This test preparation course, developed by the experts who create, administer and score the TOEFL test, will help English language learners improve their skills.
The TOEFL test is a widely accepted English-language assessment. It has helped millions of people achieve their dreams to study, work or live abroad. More than 10,000 institutions of higher education, government agencies and organizations worldwide accept TOEFL scores for making important decisions.
This course will help you understand what you can do to achieve a better TOEFL test score. Instructors will guide you through each section (Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing) and, using archived past test questions, will explain the kinds of questions you can expect. You will receive valuable advice, including how to register for the test, how it is scored and how to prepare for test day.
This course is highly interactive, using videos, sample questions with explanations, short quizzes and collaborative discussion boards. You will also have access to real test materials from past tests.
In addition, there will be free resources and discounted test prep offers throughout the course. Finally, you will receive valuable insider tips to help you do better on the TOEFL test so you can apply to the university or job of your dreams.
【Meet the instructors】
Michael W. Knab (“Inside the TOEFL® Test” Host) is the host of “Inside the TOEFL® Test” video series and a frequent contributor to the ETS TOEFL® blog, “Study. Learn. Live.” He joined ETS in 2002, and has been part of the TOEFL® team in various roles since 2007. Before coming to ETS, he developed advanced teacher standards and was a middle-school English teacher. He holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from Trinity University (D.C.) and a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Villanova University.
Cynthia Newman (Reading Instructor) has worked in the field of English Language Learning for 30 years. She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from the University of Northern Iowa and the Cambridge Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Adults (DTEFLA, currently known as DELTA). Throughout her career, she has specialized in the curriculum development, teaching, and testing of English for Academic Purposes. She has taught in pre-university Intensive English Programs as well as post-admittance Spoken English/Teaching Assistant preparation programs, academic Writing programs, and English for Specific Purposes programs both in the United States and the Middle East. Since joining ETS upon her return to the United States in 2005, she has worked on the TOEFL iBT® speaking and reading measures.
Shawn Gorman (Writing Instructor) holds a Ph.D. in French Language and Literature from Boston University. He also taught French and English at the high school and university level in Europe and the United States for 9 years. He has published research on topics in 20th century French literature and philosophy and presented research on second language acquisition at professional conferences. He also worked as a librarian at Harvard University for 7 years.
Molly Palmer (Speaking Instructor) has worked as an Assessment Specialist in English Language Learning at ETS since 2013. She works primarily on the TOEFL® test speaking and reading measures. Before coming to ETS, Molly taught Spanish language and literature for several years at the university level. She earned her Ph.D. in Spanish Cultural Studies from Rutgers University in 2010. Molly also has extensive experience teaching English. She lived in Spain for many years, where she taught English to university students.
Faye Weidner (Host) joined ETS in 2013 and has been working on the speaking section of the TOEFL® test ever since. She works on development of speaking items and also oversees online scoring activities. Prior to coming to ETS, she taught English to university students in Changsha, China, and to adult immigrants in Washington, D.C. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and German from Dickinson College, as well as a Master of Education in Intercultural Communication from the University of Pennsylvania. She loves to study languages and explore the world—she speaks German and Spanish, and has lived in Spain, Germany, and China.
Insook Chung (Listening Instructor) is an Assessment Specialist in the Assessment Development Division at ETS in Princeton, New Jersey. She has been working on the TOEFL® test, specializing in listening assessment, and developing the SAT Korean Subject Test. She received her Doctor of Education degree (Ed.D.) in Language Education from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Her experiences include teaching English as a foreign language in Korea and teaching Korean language in the United States.
Kathleen Fletcher (Moderator) is a TOEFL® Test Prep and Skill Building Product Manager at ETS in Princeton, New Jersey. She began her career with ETS in 2006 and over the last 10 years, has worked within the Global Education, New Product Development and the Higher Education groups. In her current position as a TOEFL® Test Prep and Skill Building product manager, Kathleen manages current TOEFL® test preparation tools, as well as works on the development of new products.
Elizabeth Jenner (Moderator) is an Assessment Specialist in English Language Learning at ETS. She has specialized in developing the TOEFL® iBT test and its supporting materials for test takers since 2004. She earned her Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics from the University of New England, Australia. She speaks Spanish, has lived in Mexico and Guatemala, and loves learning about the indigenous cultures of Latin America.
