SYLLABUS
American University of Central Asia
New Generation Academy
Test Preparation- TOEFL
Fall 2015
Course code: Prep 040, ID: 2841

Instructor: Aikerim Ulanbekovna Nazaralieva
E-mail: nazaralieva.aikerim@gmail.com 
Mobile phone: 0550 190 708 
Office Hours: Tuesday 1-3 p.m. 

Course Description
The course provides a broad overview of the major topics in TOEFL examination. The course gives students an insight on the principle of findings and of concepts from a variety of views shared by different approaches, and encourages students to practice and implement the knowledge they receive throughout the course by offering interactive resources and materials. 
Course Objectives 
We will sharpen our skills of listening, grammar and reading sections and at composing and revising academic essays, beginning with reflective and exploratory work. We will consider close reading strategies, the process of developing an essay—from early invention practices through intensive revision strategies—and pay special attention to supporting our claims with textual evidence. Our focus will be the array of choices available to us as writers as we respond to complicated issues with clear, convincing arguments. We will seek to do so not by simplifying our thinking, but, rather, by using the format of the essay—particularly structure—to capture and convey our ideas in all their complexity.  

By the end of this course, you should be able to
•	understand the intricate and fluid relationship between reading and writing 
•	identify and work with controlling ideas and thesis statements in reading section
•	understand the concept of grammar section (structure and written sub sections of grammar section)
•	understand the relationship between focused paragraphs, organization, and various rhetorical strategies in reading
•	use a variety of revision strategies to focus, expand, and improve in sections of TOEFL
•	accurately summarize, paraphrase, quote, analyze, and provide attribution for textual evidence
•	be able to identify and work with the key components of a successful TOEFL by providing a variety of feedback in peer group sessions 
•	articulate and write on different themes comprehensive essays 
•	expand on and deepen your own speaking and writing fluency and show evidence of improvement in surface control of the English language

In-class policy
 	Receiving or sending cell phone calls or text messages in classrooms, computer labs, or library is inappropriate and impolite.  Please turn them off, except in emergency cases and with the instructor’s permission. Extended absence/non-participation (due to illness or injury) should be reported to your instructor (and/or to the academic advisor) immediately. Being an AUCA student requires appropriate adult behavior and respect for others. The Instructor can set classroom rules of conduct, require adherence to standards of civility appropriate to learning, and have the right to remove anyone for disruption or obstruction of those standards. (Reference: http://www.genesee.edu/home/academics/classroom-policies/)

Approaches
TOEFL preparation is an interdisciplinary and yearlong theme-based course. It will expose you to a rich variety of literature considering grammar as well as reading, social science, a little of arts. We will explore the ideas generated in this class through papers discussions and self-examinations.
The course is interactive and student-centered which requires intensive reading and writing. Hence, a student is expected and strongly encouraged to write frequently, read widely and thoughtfully, and discuss ideas actively in class, while you learn and experience what it might mean to have TOEFL exam. 

Core and Supplementary Materials
1. Deborah Phillips. 2003. Longman preparation course for the TOEFL test (PBT). White Plains: Pearson Education. 
2. Grammar B.B. Azar 1999 by Pearson Education Understanding and Using English Grammar (student and work books) 
	
Note:  Attendance is required. 
Plagiarism: To plagiarize is to steal or pass off as one’s own ideas, words, or writings of another. This is absolutely UNACCEPTABLE. If you paraphrase someone else’s idea without any direct quotation, you must provide parenthetical documentation. Plagiarism is a serious offence that will result in a zero grade on first occasion and a warning, and a falling grade if repeated.

 Grading:
	Type of activity	Percent of Total Grade	
1.	Class Participation	10%	
2.	Home Assignments (grammar exercises)	10%	
3.	Midterm	20%	
4.	Tests	40%	
5.	Final	20%	
6.	Debates/Essay Contest  (optional)	min 5% - max10% 	

			      TOEFL SCORES                                              GRADES
1.	430 or above
	A 	
2.	410-430
	A-	
3.	390-410
	B+	
4.	370-390
	B	
5.	350-370
	B-	
6.	330-350
	C+	
7. 	310-330
	C	
8.	290-310
	C-	
9.	270-290
	D	
10.	270 or below 	F	

Grade/ Percentage ratio

A	100-95 %	C	69-65  %	
A-	94-90  %	C-	64-60  %	
B+	89-85  %	 D+	59-55  %	
B	84-80  %	D	54-50  %	
B-			79-75  %	D-	49-45  %	
C+	74-70  %	F	      44% (or less)	

Course Outline:
TOEFL preparation

Grammar
Wed. 9.00 & Fri. 9.00 		

Week 1: 
Diagnostic TEST
    Intro to course & expectations.  
    Test & Discussion on knowledge of tenses 	
Week 1: 
H/A   Azar chapter 1 	

