Essay
Teamwork
“How’s it going?” is what I usually ask my students when we begin our classes. The response is mostly pretty neutral. “Not bad, thanks.” But in the last few months, two students from two different classes have answered with “Really good!”
Their very positive response to my question was because they had just gotten the best TOEIC score of their lives. When I congratulated them, they both said “Thanks to you, Samantha!” I told them that it definitely wasn’t just me. I only see them for two hours a week, so there’s only so much I can do to help their English. In the courses my company provides, we focus on our students’ communication skills, not their TOEIC scores. Sitting the TOEIC requires a lot more focus on test-taking techniques and time management. In a real-life situation, you get more than 30 seconds to read an email and answer questions about it. And in real life, you can always ask someone to repeat information. In my classes, I do my best to give students opportunities to speak and to support them as best I can.
I see myself as a sort of basketball coach, with conversations and discussions being the game. We do a bit of training, some drills and then play. The fastest way for players to progress is to practise off the court, too. And these two particular students really did a lot of work on their own.
Both are incredibly motivated. One wants to think in English and often does shadowing when he’s listening to something in English. The other regularly reviews notes and tries any advice I give him. They do their best to use as much English as they can in class. They try to use new words and expressions that they’ve learned. They push themselves to make complex sentences. As a coach, I can guide them and give them the necessary language to help them level up. It’s all about teamwork. And it’s great when that teamwork leads to their success.
My students’ high TOEIC scores gave them a lot of confidence. I could see it beaming from them. It was a great feeling. I’m uncomfortable taking credit for their high scores, because I might also be seen as responsible for any low scores. The TOEIC test is a good motivator for improving students’ input – listening and reading. And that makes their output – speaking and writing – easier for them in our classes.
I’m very happy they’ve been able to do so well in their tests. I hope that they won’t stop there. I hope they can see that with regular practice, they can achieve that same “Really good!” feeling every time they use English.(Samantha Loong)
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