TOEFL 3

English Language Academy

University of San Diego
Spring 2015
Instructor: Rong Cheng
Course Time: Tuesday & Thursday 9:00-11:00 am
Email: rongcheng@sandiego.edu
Course Dates: January 27-May 6
Location: ELA 106
Course Description
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is a required test for nan-native English
speakers who are planning to study in the United States. This course is designed for students who
are preparing to take the TOEFL and further development of students ability to understand and
comprehend in English. The content for this course includes an overview of reading, writing,
speaking, and listening in terms of supporting the development of students on the TOEFL test.
Course Goals
The main goal of the course is to prepare students to use the strategies and skills necessary to
take a TOEFL exam in a real-time environment.
Course Objectives

To understand and synthesize information from academic text in English requiring a wide
range of reading abilities regardless of the difficulty of the texts
To become familiar with TOEFL topics
To speak about everyday experience and opinions which relate to the speaking in
theTOEFL

Student Learning Outcomes

Comprehend academic text that instructor provides in the class.

Identify between main ideas and supporting details.
Answer purpose questions and also opinion questions including some support.
Recognize familiar vocabulary from AWL (Academic Writing List) 4 & 5, accurately
uses some of the language, and incorporates synonyms.
Correctly forms compound sentences as well as topic sentences and recognizes complex
sentences.
Use all relative pronouns as well as key word repetition, word forms, synonyms, and
transitions in order to infer or convey meaning in a text.
Take notes of key ideas from input and recognizes its organization if explicit signal words
are present.

Incorporate synonyms of familiar words in paraphrasing main ideas.

Show understanding of strategies for answering referent, vocabulary, purpose, and
functions by identifying evidence for each in the text.

Textbooks and Supplies

Edmunds, P., & McKinnon, N. (2009). Building skills for the TOEFL iBT: Beginning
(2nd ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Compass Publishing.
Instructor will provide additional articles in class
English-English dictionary
3-ring binder

Course Requirements
Professionalism (10%):

Participation & Engagement: Students are expected to participate in class discussions

and group activities. A respectful and energetic attitude is expected all the time to build a
professional learning community.

Preparation: Students are expected to prepare for class content and reading materials
required for each session before the class begins in order to make contributions to the
class and group activities.

Vocabulary Notebook (15%): All students are required to write new vocabulary on a notebook.
Each vocabulary assignment includes at least ten vocabulary words. Every vocabulary should be
come from class reading materials and textbook.
Writing drafts (20%): You will be required to hand in four essays of two TOEFL writing
prompts. Each essay will worth 5%. In essays, you should present what you have learned from
the class sessions (structures, vocabulary, strategies, and skills). Please follow the TOEFL
writing rubric to guide your drafts.
Midterm Exams (30%): You will have two mini midterm exams to present your learning
outcomes. Each midterm exam will be calculated 15% in your final grade. Midterm exams
include reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, and listening. The midterm exams will help you
prepare to take final and TOEFL exam.
Final Exam (25%): Final exam is an opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge you learned
through the whole semester. You will have a final exam at the end of the semester. The final
exam will be same as TOEFL exam, which includes listening, reading, writing, and speaking.
The final exam is taken individually, no notes and dictionary are allowed during exam.
Class Policies

Attendance & Participation: You have responsibility to attend class regularly, arrive on time,
stay for each class session, and participate in class in English. If you are going to be absent or
late for class, please notify me as soon as possible via email. Absences will seriously affect your
grade. If you miss more than 15 hours of class time, you will receive a failing grade.
Cell Phones
Please turn
other
class sessions.
Homework:
beginning of
late work
instructor. All
completed
must be aware
pay attention
calendar.
Grading
Attendance &
Participation

Grading Scale
A+

Total Points
97 100

A
AB+

94-96
90 93
87-89

B
B-

84-86
80-83

C+
C

77-79
74-76

CD+

70-73
67-69

D
DF

64-66
60-63
59 and below

10%

Vocabulary
Notebook

15%

Writing Drafts

20%
(5%
each)
50%
(25%
each)
25%

Midterm Exam

Final Exam

& Electronic Devices:

off your cell phones and
electronic devices during
All homework is due by the
class (T/Th 9:00 am). No
will be accepted by
class assignments must be
during the due dates and
of quality. Students should
to due date on the class
Criteria/Rubric

