With all the TOEFL iBT® preparation books available on the market, what makes NorthStar iBT® stand out from the crowd?

NorthStar iBT® is the only book on the market currently which links learning and assessment with a specialized skill-building curriculum incorporating authentic test material from the makers of the TOEFL iBT®, that is ETS®.

How does NorthStar iBT® provide great support for teachers?

NorthStar: Building Skills for the TOEFL iBT® is supported by a very unique Teachers Manual.  The Teachers Manuals for each level provide unit-by-unit suggestions as well as special evaluation tools to track students' progress.  The second half of the Teachers Manual has a step by step guide on how to evaluate students spoken and written responses with detailed, annotated examples of student responses at each score level. There are also practice examples for the teachers to practice scoring the spoken and written responses. Then, they can compare their scores with those of certified ETS® test raters.  The Teachers Manual comes with a CD with examples of real student spoken responses.

Based on your previous visits, why do you think NorthStar iBT® is a good match for students in Korea?

I think this text is a good match for Korean students because it does four very important things at once:  
1) prepares students to succeed on the test;
2) prepares students to succeed on an English speaking university or college campus;
3) teaches and provides practice in integrated communicative skill building;
4) motivates and challenges students to think and engage with the language in authentic language tasks and settings.

What message do you want to send to the teachers in Korea during your next visit?

I would like Korean teachers to really start encouraging their students to take risks with the language and really *use* the language in productive tasks-both speaking and writing. I hope Korean teachers will see that completing a multiple choice test or simply answering comprehension questions is not demonstrating English proficiency.

Demonstrating the ability to *use* the language in active, spontaneous and creative ways should be a goal of all teachers.

If you could pick a single teaching tip to pass along to teachers in Korea, what would it be?

I would want Korean teachers to help their students appreciate the benefits of using English communicatively-confidence at work or at a university, proficiency in using the language to think, read, speak, and write critically and creatively.

Why do you like coming to Korea?

Well, I love working with the Korean teachers. They are so eager, motivated and inspired to learn as much as possible. They are also really active in my workshops and ask a lot of great questions which challenge me to think and reflect on what I am saying.  I also think the Pearson Longman Korean team is fantastic.  Everything is very well organized and they take great care of me and all the events.  Now..I also love kim chee, Insadong ( I have a favorite store there!)  and kalbi.  I always have a really great time in Korea and when I leave, I can't wait to come back!!!