Differences in Teaching Practices for TOEFL Reading: A Case Study of English and Non-English Major Teachers in China

Abstract

Though teachers’ backgrounds greatly impact classroom practice, relatively little research has been done on how TOEFL reading preparation is impacted by them. Emphasizing teaching tactics, textbook selection, and classroom activities, this article compares the approach to TOEFL reading of Chinese English teachers with non-English teachers. Five TOEFL preparation sites located in Zhengzhou, China completed a questionnaire survey revealing some quite significant differences in preferences and approaches to instruction. English teachers preferred didactic and interactive pedagogies to improve students’ long-term language skills, whereas non-English teachers preferred task-based pedagogies to quickly improve students’ language and test-taking skills. For non-English teachers, task-based learning was observed to be more successful in raising TOEFL scores. Second, whereas both sets of teachers gave official TOEFL resources and test-oriented materials top attention, English majors used a wider range of supplementary resources to aid general language development. Thirdly, different patterns of classroom activities emerged: non-English teachers generally employed mock tests and group discussions whereas English teachers focused on summary and rewriting tasks. While both sets of teachers applied interactive learning techniques quite effectively, student interaction was only rather low. These findings have important implications for programs aimed at teacher preparation since they show how the background knowledge of teachers influences TOEFL reading instruction, therefore affecting the distribution of professional teaching resources.