Monthly Archives: January 2009


TOEIC Practice Session

TOEIC TourBefore going any further with the TOEIC Practice, make sure you have read the previous posting.

Now we are going to look at some examples from each section. When you are first learning about the TOEIC it is helpful to read the listening sections. Later, when you are familiar with the structure, you will want to practise with a tape or CD.

For this practice session, any words that you see in red are words you would hear on a recording in the real test. Any words you see in blue are words you would read in your test booklet.

*Make sure to read the explanatory answers for each example, even if you answer a question correctly. Explanatory answers identify common distractors (wrong answers) and reasons why an answer is correct or incorrect.

When you have finished the examples, read these 20 TOEIC Tips.


TOEIC: Test Of English for International Communication

TOEIC TourTOEIC is a standardized test that measures your listening and reading skills. Unlike other tests, the TOEIC evaluates your ability to function in the business world rather than in an academic setting.

The test consists of 200 multiple-choice questions. Some students take the TOEIC because they want to improve their English. Other students take the TOEIC because they want to apply for a job that requires a TOEIC score.

Your score will range from 10-990. Every institution expects a different standard of proficiency from its employees. Many companies expect entry level applicants to score at least 600 on the TOEIC. Management positions may require a score of 800. You can take the TOEIC as many times as you want in order to achieve your goal.

Here is a general proficiency table:

TOEIC Scores
Below 400: Beginner
400-600: Intermediate
600-700: High Intermediate
800-900: Advanced

Here are some of the topics on the TOEIC:

Typical TOEIC Topics
BankingEntertainmentHealthHousingIndustry JobsOfficesRestaurantsTransportationTravel

Here is the format of the TOEIC:

TOEIC Format
Section 1: Listening Comprehension100 questions, 45 minutesPart I: Photographs (10 questions)Part II: Question-Response (30 questions)Part III: Short Conversations (30 questions)Part IV: Short Talks (30 questions)Section 2: Reading100 questions, 75 minutesPart V: Incomplete Sentences (40 questions)Part VI: Text completion (12 questions)Part VII: Reading Comprehension-Single Passages (28 questions) Double Passages (20 questions)

The TOEIC is developed in the United States, but is used throughout the world. The test developers use American language and spelling. The voices in the listening section are American, European countries or Australian accents.

TOEIC Practice SessionExamples for each part of the TOEIC, and explanations concerning the right and wrong answers.Note: Text that appears in blue is what you will be able to read on the real test. Text that appears red is what you will only be able to hear.

20 TOEIC TipsHints and advice to help you. Follow these essential tips to improve your TOEIC score.

More information may be found at TOEIC.


The English Club

The English ClubThe English Club is a site to help you learn English or teach English as a second language. Access to all pages is free.

You’ll find everything from lessons for students to jobs for teachers, including interactive pages such as forums, games, quizzes, chat, help and penpals.

Follow this link in particular for English Pronunciation .
These pages go particularly well together with Jennifer ESL Videos Lessons


elllo Podcasts 1

Elllo Podcats

Free ESL/EFL podcasts with interviews, slideshows, audio notes , and original songs so you can keep  practicing your English even when you are away from your computer.

 

Video lessons are HERE!

 

Take your ELLLO with you on the road and repeat lessons as much as you like.


elllo: English Language Listening Lab Online

ellloELLLO stands for English Language Listening Lab Online. It is a collection of over 1,000 listening activites that students can view free via the internet.

Most listening activites come with a downloadable MP3 audio file, transcipt and interactive quiz. ELLLO offers a variety of listening activities that each target a specific listening skill, need or interest.


The Flatmates: Four people, a cat and a flat

The Flamates on the BBCThe flamates is a BBC online Radio Series with weekly update. It’s the story of four people and a cat sharing a flat.

Each episode is downloadable as a mp3, contains some vocabulary information and a quiz. You can consult the Archive and get to know the crew. It’s a fun and quick way to to keep your english up and flowing. Try it out!


The Teacher: English Idioms on Video

The BBC TeacherThe Teacher is the BBC award-winning video series designed to make learning English idioms fun. Each unit has a video you can watch and download to your computer. There’s also an opportunity for you to practise using the idioms by sending in your ‘homework’.

Try it HERE!


Weekly Lesson by TELLmeMORE 1

TellmemoreTry a new English lesson everyweek online!
The lessons are prepared by TELL ME MORE® . Euronews and France5 are pleased to offer you the best in foreign languages every week. Thanks to the know-how of these partners, the weekly lesson will cover a specific current affairs theme in a fun, interactive way.

TELL ME MORE® offers 5 languages for learning: British English, Spanish, French, Italian and German. Each lesson lasts 30 minutes and is based on a video from euronews in its original language, in a way that encourages learning. 

Before starting the lesson in the language of your choice, TELL ME MORE® will present the specific teaching objectives for the lesson. Then the video from euronews in its original language, which lasts about 2 minutes, will be broadcast.

Through activities like “Word Association”, “Fill-in-the-Blanks”, you will assimilate the specific vocabulary and grammar provided by this particular theme. The lesson ends with a presentation of the notions required to understand the video correctly. 

With this weekly lesson is offered the chance to master a current affairs topic in just 30 minutes, along with notions of the vocabulary and grammar which have been covered. 


Euronews: International News from a European perspective 1

EuroNews Latest Online Bulletineuronews is the leading international news channel covering world news from a European perspective. Launched in 1993, euronews today is a multi-lingual (English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Arabic), multi-platform news service.

euronews on air, online, all the time

euronews has embraced new technology facilitating an easy access to news and information anytime, anywhere via any method available. Distribution in hotels, airports, onboard airlines and via new media platforms ensures euronews is a readily accessible and valued by travellers. The channel’s website, www.euronews.net, provides around-the-clock news in 8 languages and supports video streams of the day’s most up-to-date news and business stories.


BusinessDirectory.com: everything about Business Terms

About BusinessDictionary.com

Business Directory.com

BusinessDictionary.com features over 20,000 definitions and over 115,000 links between related terms providing a clear and concise description of any and all business terms. To succeed in business, it’s absolutely essential to have a solid understanding of the terms and concepts used every day in the business world. BusinessDictionary.com is designed  to help you gain the knowledge you need to achieve your goals in business and in life.

BusinessDictionary.com includes a powerful search tool (at the top of every page), a browse by letter feature, and subject-specific dictionaries to help you learn the terminology you’re interested in. In addition, you can subscribe to the free email newsletter, and receive a new term and definition each day, along with links to related information, so you can easily build your knowledge of business lingo every day. BusinessDictionary.com hopes you decide to bookmark the BusinessDictionary.com home page and use it whenever you need an accurate, precise definition of a business term.