new facilitator and repeats the exercise by using a second category. This time each
member has 30 seconds to respond.
7. Keep choosing a new facilitator and discussing as many categories as possible in 20 to 30 minutes.
Category 1: FOOD Category 2: TYPES OF FILMS Category 3: ACTIVITIES
Romantic (like Titanic)

Rice Action (like King Kong) Playing tennis
Cheese Animation (like Shrek) Reading a book
Fish Science fiction Going dancing
Pizza (like The Matrix) Watching a movie
Sushi Comedy Going to a concert
(like The Pink Panther)
Category 4: MUSIC Category 5: AREA OF STUDY Category 6: TRAVEL
Rock and Roll Science Large city

Country Mathematics Mountains
Classical History Seashore
Popular Music Languages Foreign country
Jazz Education Desert
84 Activities
Expressions for Offering Opinions
In my opinion/view…
• Personally, I believe/think that it…because…
• From my point of view, I think it’s…because…
• As far as I’m concerned…
• I like/don’t like ________ because…
Positive Negative
• It’s delicious. • It’s not much fun.
• It’s fun. • It’s not interesting.
• She/He is beautiful. • She/He bothers me.
• It’s interesting. • It makes me uncomfortable.
• ___________ makes me happy. • ___________ makes me sad/depressed.
• ___________ is great. • ___________ is awful/horrible.
• ___________ is exciting because… • ___________ is boring because…
• ___________ is interesting because… • ___________ is not good because…
• It tastes strange/bad.
Activities 85
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ACTIVITY
Instructor
Title Ancient Sites
Target Skill Integrated Speaking
• Give a spoken summary of a reading or listening passage

Learning Objectives • Analyze integrated Speaking task types
• Sustain speech at an even pace for a short time
• Student Directions
• History Podcast Audio
Materials
• Podcast Host’s Summary Audio
• Pyramid of Khufu Lecture Audio
Time About 90 minutes
Part 1:
1. Have students work with Part 1 to match the photos and answer the questions. (Answers for question 1: 1B, 2A,
3D, and 4C)
2. Next, ask the students to read the short article and discuss the questions in pairs.
3. Ask a few pairs to present their answers.
Part 2 and Part 3:
1. Tell the students they are going to listen to part of a history podcast. Before listening, pre-teach some key
vocabulary such as retreat, aristocracy, elite, conquistadors, sacred, honors, if necessary.
2. Play the History Podcast audio. Tell the students to answer questions 1 and 2.
3. Display the information in part 3 and explain the information. Emphasize the characteristics of a good
summary. Emphasize that summaries are not repeating everything you’ve heard.
4. Tell the students they’re going to listen to the same clip from the history podcast. Ask the students to
summarize the major points from the clip. Ask students to produce an oral summary of the major points from
the clip. Give students time to prepare. Tell them they can use their notes to prepare for their response and
during their response.
5. Play Podcast Host’s Summary. Tell the students to compare their summary with the host’s summary.
Part 4:
1. Tell the students to independently read the passage and underline the main points.
2. Tell the students they are going to listen to part of a lecture on the same topic. Tell the students to take notes
on the main points.
86 Activities
3. Tell the students to prepare a summary of the Great Pyramid of Khufu incorporating the main points from the
reading passage and the lecture. Tell the students to tell their summary to a partner. Tell the partner to listen
carefully and then tell the speaker:
• 1 thing that was successful about the summary.
• 1 suggestion for improvement.
Ask a few students to present their summary to the class.
Transcripts
History Podcast
NARRATOR: Listen to part of a history podcast.
Since it was first discovered in the early 20th Century, many theories have been developed about the purpose of
Machu Picchu – a marvelous Incan town on a mountain peak near the capital of Peru, Cuzco.
Some experts believe that Machu Picchu used to be a retreat for the Incan emperors and the aristocracy. The elite
might have gone to the quiet citadel, or well-protected town, to escape the noise of the city. This theory came about
when experts found a Spanish document from the 16th century, left by conquistadors, describing an Incan royal city
named Picchu. Now, others claim that Machu Picchu was a religious site. The Inca religion had a strong connection to
nature, and this connection may have influenced the city’s engineering and architectural plans. For example, Machu
Picchu is located between four sacred mountains... and it’s even next to an Incan holy river. Also, there is a unique,
sacred stone at the highest point of the town that many believe honors the sun.
Podcast Clip
Some experts believe that Machu Picchu used to be a retreat for the Incan emperors and the aristocracy. The elite
might have gone to the quiet citadel, or well-protected town, to escape the noise of the city. This theory came about
when experts found a Spanish document from the 16th century, left by conquistadors, describing an Incan royal city
named Picchu. Now, others claim that Machu Picchu was a religious site. The Inca religion had a strong connection to
nature, and this connection may have influenced the city’s engineering and architectural plans. For example, Machu
Picchu is located between four sacred mountains... and it’s even next to an Incan holy river. Also, there is a unique,
sacred stone at the highest point of the town that many believe honors the sun.
Podcast Host’s Summary

The first theory says that Machu Picchu was a resort of sorts, where rulers and wealthy people would go and relax.
As for the second theory, there are experts who believe that Machu Picchu was a religious site. Based on the city’s
planning, Machu Picchu might have been a sacred area...
Lecture - Great Pyramid of Khufu

Well, among the many theories about moving stones to the pyramids, one claims that the stones were pushed on
sledges... You know, small vehicles with flat bottoms. Workers would pour water in front of the sledges to make it
easier to slide them.
Others believe that the Egyptians placed wooden rods... so, long bars, around the stones, and then rolled the stones
to the construction site. The workers would use ropes to pull the rods. This way workers could have moved the stones
easily as there was less pressure on the ground.
Finally, recent findings have led experts to suggest another theory. According to this new theory, Egyptians would use
boats to move the stones. A group of archaeologists found the remains of a boat and what looked like a network of
canals near the pyramid’s site. This was an exciting discovery and could reopen the discussion about the construction
of the Pyramids.
However, the Great Pyramid of Khufu remains a mystery for so many reasons. We not only have to consider how
building material arrived at the site, we also need to figure out why the Pyramid was constructed in the first place.
Activities 87
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Student
Student Directions
Part 1:
1. Match the photo with the site and location.

a. Petra – Jordan
b. Machu Picchu – Peru
c. Statue of Christ Redeemer – Brazil
d. Taj Mahal – India
2. What do these sites have in common?
88 Activities
3. Read the article and answer the questions.
The New Seven Wonders of the World
In 2007, as the “Old World Wonders” were disappearing, a Swiss company held an online contest to choose seven
new Wonders of the World. It was the first global contest to have more than ten million voters participate in it. In
July of the same year, the results came out and the “new Seven Wonders of the World” were announced. The winning
sites were the Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu in Peru, Brazil’s Statue of Christ Redeemer, the Colosseum in Rome,
Jordan’s Petra, the Mayan ruins at Chichén Itzá in Mexico, and India’s Taj Mahal. The Great Wall of China collected the
most votes, followed by Petra, the “rock city” in Jordan. Spread over four continents, the “new Seven Wonders of the
World” were built by ancient and medieval empires, and all of the sites were chosen because of their design and size.
Now, all Seven Wonders are part of the UNESCO World Heritage program, properly protected, and visited every year
by millions of people.
• How were the New Seven Wonders of the World chosen? Who chose them?
• Have you heard of any of the “Wonders of the World”? What do you know about them?
Part 2:
Listen to a history podcast and be ready to answer the following questions.
1. What is the podcast mainly about?

2. According to the podcast, what were some possible functions of Machu Picchu?
Part 3:
A summary is a concise description of the major points of something read or listened to. When we paraphrase, we
often repeat or relay someone’s points, details, and even examples. However, summarizing does not focus on details
or examples – it focuses only on the major points in the source material. Summaries are given in our own words and
are usually much shorter than their source material.
A summary should:
• demonstrate clearly what the author or speaker is really saying.
• convey the speaker’s or author’s original intent and meaning.
• be coherent and unified.
In the TOEFL iBT Speaking section, you will be asked to respond using information from both reading and listening
materials. Since your response needs to be kept short (60 seconds), appropriate summarizing is necessary. When
summarizing, be sure to discriminate between the key points and the less necessary supporting details. Remember,
you are summarizing, not repeating everything you’ve heard or read!
1. Listen to the history podcast again. Use your notes to prepare an oral summary of the main points of the
podcast.
2. Now listen to the podcast host’s summary. Compare your summary to the host’s summary.
Activities 89
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Student (Continued)
Part 4:
1. Read the passage below about a pyramid and underline the main points.
The Great Pyramid of Khufu is a symbol of Egypt, as well as the only remaining “Seven Wonders of the Ancient
World”. The pyramid is a huge and fascinating structure. To this day, experts are still debating how it was built.
Most agree that the pyramid was made of huge stone blocks, which were taken from nearby pits, moved to the
site, then dragged and lifted into their correct places, and finally coated in limestone. However, it is still unclear
how exactly the Egyptians, with limited technology, managed to move these heavy stones to the site.
2. Listen to the lecture and take notes.
3. Use your notes to summarize the main points in the reading passage and the lecture. Tell the summary to
a partner. Then listen to your partner’s summary. Partners exchange feedback about one thing that was
successful about the summary and one suggestion for improvement.
90 Activities
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ACTIVITY
Instructor
Title Speaking About Familiar Topics
• Describe familiar persons, places, and activities

Learning Objectives • Use vocabulary effectively
• Handout 1: Student directions

Materials
• Handout 2: Evaluation checklist
Time 30 minutes
As students work on improving their speaking proficiency, they need feedback on their strengths and weaknesses.
Using simple evaluation checklists can help students recognize what they need to do in order to improve.
1. Begin with a class discussion about speaking. Introduce the concept of an evaluation checklist. Ask students
to work with a small group to discuss what they think should be on an evaluation checklist for speaking. Write
their ideas on the board.
2. Show students a copy of the independent speaking rubric. Explain the 3 dimensions of the rubric: delivery,
language use, and topic development.
3. Explain that in class they will use a simplified version of the rubric to start evaluating different features of their
speaking skills.
4. Give students Handout 1. Review the instructions and the questions. Give students time to prepare answers.
Remind the students NOT to write out complete sentences.
5. Ask students to work in small groups. Give students Handout 2. Review the evaluation checklists.
6. Students should take turns answering the questions. Each student should try to speak for 1 minute. As each
student takes a turn answering the questions, the other students should evaluate the speaker using the criteria
on handout 2. Each student should provide feedback to the other students in the group.
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ACTIVITY
Student
Title Speaking About Familiar Topics
• Describe familiar persons, places, and activities