Accommodations: Reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with

Disabilities Act will be made for course participants with disabilities who require specific
instructional and testing modifications. Students with such requirements must identify
themselves to the University of San Diego Disability Services Office (619.260.4655) before the
beginning of the course. Every effort will be made to accommodate students needs, however,

performance standards for the course will not be modified in considering specific
accommodations.
Incompletes: The grade of Incomplete (I) may be recorded to indicate (1) that the
requirements of a course have been substantially completed but, for a legitimate reason, a small
fraction of the work remains to be completed, and, (2) that the record of the student in the course
justifies the expectation that he or she will complete the work and obtain the passing grade by the
deadline. It is the students responsibility to explain to the instructor the reasons for noncompletion of work and to request an incomplete grade prior to the posting of final grades.
Students who receive a grade of incomplete must submit all missing work no later than the end
of the tenth week of the next regular semester; otherwise the I grade will become a permanent
F. A Petition for a grade of incomplete must accompany all requests for an incomplete at the
end of the course term. Criteria for changing a grade of incomplete to a letter grade must be
negotiated with the instructor before the final class. The criteria must be outlined on the signed
Incomplete Request Form. A completed form with both the instructor and student signature must
be turned in by the last session of the class. Without a student signed form the registrar requires
assignment of a grade of F. A student must complete an incomplete by the 10th week of the next
session or a grade of F is permanently calculated in the overall grade point average. Any attempts
to complete an incomplete after the 10-week deadline requires the approval of the Associate
Dean of the School of Education.
Plagiarism: The complete plagiarism policy is available for your review at:
http://www.sandiego.edu/associatedstudents/branches/vice_president/academics/honor_council/i
ntegrity_policy.php.
All members of the University community share the responsibility for maintaining an
environment of academic integrity since academic dishonesty is a threat to the University. Acts
of academic dishonesty include: a) unauthorized assistance on an examination; b) falsification or
invention of data; c) unauthorized collaboration on an academic exercise; d) plagiarism; e)
misappropriation of resource materials; f) any unauthorized access of an instructors files or
computer account; or g) any other serious violation of academic integrity as established by the
instructor. It is the responsibility of the instructor to determine whether a violation has occurred.
An act of academic dishonesty may be either a serious violation, or, if unintentional, an
infraction (a non-serious violation of course rules). If the instructor determines that an infraction
(as opposed to a serious violation) has occurred, the instructor can impose penalties that may
include: a) reduction in grade; b) withdrawal from the course; c) requirement that all or part of
the course be retaken; and d) a requirement that additional work be undertaken in connection
with the course or exercise. Students may formally challenge the instructors determination of
infraction (see below). Instructors shall report all violations, whether, infractions or serious
violations, both to the Deans office and the student using the Academic Integrity Violation
Preliminary Worksheet. The Associate Dean will contact the student and ensure she or he is
aware of the Academic Integrity policy. The Associate Dean will appoint a hearing committee
only when: 1) the instructor reports that a serious violation occurred, or 2) the instructor reports
that an infraction occurred and the student wishes to appeal the determination of infraction. The
hearing committee will include, in addition to the Associate Dean, a faculty member and two
students from the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, and a faculty member from
outside the School of Leadership and Education Sciences. If the hearing committee determines

that a serious violation has occurred it also will determine sanctions to be applied which may
include: a) expulsion from the University; b) suspension from the University for up to one year;
c) a letter of censure; and d) imposition of a period of probation. If the hearing committee
determines an infraction has occurred the penalty imposed by the faculty member will be upheld.
If the hearing committee determines that no serious violation or infraction has occurred, it will
request the instructor to take action consistent with that determination. If the hearing committee
determines that expulsion is the appropriate sanction the student may appeal to the Provost.