Hi everyone, I will be taking the TOPT and wanted to know if anyone has any tips or pointers on taking it. I am a Native Speaker but not an excellent one. Any advice would help. Thank You.
yeah, it's a test of Spanish proficiency (Texas Oral Proficiency Test). Are you taking it this coming Saturday. If you are I would recommend you go to the nearest university library. But if you're taking the one in August, I would recommend you go on Amazon and buy the TOPT prep kit. There's only one so it's easy to find, but it's a bit expensive ($55 plus shipping). It includes 2 books and two CDs. The CDs includes spoken prompts and exercise answers. 1 of the books explains the test formats, what type of grammar you need to address it, examples of the format answer you should utilize, useful vocabulary and sample prompts. It also offers a culture guide on Texas and Mexico to help you answer the prompts. That section includes general facts, a short article on six flags over texas, historic monuments, famous cities, tourist cites, history time line, festivals and traditions. The second book is a detailed, comprehensive explanation of the grammar and why it's used as it is. In total there are fifteen functions you have to attempt : 2 intermediates, 6 advanced and 7 superiors. You have to rank advanced to teach. I can't really offer you any tips because I'm taking it for the first time on May 3rd and I'm a non-native speaker, but if you use that source, you'll probably do fine.
I got this book on Saturday from Amazon. I've done some of the lessons & so far it's been simple but I haven't gotten to the advanced levels yet. You start at the intermediate level and follow the reading along with the audio to practice. Some minor dialect difference than what I am accustomed to but not difficult to figure out.
I was wondering if there was anybody on the board who has already taken and passed the TOPT. If so, I was wanting to know if you used the Prep Kit. If so, did you think it helped you pass the test? If not, what methods did you use to prepare?
I bought it but looks like I'll only have one day to look at it before testing. I did glance at the books & it's stuff that if you are fluent you should have no problem whether you use the book or not. I'll find out Sat & let u know if that prep is relevant.
lol. well thanks for the offer, but I'm taking it Saturday as well, so I'll have my answer by then. Thanks though ;-p
TOPT I will also be taking the TOPT. I would have u look at the TOPT Preparation manual. It tells u what type of questions they will be asking u, I believe there are 3 different type. Picture Base Questions- Topic Questions Situation Question It gives you examples, I think that if u can answer the sample questions they have u should be ok. http://www.texes.ets.org/assets/pdf/testprep_manuals/080_081_topt.pdf
TOPT Tomorrow is my 3rd attempt to pass the TOPT. I attended Avigail Vicente's TOPT Prep course and that didn't help. I read her books and that didn't help. I have finally had to get together with a fellow Spanish teacher and TOPT grader to critique my responses. Her best piece of advice was to OPEN YOUR MOUTH when speaking and pronounce every single vowel, accent, etc. I feel as though my pronounciation has improved a lot through recording my scenarios and getting criticism from others. I really do believe that I will succeed tomorrow. I dearly hope so because my contract is on the line. I'm sick of stressing over this exam!!
thanks, STG. I spend $55 & left my books at work so I'm definitely going to need the luck tomorrow. :lol::lol: Hopefully I won't be crying.
Did anyone take the TOPT today? How did you do? I think I did ok, but I corrected myself a lot. Does anyone know if that counts against you?
I rambled a lot because I got done before the time. I kept repeating myself, I though the last couple of questions did challege you if you didn't know spanish. I think that as long as you sounded like u knew what you were talking about you would be ok, i think we all corrected our selfs a lot.
I agree with littlebit. I found myself just rambling on. I felt that in more comfortable towards the upper questions than the beginning. I think I would've have done better is the warm up had been longer. Hopefully, it was enough. The waiting is going to be excruciating. Does anybody know how long it would take for the scores to be posted?
They told me it would take four weeks so we should know by the end of the month. I'm really nervous though. I know I messed up on two of the advanced functions. For giving instructions (los mandatos), I didn't realize what they wanted until after I spoke so instead of saying: Vayas a la biblioteca, encuentre algunos libros y decide que tipo de información necesitas, I said: Debes ir a la biblioteca y encontrar algunos libros. Entonces debes decidir lo que es la mejor información, etc. So I was like :unsure: I also know I bombed the advantages and disadvantages. I started off strong and then by then I was saying stuff like: you have to consider the advantages and disadvantages because there are advantages and disadvantages which have to be consider because they are....:huh: But I felt I did fairly well on some of the superior functions and I did really well on the intermediate functions so I'm hoping they balance out. But whose cruel idea was it to make us wait a month for our results.
So we're at what? the halfway point in waiting? Gawd...this is taking for ever. I keep having this dream that I get my results and I receive the analysis version you get when you fail and they explain that I was off by like two points from passing...lol. But I had that dream about the ExCet too and I passed that with flying colors. Give me my results already! Grrr....
*sigh* I was really hoping we would get the results today since today is the three week. Well, at least it's only one more week. Hey teachling, did you give SBEC your e-mail address, because when I took the ExCet, I received an e-mail when scores were ready and it links you to the texes website and you can see your scores on-line like a week before receiving the results via mail.
So we have what. wednesday and thursday left? I'm excited. Is anyone else excited! I've finally positive talked myself into excitement. Instead of saying "Ohmigosh! on Friday I get my results and I'm SOOOO nervous!", I've been telling myself "Cool...On Friday I get my six and I can't wait!"
so I got a message today from ETS saying that it was imperative that they speak to me about my TOPT scores. Yeah, that didn't freak me out. But when I called back, I kept getting their answering machine like they called me and then went to lunch so I'm still waiting to see what this is about. Gawd....no surprises please.
So I called ETS back, and they tell me that the tape they received for me was blank. I was like OH MY GOD!!! WHAT DO YOU MEAN BLANK??? They were like Blank...as in empty. You're going to have to take the test over. I was like...speechless. They said a few other people from my school had the same problem so they're going to set up an emergency retake for us in the next week or two. I know there was something on the tape because the examiner played in back for me and I remember thinking Gawd, does my voice really sound like that? I think somebody must have gotten the mailing box too close to a magnet and erased the tapes or something. I keep trying to think positive though. Maybe this was God intervening because I would have gotten a four and had to wait until October to take it again. This way, I have another week to study and I've already sen the test so it won't be as hard to study for. The good news is that I don't have to pay again though and I don't have to wait three months, so I guess it could have been worse. GAWD, THIS SUCKS!!!!!!!
ok...hmmm...so I don't have another week or so to study. I have until tomorrow at 5 pm. Can I freak out yet? I haven't looked at the review material since I took the test. woo saaaah.....If this weren't so frightening, it would be hilarious.
Try to focus on the "hilarious" part, okay? And you might try spending as much of the day as possible thinking in Spanish, all right?
Wow, each -- how did u know to call them? Makes me wonder if I should also. We had lots of people taking it at my location. I'm sorry you have to go through this but like you said it may work out better for you. I know I'm a bit nervous because I felt I rambled too much & may be my voice was not clear enough. Who knows?
If you're going to be working on the pc for a while you can listen to some of these channels to get in the "zone" http://www.univision.com/content/content.jhtml?&cid=786203
Thanks. Way ahead of you though. I'm listening to Juanes to sing about his camisa negra while I try to review.