Learning Objectives • Use vocabulary effectively
Student Directions
Handout 1
Look at the questions below about familiar places. Think of an answer for each question. Write down the name of the
place. Write a few words that describe the place. Write down 1 or 2 reasons to explain your answer. You will use your
notes to answer the question. Be sure to use examples and details in your answer. It is important NOT to write out
complete sentences. Each student has 30 seconds to respond. Keep choosing a new facilitator and discussing as many
categories as possible in 20 to 30 minutes.
1. Talk about 2 places where students like to work on their home assignments. Describe the places and explain
why they are convenient.
2. Talk about eating out and eating at home. Provide 2 reasons explaining what is good about each of the options.
3. Talk about 2 ways you like to spend your free time. Explain what you do and why you enjoy each of
these activities.
4. Talk about 2 careers you dreamed of when you were a child. Explain what you found so attractive
about each of the careers at that time.
5. Talk about a teacher you remember well. Give 3 characteristics of this person, which made her/him so
memorable.
92 Activities
Handout 2
Evaluation Checklist
Student #1
What to listen for Always Sometimes Never
Speech was clear
Used accurate vocabulary
Used past, present, and future

tenses correctly
Provided at least 1 or 2 reasons

in the explanation
Spoke for the full minute
Comments:
Student #2
What to listen for Always Sometimes Never
Speech was clear
Used accurate vocabulary
Used past, present, and future

tenses correctly
Provided at least 1 or 2 reasons

in the explanation
Spoke for the full minute
Comments:
Activities 93
Writing Activities
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ACTIVITY
Instructor
Title Cultural Relics
Target Skill Integrated Writing
• Introduce and practice contrasting

Learning Objectives
• Write a paragraph
• Student Handout
Materials • Historical Discovery Lecture Audio
• Script
Part 1:
1. Tell the students to analyze the photos and answer the questions with a partner.
2. Ask a few pairs to share their responses.
Part 2 and Part 3:
1. Explain the common words and phrases for introducing contrast.

2. Explain why it is important to use contrast in TOEFL iBT Writing responses.
Part 4 and Part 5:
1. Tell the students to independently read the passage and complete tasks 1–3. Tell the students to compare their
results with a partner.
2. Tell the students they are now going to listen to part of a lecture on the same topic. Play the Historical Discovery
Lecture Audio. Tell the students to compare their notes with a partner.
3. Ask a few pairs to share the main ideas and supporting reasons they listed.
Part 6:
1. Tell the students to independently read the essay and fill in the table. Tell the students to compare their table
with a partner.
94 Activities
Part 7 and Part 8:
ACTIVITIES—WRITING
1. Tell the students they are going to write an outline and paragraph to introduce the second main argument
in the reading passage and its contrasting ideas from the lecture. Inform the students their writing will be
reviewed by another classmate.
2. Tell the students to exchange their outline and paragraph with a partner. Tell the students to review their
partner’s work using the checklist. They should complete the checklist that is on their partner’s handout (not
on their own handout). Tell the students to write one thing they think is good about the paragraph and one
suggestion for improvement.
Transcript – Lecture Excerpt

Actually, there are many historians who believe the silver coin from the reading is authentic proof that the Europeans
did in fact meet with Native American tribes in the eleventh century.
To start with, the coin was not the only artifact found far away from Canadian Norse settlements – many other objects
made their way to the Native American reserve in Maine, not just the coin. In fact, the Native tribes of Maine used to
travel great distances within North America to collect exotic and strange objects. Archaeologists believe that many
of the artifacts found at the Maine site were gathered during the Native tribes’ journeys. So, it is reasonable to believe
that Native tribes reached Norse settlements and took the coin back with them.
Also, the reading states that only one coin has been found in North America, but finding only one coin doesn’t really
mean that the Norse did not bring any silver coins with them. For starters, the Norse did not have permanent camps in
North America, which means that they were traveling back and forth from Europe. The Norse may have needed silver
coins to trade with other European travelers or settlements during their explorations.
Finally, yes, Native Americans did not use silver coins like they used to in Europe; however, the Norse knew that the
coin could be traded as an exotic object. As we said before, Native Americans loved to gather unusual objects. Silver
coins were especially interesting as they were exceptionally beautiful and could have been made into necklaces or
other pieces of jewelry. So, silver coins may not have been money to the Native Americans, but these coins still had
the potential to be valuable trade objects.
Activities 95
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Student
Student Directions
Part 1:
Look at the four pictures below. Then, with a partner, discuss questions 1–3.
1. What do you think the objects in these pictures are?

2. Where can you see these objects?
3. Can you name some ancient cultures? What do you know about them? Which ones are you interested in
learning about and why?
96 Activities
Part 2:
In writing, we sometimes need to gather contrasting ideas from different sources and describe them in our own
writing. To introduce contrasting ideas, there are some expressions we can use:
Words Phrases
However
On the other hand
Nevertheless
In contrast
Conversely
On the contrary
Contrarily
We can also use verbs to introduce contrasting ideas. For example:
contradicts
challenges
The professor in the lecture this claim.
argues against
casts doubt on
Part 3:
In the TOEFL iBT Writing section, it is sometimes required to use contrast to introduce ideas from different materials.
Using transition words and verbs can make the sentences and ideas in your writing better connected.
Also, using contrast is an effective technique for introducing your own point of view. By contrasting the advantages of
doing something and the disadvantages of not doing it, you can better emphasize your ideas.
Activities 97
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ACTIVITY
Student (Continued)
Part 4:
First, read the passage. Then, complete tasks 1–3.
Historical Discovery?
In 1957, during excavations at a Native American archaeological site in Maine, a state in the Northeastern region of
the United States, a silver coin from Europe was found. Some people believe that this coin is from around the year
1000 AD. They support their argument by saying that the Norse, travelers from Europe who used to cross the Atlantic
Ocean and meet with native people, are responsible for the presence of the coin in North America.
On the other hand, some experts argue that the coin is not a true European silver coin. According to these
archaeologists, the coin was only recently planted at the Native American archaeological site to create confusion.
Supporters of this theory say that there are three main arguments that support their claim.
First, the discovery of the ancient coin was made in a Native American reserve in Maine, which is far from the Norse
settlements. The closest known Norse settlements to the site were in the far east of Canada, more than six hundred
miles away. This could show that there is no connection between the coin and the European explorers.
Next, since this is the first and only silver coin discovered in all of North America, it is possible that the Norse did not
actually bring any silver coins with them during their travels to the continent. No other Norse coins have been found
in Maine, and none have ever been found in or near the sites of the Canadian Norse settlements. Since no other silver
Norse coins have been found in North America, it seems likely that the coin is a fake.
Finally, it is true that silver was very valuable and widely used in Europe. However, the situation was not the same in
the Americas. North American tribes did not need silver and did not use silver coins as their currency. The Norse, who
were experienced travelers, and who had gone to North America multiple times, would probably not have brought
something useless with them.
1. Write down the sentence that is the main idea in the reading passage.
2. Circle the words that express a transition between two contrasting ideas.
3. Underline the reasons used to support the main idea.
Part 5:
Listen to a professor give a lecture about the same topic as the reading passage. As you listen, answer the questions
below.
1. What is the main idea of the lecture?

2. What are some of the supporting reasons that the professor provides?
98 Activities
Part 6:
Read the following essay about the first main argument in the reading passage and its contrasting points from the
lecture. Then, complete the table.
Both the reading and the lecture address the topic of whether or not an authentic European silver coin from
about 1000 AD was found at a Native American reserve in Maine, a state in the US (United States). The reading
states that the coin is a fake. On the other hand, the lecture says that there is not enough evidence to prove this.
According to the reading, the silver coin was discovered at a site that was too far from European settlements at
the time, which could prove that the Native Americans of Maine did not ever meet Norse explorers. However, the
professor in the lecture contradicts this claim. The professor says that the Native American tribes of Maine would
travel across North America in search of strange artifacts. So, the tribes could have gone to Norse settlements,
collected the coin, and then brought it back.
How does the writer introduce ideas from the reading passage and the lecture? What transition words do they use?
Fill in the table. One example has been provided for you.
Introducing Ideas – Reading Contrast Transition Introducing Ideas – Lecture
The reading states that the coin is a fake. On the other hand, The lecture says that there is not enough
evidence to prove this.
Activities 99
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ACTIVITY
Student (Continued)
Part 7:
1. You will write a paragraph to introduce the second main argument in the reading passage and its contrasting
ideas from the lecture. Before you write the paragraph, make an outline using the table below.
Topic Sentence Phrases
Body
(Contrasting details in the
lecture)
Concluding Sentence
2. Use your outline to write the paragraph. Be sure to use some of the words or phrases from this lesson to
indicate contrasting ideas.
Part 8:
Reviewer’s Name: _____________________
Items to check Yes No Not Sure
Does the paragraph follow the outline?
Are expressions used to introduce contrasting ideas?
Are expressions of contrast used in the correct places?
Are the sentences in the paragraph relevant to the prompt?
Are there any mistakes in the grammar, spelling, or punctuation?
1. One thing I liked about my partner’s paragraph is…

2. One suggestion I have to improve my partner’s paragraph is…
100 Activities
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ACTIVITY
Instructor
Title Self-Employment
• Write for academic discussion

Learning Objectives • Write and support opinions
Materials
• Discussion strips
Part 1:
1. Tell the students to think about their dream job and fill in the “My Dream Job” table based on their thoughts.
2. Tell the students to compare their table with a partner.
3. Ask a few students to volunteer their answers.
Part 2:
1. Ask students if they have any experience in contributing to discussion boards in any classes they have taken.
2. Emphasize the three parts of a successful discussion board thread (found in Part 2 of the Student Directions),
and that it’s more than simply stating your opinion. Explain to the students that academic discussion boards
have become a common requirement in university courses and will be included in the TOEFL iBT test.
Part 3:
1. Organize the students into groups of 4. Distribute the discussion strips (below), ensuring that each student in
the group has a different part. Tell the students to independently read their part and prepare to play that role.
2. Tell the students to speak their part to the group. Encourage the students to ask each other questions and
make up answers.
Activities 101
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Discussion Strips:
Tiffany: I love being my own boss! I used to be an employee at a large accounting firm and now I work as an
independent contractor. The freedom and independence of working for myself has improved my quality of life.
For example, because I make my own schedule, I am able to do other important activities like helping care for
my elderly father and going to the gym.
Scott: I’m also an accountant and proud to be an employee of a large firm. My work schedule is not flexible, and
I don’t have much free time. However, I receive a consistent paycheck and other benefits like paid time off for
vacation and illness. For example, last winter I became quite ill and missed three weeks of work. Fortunately, I
still received my paycheck during that time.
Rose: What I really like about being self-employed is being able to choose which projects I want to work on,
and who I want to work with. At my old job, my boss assigned my projects and I had to do the work even if it
was uninteresting or a waste of time. It was boring and unfulfilling. Now I feel motivated and excited about my
work projects.
David: I have been self-employed and worked as an employee, and I can say there are advantages and
disadvantages to both situations. I became self-employed when the firm I was working for downsized. It was
scary and also exciting to build my own business. After many years of hard work, and very little time off, I sold
my business and got a job working as an employee again. Working for myself was very rewarding, but a lot of
responsibility.
Part 4:
1. Tell the students to work with their group to come up with a list of advantages and disadvantages of self-
employment.
2. Ask each group to write at least one advantage and one disadvantage on the board.
Possible answers:
Self-Employment Advantages Self-Employment Disadvantages
Answers may vary: Answers may vary:

• Freedom • Inconsistent income
• Independence • No paid time off
• Work from home • No pension / retirement account
• Control • Total responsibility
• Follow your passion • Challenges finding clients/customers
• Tax breaks • No health insurance subsidy
Part 5 and Part 6:
1. Explain the information in the TOEFL tip in Part 5.

