Search results for 'tag:Interviews tag:TOEFL' matching tags 'Interviews' and 'TOEFL'

Re: Teacher's opinion about TOELF?

Mister Micawber — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 06:18:04 GMT

Hi. I teach TOEFL preparation, and many of my students take the test.

How do you see TOEFL?-- I see it as a necessity for many non-English-speaking students who wish to attend American univeristies.

Does it cover all the essential?-- No language aptitude tests cover all the essentials.

Do the results tell enough of one's ability to use academic English efficent in studying field? -- Not necessarily; it is just a hint of capability.

Do you think there's some other way to tell better about the skills of a student?-- Long in-depth personal interviews together with a reading test would be better.

What do the scores tell? -- They tell whether the test-taker has test-taking skills and some English training.

Can the student rely on the received scores?-- Test results are more consistent at lower levels; higher level scores for a single test-taker tend to fluctuate with the specific reading passage topics.

Well, I'm also having difficulties in comparing TOEFL scores by countries, but I don't seem to find any kind of information. Nor do I find much about the average scores in general.-- It is difficult to compare between countries because the sorts of ways in which English is learnt vary so widely. In Japan, the grammar is learnt very well in secondary school but learners have virtually no opportunities for communication. In other countries, English is learnt more from tourists and on the street. I doubt an 'average score' would tell us much of value.

Re: Where to find daily conVerSation

Tanit — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 16:13:00 GMT

Hi K.,

I spent a whole year in the UK, doing a postgraduate course. To make things worse, I chose to go to Wales because Cardiff Uni is at the cutting edge in my field. Have you ever heard somebody speaking with a Welsh accent? For the first two months there, I only wanted to cry... In spite of my excellent performances during tests and exams (I had taken the FCE, the CAE and the TOEFL), I could understand very little outside the Uni
You know, most teachers' accents were pretty standard and easy... something like BBC's anchors, and my classmates were mostly international students, each with their own accent (we were a funny bunch!). I simply became accustomed to them... Welsh English (there was a girl who had a nice Swansea accent), Scottish English, Cornish English, Virginia English (AmE), Indian English, but also French-English, Chinese-English, Pakistan-English, Greek-English and lot more! Oh, I really miss them!
However, cashiers in supermarkers and kids playing in the parks were too hard for me... real English, lots of phrasal verbs I had never heard before, lots of contractions, and intonation quite different from the one I am used to!!!
Funnily, for a piece of coursework I had to interview six people. I was quite discouraged when I had to do the write-ups of the interviews (I remember you posted in the thread I created, "Spoken English").

Anyway, what I wanted to say is: formal education (all of the four skills) has helped me a lot to deal with University tasks, or with "formal" situations; it was not of (great) use, though, when it came to "real", daily life. I had often to guess, but people were usually kind, and when I made it clear I hadn't understood, they would repeat slowlier what they had just said, or rephrase it.

Re: Kindly Reveiw Resume/CV for MD post

Clive — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 16:34:01 GMT

Hi,

Yes, I agree that my summary is too long, Shall I eliminate it and instead write a cover letter? I would just make it shorter and in point form. Think of it as a chance to highlight your strengths.

Is this summary suitable to be a cover letter? You could use parts of it, but focus on the purpose of a cover letter.

Say what job/kind of job you want

Introduce yourself and your skills briefly, in terms of why people should choose you for this job.

Ask for an interview or whatever action you want the agency to take

Do I need a cover letter for a recruiting agency after all? I don't know. I think it's probably a good idea.

What about the rest of CV? I've added a few comments.

There are also books etc. available that give sample CV's for professional people. Have you had a chance to look at such things? You should.

Best wishes, Clive

SH. O. GH.

