Hey everyone! My name is Neeka, and I am an ESL teacher at Langports Sydney. I am currently in the middle of teaching the second cycle of TOEIC which I have found to be extremely gratifying as a teacher, which is why today I am going to be talking about what kind of students should opt to take the TOEIC course and why they should choose it.
How is the TOEIC closed course organized?
TOEIC is a closed course which runs for a 5 week block. It is certainly grammar intensive with ample opportunities to practice all four micro skills, listening, reading, speaking and writing. Everyday students will spend 3 hours learning and practicing various grammar topics. They will then spend an hour and fifteen minutes focusing on a different skill everyday. Needless to say, students will also develop their overall fluency and understanding of the English language.
My experience teaching TOEIC
At the end of the first day of week 1 I remember walking out of class thinking how overwhelmed the students looked. Despite the fact that all of them had already seen most of the grammar points being presented in their previous interactions of learning English, it all seemed new and scary to them, partly because of the pace and partly because of the unfamiliarity of the format. However, by the end of the first week, I could already see that their understanding of basic grammar concepts was strengthening. One reason was that they were able to compare and contrast various grammar concepts in great detail on a daily basis.
Over the course of time, I saw that students became more and more aware of their strengths and weaknesses. This newfound awareness allowed them to shift their learning focus, to some extent, to address their weaknesses and to use their individual strengths to their advantage.
In the final week students were required to make a presentation on a topic of their liking for about 8-10 minutes. I was so proud when I saw even the shyest of students blossom and apply the knowledge acquired over the period of the course and shine. Presenting for students is a daunting task and most students were up to the challenge.
Who is this course for?
The course content and material target students who have studied grammar but have not been able to fully grasp the complete functionality and use of it. The average student comes from either level 3 or level 4 and is looking to really consolidate his/her prior knowledge to make him/her a confident user of the language.
Personally, I think the course is well suited to students who are willing to work hard and are realistic about their learning goals. So if you are level 3 or level 4 student who would like to improve all their skills and are keen to work hard before going to level 4 or perhaps to level 5, TOEIC is the course for you!
Thank you! Neeka:)
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