2. Display Part 6 of the handout Self-Employment Discussion Board and explain to the students this is a discussion
board for an Economics course.
3. Tell the students to read the professor’s prompt and the two student responses (threads) and then write their
own response.
4. Tell the students to exchange their paper with a partner, read their partner’s response and then write a new
response under their partner’s thread.
102 Activities
11
ACTIVITY
Student
Student Directions
Part 1:
If you could have any job, what would you choose? What is your dream job? Fill in the table below with your
preferences for the job characteristics listed.
My Dream Job
Job Characteristics Your Preferences
Industry
Duties/Tasks
Location
Wage
Hours/Schedule
Benefits (e.g. paid time off, pension)
Part 2:
Online discussion boards are a standard component of university courses and an opportunity to explore the course
content beyond the classroom. The professor provides a prompt, usually an open-ended question, and the students
engage in a written discussion. A successful response (or thread) on a discussion board has three parts:
1. State your opinion, recommendation, or thought.

2. Explain why you have that opinion. Be sure to include details and examples to support your opinion.
3. Further the discussion by adding a new perspective or asking your own question.
Part 3:
1. Read the part your teacher gave you, and prepare to play that part in your group.
2. In your group, take turns speaking your parts to each other to start a discussion. Ask your group members
questions and make up answers to the questions they ask you.
Activities 103
11
ACTIVITY
Student (Continued)
Part 4:
Work with your group to come up with a list of advantages and disadvantages of self-employment.
Self-Employment Advantages Self-Employment Disadvantages
Part 5:
Writing for an Academic Discussion is a new item type in the TOEFL iBT Writing section. Raters are looking for
responses that are:
• Relevant to the discussion
• Well-supported
• Easy to understand, grammatically accurate and with a range of vocabulary
104 Activities
Part 6:
Your professor is teaching a class on self-employment. Write a post responding to the professor’s question. In your
response you should:
• Express and support your opinion
• Make a contribution to the discussion
Professor Walker: Self-employment is steadily growing in popularity. Independence and flexibility are two main
reasons self-employment is an attractive option for many. With self-employment you have more control over how you
spend your time. Because you’re not forced to work a certain number of hours and days each week, you can spend
more time giving attention to other priorities like caring for your family. But is self-employment really the best option?
What do you think? Why?
Jay: I believe self-employment is not the best option for most people because there is a lot of risk. When you are self-
employed you are directly responsible for generating a profit. This means your pay is not guaranteed. Businesses are
often seasonal and income fluctuates. How do you feed your family when your business isn’t turning a profit?
Monica: In my opinion, being your own boss is best. It’s true that income can be inconsistent when you’re self-
employed, so you need to budget carefully and think ahead. However, as Professor Walker noted, you have more
control over your time when you’re self-employed. Time is more precious than money. You can find ways to make
more money, but you can’t make more time. Isn’t the freedom of being your own boss worth the risk?
Activities 105
12
ACTIVITY
Instructor
Title Robot Teachers
• Write for academic discussion

Learning Objectives • Express agreement and disagreement in writing
Materials
• Four Corners signs
Part 1:
Before class create four signs (Strongly Agree / Agree / Disagree / Strongly Disagree) and put one sign in each corner
of the room.
1. Introduce the lesson objectives by telling students they will be practicing expressing agreement and
disagreement in writing and how this skill is needed for the Writing for an Academic Discussion task in the
TOEFL iBT test. (Test takers contribute their opinion to an online class discussion about a specific topic.)
2. Tell the students to stand up. Point out the sign in each corner of the room. Explain to the students that you are
going to read a statement and they should go to the corner that represents their opinion about the statement.
3. Display the statements below and read the first statement aloud. Give the students a minute to walk to the
corner that represents their opinion of the statement. Ask one student in each corner to briefly explain their
opinion. Then move on to the next statement and repeat the process.
• Summer is the best season of the year.
• Playing a game is only fun when you win.
• Teachers should be graded by their students.
• Time is more important than money.
• A university degree is not necessary for a successful career.
• Success only comes from hard work. There’s no such thing as luck.
• In the future, reading and writing will not be necessary.
106 Activities
Part 2:
1. Ask the students to read the common expressions used for politely expressing agreement and disagreement.
2. Ask the students if there are any expressions they are not familiar with. For any expressions they ask about,
provide an example of the phrase being used in context.
3. Tell the students to look at the list of statements in part 1 and choose 2 statements they agree with, and 2
statements they disagree with. Have the students write the statements they chose on the top of four pieces of
paper. One statement should be on each piece of paper.
4. Tell the students to write 2–3 sentences for each statement, expressing their opinion. Encourage students to
use the expressions for agreeing and disagreeing they learned or reviewed. Warn the students to write clearly
because they will be exchanging papers.
5. Tell the students to trade their papers with a partner. Ask the students to add their own opinion to each paper,
using the expressions of agreement or disagreement to react to the first opinions. Ask a few pairs to read one of
their papers aloud.
Part 3 and Part 4:
1. Review the TOEFL tip with the students in part 3.

2. Display part 4 of student directions and explain to the students this is a discussion board for an Education in
Technology course. Tell the students to read the professor’s prompt and the two student responses (threads)
and then write their own response. Tell the students their response should be several sentences long and be in
the form of a paragraph. Warn the students to write clearly because they will be exchanging papers.
Part 5:
1. Display part 5 of the student directions. Tell the students to exchange their paper with a partner and review
their partner’s response using the Paragraph Review checklist. Tell the students to meet with their partner and
discuss the review of their response. Remind the students to be kind and encouraging.
2. Exit ticket: Ask the students to reflect on what they have learned in the lesson. On a sheet of paper ask them
to list one interesting thing they learned and one thing that confused them or they found difficult. Have the
students hand in their paper as they exit class.
Activities 107
12
ACTIVITY
Student
Student Directions
Part 1:
1. Each corner of the room has a sign that says either Agree, Strongly Agree, Disagree, or Strongly Disagree.
2. Your teacher will read from the following list of statements. After each statement, walk to the corner of the
room that matches your opinion of the statement.
• Summer is the best season of the year.
• Playing a game is only fun when you win.
• Teachers should be graded by their students.
• Time is more important than money.
• A university degree is not necessary for a successful career.
• Success only comes from hard work. There’s no such thing as luck.
• In the future, reading and writing will not be necessary.
Part 2:
Expressing agreement and disagreement is an essential function of language. While agreeing with someone can
feel easy and satisfying, disagreeing with someone can be an uncomfortable experience. Academic discussions
often include debate and opposing opinions. This is why it is especially important not only to learn how to express
agreement but also to learn how to politely disagree.
Here are several common expressions used when agreeing or disagreeing.
Agreement Disagreement
• I agree with you that • I’m sorry, but

• I think/believe so too • I respectfully disagree
• I couldn’t agree more • That may be true, but I have a different view
• I’ve come to the same conclusion • That doesn’t make sense to me
• I have the same opinion • I’m not sure I agree
• I have no objection • That’s not always the case
• I see it that way too • I think otherwise
• I share your opinion • I don’t share your view
• You’re right • You may be right, but
• You’ve made a good point • I’m afraid I don’t agree
• I’m for / I’m all for • To be honest
108 Activities
Part 3:
One aspect that raters consider when scoring the “Writing for Academic Discussion” task is how clear and cohesive
the writing is. In other words, raters are looking for writing that is easy to read and understand. When giving opinions,
incorporating expressions of agreement and disagreement makes it easier for readers to follow your meaning.
Practice using these expressions in class, so you feel confident using them when it’s time to take the test.
Part 4:
Your professor is teaching a class on Artificial Intelligence in Education. Write a post responding to the professor’s
question. In your response, you should:
• Express and support your opinion
• Contribute to the discussion
Dr. Chiu: As part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UNESCO included Sustainable Development Goal
4, which ensures equal access to quality education for all. While this seems to be an insurmountable goal to achieve,
technological developments like Artificial Intelligence (AI) are helping. In fact, a few education experts predict that
robots will replace teachers in the near future. Others say that it’s ridiculous to think a robot could ever take the place
of a human teacher. What are your thoughts? If possible, should schools replace teachers with AI technology?
Anna: To be honest, the idea of replacing teachers with robots doesn’t make sense to me. Teachers don’t just provide
information; they help people learn and grow through empathy. I don’t believe technology can do this. Nor do I
believe technology should do this. In my opinion, technological advancements like AI should focus on supporting the
work of teachers, not replacing them. I’m all for helping make teachers’ lives easier.
Francisco: I respectfully disagree. I have no objection to replacing teachers with robots. In fact, I think this is the
only way we can ensure equal access to quality education for all. I share Anna’s opinion that technology should help
teachers, but I don’t think we have to stop there. These are times of change. If we don’t embrace technology, like robot
teachers, how will we ever achieve the goal of equal access to education?
Write your response in the box below.
Activities 109
12
ACTIVITY
Student (Continued)
Part 5:
Items to check Yes No Not Sure
Is the opinion on the topic clear?
Is the opinion supported with reasons?
Does the response add to the discussion?
Are one or more common expressions for agreement or disagreement used?
Are the expressions for agreement/disagreement used correctly?
110 Activities
Activities-At-a-Glance