Week 2:  
Tue.   Overview of tenses 
Th.  A table of tenses 
Wed.  Reading
Fri. Reading	
Week 2: 
H/A  Azar (work book) pp. 4, 10-11, 34-37, 76-79
Longman Reading skill 1
	
Week 3: 
Tue.  Passive Voice   Azar (student book)pp 208-209,
(work book) pp 88-91, 94-95
Th.  Quiz on understanding of tenses & passive voice Azar (work book )pp.40-41, 114-115
Wed.  Reading
Fri. Reading	Week 3:  
H/A  Azar (work book) pp. 222-223,228-229, 112-113
Longman Reading skill 2
	
Week 4: 

Tue. Types of Conditional sentences Azar (student book) pp.421-432
Th.  Achievement test: tenses, passive voice, conditionals - handouts
Wed.  Reading
Fri.  Writing	Week 4:  

H/A.  Azar (work book) pp. 228-233, 235-236
Longman pp167-168, 175-176, 214, 180-180
Delta pp.231-232
Longman Reading skill 3	

Week 5: 
Tue.   Difference between  Parts of speech & Members of the Sentence 
Th.  Noun (articles, singular & plural & irregular nouns) Azar(student book) pp.100-115
Wed.  Reading
Fri. Writing 	Week 5: 

H/A Azar (work book) pp.46-48,52-55 
Longman Reading skill 4	
Week 6: 

Tue.  Countable & Uncountable nouns + verbs (S+V Agreement) 
Azar(student book) pp.88-96, Delta pp.240
Th. Pronouns (mistakes with pronouns in grammar section) handouts, Delta pp248
Wed.  Reading
Fri. Reading	Week 6:    

H/A  Azar(work book) pp.43-45
Longman pp. 187-88, 194-195, 148-149
Delta pp.157-158, 167-168
Longman Reading skill 5	
Week 7: 

Tue.   Verbs ( regular vs irregular, make vs do)
Delta 181-182
Th.   Present & Past participle
Longman pp.102-107, 206-208
Delta pp.264-267
Wed.  Reading
Fri. Reading	Week 7: 

H/A.   Azar (student book) 235
Azar (work book)108
Longman Reading skill 6
	
Week 8:  
Tue. Gerund vs Infinitive 
Delta pp.186-193
Azar (student book) pp.312-313, 316-319, 342-345
Th.  Continuation of the previous theme
Wed.  Reading
Fri. Reading	Week 8:  
H/A Azar (work book) pp. 160-163,174-177
Longman Reading skill 7	

Week 9: 
Tue.  Practices for Participles, Gerund & Infinitives Handouts
Th.  Achievement Test on nouns and verbs (week 5-9)
Wed.  Reading
Fri. Writing	Week 9: 
H/A Work on mistakes
Longman Reading skill 7	
Week 10: 
Tue. Adjectives (comparatives & superlatives, so vs. such) Longman pp.160-163
Azar pp.391
Th.  Other, another, the other 
Azar (student book) pp.142-149
Wed.  Reading
Fri. Writing	Week 10: 
H/A.   Delta 260-263
Azar (work book) 62-66
Longman Reading skill 8	
Week 11:  
Tue.  Adverbs (forms, comparatives)
Longman pp.196-202
Th. Quiz
Wed.  Reading
Fri. Reading	Week 11: 
H/A.  Revision of all covered topics
Longman Reading skill 9	
Week 12: 
Th.  Achievement test (grammar and reading )
       Discussion of results
Wed.  Reading
Fri. Reading	Week 12: 
H/A.  work on mistakes
Longman Reading skill 10	
Week 13: 
Tue.    Word order in Simple Sentence
Delta pp.300-306
Th.    Word choice Delta pp. 307-313
Wed.  Reading
Fri. Reading	Week 13: 
H/A Longman pp.136- 141
Longman Reading skill 10
Delta Reading pp. 344-353	
Week 14: 
Th.  Parallel structure (with parts of speech, conjunctions, comparisons) 
Delta pp. 320-327
Wed.  Reading
Fri. Writing	Week 14: 
H/A Self-study. Delta pp.314-319
Longman pp.154-157
Delta Reading pp. 356-371	
Week 15: 
Tue.   Types of Sentence (Simple & Multiple), what is clause?  Types of clauses (noun, adjective, adverb, reduced clauses)
Delta pp.194-201
Wed.  Reading
Fri. Reading
Th.  Noun clause 	Delta pp.206-209 Azar pp.240-241	Week 15:
H/A   Delta pp.332-337
Azar (work book) pp.122-123
Delta Reading pp. 374-386	
Week 16
December 11:  Last day of regular classes.
December 15 Final exams.  
Final grades due on or before
	Week 16

Note: the schedule for TOEFL lectures is subject to change. All the changes to the present schedule will be announced in advance.