Xueping TP 6

       Today, I eventually knew why Yoshimi was studying so hard.  When I asked her whether she had to take TOEFL test, she told me that her required TOEFL score for her program was 97, and she promised her parents she would pass her TOEFL test within half a year.  I was shocked by her words because this was the first time that I heard that Music master program required so high TOEFL score. 

       Actually, I don’t think she can pass her TOEFL test in half a year even though I believe that she can study very hard and try her best.  However, it takes more time for her to expand her vocabulary and improve her speaking abilities.  Therefore, I suggested her give herself more time to prepare for TOEFL test and not increase too much pressure on herself.  In our studies and lives, sometimes we should learn to respect the facts, set reasonable goals and make feasible plans.

       For this class, I focus on two aspects to tutor Youshimi: Timed-speaking and using synonyms in essay writing.  Youshimi showed me her Time-speaking quiz scores and teacher’s comments about her quizzes.  I noticed that she had not got high  scores because she had not added any examples to support her reasons.  It seemed that I should help her with this problem.  I gave her some models about how to make some examples which were relevant to her reasons or topics.  After that, I chose some topics and asked her to come up with her strong reasons and examples to support her topics as quickly as possible.  

       In addition, I also taught her how to use synonyms in her writing.  For example,  I found that she always used “on the contrary” to show a contrast.  I gave her some advice about how to find synonyms to take the place of the words or phrases that she got used to applying in an essay.  It is a good way to build new vocabulary as well.

       http://www.synonym.com/

       At the end of this class, I told her that this was my last time to tutor her and I would go back to China next month.  She was a little sad.  I encouraged her to work harder and make her own dream come true.  I also cherish this tutoring experience and appreciate her coordination.  Good luck, Youshimi! I will miss you!