At-a-Glance
1
ACTIVITY Title Note-Taking: Listening for Signal Words
Target Skills • Integrated listening, writing, and speaking
• Listening for details
• Listening for basic comprehension
• Connecting, synthesizing, and/or summarizing information
Learning Objectives • Take notes on major points and important details
• Use these notes to organize information before writing or speaking
2
ACTIVITY Title Paraphrasing: Recognizing and Creating Accurate Paraphrases
Target Skill Reading for basic comprehension
Learning Objective • Recognize and create accurate paraphrases of information in a text
3
ACTIVITY Title Summarizing: Writing a Concise Summary
Target Skills • Integrated reading, listening, speaking, and writing
Learning Objectives • Use notes to summarize major points and important details of a lecture
• Express information from sources accurately in organized, coherent prose
112 More Skills & Activities

Note-taking: A Key Skill
MORE SKILLS & ACTIVITIES

An average student in an English-speaking academic environment may spend up to 14 hours a week listening to class
lectures and discussions. In most academic classes, professors deliver information to students in the form of lectures.
And although many classes today now use a more collaborative or small-group learning process, they include lectures
on a regular basis. Consequently, note-taking is an essential skill, because it is probably the most useful tool students
have for sorting, organizing, and remembering what is presented in lectures.
While good note-taking skills will help students succeed academically, no single note-taking method works for every
lecture or for every student. So it is important for students to discover the style of note-taking that works best—for
the particular situation and for the student’s individual learning style.
One of the most important skills for good note-taking is good listening. Here are some general strategies for
good listening:
• F ocus on the content, not the delivery: Do not be distracted by the lecturer’s presentation style; focus
on the flow of the material.
• A
void distractions: Do not be distracted by the person next to you coughing or shuffling papers.
Sit in the front of the room or in a location where you can see and hear well and where distractions are
limited.
• A
nticipate what you will hear: You can think faster than the lecturer can speak. Begin to anticipate what the
professor is going to say as a way to stay focused.
• S tay active by asking mental questions: This is called active listening. Ask questions to yourself as you listen.
For example: What key point is the professor making? How does this fit with what the professor said in
previous lectures? How does this fit with the reading assignment? How is this lecture organized?
Signal Words and Phrases

Good speakers often use signal words to help the listener follow the information presented. To improve listening
and develop good note-taking skills, students need to listen for and understand signal words and phrases. They
should also be ready to take notes on the key information that comes after the signal words. “For example” is a
very common signal phrase that speakers use to introduce an example. The instructor may use common signals
including:
• “There are three reasons why ...”
• “First ... Second ... Third ...”
• “What I want to talk about is ...”
• “And most important, ...”
• “A major development ...”
• “Why it was so important ...”

Note:
While note-taking is an important academic skill and may be useful for the integrated tasks in the TOEFL iBT ® test,
note-taking skills are not tested and are not required for test takers to do well in the test.
More Skills & Activities 113

The instructor may signal supporting The instructor may signal conclusion or
details with phrases such as: summary with:
• “On the other hand ...” • “Therefore, ...”
• “Last time ...” • “In conclusion, ...”
• “On the contrary ...” • “In other words, ...”
• “For example, ...” • “As a result, ...”
• “Just like ...” • “Finally, ...”
• “Similarly, ...” • “In summary, ...”
• “In contrast, ...” • “From this we see that ...”
• “Also, ...”
• “So ...”
• “And in fact, ...” The speaker may signal important
• “Further, ...” information very directly with:
• “A term for ...”
• “Now this is important ...”
• “Furthermore, ...”
• “The thing about ...”
• “As an example, ...”
• “Remember that ...”
• “For instance, ...”
• “But ...”
Note-taking Methods
There are many methods for taking good notes. The best style depends on the type of lecture or listening activity, as
well as the personal preference of the student. Below are descriptions of 4 note-taking methods. It is important to
note that none of these methods will work in all types of academic listening situations. Students may even need to
combine 2 or more methods during the same lecture to effectively record the essential information.
Method 1 The Key-Word Method
Description • Write down single words or phrases, focusing on technical terms, names, and numbers.
• Can help you remember other parts of the lecture and can evoke images and associations with
Advantage
other words
Disadvantage • May be difficult to remember enough of the content related to the key words when reviewing
• When the student has beginning-level listening skills

• When the speaker talks quickly
When to use
• When you are quite familiar with the material
• When you prefer to take more time after the lecture to write out a longer summary for review
Method 2 The Charting Method
• Determine the steps or categories to be covered in the lecture.

• Prepare note-taking paper in advance by creating a table. Do this by drawing columns or rows
and labeling appropriate column or row headings based on the categories or steps that will be
Description
covered in the lecture.
• As you listen to the lecture, record important information (words, phrases, main ideas, etc.) in
the appropriate step or category.
• Reduces the amount of writing necessary

Advantages
• Makes it easy to review facts and compare categories
• Difficult to learn how to use

Disadvantages
• Difficult to locate the appropriate categories
• When the lecture presents information in steps or categories

When to use
• When you want to reduce the amount of time spent editing and reviewing your notes

Method 3 The Outlining Method
• Listen to the lecture or discussion, and then record the major points, organizing the
information in a logical pattern—from the broadest, most inclusive details to supplementary
details—based on a system of space indentation.
Description • Place major points farthest to the left.
• Indent each more specific point to the right. Indentation can be as simple as, or as complex as,
labeling the indentations with Roman numerals or decimals.
• See this page for an example of an outline.
• Is a well-organized system, if done correctly
Advantages • Records content as well as relationships between ideas
• Reduces editing and is easy to review by turning major points into questions
• Difficult to learn how to use

Disadvantages
• Difficult to locate the appropriate categories
• When the lecture is organized in an outline format
• When there is enough time in the lecture for listeners to think about what is being said and to
When to use
make organization decisions as they are needed
• When the student’s note-taking skills are highly developed
Sample Template of the Outlining Method

Major Point
Supporting detail
Supporting detail
Subsidiary detail
Subsidiary detail
Major Point
Supporting detail
Subsidiary detail
Subsidiary detail
Supporting detail
Supporting detail
Subsidiary detail
Subsidiary detail
More detail
More detail

Method 4 The Cornell Method
• Use a loose-leaf, three-ring binder with large sheets of paper. Avoid using a very small
notepad.
• Draw a line down the left side of the notebook paper, leaving a large (6-inch) area on the
right in which to make notes.
• During class, take down information in the 6-inch area. If the instructor moves to a new
point before you are finished writing, skip a few lines.
• After class, complete phrases and sentences as much as possible.
Description For every significant bit of information, write a word cue (or summary word) in the left
margin.
• To review, cover your notes with a card, leaving the cues exposed.
• Say the cue aloud; then say as much as you can about the material underneath the card
without looking at it.
• When you have said as much as you can remember, move the card and see if what you said
matches what is written.
• If you can say it, you can learn it.
• Is an organized and systematic method for recording and reviewing notes
• Provides an easy format for highlighting and clarifying major concepts and ideas
Advantages
• Is simple and efficient
• Saves time and effort
Disadvantage • None
• When the student has mastered the other methods of note-taking
When to use
• In any lecture situation

Note-Taking Activity
1
ACTIVITY Note-Taking

Instructor
Title Note-taking: Listening for Signal Words
• Integrated listening, writing, and speaking

Target Skills
• Take notes on major points and important details

Learning Objectives
1 or 2 sheets of paper with the following notes by the student:

• A 2- to 5-minute listening passage. Suggested sources include any of the websites of
authentic speech in the Workshop Manual or any intermediate-to-advanced
Materials
• ESL/EFL textbook on listening skills. Before class, divide the selected passage into 3
appropriate sections based on content.
• Copies of the note-taking skills information on pages 113–116
Time 1 hour
Part 1:
1. Distribute copies of the information on note-taking skills (pages 113–116).

2. Introduce the importance of note-taking skills.
3. Briefly review the 4 note-taking methods with the class.
4. Review the signal words and phrases. Elicit from the students any additional examples of signal words
and phrases, and write them on the board.
Part 2:
1. Before beginning the activity, develop some pre-listening questions for the listening passage. Ask open-ended
questions starting with “Why,” “When,” etc.
2. Play the selected listening passage.
3. Ask the students to listen for any signal words or phrases and to write them down when they hear them.
(Have several preselected examples available. Divide each selection into 3 or more sections.) Remind students
that these words and phrases will signal important information they should take notes on.
4. Have the students pair up with partners and compare the signal words they heard.
5. Have all the pairs share their signal words. As the signal words are given, write them on the board.