175 between East 3-4 Ave. *** Street

Town, City, 654164, Country

+x 545 11431

s.x@gmal.com

SUMMARY

A highly motivated, determined, and dedicated 29 year old general practitioner (GP) with practical work experience in conducting evidence based medicine during my 16th month compulsory national service, when I was working as a GP in a health clinic handling most aspects of a GP responsibilities. My appreciation for importance of â evidence based medicineâ has led me to propose surveys and researches to gather appropriate data concerning most daily encountered medical problems. My commitment to humanitarian activities and my professional obligations led to a two-week voluntary work for Red Crescent during the very first days of catastrophic *** earthquake ( date), when I experienced working with the least equipment and facilities during a natural disaster of massive number of casualties and lots of emergencies. I spent two month of my internship and one month of my clerkship in a rural health clinic where I became familiar with the the country health system and policies in rural area while under supervision I was responsible for daily patient care and visits, handling and updating patients records, doing patients follow-ups, vaccination, pregnancy and pediatric routine cares, birth control, consultation, monitoring community health and addressing any health problem in the community. I proposed a survey during this invaluable experience of my internship to find out the results of failure of patient for following up their routing visits especially for pregnant women and juvenileâs which resulted in 23 percent increase in their attendance. The rest of my internship was in a large medical center in *** city during which we were trained for conducting a wide array of medical skills in all medical disciplines. I understand the value of research in medicine and have always been keen to conduct practical researches to solve some problems of community or bring new treatment to practice, which could be noticed from my research background. I have always been eager to connect my current knowledge to perpetual stream of new medical breakthroughs and practices through reading reputable medical journals, however my research background makes me to be critical to new article and research papers form content and methodology perspective. Playing Basketball has taught me the value of teamwork and to be more proficient in indispensable art of time management. I studied medicine in and graduated from a medical school listed in both WHO and IMED directory of medical schools.

WORK EXPERIENCE

*** Health Clinic, city, country ( 2006 - Jun, 2007)
General Practitioner (GP)
As a result of post graduation compulsory National Service, I served in the above health clinic having the full responsibility of a GP, handling primary health care issues , emergency settings, psychiatric cases, and being responsible for executing comprehensive patient workout, providing full medical and psychiatric consultation, figuring out patients diagnostic and therapeutic plan including: drug prescription, requesting x-rays and labs, referring to higher centers and appropriate specialties. My simultaneous enthusiasm for conducting evidence-based medicine in all aspects of my practice and medical research resulted to my proposition of carrying out problem-oriented surveys and local researches to promote comprehensive health care and patient management. As the result we decided to undertake some preventive and educational measures to reduce the number of patients with low back pain, knee pain, depression, peptic ulcer, headache altogether by 19 percent within an eight-month follow-up of the targeted population. I worked with three other doctors, seven nurses, and ten physician assistances, also being responsible for monitoring nurses and assistances work, coordinating personnel, and scheduling night shifts. Put it all in point form. Don't tell it like a story. eg

- responsible for this

- did that

- supervised these staff

- performed this kind of surgery

- etc. etc.

Ministry of Health and Medical Education, country (June, 2007) permanent medical Practice Certificate no.5683
.
Medical Council, Country P.O. Box: 358454 (December, 2005)
M.C. no. 3842

Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Country (December, 2005)
Temporary Medical Practice Certificate no.617

EDUCATION

Name of University *** Branch, Town, City, Country (23 September 1997 - August, 2005)
Doctorate of Medicine (MD)
Medicine Cum. GPA: 16.75 (out of 20.00)
Thesis: *** association with *** Infection in pediatrics Grade: 20.00 (out of 20.00)

Internship: Name of Medical Center City, Country (23 September, 2003 â 25 August 2005)
Clerkship: Name of Medical Center, City, Country (February, 2001- September, 2003)

First National University Medical Congress (October, 2000)
Internet Application in Medicine Workshop

Name of Pre-University Center, Town, City, Country (1995 â June, 1996)
Pre-University Diploma
Experimental Science Cum. GPA: 18.58 (out of 20.00)

Name of High School, Town, City, Country (1993 â June, 1995)
High School Diploma
Experimental Science Cum. GPA: 18.39 (out of 20.00)

Very often, people with advanced degrees omit info about lesser things like High School.

Researches X Club P.O. Box: 454, Town, City, Country (2005 â present)
Researcher no. 23679

SKILLS

Language
IELTS Overall Band Score 7.5 Listening 8.0 Reading 8.5 Writing 7.0 Speaking 7.0 (2007)

TOEFL Paper-Based Total Score 650 (out of 675) Test of Written English 5 (out of 6) (2006)

French Language Basic to Intermediate 12 month evening classes (2006 - present)

Clinical

Experienced in: Evidence-Based Clinical Practice, IV line insertion-injection, IM injection, Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) sampling, Paracentesis, Suturing, Tracheal Intubation, CPR, Nasogastric tube insertion (NGT).
Under supervision: Lumbar Puncture, Pleural Tap, and Plastering

Research

Knowledgeable in research methodology, Experienced with research proposition and proposals organization, Teamwork conscious.

Computer

Internet application in medicine, SPSS statistical software, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Power Point, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozila Firefox, Norton Antivirus, Kaspersky Antivirus, Bitdefender Antivirus, PCcillin Antivirus. Familiar with: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft FrontPage.

