TOEFL Curriculum

This module is designed to provide advanced preparation and practice in all four testing skills measured on the TOEFL®iBT. It is similar in content and structure to ELP 054, but presented in preprogram format in order to be accessible to students at lower English proficiency levels. Students are given opportunities to take complete simulated exams while studying the underlying individual skills that are measured by the TOEFL®iBT. This module is open to all students in the program and may be taken as an additional course by students who feel that they need additional exam taking practice. ELP 049 is taught in Summer and in selected other terms.
Prerequisite: Completion of ELP 030, 31, 032 or CASAS placement score of 230+

This module is designed to refine professional and academic reading skills. Learners develop commonly measured reading skills such as using context to under- stand vocabulary, locating main ideas and supporting facts, inferring meaning, and understanding rhetorical purpose. The module analyzes the structure of the Reading section of a standardized test so that students understand the types of questions presented and the best techniques for quickly locating, within each reading passage, the information needed to choose the correct answer(s) for each question type. The elimination of incorrect choices, recognition of distracters and time management are taught. Students who successfully complete this module can expect to become better readers, raise their score on the reading section of the TOEFL-iBT® by 4 to 10 points, and see measurable improvements in other standardized test scores.
Prerequisite: Placement scores of TOEFL®iBT 52, CASAS 230, or completion of ELP 040, ELP 041, or ELP 042

This module is designed to master listening and aural comprehension skills. Students focus on developing the listening skills needed to use and understand the spoken American idiom in academic and professional settings. These skills include listening for specific information, pragmatic understanding of main ideas, understanding the implied stance of speakers, understanding the organization of information, and identifying relationships among speakers and content. Emphasis is placed on effective note-taking skills and appropriate response. Students who successfully complete this module can expect to effectively under stand spoken English in a variety of settings, to raise their scores on the listening section of the TOEFL®iBT approximately 4 to 10 points, and gain significant increases in other standardized test scores.
Prerequisite: Placement scores of TOEFL®iBT 52, CASAS 230, or completion of ELP 040, ELP 041, or ELP 042

This module is designed to improve students’ spoken English in professional and academic settings. The module focuses on developing the skills that allow learners to express and support an opinion orally as well as respond verbally to information gathered from spoken and written input. Learners also work to develop note-taking skills needed to create oral responses. Emphasis is placed on public speaking, techniques for interviewing, and improving communication in academic and professional contexts. Students who successfully complete this module can expect to gain near native oral fluency, to raise their score on the speaking section of the TOEFL®iBT approximately 4 to 10 points, and gain measurable increases in other standardized test scores.
Prerequisite: Placement scores of TOEFL®iBT 61, CASAS 240, or the completion of ELP 050 and ELP 051

This module is designed to master written communication for professional and academic settings. Students focus on learning the skills necessary to quickly plan and write analytical, evaluative, comparative and argumentative written responses. Students learn process writing techniques including effective note-taking in order to create concise writing that is logical, coherent, and cohesive. Students work in small groups and use peer editing techniques in order to effectively analyze their own writing and correct common errors. Students who successfully complete this module can expect to become competent in practical written English forms, to raise their scores on the writing section of the TOEFL®iBT approximately 4 to 10 points, and gain measurable increases in other standardized test scores.
Prerequisite: Placement scores of TOEFL®iBT 61, CASAS 250, or the completion of ELP 050 and ELP 051

This module is designed to provide timed practice in four language areas commonly measured by standardized English language tests. The module features a rigorous schedule of practice and gives students the opportunity to increase their speed and accuracy in identifying correct responses to all types of test items in all sections of the tests. Additional focus is placed upon the types of questions from each section that have been shown to be most problematic for a majority of students. Students are given opportunities to take complete simulated tests in order to create the real experience of taking complete tests. It is suggested that students take the test they are preparing for as soon as possible following the completion of this module.
Prerequisite: Placement score of TOEFL®iBT 68, CASAS 255, or completion of ELP 052 and ELP 053

This module teaches the use of the current operating system (Vista ®), Internet tools, Outlook ®, and Acrobat ®. Students develop and deliver presentations in PowerPoint ® and create documents in MS Word ®. They work on their keyboarding and alpha/numerical data entry skills. The lab work focuses on hand placement, accuracy, speed, documents formatting, and projects. By the end of the module, students should be able to apply the skills they have learned to the workplace and further study.
Prerequisite: none