Taking notes in a lecture

by University East Anglia. Study skills for international students

A lecturer generally follows a very predictable pattern in the way s/he imparts information. In addition, there will be certain expressions that signal the information which is about to follow. Some examples are:

• ‘I am going to begin today by…’
• ‘There are three important reasons…’
• ‘Let us now move on to…’
• ‘Another factor that…’

This kind of language alerts the listener to the speaker’s intentions and provides students with a way to follow the direction in which the lecture is moving.

How does this help the student who is struggling to identify the important points? Firstly, it indicates the relative importance of the information. For example:

• Is it a main point or is it a detail?
• Can the information be inferred from previous points in the lecture or not?
• Do we already know this or is it new information?

Secondly, if you can identify the organisation of the lecture (this is usually indicated in the introduction) this will give you an idea about the type of notes you might take during the lecture. Although many students use linear notes (notes which follow the order of the points made in the lecture), it is worth thinking about some other ways of keeping notes.

• A tree diagram for notes about classification and descriptions will eliminate the need for you to write too many words
• A two-column table can makes quick work of jotting down advantages and disadvantages
• Mind-maps are incredibly useful ways of noting down key words or important facts, particularly when we are not sure of exactly how many there will be. Many students have also observed that the visual nature of such notes makes the information much easier to remember

In order to be able to do all this, you need to have a reasonable level of English and in particular your listening skill needs to be good. Taking notes means being able to focus on two things at the same time: listening to the lecture and writing down the most important information you hear and see. While it may seem impossible, it is a skill that can be developed and perfected with sufficient time and lots of practice.

Apart from experimenting with the use of new layouts for notes, and exploring to what extent diagrams can help the task of note-taking, other strategies can also be used. For example, full spellings are not required: abbreviations and symbols do an amazing job of speeding up the transfer of information you have heard onto paper. Also, sentences are not necessary: bullet points and key words may be sufficient.

Finally, as soon as possible after the lecture, review the notes for completeness and easy understanding. If there are gaps, it will be easier to fill them in while the information is still fresh in your mind and/or while our co-listeners’ notes are still easily accessible. The ultimate test of effective notes is: are they helpful when you need them - no matter how long after the lecture that may be?

Facts and figures about verbs in academic writing

by University of East Anglia

• 18 % of all verbs are past simple
• 54% of all verbs are present simple
• 90% of verbs use the simple form
• The present simple is 24 times more common than the present continuous

Understanding questions at the moment to do an essay

I found this video  from University of East Anglia very useful in the course Study Skills for International Students. Also in the TOEFL or IELTS exam, you must be careful to write what you have been asked for, and to be careful to be less descriptive and more analysis developing your essay.

Independent task: speaking, personal preference questions

You can practice these questions by yourself. Remember you have 15 seconds to prepare and 45 to talk.

Take into account: grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation. Speak clear and do not hesitate.

• What do you think is the best way to learn a second language? Give your opinion.

• Name a skill you have learned and explain why it is important to you. Include details and examples to support your explanation.

• Some students prefer to do the group projects. Other students prefer to do individual projects. Which kind of projects do you think produce more learning and why?

• Some people work for a business, and some people work in their own business. Which would you prefer to do and why? Include details and examples in your explanation.

• A good teacher should have some special qualities. What qualities do you think are necessary for a good teacher to have access and why? Include details and examples in your explanation.

Secrets for the Reading section

from English club

The iBT does not test grammar separately as previous TOEFL tests did. You will still need to prove that you have a strong grasp of grammar in the speaking and writing sections. It is helpful to familiarize yourself with key academic vocabulary. Keep in mind that you don't need to know every word in a reading passage to answer the questions. Practise reading without a dictionary close by. When it comes to the questions, concentrate on the areas that the questions pertain to. Skim through the passage, read the questions, then read for more detail. The questions usually come in the order they appear in the passage. Anticipate the type of questions you will be asked in this section. Many of the readings have a main idea question. You will be asked at least two vocabulary questions from each reading. You will also be asked some detailed questions and some inference questions. You will not have time to reread a whole passage.

