3 Questions Every TOEFL Tutor Should be Able to Answer

by Strictly English TOEFL Tutors on October 23, 2009

Strictly English has a list of 21 questions about the TOEFL iBT exam that we use when interviewing TOEFL tutors. If they cannot answer these questions correctly, then they don’t get the job!

If you’re looking for an iBT tutor, make sure he or she can answer at least these three questions below. If your tutor cannot answer these questions, then you might want someone who knows more about the test to be teaching you!

QUESTIONS:
1. Can I get a 25 out of 30 on the Speaking section of the iBT?
2. What section of the TOEFL iBT asks you questions that directly test your knowledge of Grammar?
3. On what part of the iBT are you most likely to use modals?

ANSWERS:
1. NO. TOEFL does not give a score of 25 on the Speaking.
2. NONE: There are NO grammar questions on the iBT.
3. Speaking Task 5. It is the only place where you talk about offering suggestions.

EXTRA NOTE: Make sure you see the tutor’s TOEFL SCORE. Even if he/she is a native English speaker, your tutor should have taken the TOEFL so that he/she knows exactly what you’ll experience on test day. Every Strictly English tutor has taken the TOEFL. This also means that we know exactly how the real test is different from what is taught in the books. Much of the information in the books is out of date because the books were published 3-5 years ago. TOEFL books should be updated at least every 2 years if not every year. If your tutor is not taking the test regularly, then he/she is relying on information in the books, which is usually old and out-of-date information.

Praise for Online Tutoring

by Strictly English TOEFL Tutors on July 23, 2009

The following two quotations come from this article:

The Sloan report, based on a poll of academic leaders, says that students generally appear to be at least as satisfied with their on-line classes as they are with traditional ones. In fact, the comprehension is better in a virtual class than in an in-person class.

Test preps like GRE and GMAT are intensive studies. In such deep studies, a wholesale classroom treatment can not be as effective as the one-to-one online tutoring. Many who have been gullible victims of the public-meeting type of classroom tutorials with over fifty students and  with no chance to clarify their doubts, will understand the difference between mass teaching and private coaching.

So don’t be afraid to sign up for online tutoring!

Kind Words from a Friend of Strictly English

by Strictly English TOEFL Tutors on July 10, 2009

I would like to thank you for the tips on the speaking section, and also for leting me know that the integrated writing had changed. I did not have a lot of time for studying these changes, but I did have some time to search the ETS website for some examples of level 5 essays.

Again, thanks a lot for helping me achieve this score.

Strictly English will Launch TOEFL Videos July 15th!

by Strictly English TOEFL Tutors on July 8, 2009

Strictly English has been working on a series of HOW TO videos about the TOEFL test. For example:
How to sign up at ETS.
How to register for the TOEFL.
How to View your TOEFL results online.

We will also be making videos that will help you improve your TOEFL English!

Scrap Paper on Test Day

by Strictly English TOEFL Tutors on June 4, 2009

TOEFL Test Centers give you as much paper as you need for taking notes, but they only give you 3 or 4 pieces of paper at a time. Therefore, it is crucial to use your paper carefully. Here are some helpful tips:

1. You do not need to take notes on the reading.
2. Try to use only HALF a sheet of paper for each Listening Passage
3. ASK FOR NEW SHEETS OF PAPER DURING YOUR 10 MINUTE BREAK
(You have to give back the paper you’ve already used before they will give you more)
4. Use only HALF a sheet of paper for each Speaking Task
5. Use the front of your last sheet of paper to take notes for the 20-Minute essay
6. Use the back of your last sheet of paper to take notes for the 30-Minute essay.

Timing Your Bathroom Visits

by Strictly English TOEFL Tutors on May 16, 2009

Strictly English has had many students say that they missed valuable time on the test because they had to use the bathroom during the TOEFL exam.  THe test DOES NOT stop if you have to use the bathroom.  Therefore, you should be sure to use the bathroom BEFORE the test begins and then again on your 10-minute break.

Strictly English is not the only company that has noticed this as a problem. Watch the following video:

Plan Ahead

by Strictly English TOEFL Tutors on March 12, 2009

Test dates fill up fast, especially in big cities.  Often tests dates are not available for three weeks.  In addition, score results are not available for another three weeks after you take the test.  Therefore, if you know you need your score by, for example, May 1, 2009, you need to take your test on or before April 11th, which means you should sign up for your test no later than March 13th, because the test centers book up about 1 month before the test date.

English Only on Test Day

by Strictly English TOEFL Tutors on January 7, 2009

Switching between languages is hard on the brain, so on test day, wake up and only use English all day until your TOEFL test. If you live with people who speak your language: get out of the house as soon as you wake up. Go to a library and read, or go shopping alone. Just don’t speak any other language besides English.  If you speak another language before your TOEFL test, your brain will be thinking in that language, and it will be hard to switch out of it. Students often pause, can’t think of vocabulary, and say “ummm” a lot when they have spoken another language before their TOEFL test.

Early Arrival

by Strictly English TOEFL Tutors on

If you arrive for your TOEFL test early, then you will most likely be the first to start the test. This is very helpful because if you start later than other people, they will begin the speaking section while you are still on the listening section. In this situation, students usually complain that the voices answering the speaking section make it harder to listen to the lectures and conversations on the listening section. 

If you know you will have this problem, then here’s a tip:  When practicing listening at home, turn a radio on in the background. This will train you to listen to the lecture while there is other distracting noise (the radio) around you.

What to Eat on Your 10-Minute Break

by Strictly English TOEFL Tutors on January 6, 2009

TOEFL gives you only a 10-minute break between the listening and speaking sections. Be sure to bring a banana and a powerbar or some other source of protein and carbohydrate.  You’ll need the energy for the second part of the test!
GOOD LUCK!
Remember: When you need TOEFL, You need Strictly English!
Located in Boston, MA, Strictly English is America’s first TOEFL-only tutoring company.