Appendix (for reading content...etc)
Read the passage 'Homeschooling'. On a piece of paper, take notes on the main points of the reading passage.
Reading time: 3 minutes
Homeschooling
Homeschooling is becoming more and more popular in the United States. Parents who decide to homeschool their children keep their children out of traditional classrooms with one teacher and twenty to thirty or more children in each room. These parents educate their children by themselves in the home. This move toward homeschooling does not seem to be best for the children who are homeschooled.
For one thing, children in homeschools will not learn as much as children in traditional schools. This is because traditional schools demand that students learn a huge amount of material to pass from grade to grade. Homeschools are not set up in such a way that they can demand, as traditional schools do, that students master a certain amount of material before they pass on to a new level.
For another, children in homeschools do not have much social interaction with other children. Children in homeschools do not have a classroom full of students to interact with, as children in traditional schools most certainly do. Children in homeschools generally have only a parent and perhaps a few siblings to interact with on a regular basis.
Finally, children in homeschools will not have the broad curriculum that is available in traditional schools. Traditional schools offer a wide variety of subjects, more subjects than it is possible to offer in a homeschool. Traditional schools have an established and wide-ranging curriculum that cannot possibly be matched in a homeschooling environment.
Main idea of the reading passage:
- Disadvantages of homeschooling.
Major points in the reading passage:
- Children in homeschools don’t learn as much as those in traditional schools.
- Children in homeschools don’t have a lot of social interactions.
- Children in homeschools don’t have a broad curriculum. (they don’t study many topics)
Now listen to the passage. On a piece of paper, take notes on the main points of the listening passage.
[audio|src:'\listening\toefl_begin\151 Homeschooling.mp3?20210708'|wait:185]
You've all read the chapter on homeschooling? I'd like to discuss the ideas presented in the chapter. I think some claims are made in the reading passage that are not completely true. I've been a part of a state panel on homeschooling for the last ten years, so I'm pretty familiar with the issues surrounding homeschooling. I can tell you that a lot of people who are involved in homeschooling would disagree with the ideas in the chapter. Let me make a couple of points about what was in the reading passage.
First of all, it has not proven at all true that children with a homeschool education learn less than children in traditional schools. In fact, study after study has shown that children in homeschools learn far more than typical students in traditional schools.
The second point I'd like to make it that homeschooled children can have lots of opportunities for social interaction with other children. Parents who homeschool their children can arrange situations that involve social interaction with other homeschooled children. Thus, children who are homeschooled can have even more social interaction with other children than children in traditional schools because they can interact with other children at any time of the day if their parents arrange this.
The final point I'd like to make is about variety in the curriculum in homeschools. Parents who homeschool their children can offer the broadest possible curriculum. Parents are not limited by school boards that decide on the curriculum in traditional schools. Parents may decide to teach astronomy, or medicine, or Chinese even if these subjects are not part of the curriculum in traditional schools.
Main idea of the listening passage:
- Advantages of homeschooling.
Major points in the listening passage:
- The speaker cites studies that show that children in homeschools learn more than those in traditional schools
- Parents of homeschooled children can arrange for social interactions with other homeschooled kids at any time of the day
- Parents of homeschooled children are not limited by the school board curriculum and can teach any subject such as astronomy, medicine and Chinese
Now answer the following question:
How does the information in the listening passage cast doubt on the points made in the listening passage?
- He offers his credentials
- Cite a study that claims that / Cites studies that support …
- Homeschooled kids (adj. + N.) / Kids who are homeschooled / Homeschooling (noun)
- Studying at home / Studying with their parents / learning at home
- In a traditional school / traditionally schooled children
- pupils / young people / youngsters / kids / children / offspring / students / Learners
- The disadvantages of homeschooled children
- Homeschooling does not learn as much
- Homeschooling does not have much social interactions
Sample Answer:
In this set of materials, both the reading and the listening passages are discussing homeschooling. Nonetheless, concerning whether or not homeschooling benefits children, there are three distinct aspects in which these two passages offer contrasting arguments.
The reading passage is an article concerning the disadvantages of homeschooling. It remarks how homeschooled kids learn less than traditional school because of their lower pressure. The article further goes on to describe children with homeschooling won't have that much of social interact as traditional school which have a lot of people in the class. Last, the author mentions that they got less variety of subjects while homeschooling.
In the listening passage, a professor in a university class is delivering a lecture concerning the disadvantages of this kind of idea. He specifically casts doubt on three of the points presented in the reading passage. He describes that homeschooling learn less is not proven. Therefore, he concludes that this would not be beneficial to homeschooling children. He also mentions that homeschooling children can have more social interact if their parents agree. He finally points out that homeschooling can have more subjects than traditional school, which contradicts with the reading passage postulated. As a result, homeschooling does not worse than traditional.
In conclusion, the speaker dissents from the ideas presented in the article because he believes that this idea would not lead to an improvement of homeschooling is worse than traditional school.
In this set of materials, the reading passage is an article discussing several of the disadvantages of homeschooling, whereas the professor in the listening passage challenges the ideas presented in the article by listing several advantages to homeschooling students.
According to the reading passage, students who are home schooled encounter three distinct problems. First, the author claims that those pupils cannot acquire the same amount of information as children enrolled in traditional schools. Second, the writer suggests that the social development of youngsters who are educated at home will suffer from a lack of interaction. Lastly, the reading passage posits that this non-traditional education will hinder offspring’ access to a wide variety of academic topics.
In the listening passage, a lecturer casts doubt on the conclusions reached in the article. He disclaims the statement that children learn less in a domestic environment by citing studies and his own personal experience. He also contends that it is quite possible for youngsters to develop a full set of peer relations when parents arrange for social interactions. Finally, he professes that those who are taught at home can enjoy an immense number of academic subjects, such as astronomy and Chinese, which are not available to pupils attending a traditional magisterial institution.
In this set of materials, both the reading and listening passages are addressing the topic of homeschooling. However, the lecturer casts doubt on the statements which were made in the reading passage. There are three points of dissension between these two sources of information.
In the article, the author defines homeschooling as "parents educating their children by themselves in the home." The writer first states that children who study at home do not learn as much as those who attend a traditional school. Secondly, the reading passage claims that homeschooled pupils do not enjoy as many opportunities for social interaction as regular kids. Finally, the writing maintains that the curriculum in homeschools is quite narrow.
In the listening passage, a ten-year member of a state panel on homeschooling disputes the claims made in the reading passage. Firstly, he contradicts the assertion that homeschooled kids learn less than the children who learn in a traditional environment. Furthermore, he discounts the arguments stated in the reading passage that youngsters who are taught by their parents in a domestic setting cannot interact socially with their peers. He insists that a mother and father can arrange social activities with other homeschooled teenagers at any time of the day if they want to. Last but not least, although the author holds that the curriculum is limited in a familial environment, the panel member dismisses this claim by stating that parents are not limited by the traditional school board curriculum. He declares family members can teach subjects such as "Chinese, Astronomy, and Medicine."
In conclusion, although both author and speaker are discoursing on homeschooling, one extols its advantages while the other criticizes its effectiveness.
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