New accents in the Speaking and Listening part from March 2013

From this year, TOEFL has added new accents to its listening and speaking section. This will be competitive to other cultures and more worldwide. In my classes, I always encourage my students to listen audio and videos from other languages. English is not only American or British, It is part of what we consider globalization. 

For more information about accents in the TOEFL visit toefl.org

Videos with TOEFL tips from teachers

Do you really want to know what do teachers expect from you? What kind of essays they consider the most amazing? What kind of answers are expecting to hear in the speaking part?

http://www.toeflgoanywhere.org/content/tips-esl-teachers-what-teachers-want-you-know

TOEFL crosswords

Would you like to improve int your vocabulary or just to review some words? One of the best ways is to do crosswords. ETS has an excellent tool with TOEFL words, so don´t get lazy and start!

http://www.toeflgoanywhere.org/crossword-puzzle

TOEFL tips for the writing

From English Grammar
There are two tasks in the TOEFL Writing section. The first writing task is an integrated task: you will have to listen to a lecture and read a passage. You must then write a summary of both passages.

The second writing task is an independent essay. You have to write an essay of at least 300 words on a given topic. You will have to write on the topic you are given. No choice is available. TOEFL iBT is a computerized test. You have to type both essays on a computer. If you do not know typewriting well, you must practice on a keyboard before your test.

You can cut, copy and paste as you type your essays, but remember that the computer will not check your spelling or grammar. That means you have to do your homework. Learn the spellings of all words you tend to misspell.

General writing strategies
The TOEFL writing section has two tasks. It takes about 50 minutes. Here are a few tips for success on the Writing section.

Organize your thoughts first
Do not start writing as soon the section begins. Instead, use one or two minutes for organizing your ideas. This is very important, because few people are capable of organizing their thoughts in their mind as they write. As a result they will have to edit more.

By organizing your ideas in the beginning itself, you will get an outline for your essay. Once you have got the outline ready, you only need to develop the ideas into paragraphs. However, do not spend more than 2 or 3 minutes on an outline. Remember that you will not get any marks for the outline

.
Use familiar vocabulary
Some students try to impress the examiner with complex vocabulary. You must not try this stunt if you are not familiar with these words. Of course, you have to use academic words in your essay. However, they needn’t necessarily be obscure.

Speaking part (tips)

Written by Strictly English TOEFL Tutors
For many students, the Speaking section of the TOEFL is the hardest. Not only do you have to show mastery of spoken English, but you also need to perform well. If you’re not used to speaking in front of an audience, or if you’re generally shy or soft-spoken, the performance aspect of your oral answers can affect your score significantly.

Why does this happen?

Inexperienced public speakers aren’t used to calibrating their voice and speed. They may mumble, speak too quickly or in a monotone, or insert filler phrases like “um” when uncertain of what to say next. Without the feedback of an audience, such speakers don’t realize that the WAY they’re speaking is creating a negative impression about WHAT they’re saying.

How can you avoid these pitfalls?

Create opportunities for public speaking, if you can. Volunteer to lead a group presentation, or teach a group of friends how to do something that you know well. Read a newspaper item out loud to your family. If you can’t practice in front of an audience, you should still practice speaking out loud to an empty room. The goal is to get used to projecting your voice, speaking clearly, and pacing yourself.

Here are some additional tips for good public speaking:

Breathe. Students often try to say as much as possible in their answers. This causes their words to blur together, and makes the rater’s job harder. Slow down by taking a breath at the end of each sentence. This will also give you a moment to organize your thoughts.

Sit up in your chair. Or even better, stand. Projecting your voice is difficult if you’re slouched into a chair. Whether sitting or standing, have your back straight and your head up. Breathe slowly and deeply.