Sports

Proficient in playing Basketball, Amateur Bodybuilding Experience, Experience with training bodybuilders

5th National Universities Student Games: Gold medal in Basketball (summer, 2000)

Name of University intra-university Basketball Games: Bronze Medal (winter, 2001)

Name of Youth Basketball Team: won several medals (nationally well-known basket ball team) (1993 - 1997)

VOLUNTEER WORK

*** Earthquake, Town, City, Country.
Name of Red Crescent Organization (200-)
Two-week voluntary work in earthquake-stricken name of town, Involved in on-the-field: Triage, Primary Medical Care and Services, Providing Basic Treatments, Assisting specialties in minor surgeries, Handling with emergencies, CPR, Cooperation with Foreign Aide Groups and connecting them to Iranian health authorities and services.

HONORS and AWARDS

3rd National Medical Congress of Young Researchers, Town, City, Country (December, 200-)
Best Article Award: Moderate Physical Activity in Female ...

Pre-Internship Clinical Knowledge Examination Nationwide (September, 200-)
Above 99 percentile nationwide, Ranked 3rd among *** University All branches Nationwide.

PERSONAL INTERESTS

Playing Basketball from very young age has taught me to appreciate team work and self-sacrifice and be well versed in time management. Other interests: Reading., Table Tennis, Foreign Languages, world history and civilizations, Internet, Climbing, Hiking, Music, Computer.

Re: Please give me some advice.Is my covering letter too bad?

Mister Micawber — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 15:00:56 GMT

As I said, only a few minor errors:

^{Dear Sir or Madam:}

^{I have heard about volunteer recruitment organized by... on...}^{and I think my background and your requirements make a good match.}

^{I am a sociable person who loves
communicating as well as working with other people. Last year, I served
as a volunteer in ... young volunteer club, taking care of street
children. In university I have been a vice monitor and taken part in
many activities: writing newspapers and joining the English club, for
instance. My English is good, especially speaking, listening, and
reading skills. I have taken TOEFL exams and received a total score of ...
and a TWE score of ....}

^{In my opinion, this activity is
a great occasion for ... people to gain more knowledge of ...
the educational system and English tests. It is an effective way for
students who want to study abroad and their parents to make contact with the
representatives of American universities and colleges and decide which
school is the most suitable for them. Being recruited as a volunteer is
a chance for me not only to improve my English skills but also to apply
my English to real life and help other people. Moreover, I think I
would acquire more information about scholarships for international
students to study in .... via this event. I am a fourth-year student
and I am searching for a scholarship for a postgraduate course in
....after finishing my final year at university.}

^{Thank you for your time and
consideration. I would be pleased to have an interview at any time convenient
for you. I am looking forward to meeting you in the near future.}

^{Yours sincerely,}

Please give me some advice.Is my covering letter too bad?

Bamboo And Lotus — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 11:53:32 GMT

Hi everyone

Three days ago I read about volunteer recruitment of an organization. The deadline to email application form is before 5th October. I sent them an email at 9 pm the day before yesterday( 4th October). And Today I received their reply:' Unfortunately , by the time we received your email we have chosen enough volunteers' I really wonder if their reply is true since i sent the email too late or it is just a way to refuse politely. Is my covering letter too bad? Please give me some advice so that I could write better on another occasions. Thank you very much

^{Dear Sir or Madam}

^{I have heard about volunteer recruitment organized by... on...}^{and I think my background and your requirement make a good match.}

^{I am a sociable person who love communicating as well as working with other people. Last year, I served as a volunteer in ... young volunteer club, taking care of street children. In university I have been a vice monitor and taken part in many activities: writing newspapers, joining English club, for instance. My English is good, especially speaking, listening, and reading skills. I have taken TOEFL exams and received total score ... and TWE score ....}

In my opinion, this activity is a great occasion for ... people to gain more knowledge of ... educational system and English tests. It is an effective way for students who want to study abroad and their parents to contact with the representatives of American universities and colleges and decide which school is the most suitable for them. Being recruited as a volunteer is a chance for me not only to improve my English skills but also to apply my English to real life and help other people. Moreover, I think I would get some more information about scholarships for international students to study in .... via this event. I am a fourth-year student and I am searching for a scholarship to study a postgraduate course in ....after finishing my final year at university.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I am pleased to have an interview at anytime convenient for you. I am looking forward to meeting you in the near future.

Yours sincerely"

The Business of English

Mkgenie — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 06:29:58 GMT

http://mkgenie.yculblog.com

Keen @ 2006-01-10

On December 24, 2005, some 5.3 million Chinese students sat for the College English Test, Bands 4 and 6, yet another strong indication that the business of English is well and truly catching on in China, to the pleasure of many who profit from it. But have things gone a little too far?