Ashley Woodrow (Moderator) joined ETS in 2013 as part of the TOEFL® team. She works on the TOEFL® social media properties and the development of the TOEFL® scholarship program. She holds a Bachelor of Science from West Chester University, and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration from Rider University.
- Cultural Preservation: Witness the digital rebirth of treasures from the Palace Museum to Dunhuang murals, and how ancient myths find new global resonance through creative storytelling and the quantum leap in China’s animation industry.
- Ethnic Harmony: Experience how the philosophy of "harmony without uniformity" enables 56 ethnic groups to thrive together, as seen in the communities of Lijiang in Yunnan province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
- Global Vision: Understand how the enduring ideal of universal harmony shapes the modern vision of of building a community with a shared future for humanity, with endeavors like the Belt and Road Initiative fostering worldwide collaboration.
These narratives reveal a Chinese approach to modernity: one that is guided by and continues to draw vitality from its profound cultural legacy. It blends timeless wisdom with contemporary relevance to contribute to global dialogue and shared prosperity.
【课程特色】
1. 系统阐释中国式现代化,以叙事方式增强传播效能
2. 汇聚权威外语专家,构建高水平课程建设团队
3. 融入多元国际声音,增强课程亲和力与可信度
【Course Highlights】
1.Narrative-Driven Learning: Explains Chinese modernization systematically through engaging storytelling rather than dry theory.
2.Expert Team: Developed by a team of experienced language and culture experts.
3.Global Perspectives: Incorporates diverse international viewpoints to enhance relatability and credibility
【主讲教师】
段俊晖 上海商学院
【Instructor】
Duan Junhui, Shanghai Business School
You will explore breakthroughs in science and technology innovation, represented by the innovative ecosystem of Hangzhou’s “Six Little Dragons”; gain insight into the coordinated development pattern of China’s three major economic regions—the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; witness the transformation of Yucun Village in Anji, Zhejiang, as it puts the concept of green development into practice and achieves an ecological transition; understand the important role of the China International Import Expo in building an open platform for mutual benefit; and examine the “East Data, West Computing” project and its efforts to promote balanced resource allocation and win-win outcomes.
Together, these practices vividly illustrate the rich connotations and pathways of high-quality development, highlighting China’s commitment to a new stage of development, fully implementing the new development philosophy, and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese modernization.
【课程特色】
1. 系统阐释中国式现代化,以叙事方式增强传播效能
2. 汇聚权威外语专家,构建高水平课程建设团队
3. 融入多元国际声音,增强课程亲和力与可信度
【Course Highlights】
1. Narrative-Driven Learning: Explains Chinese modernization systematically through engaging storytelling rather than dry theory.
2. Expert Team: Developed by a team of experienced language and culture experts.
3. Global Perspectives: Incorporates diverse international viewpoints to enhance relatability and credibility.
【主讲教师】
张洁 上海财经大学
【Instructor】
Zhang Jie, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics
You will explore breakthroughs in new intelligent connectivity through the case of Hangzhou’s City Brain system, and appreciate its value for people’s livelihoods as it integrates 5G, AIoT, and big data to achieve a comprehensive digital upgrade of urban governance.
You will examine the development of new smart manufacturing represented by BYD’s new energy vehicle industrial chain, witnessing the qualitative leap of China’s manufacturing industryfrom “big” to “strong.”
You will gain insight into new energy practices typified by the Kubuqi Desert photovoltaic desert control project and understand the model of “power generation above and ecological restoration below,” which achieves both ecological and economic benefits.
You will understand breakthroughs in new materials represented by China’s domestically developed large passenger aircraft C919, clarifying the strategic significance of self-reliance in high-end materials for building a strong manufacturing nation.
You will engage with explorations in the new frontiers of sea, air, and space exemplified by China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, witnessing the contemporary landscape in which aerospace technologies empower global development.
Together, these practices vividly demonstrate the rich connotations and implementation pathways of new quality productive forces, highlighting China’s overarching goals of driving development transformation through scientific and technological innovation, empowering Chinese modernization with new quality productive forces, and comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
【课程特色】
1. 系统阐释中国式现代化,以叙事方式增强传播效能
2. 汇聚权威外语专家,构建高水平课程建设团队
3. 融入多元国际声音,增强课程亲和力与可信度
【Course Highlights】
1. Narrative-Driven Learning: Explains Chinese modernization systematically through engaging storytelling rather than dry theory.