1
Part 3:
1. Allow each student to choose either the outlining or key-word note-taking method.
2. Play the listening passage again and have the students use their assigned note-taking methods to take notes
on it. Remind them to listen for the signal words and then take notes on the information that follows those
words. Have them write “Section 1” at the top of the page before they begin to take notes. Then stop the lecture
after the first section, have the students write “Section 2” on the next line, and continue playing the lecture.
Stop after the second section and have the students write “Section 3” on the next line, and continue playing
the lecture. In the end, students will have their notes divided into 3 sections. (This is because the students will
summarize each section later in the summarizing activity on page 134.)
3. Pair each student with a partner who chose a different note-taking method. Have them compare the
information in their notes and decide which method had better results. The partners should also discuss which
of the 2 methods they personally prefer and explain why.
History Lecture
Transcript with some signal words and phrases highlighted in bold.
Professor
Okay, uh, so last time we were talking about the expansion of the railroad in the nineteenth century—why it was
so important in the development of the southwestern United States. Uh, we talked about a couple of things: The
railroad brought about land speculation, and development of lands for timber and farming and—well, and this is
what I want to talk about today—the railroads brought tourists. They traveled by train, viewing the landscape, and
uh, came to get a taste of what the “Wild West” was like. In the past 100 years, a whole tourism industry has grown up
around this idea. And uh, just like…ranching, or gold mining, it helped to integrate the Southwest into the economy
of the rest of the country…uh, tourism helped integrate the “culture” or life in the Southwest into…well, well kind of
into the minds of the rest of the country. And large-scale tourism couldn’t have happened without the expansion of
the railroad.
[End of section 1]
Professor
So, the railroad brought tourists, and tourists brought some changes that I think are really interesting. Uh, the thing
about tourism that you should know first, and this has been determined by sociologists…sociologists say that
tourists look for the familiar. Most tourists don’t go someplace looking for new things. They go looking for things
they already know something about. Tourists will have some sense of the culture of a place—maybe based on a
stereotype or a generalization—but, but that’s what they expect to see. And places that—deal with tourism, create
things knowing this—they create what tourists are looking for. Take the Grand Canyon Railway. Any of you been
on it? Well, this is a train that takes tourists to the Grand Canyon, and while you’re on the train, you see fake shootouts
and gunfights. Now, the railroad running to the Grand Canyon was never actually robbed. But tourists have this idea
that this was what things were like in the Wild West—you know, gunfights and train robberies. And the tourist railway
wants to make them happy. There’s a great term for this—it’s called “staged authenticity.”
[End of section 2]
Professor
In other words, people go to the Grand Canyon to see this fantastic natural landscape, but they also want to get a
sense of what it was like there during the real Wild West. Well, the railway knows this, so they try to re-create some of
that cultural history. And, oh, and we also see this at the Grand Canyon with the creation of Hopi House. Have any of
you visited Hopi House?
Student B
Were the Hopi better artists? I mean, did they make better things?
Professor
Not really. The way I understand it, the people at the Harvey Company were very good at making money, and they
figured that the Hopi people and the Hopi crafts would sell better to the tourists. So they built Hopi House, and
hired the Hopi people to work there and, uh, one of those people, uh, a famous Hopi potter, was hired by the Harvey
Company and she worked to rebuild, or kind of restructure, the Hopi pottery. It’s not sure whether this was her
own doing or whether she was instructed to do this but… archaeologists working at ancient sites in the Southwest
uncovered pottery and she started copying the same style.
And, well, there’s some debate about that…whether it was her idea or whether she was told to do it.
Either way, before you know it Hopi pottery was changing. It’s another case of the contradictions of staged
authenticity—certainly the Hopi pottery you buy there is real. I mean, it does represent the pottery of the Southwest.
But the Hopi people are not the traditional inhabitants of the canyon, and their art gets affected by the tourist
market—the Harvey Company basically changed history to make money.
[End of section 3]

1
Student
Title Note-taking: Listening for Signal Words
• Integrated listening, writing, and speaking

Target Skills
• Take notes on major points and important details

Learning Objectives
Student Directions
Part 1:
1. Read the information on note-taking skills provided by your instructor. Listen to your instructor talk about this
topic, and participate in a class discussion.
2. Review the signal words and phrases provided. Tell your instructor about other examples of signal words and
phrases you have heard.
Part 2:
1. Listen to the listening passage your instructor plays for the class.
2. Listen for any signal words or phrases, and write them down when you hear them.
3. Working with a partner, compare the signal words each of you heard. Share the words you heard
with your instructor.
Part 3:
1. Now you will listen to the lecture again. Choose either the outlining or key-word method of note-taking.
Think about your method before listening to the lecture.
2. Now listen to the lecture. Remember to listen for the signal words to help you anticipate important information
and to be prepared to take notes on that information. Your instructor will play the lecture in 3 sections.
You will write “Section 1,” “Section 2,” and “Section 3” when the instructor indicates you should do so.
3. Pair up with another student who chose a different note-taking method from yours. Compare notes and discuss
which method got better results. Also discuss which of the 2 methods you personally prefer, and explain why.

Paraphrasing

A paraphrase is a restatement of what someone else has written or said, using one’s own words. A paraphrase is a
more detailed restatement than a summary, which focuses concisely on the major points of written or spoken source
material.
Paraphrasing skills are used very frequently in academic settings. For example, students must often paraphrase
information from articles when writing papers. Or, during classroom discussions, they must restate orally what they
have heard in a lecture or read in a textbook.
Students must be able to paraphrase quickly and frequently, so it is important for students to practice this
skill whenever possible. As students practice their paraphrasing skills, they will probably find that their overall
comprehension skills will improve.
It is important that students develop a broad vocabulary and be able to use a wide range of sentence structures
to effectively paraphrase a text. They must quickly find other words that have the same or very similar meaning
(synonyms) to restate the information provided in the original source material. They must also restate the
information by using completely different sentence structures from those used in the original text.
Example of a short reading passage and its paraphrased version
Original Text
Of the more than 1,000 bicycling deaths each year, three-fourths are caused by head injuries. Half of those killed are
school-age children. One study concluded that wearing a bike helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by 85 percent.
In an accident, a bike helmet absorbs the shock and cushions the head. (53 words)
Paraphrased Text
The use of a helmet is the key to reducing bicycling fatalities, which are due to head injuries 75% of the time. By
cushioning the head, a helmet can reduce accidental injury by as much as 85%, saving hundreds of lives annually, half
of whom are school children. (48 words)
This example is quoted from the Online Writing Lab of Purdue University:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/using_research/quoting_paraphrasing_and_summarizing/
paraphrasing.html
In this example, the word “deaths” in the original text is restated as “fatalities” in the paraphrased text. In addition, the
phrase “each year” is rephrased as “annually”; “three-fourths” is restated as “75%”; and the phrase “are caused by” is
paraphrased as “are due to.”
Effective paraphrasing also requires students to be able to change word forms easily. For example, in the above
example, “reduce” changes to “reducing,” and “cushions” changes to “cushioning.” In addition, students must be able to
simplify words, such as rephrasing “bike helmet” , to “helmet” and “school-age children” as “schoolchildren.”
However, it is critical that students understand it is not enough just to switch vocabulary and change word forms.
The sentence structures of a paraphrase must also be completely different from those used in the original text, as
shown in the example above.
One of the reasons paraphrasing is such an important skill is that universities in English-speaking environments are
concerned about plagiarism, which is the unacknowledged use of another person’s words or ideas. Many cultures
might not be so concerned about this issue, but some cultures, such as the North American culture, consider not
documenting one’s sources to be stealing. Some universities are so serious about this issue that they even use
software that helps detect whether a piece of writing has been plagiarized. Students who are charged with plagiarism
can experience severe consequences, such as expulsion from the university.

Paraphrasing Methods
The first step in paraphrasing or summarizing is always to read the text several times so it is fully understood.
Then students can use 1 of these methods:
1. Write the paraphrase or summary without looking at the original text; this will mean the mind has a chance
to process the information and put it into completely different words. Students should check the paraphrased
version with the original text to make sure it is factually accurate and that they have used different words and
sentence structures.
2. Reread the text, taking abbreviated notes this time (for example, using the key-word method of note-taking
described on pages 113–116). Students can leave the notes for a day or so and then use them to write the
paraphrase or summary.
3. Think about how to explain the information to someone who is completely unfamiliar with the subject—such
as a friend, your mother, or your sister—and then write the paraphrase or summary by using those simplified
words.
Successful Paraphrasing
The paragraphs below are examples of paraphrases; 2 are not successful, and 1 is successful. They are quoted
from the Writing Center Web site at the University of Wisconsin–Madison at http://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/
documentation/ and are printed here with permission.
Example
The student wanted to include some material that compares how experts and non-experts are used in several
professions, drawing from a paper on the concept of professional “experts.”
Original Published Source

Critical care nurses function in a hierarchy of roles. In this open heart surgery unit, the nurse manager hires and fires
the nursing personnel. The nurse manager does not directly care for patients but follows the progress of unusual
or long-term patients. On each shift a nurse assumes the role of resource nurse. This person oversees the hour-
by-hour functioning of the unit as a whole, such as considering expected admissions and discharges of patients,
ascertaining that beds are available for patients in the operating room, and covering sick calls. Resource nurses also
take a patient assignment. They are the most experienced of all the staff nurses. The nurse clinician has a separate
job description and provides for quality of care by orienting new staff, developing unit policies, and providing direct
support where needed, such as assisting in emergency situations. The clinical nurse specialist in this unit is mostly
involved with formal teaching in orienting new staff. The nurse manager, nurse clinician, and clinical nurse specialist
are the designated experts. They do not take patient assignments. The resource nurse is seen as both a caregiver and
a resource to other caregivers. . . . Staff nurses have a hierarchy of seniority. . . . Staff nurses are assigned to patients to
provide all their nursing care.
(Chase, 1995, p. 156)
References
Chase, S. K. (1995). The social context of critical care clinical judgment. Heart and Lung, 24, 154-162.

Word-for-word plagiarism

This paragraph would be considered plagiarism because the words were taken from the original text and not
acknowledged. The bolded words were taken (plagiarized) from the original published source without quotation
marks. In addition, the original source was not acknowledged. Therefore, this is considered plagiarism.
Critical care nurses have a hierarchy of roles. The nurse manager hires and fires nurses. S/he does
not directly care for patients but does follow unusual or long-term cases. On each shift a resource
nurse attends to the functioning of the unit as a whole, such as making sure beds are available in the
operating room, and also has a patient assignment. The nurse clinician orients new staff, develops
policies, and provides support where needed. The clinical nurse specialist also orients new staff,
mostly by formal teaching. The nurse manager, nurse clinician, and clinical nurse specialist, as
the designated experts, do not take patient assignments. The resource nurse is not only a caregiver but a resource
to the other caregivers. Within the staff nurses there is also a hierarchy of seniority. Their job is to give assigned
patients all their nursing care.
Another unsuccessful paraphrase

This is an attempt at a paraphrase, but the student still took a number of phrases (bolded) from the original source
without signaling that they are quoted. Most of these phrases could be easily reworded, but the student might want
to keep a quote like “hierarchy of seniority” in the paraphrase to acknowledge that these are Chase’s words directly.
Chase (1995) describes how nurses in a critical care unit function in a hierarchy that places designated experts at
the top and the least senior staff nurses at the bottom. The experts—the nurse manager, nurse clinician, and clinical
nurse specialist—are not involved directly in patient care. The staff nurses, in contrast, are assigned to patients
and provide all their nursing care. Within the staff nurses is a hierarchy of seniority in which the most senior can
become resource nurses: they are assigned a patient but also serve as a resource to other caregivers. The experts have
administrative and teaching tasks such as selecting and orienting new staff, developing unit policies, and giving
hands-on support where needed.
A successful paraphrase
In this paraphrase, the student uses his or her own words, appropriately acknowledges a phrase that is directly quoted
from Chase (“hierarchy of seniority”), and cites the page number where these words can be found.
In her study of the roles of nurses in a critical care unit, Chase (1995) also found a hierarchy that distinguished the
roles of experts and others. Just as the educational experts described above do not directly teach students, the
experts in this unit do not directly attend to patients. That is the role of the staff nurses, who, like teachers, have their
own “hierarchy of seniority” (p. 156). The roles of the experts include employing unit nurses and overseeing the care
of special patients (nurse manager), teaching and otherwise integrating new personnel into the unit (clinical nurse
specialist and nurse clinician), and policymaking (nurse clinician). In an intermediate position in the hierarchy is the
resource nurse, a staff nurse with more experience than the others, who assumes direct care of patients as the other
staff nurses do but who also takes on tasks to ensure the smooth operation of the entire facility.
Citing Paraphrased Sources
Even if students use their own words to paraphrase someone else’s words or ideas, they must acknowledge the
original source. Listed below are some helpful tips about citing paraphrased sources:
• S tudents should begin a paraphrase or summary with a statement that gives credit to the original source—
for example, “According to Roger Ebert, …”
• I f there are some unique words or phrases they cannot put into their own words or do not want to change,
students must put them in quotation marks—for example, “Stephanie Zacharek believes the movie is a
travesty for the following reasons.”

