Teaching Ideas

Reading Strategies for the TOEIC® Test

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Methodology (cont'd)

Revising the seven strategies

1. Go back to the teacher’s model and show a completed summary sheet.
   

   Summary
   Strategy 1: Think about the text-type	Sales letter
   Strategy 2: Think about where the text is used	To reach target customers
   Strategy 3: Think about the purpose	To sell the new Smith 7ZX
   Strategy 4: Think about the main point(s)	New camera 50% discount for the first 100 customers
   Strategy 5: Think about the writer/source	The sales rep expects the customer to buy the new product in a hurry
   Strategy 6: Think about the audience	Photo camera stores
   Strategy 7: Think about the written expression	Use of a picture of the new product Smith's Camera Store letter head Signature of sales rep Formal font

   
   
2. Get learners to fill out a summary sheet for the learners’ model.
   

   Summary
   Strategy 1: Think about the text-type
   Strategy 2: Think about where the text is used
   Strategy 3: Think about the purpose
   Strategy 4: Think about the main point(s)
   Strategy 5: Think about the writer/source
   Strategy 6: Think about the audience
   Strategy 7: Think about the written expression Permission to copy

Getting learners to use the strategies by themselves

1. Learners each need to select one authentic text, have a blank summary sheet, and refer to copy of Reading Strategies for the TOEIC Test.
2. Explain to the learners that they have to apply what they have just learnt. Mnemonically revise the strategies which are on the whiteboard.
3. Get learners to refer to their selected texts. They need to practice the seven strategies and fill out the summary sheet. Use the summary sheet to see how well they have understood the text.

Optional text-building activity

1. Adhering to the notion that memory works best when learners learn through reading, seeing, hearing, and doing (A series of lectures on memory, School of Education, Southern Cross University 1996), you could now get learners to use their knowledge to construct texts based on the variety of models which they have encountered. This is purely optional and not included in this methodology because not everyone has elaborate resources or computer labs. You might also choose to set this as a homework task.

Incorporating preparatory TOEIC test materials

1. Have a list of pages in learners' test preparation books that have questions that are the same as or similar to the strategies which learners practiced
2. Get learners to practice answering the questions under test conditions
3. Mark the answers and go over any errors.
4. De-brief by asking learners what they found easy and hard? See if they can offer reasons why they found some texts hard (e.g. I have never read a letter inviting someone to be a guest speaker at a seminar). Take the opportune moment, should it arise, to encourage further reading.

Assessment

1. Take careful note of which questions in Part VII of a TOEIC practice test correspond with the reading strategies. Note how many learner errors are made and revise the strategies/units as necessary.

References and Further Reading

• Eggins, S. 1994, An Introduction to Systemic Functional Linguistics, Pinter, London.
• Feez, S. 1996, Text-based Syllabus Design, NCELTR, Sydney.
• Lougheed, L. 1996a, Longman Preparation Series for the TOEIC Test: Advanced course, Addison Wesley Longman, NY.
• Lougheed, L. 1996b, Longman Preparation Series for the TOEIC Test: Introductory course, Addison Wesley Longman, NY.
• Wagsoft (n.d.), 'What is systemic-functional linguistics?', , accessed 25 Nov., 2002.

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