Review of 'Essential Words for the TOEFL (Essential Words for the Toefl)' on 'GoodReads'
3 stars
Barron’s vocabulary book is similar to other TOEFL vocab books, like Princeton Review’s [b:TOEFL Power Vocab|34434533|TOEFL Power Vocab 800+ Essential Words to Help You Excel on the TOEFL|The Princeton Review|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1500925229l/34434533.SY75.jpg|55542001]. It is mostly just lists of words and definitions. In this case they are divided into 30 “lessons” of about 15 words each. The words selected for each lesson don’t seem to be based on similar themes or structures.
While Princeton Review’s book includes a short quiz every few pages, Barron’s includes ten actual TOEFL reading question (vocabulary type, of course) at the end of each lesson. I can’t really say if the questions are accurate, but I don’t think that is the point. They mainly serve to help students understand the meaning and usage of each word. And, yeah, I guess they help students understand what a vocabulary question looks like and how it is put together. …
Barron’s vocabulary book is similar to other TOEFL vocab books, like Princeton Review’s [b:TOEFL Power Vocab|34434533|TOEFL Power Vocab 800+ Essential Words to Help You Excel on the TOEFL|The Princeton Review|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1500925229l/34434533.SY75.jpg|55542001]. It is mostly just lists of words and definitions. In this case they are divided into 30 “lessons” of about 15 words each. The words selected for each lesson don’t seem to be based on similar themes or structures.
While Princeton Review’s book includes a short quiz every few pages, Barron’s includes ten actual TOEFL reading question (vocabulary type, of course) at the end of each lesson. I can’t really say if the questions are accurate, but I don’t think that is the point. They mainly serve to help students understand the meaning and usage of each word. And, yeah, I guess they help students understand what a vocabulary question looks like and how it is put together.
The words here seem a bit more difficult that in Princeton Review’s book thankfully. Some of them are still too easy, though. I guess teachers should glance at the book before assigning it to see if the overall level is suitable for their students. I would probably recommend it for students scoring 90 and below.