Avoid caffeine and dairy products. Caffeine dehydrates. Since nervousness alone can cause dry mouth, you don’t want to make the situation worse by drinking caffeinated beverages before the TOEFL exam. Similarly, dairy products create the sensation of needing to clear your throat. Drink water instead.

Warm up your voice. Try a few tongue twisters or other brief speaking exercises to warm up your voice. This will help you to enunciate clearly.

Even though you can’t practice answers for the content of the Speaking section, you can practice your performance skills. By improving to the performance aspect of your answer on the Speaking section, you might raise your score by two or more points!

Tips before the exam

A week before the examination

FROM Longman and pearson.

Look back at your revision programme. Is it complete? Aren't there some things you want to look at again? Use this week for some focused revision.

Review your revision notes every day. Try reviewing your notes without looking at them. Which parts are difficult to remember? Concentrate on learning those parts.

Remember that the examination asks you to do things in English. It is not a test of how well you remember your notes. Use your time to do some relaxing things in English.

Look back at the written work you did a year ago. Do you see how much you have improved? Think positively about yourself and your achievements.

Think about what you are going to wear for the examination. You should be comfortable, but try to choose something special for this special day. This means that when you put on those clothes, you will already be preparing yourself for the examination.

Get as much sleep as you can. Don't waste time worrying about the examination. You will not learn anything by worrying. Find some time to take exercise. You can try to remember phrasal verbs when you are jogging or plan a composition whilst you take a walk.

Travel to the place where you will take the examination. Check that you know the way and the time. Use the journey time to plan your examination strategy.

Remember to send 'good luck' messages to all your friends who are taking the same examination.

The night before the examination don't eat a heavy meal. Eat something light but nutritious. Avoid alcohol. Take some exercise and go to bed early.

On the day of the examination

Dress in your 'examination clothes' and prepare yourself for this special day. Open and read the 'good luck' messages from your friends. Have a good breakfast but don't drink too much. You shouldn't feel hungry or uncomfortable in any way during the examination.

Check through the 'time plan' you have made for the examination. Know how much time you will give to each question. Check you have given yourself time for checking and correcting.

Check that you have all the pens and papers you need for the examination. For many examinations you may need some identification papers.

As you travel to the place of the examination, remind yourself of your examination strategy.

During the examination

Focus your mind on what you have to do. Don't be distracted by outside things or by other students.

Keep an eye on the clock but try not to hurry. Always give yourself time to check your work.

Remember you will get no marks for any questions you do not attempt so make sure that you complete as much of the examination as possible.

After the examination

Don't worry about the mistakes you made and the things you got wrong. You will have a long wait for the results so go out and enjoy your freedom!

The results are not as good as you expected? Well, you can always take the examination again. You are now a better, more organised person and a better learner. It will be much easier next time.

The results are good? Congratulations!

TOEFL Essay exercise

From English Club.com

Does this scenario sound familiar to you? A young couple meets and falls in love in the city. Later they get married and decide to move to a rural area. They plan to start a family. This may have been the case years ago, but today more couples are choosing to settle down in the city. In my opinion a city has more to offer a new family than a rural area. These things include jobs, institutions, and support systems.

There are more work opportunities for young couples in a city than in a rural area. Unemployment is much lower in urban centers. One reason for this is that many jobs in rural areas are seasonal. It is more common for large companies to be based in the city. Even though the cost of living is higher in the city than it is in a rural area, people who work in the city tend to have much higher salaries. Furthermore, financial stress is a leading cause of divorce and leads to the break up of families.

The city offers important institutions such as the best hospitals and schools that rural areas don't always have. For instance, people who get sick or have babies in rural areas often have to travel to the city for medical attention. This can lead to bills and transportation problems. While their parents have to commute to work, kids sometimes have to travel a long way on a bus to school. All of the travel takes away from family time. In addition, kids who grow up in rural areas are less likely to go to post secondary schools. Most have to go to the city to get a good education.

