Online TOEFL Course
‘Dear Michael Buckhoff,
“For a couple of days I was searching the web for an Online TOEFL Course. My current TOEFL score is 70 points because I have done some samples that are similar to the one on the TOEFL,” wrote Adil of India. “I would like to get 90 -95 points that is my goal. I have 2-3 hours every day to study, I mean to spend that time on your course and additional time to practice on my own. I’m planning to take the TOEFL IBT test in the first week of July. I downloaded many books and CDs and practice exams for TOEFL. I will be sitting for the academic TOEFL exam on July 24, 2013. I need to obtain at least 90 -95 points with at least 24 in both the Reading Skills and Writing Skills sub-tests and at least 22 in both the Speaking and Listening sub-tests. After taking some practice exams I think I am weak in reading and listening, I would to know what is important and what is not important on the listening lecture and reading passages.”
Having 4 months to study for the TOEFL test, Adil wanted to know what is important and what is not important on the listening lecture and reading passages. Firstly, To help Adil learn how to read quicker and how to improve his listening skills, Michael recommended for the reading that Adil create a mind map of the passage. This means you should identify in note form in one or two words the thesis, main supporting points, and one or two major details for each supporting point. Having this mind map of the passage is essential as you organize your responses during the integrated speaking and writing tasks, for you will use this rough outline in your oral or written response. Secondly, having an adequate reading speed is critical to succeeding on the TOEFL exam, and Michael’s Online TOEFL Course provides 70 academic speed reading tests in his Online TOEFL Course “The 7-Step System to Pass the TOEFL iBT. Consequently, Adil can improve his reading speed from 100 to 350 words per minute with 80% comprehension. Furthermore, having five specific reading habits that will positively impact his overall reading comprehension of academic reading passages:
1) Build your college-level vocabulary until you have acquired about 2,000 words.
2) Read extensively for about 45 minutes every day for 6 months. Read adult-level magazines, newspapers, and books.
3) Once you’ve completed steps 1-2, increase your reading speed to at least 300 words per minute with 80% comprehension.
4) After completing steps 1-3, become familiar with the TOEFL iBT question types and the strategies for answering them.
5) After completing steps 1-4, begin taking weekly TOEFL level iBT reading practice tests and be sure to analyze the answers, especially the ones you missed.
As you can see, improving your reading comprehension requires a lot of effort, even hundreds and hundreds of hours of practice on your part. By following Michael’s 5 suggestions many students have found that their TOEFL reading scores improved dramatically.
Moreover, focusing on how to improve his listening skills, Adil paid attention to transition words. For example, if a speaker or a writer uses “in fact,” he/she is introducing an important point. However, if a speaker or writer uses, “in other words,” she or he is simply re-explaining something already mentioned, which means the idea is only important if you did not understand how it was explained the first time.
Lastly, another tip to consider when listening to academic lectures is the tone. Speakers usually use more stress and a higher pitch on new and important information, which means you had better get that idea down in note form. Also, speakers sometimes include a .5 to 1 second pause when they want to change a topic or introduce something that is important. In addition, in the listening section, Adil learned tips and tricks in inference, idioms, negative expressions, getting the main idea, and understanding transitions.
Of course, I could go on and on about this topic, but the truth is Michael has over 100 lessons that covers all the essential things you need to learn in order to improve your academic English in reading and listening. In the end 4 months later, Adil developed good reading and listening abilities in English through Michael Buckhoff’s “The 7-Step System to Pass the TOEFL iBT,” even overall excellent speaking skills. All in all, Adil ended up scoring 93 on the TOEFL iBT with reading 24, listening 22, speaking 22 and writing 25. So if you feel the need to meet your TOEFL goals like Adil, follow Adil’s success and join Michael Buckhoff’s “The 7-Step System to Pass the TOEFL iBT.”
Online TOEFL Course