Editor’s note: This post is sponsored and written by the Kennesaw State University Division of Global Affairs
Kennesaw State University’s new TOEFL prep course provides a concentrated, intensive – and inexpensive – option for all English language learners to prepare for professional and academic success in the United States, even if they do not attend the university.
The new eight-week course teaches students the necessary language skills to excel on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), which establishes a participant’s English proficiency. Universities typically establish minimum scores international students must show in order to be accepted, and businesses often ask for non-English speakers to present their scores before starting work. A high TOEFL score opens many doors for non-Americans looking to work or study in the country.
Kennesaw State University’s TOEFL prep class meets for four hours every Friday. The program holds five sessions each year – two in the spring, two in the fall, and one during the summer – meaning interested English language learners are never more than a few weeks away from the start of the next session. The course is taught on Kennesaw State’s Kennesaw campus in the northwest suburbs of Atlanta, and is open to all English language learners interested in taking the TOEFL, including international students and working professionals.
Each class meeting features lessons on the four skills that the TOEFL tests: reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
“Skills are focused on academic, university-level work,” says Jennifer Hoosier, associate director of Kennesaw State’s Intensive English Program (IEP), which operates the TOEFL course. “These are the skills someone would need in an academic setting. Students read articles, listen to lectures, have class discussions, and write personal and academic essays.”
The course’s instructor, Liza Scales, has a master’s degree in professional writing and has taught TOEFL prep courses at Kennesaw State for three years.
While TOEFL prep has long been a part of the University’s broader IEP curriculum, fall 2015 was the first time the course was open to English language learners not taking other IEP classes. Kennesaw State does not require international students to take the TOEFL if they complete the highest level of IEP training. This allows the IEP staff to offer TOEFL training to a wider audience.
“The TOEFL is often taken by people who might not be planning to attend Kennesaw State University or who are but don’t have the time to commit to multiple classes per week to complete our full IEP program,” Hoosier says. “So, we removed the TOEFL prep from our core IEP classes and moved it to Fridays. Now students from outside KSU can attend, as well as students who are preparing to attend a different university.”
Hoosier says that the prep course is ideally suited for any English language learners who want their English to be as sophisticated and educated as if it was their first language.
In addition to taking just eight weeks to complete and being conveniently offered on the university’s Kennesaw campus, one of the key benefits of the TOEFL prep course is its price. While it is common for testing centers to charge nearly $1,000 for a TOEFL prep class, Kennesaw State’s program costs $500 for an eight-week session, plus a $50 application/placement test fee.
The TOEFL prep course is a resource for any English language learner who plans to attend college in the U.S. or work for an American company, and is just one of the many opportunities provided by Kennesaw State’s Intensive English Program. The IEP also offers an English pronunciation class on Fridays taught by Adrianne Ochoa, who has a master’s degree in applied linguistics and has taught English as a Second Language courses for 15 years.
All of this is on top of the full range of traditional English classes the IEP offers for all skill levels, which are held Mondays through Thursdays. These classes are open to full- and part-time students, visitors, permanent residents, and citizens.
For more information about the IEP, a full class schedule, and a link to apply for the TOEFL prep course, visit dga.kennesaw.edu/iep. You may also contact the office by email at iep@kennesaw.edu or by phone at 470-578-9056.
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