Quoting Sources
According to the Writing Center of the University of Wisconsin, in general, students should avoid quoting sources
directly unless it is really necessary. They should quote from a source to show that an authority supports a point, to
provide a position or argument on which to comment, or to provide a passage whose meaning would be changed if it
were paraphrased or summarized. When quoting directly is called for, here is some advice students should follow:
• M
ention the quoted person’s name at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of the quote, and include
the complete reference in the reference list of the paper.
• P
ut quotation marks (“ ”) around the quoted text if there are fewer than 40 words. For quotations with 40 or
more words, omit the quotation marks and start the quotation on a new line, indented 5 spaces from the left
margin.
• U
se an ellipsis ( . . . ) to indicate some words have been omitted within a quotation, and use brackets ([ ])
(not parentheses) to add their own comments or corrections.
Example of a short quotation

According to Stephanie Zacharek (1997), “There’s nothing wrong with using real-life tragedy as a background for a
made-up story. But the story has to serve the event, not the other way around.”
Example of a long quotation:

In her 1997 review of the movie Titanic, Stephanie Zacharek stated the following:
There’s nothing wrong with using real-life tragedy as a background for a made-up story. But the story has
to serve the event, not the other way around. It’s obvious, though, that Cameron wasn’t thinking in those
terms. Titanic puts two lovers (Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio) at center stage and sketches in all the
other details sloppily.
Reference
Zacharek, S. (1997). James Cameron’s Titanic New Disaster Movie Deserves a Watery Grave. Salon website
http://www.salon.com/1997/11/30/titanic/
Citing unknown sources

If students are citing a source that has no author, no date, and no page numbers (as with the TOEFL iBT test), they
should use the first few words from the title and add the abbreviation “n.d.” (for “no date”).
Example of a quotation
The author of the dance article states, “There was virtually no way to practice the art of dance, either as a dancer or a
choreographer outside the large ballet companies” (n.d.).
Example of a paraphrase
Dancers could only practice dance as an art by working from one of the established ballet companies as a dancer
or choreographer.
For more information about paraphrasing, plagiarism, and citing sources, visit the Writing Center
of the University of Wisconsin at http://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/documentation/

Paraphrasing Activity
2
ACTIVITY Paraphrasing

Instructor
Title Paraphrasing: Recognizing and Creating Accurate Paraphrases
Confucius articles from Mosaic 1 Reading, 4th edition, by Brenda Wegmann and
2
Materials Miki Knezevic, Chapter 7: “Remarkable Individuals,” pages 109-110. Published by McGraw-Hill.
Reprinted with permission.
Part 1: 15 minutes
Part 2: 30 minutes
Time
Part 3: 15 minutes
Part 4: 15 minutes
Part 1:
Identifying and using synonyms are essential components of effective paraphrasing. This activity focuses on
finding synonyms for words that appear in the passage on page 128. (Students should first try to answer without
using their dictionaries.)
1. Have the students refer to the Confucius article and look at the underlined words in the lines listed below,
which came from the second paragraph of the article.
2. Have the students pair up with partners. Each pair should spend the next 5 minutes working together to find
synonyms for the underlined words.
3. Have students share and discuss their synonyms with the class. Among the questions they should ask
themselves are, which synonyms are best and why?
• Line 5 [Confucius] was reared in poverty __________________________________

• Line 6 [He became] a learned man _______________________________________
• Line 7 ... he soon resigned that position __________________________________
• Line 8 ... which was compiled by ________________________________________
• Line 8 [His] disciples __________________________________________________
4. For lower-level students, provide the answers in the box below in random order. Students can then match the
underlined word with the synonym.
quit followers educated raised put together

2
Part 2:
1. Provide the students with a copy of the information on paraphrasing (pages 121–124) and discuss the
importance of this skill and the consequences of plagiarism.
2. Have the students read the following paraphrase of the second paragraph of the Confucius article. Ask them to
notice the use of synonyms (bolded) in the paraphrased text.
Original Text
There was little in his childhood background to predict the remarkable prestige that Confucius eventually achieved.
He was born in a small principality in northeastern China, was reared in poverty, and had no formal education.
Through diligent study, however, he educated himself and became a learned man. For a while he held a minor
government post, but he soon resigned that position and spent most of his life as an instructor. Eventually his most
important teachings were gathered together into a book, The Analects, which was compiled by his disciples. (88
words)
Paraphrased Text
Confucius achieved great status and prestige in his life. He was raised in a poor family in northeastern China and
did not go to school. He became an educated man by disciplined self-study. After quitting a low-level job in
government, he became a teacher. His followers put together his most important teachings in a book called The
Analects. (58 words)
Have students discuss the paraphrase in pairs. Ask them to look at the bold words in the original text and find the
synonymous words or phrases in the paraphrased text. Then have them discuss the following questions.
• How could they paraphrase the text differently?
• D
oes the paraphrase contain different words and different sentence structures from those
used in the original text?
• Was any important information left out?
• Did the paraphrased text change the author’s meaning in any way?
Part 3:
Have the students review the 2 original sentences from the Confucius article below. Then have each student partner
with another student and, while working in pairs, decide which of the 3 paraphrase options is best and explain why.
Finally, discuss the best paraphrases with the entire class.
1. Original text
At the time of his death, Confucius was a respected, but not yet greatly influential, instructor and philosopher.
Gradually, though, his ideas became widely accepted throughout China.

Choose the best paraphrase:

a. Confucius was an influential teacher and philosopher whose ideas were widely accepted in
China when he died.
b. Confucius was a respected teacher and philosopher when he died, but it was after his death that,
over time, his ideas were accepted throughout China.
c. Confucius was a very influential and respected teacher.
2. Original text
Confucius did not claim to be an innovator, but always said that he was merely urging a return to the moral
standards of former times. In fact, however, the reforms which he urged represented a change from—and a
great improvement over—the governmental practices of earlier days.

a. Confucius said his ideas weren’t new but were a return to older moral standards. However, his ideas were
new and were much better than the practices of earlier governments.
b. Confucius had many new ideas and wanted to change the government practices with these reforms.
c. C
onfucius didn’t have new ideas but wanted to reform the government with old ideas from past
governments.
Part 4:
Now ask the students to work in pairs to create their own paraphrases of the following portions of the Confucius
article.
1. Paraphrase 1 sentence.
Original text from line 21

(18 words)
Paraphrase 3 sentences, combining them into 1 or 2 sentences.

Confucius believed that respect and obedience are owed by children to their parents, by wives to their
husbands, and by subjects to their rulers. But he was never a defender of tyranny. On the contrary, the starting
point of his political outlook is that the state exists for the benefit of the people, not the rulers. (56 words)
2. Choose any other paragraph from the Confucius article and paraphrase it.

2
Confucius, 551 B.C.E.– 479 B.C.E.

Michael H. Hart
Mosaic 1 Reading, 4th edition, by Brenda Wegmann and Miki Knezevic, Chapter 7: “Remarkable Individuals,” pages
109-110. Published by McGraw-Hill. Reprinted with permission.
1 No other philosopher in the world has had more enduring influence than Confucius. For over two thousand years his
concept of government, and his ideas about personal conduct and morality, permeated Chinese life and culture. Even
today, his thoughts remain influential.
There was little in his childhood background to predict the remarkable prestige that Confucius eventually achieved. He
5 was born in a small principality in northeastern China, was reared in poverty, and had no formal education. Through
diligent study, however, he educated himself and became a learned man. For a while he held a minor government post,
but he soon resigned that position and spent most of his life as an instructor. Eventually, his most important teachings
were gathered together into a book, The Analects, which was compiled by his disciples.
The two cornerstones of his system of personal conduct were Jen and Li. “Jen” might be defined as “benevolent concern for
10 one’s fellow men.”“Li” is a term less easily translated: it combines the notions of etiquette, good manners, and due concern
for virtue rather than wealth (and in his personal life he seems to have acted on that principle). In addition, he was the first
major philosopher to state the Golden Rule, which he phrased as “Do not do unto others that which you would not have
them do unto you.”
Confucius believed that respect and obedience are owed by children to their parents, by wives to their husbands, and by
15 subjects to their rulers. But he was never a defender of tyranny. On the contrary, the starting point of his political outlook
is that the state exists for the benefit of the people, not the rulers. Another of his key political ideas is that a leader should
govern primarily by moral example rather than by force.
Confucius did not claim to be an innovator but always said that he was merely urging a return to the moral standards
of former times. In fact, however, the reforms which he urged represented a change from—and a great improvement
20 over—the governmental practices of earlier days.
At the time of his death, Confucius was a respected, but not yet greatly influential, instructor and philosopher. Gradually,
though, his ideas became widely accepted throughout China. Then, in the third century B.C., Shih Huang Ti united all of
China under his rule, and decided to reform the country entirely and make a complete break with the past. Shih Huang Ti
therefore decided to suppress Confucian teachings, and he ordered the burning of all copies of Confucius’ works. (He also
25 ordered the destruction of most other philosophical works.)
Most Confucian books were indeed destroyed, but some copies survived the holocaust, and a few years later, after
the dynasty founded by the “First Emperor” had fallen, Confucianism re-emerged. Under the next dynasty, the Han,
Confucianism became the official state philosophy, a position it maintained throughout most of the next two millennia.
Indeed, for much of that period, the civil service examinations in China were based primarily on knowledge of Confucian
30 classics. Since those examinations were the main route by which commoners could enter the administration and achieve
political power, the governing class of the largest nation on Earth was largely composed of men who had carefully studied
the works of Confucius and absorbed his principles.
Word count—582