2. Expert Team: Developed by a team of experienced language and culture experts.
3. Global Perspectives: Incorporates diverse international viewpoints to enhance relatability and credibility.
【主讲教师】
张钫炜 北京邮电大学
【Instructor】
Zhang Fangwei, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications
It provides an in‑depth interpretation of the underlying logic and distinctive value of China’s whole‑process people’s democracy.
You will witness how the Hongqiao legislative outreach office in Shanghai enables voices from the grassroots to be heard directly by the national legislature. You will trace the remarkable journey of Shen Jilan, the longest‑serving deputy to the National People’s Congress, who devoted six decades to faithfully representing the people. You will learn about Chai Shanshan, a courier‑turned delegate advocating for the rights of migrant workers.
In parallel, the course explores China’s consultative democracy through the story of Li Dianbo, a village official whose proposal for “mutual-assistance model for elderly care”, was incorporated into the 14th Five‑Year Plan through consultative democracy. The course also examines how China’s non‑CPC parties collaborate in a five‑year democratic oversight program to protect the ecological environment of the Yangtze River, showcasing a distinctive model of democratic supervision within China’s democratic system.
Taken together, these stories vividly illustrate the rich connotation of whole‑process people’s democracy, revealing why China’s democracy is among the broadest, most authentic, and most effective in the world. Through continuous institutional innovation and practical exploration, this unique democratic approach not only safeguards the people’s democratic rights but also improves the efficiency and quality of national governance—offering Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to the advancement of human political civilization.
【课程特色】
1. 系统阐释中国式现代化,以叙事方式增强传播效能
2. 汇聚权威外语专家,构建高水平课程建设团队
3. 融入多元国际声音,增强课程亲和力与可信度
【Course Highlights】
1. Narrative-Driven Learning: Explains Chinese modernization systematically through engaging storytelling rather than dry theory.
2. Expert Team: Developed by a team of experienced language and culture experts.
3. Global Perspectives: Incorporates diverse international viewpoints to enhance relatability and credibility.
【主讲教师】
胡杰辉 电子科技大学
【Instructors】
Hu Jiehui, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
【About This Course】
This course focuses on the essence of China’s in-depth reform, providing a comprehensive interpretation of the reform practices and institutional innovations in five key areas: government services, educational equity, healthcare, housing security, and economic reform.
Through vivid cases and systematic analysis, you will explore:
· How the Beijing 12345 Hotline builds a bridge of trust between citizens and the government, using digital tools to respond to people's needs with efficiency and care;
· How synchronized classrooms and dropout prevention initiatives narrow the educational gap, bringing equal learning opportunities to children in both cities and rural areas;
· How real-time medical insurance settlements and the expansion of quality healthcare resources ease the burden of medical costs, making health services more accessible and affordable for families;
· How affordable housing programs and improved rural living environments help fulfill the dream of “a home for everyone,” creating a sense of security and belonging;
· How a more open business environment and industrial upgrading inject new vitality into the economy, offering more opportunities for entrepreneurs to thrive.
These reforms, interconnected and people-focused, reflect China’s commitment to tackling challenges with both determination and compassion—building a modern society that is both dynamic and caring, and advancing steadily toward the goal of national rejuvenation.
【课程特色】
1. 系统阐释中国式现代化,以叙事方式增强传播效能
2. 汇聚权威外语专家,构建高水平课程建设团队
3. 融入多元国际声音,增强课程亲和力与可信度
【Course Highlights】
1. Narrative-Driven Learning: Explains Chinese modernization systematically through engaging storytelling rather than dry theory.