It is more likely that a young couple will have the support of friends and family in the city than in a rural area. When a young couple moves away from this support system, they often feel isolated. On the other hand, small communities are usually close and friendly. It doesn't take long to meet new friends in a small town. People look out for each other and the crime rate is much lower. Even still, you can never replace your best friends and relatives. Consequently, birthdays and holidays feel lonely without grandparents and childhood friends to join in the celebration.

Living in the city is a new trend for young families. This is partly because people are starting families later. I have already established my career and home in the city. My friends and family and all of the things I need are here. When I meet my future spouse I hope he agrees to settle down in the city.

Essay checklist
Do I have an interesting introductory sentence?
Do I have a thesis?
Does my introduction state the topics that I plan to cover?
Does each paragraph have a topic sentence?
Do I use examples and reasons to support my points?
Is my spelling and punctuation correct?
Do I use simple grammatical structure that I am comfortable with?
Do I use transitional phrases?
Have I covered both sides of an issue fairly?
Did I prove my thesis?
Does my conclusion end with an interesting thought or idea?

TOEFL Essay exercise

From English Club.com

Does this scenario sound familiar to you? A young couple meets and falls in love in the city. Later they get married and decide to move to a rural area. They plan to start a family. This may have been the case years ago, but today more couples are choosing to settle down in the city. In my opinion a city has more to offer a new family than a rural area. These things include jobs, institutions, and support systems.

There are more work opportunities for young couples in a city than in a rural area. Unemployment is much lower in urban centers. One reason for this is that many jobs in rural areas are seasonal. It is more common for large companies to be based in the city. Even though the cost of living is higher in the city than it is in a rural area, people who work in the city tend to have much higher salaries. Furthermore, financial stress is a leading cause of divorce and leads to the break up of families.

The city offers important institutions such as the best hospitals and schools that rural areas don't always have. For instance, people who get sick or have babies in rural areas often have to travel to the city for medical attention. This can lead to bills and transportation problems. While their parents have to commute to work, kids sometimes have to travel a long way on a bus to school. All of the travel takes away from family time. In addition, kids who grow up in rural areas are less likely to go to post secondary schools. Most have to go to the city to get a good education.

It is more likely that a young couple will have the support of friends and family in the city than in a rural area. When a young couple moves away from this support system, they often feel isolated. On the other hand, small communities are usually close and friendly. It doesn't take long to meet new friends in a small town. People look out for each other and the crime rate is much lower. Even still, you can never replace your best friends and relatives. Consequently, birthdays and holidays feel lonely without grandparents and childhood friends to join in the celebration.

Living in the city is a new trend for young families. This is partly because people are starting families later. I have already established my career and home in the city. My friends and family and all of the things I need are here. When I meet my future spouse I hope he agrees to settle down in the city.

Essay checklist
Do I have an interesting introductory sentence?
Do I have a thesis?
Does my introduction state the topics that I plan to cover?
Does each paragraph have a topic sentence?
Do I use examples and reasons to support my points?
Is my spelling and punctuation correct?
Do I use simple grammatical structure that I am comfortable with?
Do I use transitional phrases?
Have I covered both sides of an issue fairly?
Did I prove my thesis?
Does my conclusion end with an interesting thought or idea?

Toefl exercises online

Nice page to practice your TOEFL exam.

http://www.examenglish.com/TOEFL/index.php

Tip 2 Listening

about.com

Strategies

Once you have begun to listen on a regular basis, you might still be frustrated (adjective=upset) by limited understanding. What should you do?

Here is some of the advice I give my students:

Accept the fact that you are not going to understand everything.

Keep cool (idiom=stay relaxed) when you do not understand - even if you continue to not understand for a long time.

Do not translate into your native language (synonym=mother tongue)

Listen for the gist (noun=general idea) of the conversation. Don't concentrate on detail until you have understood the main ideas.

