TOEFL Reading Coaching
Take some coaching sessions with me if you struggle with the TOEFL reading part. My one-hour coaching session costs slightly above the California hourly minimum wage of $20. The price is set so low not because it is of low quality (au contraire, mon frère), but because I am a Marxist in spirit. I use a collection of exemplary questions on a PowerPoint presentation, which you can keep. At the first meeting, we go over reading comprehension questions (information, inference, and summary) to improve your skills on what you need to do to identify the correct answer quickly. For this, I teach you various skills such as understanding what information the question is asking, skimming the passage to find key sentences pregnant with the information, and identifying traps in the options. The last skill is especially needed since many students end up choosing a wrong option, the one with traps, even after finding needed information, simply because they are unaware of some words meant to make the options wrong. My goal of the TOEFL reading session is to increase your test-taking IQ. After the reading comprehension questions, we can deal with other areas you are having trouble with, like rhetorical purpose, paraphrase, and sentence insertion questions. How many questions we cover depends on how good your current level is. If you have enrolled in my TOEFL reading self-study course, you can practice with similar questions to make the strategies I teach truly yours.
TOEFL Writing Coaching
Before the meeting:
- Submit essays (maximum of 5, either integrated or academic discussion)
- I will edit your essays and provide feedback for you to review before our meeting
- If you prefer, I can provide you with a writing assignment
At the meeting:
- We will discuss the problems with your essays and identify areas for improvement
- We will collaborate to develop a "template" or organizational structure that aligns with your writing style
- I will pinpoint weaknesses in your essays that hinder clarity or persuasiveness (grammar, topic development, etc.) and demonstrate effective solutions
After the meeting:
- You will have your own personalized templates
- You will gain the skills to write essays that consistently earn top marks (5 out of 5) while maintaining your unique writing style
- A minimum of two meetings is recommended to ensure you are on the right track. During the second meeting, I can provide further guidance and ensure you are applying the techniques effectively.
TOEFL Speaking Coaching
Before the meeting:
- Submit your recorded spoken responses for tasks 1-4
- I will review your responses for both delivery and content, providing detailed feedback for you to consider before our meeting
- Upon request, I can provide you with a speaking assignment tailored to your specific needs
At the meeting:
- We will discuss the aspects of your spoken responses that require improvement (pronunciation, stress, topic development for task 1, correctness, completeness, and organization for tasks 2-4)
- We will engage in practice sessions to ensure you are on the right track and progressing towards your desired score
After the meeting:
- You will have a clear understanding of your predicted TOEFL iBT speaking score
- You will be equipped with a personalized action plan outlining the specific areas to focus on in order to achieve your desired score