2

Student
Title Paraphrasing: Recognizing and Creating Accurate Paraphrases
Student Directions
Part 1:
1. Refer to the Confucius article and look at the underlined words in the following lines, which come from the
second paragraph of the article.
2. Find a partner, and think of a synonym for each word (without using your dictionary if you can). You have
5 minutes to complete this part of the activity.
• Line 5 [Confucius] was reared in poverty __________________________________

• Line 6 [He became] a learned man _______________________________________
• Line 7 ... he soon resigned that position __________________________________
• Line 8 ... which was compiled by ________________________________________
• Line 8 [His] disciples __________________________________________________
Part 2:
1. Read the information on paraphrasing provided by your instructor. With the entire class, discuss why
paraphrasing is so important.
2. Read the following paraphrase of the second paragraph of the Confucius article. Notice the use of synonyms
(bolded) in the paraphrased text
Original Text
There was little in his childhood background to predict the remarkable prestige that Confucius eventually achieved.
He was born in a small principality in northeastern China, was reared in poverty, and had no formal education.
Through diligent study, however, he educated himself and became a learned man. For a while he held a minor
government post, but he soon resigned that position and spent most of his life as an instructor. Eventually his most
important teachings were gathered together into a book, The Analects, which was compiled by his disciples. (88
words)

2
Student (Continued)
Paraphrased Text
Confucius achieved great status and prestige in his life. He was raised in a poor family in northeastern China and
did not go to school. He became an educated man by disciplined self-study. After quitting a low-level job in
government, he became a teacher. His followers put together his most important teachings in a book called The
Analects. (58 words)
1. With a partner, look at the underlined words in the original text and find the synonymous words or phrases in
the paraphrased text. Then discuss the following questions:
• D
oes the paraphrase use completely different words and sentence structures from those used in the
original text?
• How could you paraphrase the text differently?

• Was any important information left out?
• Did the paraphrased text change the author’s meaning in any way?
Part 3:
Look at 2 of the original sentences from the Confucius article. With your partner, decide which of the 3 paraphrase
options is best, and explain why. Your instructor will ask you to share your ideas with the entire class during a class
discussion.
1. Original text
Gradually, though, his ideas became widely accepted throughout China.

a. Confucius was an influential teacher and philosopher whose ideas were widely accepted in
China when he died.
b. Confucius was a respected teacher and philosopher when he died, but it was after his death that,
over time, his ideas were accepted throughout China.
c. Confucius was a very influential and respected teacher.
2. Original text
Confucius did not claim to be an innovator, but always said that he was merely urging a return to the moral
standards of former times. In fact, however, the reforms which he urged represented a change from—and a
great improvement over—the governmental practices of earlier days.

a. Confucius said his ideas weren’t new but were a return to older moral standards. However, his ideas were
new and were much better than the practices of earlier governments.
b. Confucius had many new ideas and wanted to change the government practices with these reforms.
c. Confucius didn’t have new ideas but wanted to reform the government with old ideas from past
governments.

Part 4:

Work with your partner to create some paraphrases from the Confucius article.
1. Paraphrase 1 sentence.

(18 words)
Your paraphrase: ___________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Paraphrase 3 sentences, combining them into 1 or 2 sentences.

Confucius believed that respect and obedience are owed by children to their parents, by wives to their
husbands, and by subjects to their rulers. But he was never a defender of tyranny. On the contrary, the starting
point of his political outlook is that the state exists for the benefit of the people, not the rulers. (56 words)
Your paraphrase: ___________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Choose any other paragraph from the Confucius article and paraphrase it.
Your paraphrase: ___________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________

Summarizing
Summarizing Methods
A summary is a concise description of the major points of something read or listened to. A summary, unlike
paraphrasing, should not focus on details and examples or present a point-by-point account of the source material.
Rather, it focuses only on the major points of the source material.
A paraphrase may be as long as the original text, but an effective summary should be more concise—and significantly
shorter—than the original source material.
A summary should:
• Answer the question, What is the author or speaker really saying?
• Convey the speaker’s or author’s original intent and meaning.
• Read like a coherent, unified paragraph.
Students can use their notes on the major points and important details of a lecture or of reading material, such as
a textbook or article, when creating a summary. The outline and notes of a lecture about extrasensory perception,
shown below, illustrate this outlining method of note-taking. (This approach is also described on page 115.)
Extrasensory perception
• Definition: means of perceiving without use of sense organs
• 3 kinds
• Telepathy: sending messages
• Clairvoyance: forecasting the future
• Psychokinesis: perceiving events external to situation
• Current status
• No current research to support or refute
• Few psychologists say impossible
• Door open to future study
Here is a written summary based on the information in the outline: Extrasensory perception is a means of
perceiving without using sense organs. There are 3 kinds of extrasensory perception: telepathy, clairvoyance, and
psychokinesis. The door is open to further study because there is no current research to support or refute extrasensory
perception and few psychologists say it is impossible.

Summarizing Activity
3
ACTIVITY Summarizing

Instructor
Title Summarizing: Writing a Concise Summary
• Integrated reading, listening, speaking, and writing

Target Skills • Listening for basic comprehension
• Use notes to summarize major points and important details of a lecture

Learning Objectives
• A 2- to 5-minute listening passage. Suggested sources include any of the Web sites of
authentic speech in the Workshop Manual or any intermediate-to-advanced ESL/EFL
Materials textbook on listening skills. Before class, divide the selected passage into three appropriate
sections based on content.
• Copies of the summarizing information on page 132
Time 1 hour
Part 1:
1. Hand out copies of page 132 and discuss the importance of summarizing skills.
2. Discuss how outlining can help build a good summary.
Part 2:
1. Ask students to compare their notes from the note-taking activity with their partners’. Have them discuss
what the major points and important details of the listening passage were.
2. Ask students to use their notes to write a summary of the first section of the listening passage.
3. Have students work with partners to compare their summaries.
4. Have students revise their summaries and combine them into 1 written summary.
Part 3:
Repeat the steps described in Part 2 for each of the next 2 sections of the lecture.
Part 4:
1. Have students take the 3 section summaries and combine them into 1 written summary.
2. Have students revise their combined summaries at least once. In each revision, the students should try to
streamline the summary, reducing words where possible, while still keeping the major points intact.

3
ACTIVITY Summarizing
Student
Title Writing a Concise Summary
• Integrated reading, listening, speaking, and writing

Target Skills • Listening for basic comprehension
• Use notes to summarize major points and important details of a lecture

Learning Objectives
Student Directions
Part 1:
1. Read the handout on the importance of summarizing skills.

2. Discuss how outlining can help build a good summary.
Part 2:
1. Compare your notes from the note-taking activity with a partners’. Discuss what the major points
and important details of the listening passage were.
2. Use your notes to write a summary of the first section of the listening passage.
3. Compare your summary with your partner’s summary.
4. Revise your summary if you wish.
Part 3:
Repeat the steps described in Part 2 for each of the next 2 sections of the lecture.
Part 4:
1. Combine the 3 section summaries into 1 written summary.

2. Revise your combined summaries at least once. In each revision, try to streamline the summary,
reducing words where possible, while keeping the major points intact.

Build Your Own Activity

Title
Target Skill(s)
Proficiency Level
Learning Objective(s)
Materials
Time
Description