I remember the problems I had in understanding spoken German when I first went to Germany. In the beginning, when I didn't understand a word, I insisted on translating it in my mind. This approach (synonym=method) usually resulted in confusion. Then, after the first six months, I discovered two extremely important facts; Firstly, translating creates a barrier (noun=wall, separation) between the listener and the speaker. Secondly, most people repeat themselves constantly. By remaining calm (adjective=relaxed), I noticed that - even if I spaced out (idiom=to not pay attention) I could usually understand what the speaker had said. I had discovered some of the most important things about listening comprehension:

Practice your listening

One of the skills scored in the exam is the listening. This page could help you with section 1.

http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/TOEFL_ITP/html/Section%201,%20TOEFL%20ITP,%20Listening%20Comprehension.html

Increasing vocabulary through reading

Every day find an article of approximately 250 words. Look in magazines or find an article froma newspaper on the web or in a library. Read the article through and highlight five words you do not know. The words you highlight should be important to the understanding of the article. Look them up and make sure that the meaning you find in the dictionary is the correct meaning as it relates to the article. Keep these words in your own dictionary and review frequently.

Taken from prfect phrases for the TOEFL by Roberta G steinberg.

Practice your vocabulary for the test

With these exercises you can improve your test skill.

http://www.english-test.net/toefl/

http://www.vocaboly.com/vocabulary-test/toefl10.php

Writing topic for an essay

“When people succeed, it is because of hard work. Luck has
nothing to do with success.” Do you agree or disagree with the
quotation above? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your
position.

Green, Green, Green March 17th Saint Patrick day

Clue words

• Clover or shamrocks
• Parade
• Green
• Irish
• Ireland
• Luck

Facts about St. Patrick's Day Holiday

· St. Patrick’s Day is observed on March 17 because that is the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is believed that he died on March 17 in the year 461 AD. It is also a worldwide celebration of Irish culture and history. St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland, and a provincial holiday in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

· In Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Children wear orange, white and green badges, and women and girls wear green ribbons in their hair.

· Many cities have a St. Patrick’s Day parade. Dublin, the capital of Ireland, has a huge St. Patrick’s Day festival from March 15-19, that features a parade, family carnivals, treasure hunt, dance, theatre and more. In North American, parades are often held on the Sunday before March 17. Some paint the yellow street lines green for the day! In Chicago, the Chicago River is dyed green with a special dye that only lasts a few hours. There has been a St. Patrick’s Day parade in Boston, Massachusetts since 1737. Montreal is home to Canada’s longest running St. Patrick’s Day parade, which began in 1824.

Facts about Saint Patrick

· St. Patrick was born in 385 AD somewhere along the west coast of Britain, possibly in the Welsh town of Banwen. At age 16, he was captured and sold into slavery to a sheep farmer. He escaped when he was 22 and spent the next 12 years in a monastery. In his 30s he returned to Ireland as a Christian missionary. He died at Saul in 461 AD and is buried at Downpatrick.

Facts about the Irish

· 34 million Americans have Irish ancestry, according to the 2003 US Census. That’s almost nine times the population of Ireland, which has 4.1 million people.

· Some American towns have “Irish” names. You could visit: Mount Gay-Shamrock, West Virginia; Shamrock Lakes, Indiana; Shamrock, Oklahoma; Shamrock, Texas; Dublin, California and Dublin, Ohio.

· The harp is the symbol of Ireland. The color green is also commonly associated with Ireland, also known as “the Emerald Isle.”

· The Irish flag is green, white and orange. The green symbolizes the people of the south, and orange, the people of the north. White represents the peace that brings them together as a nation.

· The name “lephrechaun” has several origins. It could be from the Irish Gaelic word “leipreachan,” which means “a kind of aqueous sprite.” Or, it could be from “leath bhrogan,” which means “shoemaker.”

Facts about Clovers

· According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the highest number of leaves found on a clover is 14!

· One estimate suggests that there are about 10 000 regular three-leaf clovers for every lucky four-leaf clover.

Legend says that each leaf of the clover means something: the first is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love and the fourth for luck.