The study of English as an important subject of learning is not new in China. On November 28, 2005, activities were organized to mark the 90th birth anniversary of Xu Guozhang, one of China's most famous English educators and linguists.

While little has changed in terms of the importance placed on the study of English, much has changed as far as teaching methods and the pursuit for profit.

English as a business only made its indelible mark in China in the 1990s. Li Yang, described by Asiaweek as "China's most successful English teacher and a pop-cult figure" ("Pumping Up the Volume", July 30, 1999), is one of those who changed the face of English instruction.

According to a December 2005 issue of Oriental Outlook, Li is more a down-to-earth businessman than a passionate idealist, although he still doggedly promotes his "crazy" teaching model. Once a shy and introverted youngster, Li claims to have discovered a unique way to learn English after he failed an English exam in Lanzhou University. "Read out loud" and "Don't be afraid to lose face" are his more popular slogans. The result is students repeatedly screaming out English words and phrases during lessons; hence the term "crazy English" or "feng kuang ying yu" in Chinese.

Driven by the profitable prospect of helping 300 million Chinese people to speak excellent English, Li founded the Li Yang Crazy English Studio in 1994. His Crazy English methods have been embraced by over 20 million people in over 100 cities of China.

His lecture tours are likened to rock concerts. "He's like a rock star on the stage, and we're like fans who are inspired to shout English out loud," a part-time teacher told Oriental Outlook, but she admitted "we don't speak English like that in our everyday life."

Copycats soon followed, and some even more "crazy" than Li. David Specchio, an English teacher, and 30 Chinese students participated in what was described as a record-breaking "world's longest lesson," which began at 10:00 AM on September 9, 2005 and ended 72 hours later. The stunt was performed at the English First Training School in Shanghai. A doctor was onsite to ensure the physical well-being of the students. Also present were two independent monitors who logged the event, which will be validated by the Guinness Book of World Records. Participants were given a 15-minute break from their class every eight hours, and ate high carbohydrate foods like rice, vegetables and fruit. They reportedly completed three months worth of English lessons.

That the Chinese are "crazy" about English is not an overstatement. A report co-published by Sina.com, zexiao.com and China Radio International last January showed that there were more than 50,000 training institutes in the country. The report also found that the domestic English training market value hit 15 billion yuan by 2004, predicting a rise to 30 billion yuan by 2010.

As more Chinese people go abroad and more foreigners come to China for business, English has become even more important in recent times. To the Chinese, a working knowledge of English is a passport to graduation, the key to overseas study, and a decent job in a foreign enterprise.

Under China's national education system, English is taught in primary schools from the third grade, with numerous examinations along the way, whether as part of vocational training or selection for government-sponsored overseas study.

In addition, the private sector has put a premium on English, with many service industries insisting on some English skills from employees be they taxi drivers or hotel staff.

Of the various proficiency tests, the most influential are the College English Test Bands 4 and 6 (CET-4 and CET-6 respectively), administered by the Ministry of Education.

Millions sit these tests every year.

Before the system was reformed last February, the CET-4 and CET-6 were two of the most important tests a student of English could sit. A university undergraduate had to pass the CET-4 in order to obtain a bachelor's degree, or the CET-6 for a double or master's degree. CET-6 was important for Chinese companies hunting for talent. Whether or not the person would ever use English again either in his personal or professional life was beside the point.

This gave rise to a huge cheat market where test questions were leaked over the Internet for a fee, or where whole test papers could be purchased online.

In February 2005, Wu Qidi, vice minister of education, announced that the tests were voluntary and were not to be used as conditions for graduation.

But 16 of Beijing's universities felt differently. Tan Yuzhi, vice director of educational administration of China Agriculture University, said in an interview with Beijing Star Daily that proficiency testing will encourage the development of English education in schools, while most companies still consider good CET-4 or 6 test scores as a necessary gauge of their future employees' potential.

And so the business of English continues to flourish.

Institutes offer training for major international proficiency and qualifications tests including SAT, GRE (Graduate Record Examinations), GMAT (General Management Admission Test), TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and IELTS (International English Language Testing System), with TOEFL and GRE growing in popularity since the United States loosened its visa policy in 2004, allowing 26 percent more Chinese students into the country.

Three key players dominate the English training industry: the traditional institutes that are offshoots of the universities; foreign ventures including English First, and Wall Street English; domestic schools such as New Oriental, New Channel, and Li Yang's Crazy English.

These players target different sectors of society. Wall Street English, for example, charges students 7,000 yuan for each of its 17 grades of the training process.