2. Expert Team: Developed by a team of experienced language and culture experts.
3. Global Perspectives: Incorporates diverse international viewpoints to enhance relatability and credibility.
【主讲教师】
程维 北京第二外国语学院
【Instructors】
Cheng Wei, Beijing International Studies University
冯老师目前已发表多篇国内外核心期刊论文、专著多部,根据谷歌学术搜索,冯老师的研究成果海外引用共计116次,研究论文H指数为5,i10指数为4,ResearchGate评分9.58。
Bertha Du-Babcock:现任职香港城市大学英文系,国际商务交流协会(Association for Business Communication)前主席,提名委员会与安德森研究基金会委员;SSCI期刊International Journal of Business Communication 副主编。其研究领域关注跨文化商务沟通的教学创新与理论建构,多年来学术成果丰硕。其2018年论文“Business Communication Research and Theory Development in Asia: Past, Present, and Future Prospects"为亚洲地区跨文化商务沟通的理论发展指明了方向。 此外,她主编的教材Essentials of Business Communication在亚洲地区也影响深远。
Robert Burns(罗伯特·彭斯)
"A Red, Red Rose"(《一朵红红的玫瑰》)
"My Heart's in the Highlands"(《我的心在高原》)
11. William Wordsworth(威廉·华兹华斯)
"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud"(《我独自漫游像一朵浮云》)
"She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways" (《她住在人迹罕至的地方》)
12. George Gordon Byron(乔治·戈登·拜伦)
"When We Two Parted"(《当初我们分别》)
"She Walks in Beauty"(《她走在美的光彩里》)
13. Percy Bysshe Shelley(珀西·比希·雪莱)
"Ode to the West Wind"(《西风颂》)
"A Song"(《歌》)
14. John Keats(约翰·济慈)
"On the Grasshopper and Cricket" (《蝈蝈与蟋蟀》)
"To Autumn"(《秋颂》)
15. Alfred Tennyson(阿尔弗雷德·丁尼生)
"Break, Break, Break"(《冲激,冲激,冲激》)
16. Robert Browning(罗伯特·勃朗宁)
"Home Thoughts, from Abroad"(《异域乡思》)
"Meeting at Night"(《深夜幽会》)
17. William Butler Yeats(威廉·巴特勒·叶芝)
"When You Are Old"(《当你老了》)
"The Lake Isle of Innisfree"(《因尼斯弗里湖岛》)
American Poetry
18. William Cullen Bryant(威廉·柯伦·布莱恩特)
"To a Waterfowl"(《致水鸟》)
19. Edgar Allan Poe(埃德加·爱伦·坡)
"To My Mother"(《致岳母》)
20. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow(亨利·瓦兹华斯·朗费罗)
"A Psalm of Life"(《生命礼赞》)
21. Walt Whitman(沃尔特·惠特曼)
"O Captain! My Captain"(《啊,船长!我的船长》)
22. Emily Dickinson(艾米丽·狄金森)
"I Died for Beauty–But was Scarce"(《我为美而死》)
23. Ezra Pound(埃兹拉·庞德)
"In a Station of the Metro"(《在地铁车站》)
24. Robert Frost(罗伯特·弗罗斯特)
"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"(《雪夜停林边》)
25. Carl Sandburg(卡尔·桑德堡)
"Fog"(《雾》)
"Grass"(《草》)
26. Thomas Stearns Eliot(托马斯·斯特恩斯·艾略特)
"Preludes"(《序曲》)
27. Hilda Doolittle(希尔达·杜立特尔)
"Oread"(《山林女神》)28. Hart Crane(哈特·克兰)
"To Brooklyn Bridge"(《致布鲁克林大桥》)
课程特色:
1. 课程内容丰富详实,涵盖了意象、意境、格律等诗歌概念,帮助学生掌握欣赏诗歌的方法、技巧。
2. 通过欣赏诗歌,教会学生如何从诗歌中汲取营养、获得人生经验和做人的道理,帮助学生形成正确的价值观、爱情观、世界观和人生观,实现诗歌的愉悦读者、教育读者的功能。
3. 本课程课件制作构思精美,图文并茂,不仅有难词讲解,还有中文译文、诗歌朗诵、练习题,有效加强学生的理解。
4. 本课程在2010年成为国家级精品课程,2013年成为国家精品资源共享建设课程,2016年成为国家精品资源共享课。同步教材拟于2019年3月出版。
教材:
李正栓. 英美诗歌教程 [M]. 第2版. 北京:清华大学出版社,2014.
参考书目:
[1] 胡家峦. 英国名诗详注 [M]. 北京:外语教学与研究出版社,2015.
[2] 李正栓. 英国文学简史与选读 [M]. 北京: 清华大学出版社,2016.
[3] 李正栓. 美国文学简史与选读[M].北京:清华大学出版社,2015.
[4] 黄家秀. 英美诗歌鉴赏 [M]. 武汉:武汉大学出版社,2009.
[5] 李正栓,申玉革. 英美诗歌欣赏教程 [M]. 北京: 北京师范大学出版社,2013.
[6] 王佐良.英国诗史 [M]. 南京:译林出版社,1997.