Appendix
Speaking Rubrics
Independent Speaking Rubric

GENERAL TOPIC
SCORE DELIVERY LANGUAGE USE
DESCRIPTION DEVELOPMENT
The response fulfills Generally well-paced The response demonstrates Response is sustained
the demands of the task, flow (fluid expression). effective use of grammar and and sufficient to the
with at most minor lapses Speech is clear. It may vocabulary. It exhibits a fairly task. It is generally well
in completeness. It is highly include minor lapses, high degree of automaticity developed and coherent;
intelligible and exhibits
4 sustained, coherent
or minor difficulties with
pronunciation or intonation
with good control of basic
and complex structures
relationships between
ideas are clear (or clear
discourse. A response at patterns, which do not affect (as appropriate). Some progression of ideas).
this level is characterized by overall intelligibility. minor (or systematic) errors
all of the following: are noticeable but do not
obscure meaning.
The response addresses Speech is generally clear, with The response demonstrates Response is mostly
the task appropriately some fluidity of expression, fairly automatic and coherent and sustained
but may fall short of being though minor difficulties with effective use of grammar and conveys relevant
fully developed. It is pronunciation, intonation, and vocabulary, and fairly ideas/information. Overall
generally intelligible and or pacing are noticeable and coherent expression of development is somewhat
coherent, with some fluidity may require listener effort relevant ideas. Response may limited, usually lacks
of expression, though it at times (though overall exhibit some imprecise elaboration or specificity.
exhibits some noticeable
3 lapses in the expression of
intelligibility is not
significantly affected).
or inaccurate use of
vocabulary or grammatical
Relationships between
ideas may at times not be
ideas. A response at this structures or be somewhat immediately clear.
level is characterized by at limited in the range of
least two of the following: structures used. This may
affect overall fluency, but it
does not seriously interfere
with the communication of
the message.
The response addresses Speech is basically intelligible, The response demonstrates The response is connected to
the task, but development though listener effort is limited range and control of the task, though the number of
of the topic is limited. needed because of unclear grammar and vocabulary. ideas presented or the
It contains intelligible articulation, awkward These limitations often development of ideas is
speech, although problems intonation, or choppy prevent full expression of limited. Mostly basic ideas
with delivery and/or overall rhythm/pace; meaning may ideas. For the most part, only are expressed with limited
coherence occur; meaning be obscured in places. basic sentence structures elaboration (details and
may be obscured
2 in places. A response at this
are used successfully and
spoken with fluidity.
support). At times relevant
substance may be vaguely
level is characterized Structures and vocabulary expressed or repetitious.
by at least two of the may express mainly simple Connections of ideas may
following: (short) and/or general be unclear.
propositions, with simple or
unclear connections made
among them (serial listing,
conjunction, juxtaposition).
The response is very limited Consistent pronunciation, Range and control of Limited relevant content
in content and/or stress, and intonation grammar and vocabulary is expressed. The response
coherence or is only difficulties cause considerable severely limit or prevent generally lacks substance
minimally connected to listener effort; delivery is expression of ideas and beyond expression of very
1 the task, or speech is largely
unintelligible. A response
choppy, fragmented, or
telegraphic; frequent pauses
connections among ideas.
Some low-level responses
basic ideas. Speaker may be
unable to sustain speech
at this level is characterized and hesitations. may rely heavily on practiced to complete the task and may
by at least two of the or formulaic expressions. rely heavily on repetition of the
following: prompt.
0 Speaker makes no attempt to respond OR response is unrelated to the topic.
138 APPENDIX
Integrated Speaking Rubric
APPENDIX
GENERAL TOPIC
SCORE DELIVERY LANGUAGE USE
DESCRIPTION DEVELOPMENT
The response fulfills Speech is generally clear, The response demonstrates The response presents a
the demands of the task, fluid, and sustained. good control of basic and clear progression of ideas
with at most minor lapses It may include minor lapses complex grammatical and conveys the relevant
in completeness. It is highly or minor difficulties with structures that allow for information required
intelligible and exhibits pronunciation or intonation. coherent, efficient by the task. It includes
sustained, coherent Pace may vary at times as (automatic) expression of appropriate detail, though
discourse. A response at
4 this level is characterized by
the speaker attempts to
recall information. Overall
relevant ideas. Contains
generally effective word
it may have minor errors
or minor omissions.
all of the following: intelligibility remains high. choice. Though some
minor (or systematic) errors
or imprecise use may be
noticeable, they do not
require listener effort
(or obscure meaning).
The response addresses Speech is generally clear, The response demonstrates The response is sustained
the task appropriately with some fluidity of fairly automatic and and conveys relevant
but may fall short of being expression, but it exhibits effective use of grammar information required by the
fully developed. It is minor difficulties with and vocabulary, and fairly task. However, it exhibits
generally intelligible and pronunciation, intonation, coherent expression of some incompleteness,
coherent, with some fluidity or pacing and may require relevant ideas. Response may inaccuracy, lack of specificity
of expression, though it some listener effort at times. exhibit some imprecise or with respect to content, or
3 exhibits some noticeable
lapses in the expression of
Overall intelligibility remains
good, however.
inaccurate use of vocabulary
or grammatical structures
choppiness in the progression
of ideas.
ideas. A response at this or be somewhat limited in
level is characterized by at the range of structures used.
least two of the following: Such limitations do not
seriously interfere with the
communication of
the message.
The response is connected Speech is clear at times, The response is limited in The response conveys
to the task, though it may though it exhibits problems the range and control of some relevant information
be missing some relevant with pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar but is clearly incomplete
information or contain intonation, or pacing and demonstrated (some complex or inaccurate. It is incomplete
inaccuracies. It contains so may require significant structures may be used, but if it omits key ideas, makes
some intelligible speech, listener effort. Speech typically contain errors). This vague reference to key ideas,
but at times problems with may not be sustained at a results in limited or vague or demonstrates limited
intelligibility and/or overall consistent level throughout. expression of relevant ideas development of important
2 coherence may
obscure meaning. A
Problems with intelligibility
may obscure meaning in
and imprecise or inaccurate
connections. Automaticity
information. An inaccurate
response demonstrates
response at this level is places (but not throughout). of expression may only be misunderstanding of key ideas
characterized by at least evident at the phrasal level. from the stimulus. Typically,
two of the following: ideas expressed may not be
well connected or cohesive
so that familiarity with the
stimulus is necessary to follow
what is being discussed.
The response is very limited Consistent pronunciation Range and control of Limited relevant content
in content and/or and intonation problems grammar and vocabulary is expressed. The response
coherence or is only cause considerable listener severely limit (or prevent) generally lacks substance
minimally connected to effort and frequently obscure expression of ideas and beyond expression of very
the task, or speech is largely
1 unintelligible. A response
meaning. Delivery is choppy,
fragmented, or telegraphic.
connections among
ideas. Some very low-
basic ideas. Speaker may be
unable to sustain speech to
at this level is characterized Speech contains frequent level responses may rely complete the task and may rely
by at least two of the pauses and hesitations. on isolated words or heavily on repetition of the
following: short utterances to prompt.
communicate ideas.
0 Speaker makes no attempt to respond OR response is unrelated to the topic.
APPENDIX 139
Writing Rubrics
Integrated Writing Rubric

SCORE DESCRIPTION
A response at this level successfully selects the important information from the lecture and coherently and
accurately presents this information in relation to the relevant information presented in the reading. The response is well
5 organized, and occasional language errors that are present do not result in inaccurate or imprecise presentation of content or
connections.
A response at this level is generally good in selecting the important information from the lecture and in coherently and
accurately presenting this information in relation to the relevant information in the reading, but it may have minor omission,
inaccuracy, vagueness, or imprecision of some content from the lecture or in connection to points made in the reading. A
4 response is also scored at this level if it has more frequent or noticeable minor language errors, as long as such usage and
grammatical structures do not result in anything more than an occasional lapse of clarity or in the connection of ideas.
A response at this level contains some important information from the lecture and conveys some
relevant connection to the reading, but it is marked by one or more of the following:
• Although the overall response is definitely oriented to the task, it conveys only vague, global, unclear, or somewhat
imprecise connection of the points made in the lecture to points made in the reading.
3 • The response may omit one major key point made in the lecture.
• Some key points made in the lecture or the reading, or connections between the two, may be incomplete, inaccurate, or
imprecise.
• Errors of usage and/or grammar may be more frequent or may result in noticeably vague expressions or obscured meanings
in conveying ideas and connections.
A response at this level contains some relevant information from the lecture, but is marked by significant language
difficulties or by significant omission or inaccuracy of important ideas from the lecture or in the connections between the
lecture and the reading; a response at this level is marked by one or more of the following:
• The response significantly misrepresents or completely omits the overall connection between the lecture and
2 the reading.
• The response significantly omits or significantly misrepresents important points made in the lecture.
• The response contains language errors or expressions that largely obscure connections or meaning at key junctures or that
would likely obscure understanding of key ideas for a reader not already familiar with the reading and the lecture.
A response at this level is marked by one or more of the following:

• The response provides little or no meaningful or relevant coherent content from the lecture.
1 • The language level of the response is so low that it is difficult to derive meaning.
An essay at this level merely copies sentences from the reading, rejects the topic or is otherwise not connected to the topic, is
0 written in a foreign language, consists of keystroke characters, or is blank.
140 APPENDIX
Writing for an Academic
APPENDIX
Discussion Rubric
SCORE DESCRIPTION
A fully successful response
The response is a relevant and very clearly expressed contribution to the online discussion, and it demonstrates consistent facility
in the use of language.
A typical response displays the following:
5 • Relevant and well-elaborated explanations, exemplifications, and/or details
• Effective use of a variety of syntactic structures and precise, idiomatic word choice
• Almost no lexical or grammatical errors other than those expected from a competent writer writing under timed conditions
(e.g., common typos or common misspellings or substitutions like there/their)
A generally successful response
The response is a relevant contribution to the online discussion, and facility in the use of language allows the writer’s ideas to be
easily understood.
4 A typical response displays the following:
• Relevant and adequately elaborated explanations, exemplifications, and/or details
• A variety of syntactic structures and appropriate word choice
• Few lexical or grammatical errors
A partially successful response
The response is a mostly relevant and mostly understandable contribution to the online discussion, and there is some facility in
the use of language.
• Elaboration in which part of an explanation, example, or detail may be missing, unclear, or irrelevant
• Some variety in syntactic structures and a range of vocabulary
• Some noticeable lexical and grammatical errors in sentence structure, word form, or use of idiomatic language
A mostly unsuccessful response
The response reflects an attempt to contribute to the online discussion, but limitations in the use of language may make ideas
hard to follow.
• Ideas that may be poorly elaborated or only partially relevant
• A limited range of syntactic structures and vocabulary
• An accumulation of errors in sentence structure, word forms, or use
An unsuccessful response
The response reflects an ineffective attempt to contribute to the online discussion, and limitations in the use of language may
prevent the expression of ideas.
A typical response may display the following:
1 • Words and phrases that indicate an attempt to address the task but with few or no coherent ideas
• Severely limited range of syntactic structures and vocabulary
• Serious and frequent errors in the use of language
• Minimal original language; any coherent language is mostly borrowed from the stimulus
The response is blank, rejects the topic, is not in English, is entirely copied from the prompt, is entirely unconnected to
0 the prompt, or consists of arbitrary keystrokes.
APPENDIX 141
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TEACHER MANUAL—READING

For Test Preparation Resources

Teaching TOEFL iBT® Skills

Teaching TOEFL iBT® Skills Workshop Manual

Reading, Listening, Speaking & Writing Activities

More Skills & Activities

To access additional workshop materials visit

• Communicate successfully in an academic environment

• Develop career-related communication skills

Communication in the classroom

Communication outside the classroom

• Require students to take notes as they listen or read

Assessing Integrated Skills

What is the TOEFL iBT Test?

• Listen and then speak in response to a question

• Read, listen, and then write in response to a question

• Read and then write in response to a question in an online class forum

The Test Format

Test Section Description Estimated Timing

Reading 2 passages, 10 questions each 35 minutes

3 lectures, 6 questions each

Speaking 4 tasks: 1 Independent and 3 Integrated 16 minutes

2 tasks: 1 Integrated Writing and

• Discussing or thinking about a subject before reading or hearing about it

• Guessing the meaning of vocabulary from context

• Breaking a sentence or word into parts to understand its meaning

• Organizing notes in an outline into main and subordinate categories

• Analyzing and synthesizing information (integrating or combining)

All Reading passages represent these 3 basic categories:

1. Narration (description of an event or a historical or biographical topic)

2. Exposition (explanation of ideas)

3. Argumentation (providing reasons leading to a conclusion)

2. Compare and contrast

3. Cause and effect

4. Problem and solution

Reading Question Types Description of Question Type*

a) Inference questions Measure ability to:

a) Prose summary questions Measure ability to:

* Examples for each question type begin on page 14.

• Fiction and nonfiction literature

• Historical and biographical works

• General topic or main idea

• Major points related to the general topic or main idea

• Important facts and details

• Vocabulary in the context of the reading material

Purpose: Basic comprehension

Learning Objectives Examples

Learning Objectives Examples

Basic Comprehension: Vocabulary

The word locomotion in the passage is closest in meaning to

2 • Passage: “Some poisonous snake bites need to be treated immediately or the

Basic Comprehension: Sentence simplification

Learning Objectives Example

According to paragraph 2, sculptors in the Italian Renaissance stopped using

Basic Comprehension: Negative factual information

The passage discusses applied-art objects in relation to all of the

Recognize and create accurate paraphrases of • _______________________________________________________

Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 1 about candles

Inference Reading: Rhetorical purpose

Learning Objectives Example