English is undoubtedly big business. New Oriental reportedly made a profit of 700 million yuan in 2005. In addition to training, the publication of teaching materials is also a soaring trade. The Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press reported sales of over 1 billion yuan in 2005.

But quite aside from the millions to be made in the English market, questions have been raised as to the reasons why English is so popular. Is it the love of the language and a thirst for learning, or is it really only to pass exams and get good jobs?

Further, doubts have been raised as to whether the training provided by institutes actually teaches English or merely examination skills.

Hu Min, president of New Channel School, highlighted three major challenges facing China's English training market: a lack of innovative and creative textbooks developed domestically; a lack of specialists who really know about administration and training; and a need for institutes to develop alongside changing proficiency and recruitment policies.

But for the moment, people continue to make money from the teaching of English; business owners, teachers and students. "Everyone's happy," said Zhou Wen, the owner of a small training institute."

Re: Was vs Were

just the truth — Thu, 20 Jan 2005 05:12:35 GMT

It is also important to remember that this form is not acceptable for the TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS, Eiken STEP, ACT or Cambridge Level Tests, for commercial correspondence, academic papers, essays, job interviews or many other formal situations.

>>>>>>>>>>>

Allowing, for the moment, that what you say is true, Mr M, why isn't there more outrage at the highly inaccurate 'rules' that have, for much too long, been passed off as how English actually works?

Regarding these tests you mention, active steps are being taken by all [most? many?] of these organizations to make their tests more reflective of what is real English. Expect to see fewer of these trick questions on exams such as those mentioned.

Expect to see informal conversations on TOEICs employ what is perfectly natural English. In actuality, they already do. Contractions are not for formal writing but no one would expect conversations to occur without contracted speech. Why should this abomination occur on tests. Shouldn't we strive to keep the informal out of tests? :s :s :s

Again, if teachers fail to set up a rich enough contextual situation in their test questions, that preclude all but the answer they seek, and they then mark a natural English response wrong, DEMAND that they defend their position.

It's truly a sad commentary on teaching that students are misinformed simply to satisfy erroneous test situations. As the CGEL states, students must learn all aspects of language if they are to function as natural users rather than like an inexpert person reading out of a book.

The amount of time that any one person spends in formal or test situations is miniscule compared to the time we all spend in life situations.

Regarding Eiken and the entrance exams that Japanese students are subjected to. These are not, in any meaningful way, tests of English. The president of one Japanese university, Gregory Clark [was it Tama?] abandoned them precisely because they were all but meaningless.

Re: Was vs Were

Mister Micawber — Thu, 20 Jan 2005 04:29:10 GMT

It is never poor grammar to use as a hypothetical or as a counterfactual.

Re: About TESOL

kk — Wed, 06 Oct 2004 16:09:17 GMT

hi Eric
thank you
You mean i call still apply for TESOL without experience of english teaching.
However,i have no idea what you mean '' interview and pre-test ''
Some professor want to interview applicant who apply for TESOL in the UNITED STATES

Pre-test is TOEFL or GRE ?? i am not sure. thank you

Please review my essay

gulnur — Thu, 04 Mar 2004 16:59:03 GMT

Here is my essay. I am studying for Toefl. Could you please help me

Thanks

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

People should always show their strong emotions.
(Such as excitement, anger or joy)??

In my opinion people should show their emotions to some extent. Since everything has an right time and place, emotions should be hidden in some situations. Showing a great deal of excitement in a job interview may have a negative effect, however in some cases it may work.

That emotions have profound importance in peopleâ lives is widely known. Without emotions, we have no difference from plants let alone animals. As far as I am concerned showing emotions has more advantages than disadvantages. For instance, a friend of mine received an acceptance from a very celebrated university last year. Without any doubt, it was her dream and she became very happy. She showed us her feelings, because she was really happy. But a question may come to minds. If she hadnât received the acceptance, would she have showed her sadness? Probably she wouldnât. Because people generally do not want to show their disappointments.

Although showing feelings have a great many advantages, there are some drawbacks as well. For instance, a friend of mine went to a job interview last week. Although she is very diligent and adept person, she couldnât get the job. Because she was very nervous in the interview, she couldnât show her qualifications and ultimately lost the opportunity. In my opinion, had she been more relaxed during the interview, she could have gotten the job.

Despite the disadvantages, it is important that people show their feelings to a large extent. We as human beings are endowed with versatile emotions. While some of us are very good at hiding the emotions, others are not. There is no need to form some procedures for different people. If they are happy, they should show this. Consequently, people are different from other creatures because they have emotions and ability to manage these feelings. Therefore, for me, there is no need to compel you to hide these gifts.