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TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Your professor is teaching a class on child psychology. Write a post responding to the professor's question.

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Task Overview

Dr. Achebe

This semester, we are studying how children learn and what influences their cognitive development. We know that children are affected both positively and negatively by what they see and hear. Many parents allow their children to watch entertaining or educational videos on devices like smartphones or tablets. Overall, do you think watching a lot of online videos is harmful to children? Why or why not?

Andrew

I think watching online videos is harmful to children. Children under two years old need to develop communication skills by interacting with other people; passively watching videos exposes them to language, but it's not the same. Also, even for older children, sitting and staring at a device means they are not moving and exercising.

Claire

I agree with Andrew that very young children who are learning to communicate should not watch a lot of videos. However, for children who are past that stage, videos can be great. Lots of kids' videos are about animals and nature. Most kids will never see a whale in its natural environment, but online, they can learn all about whales.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

While I appreciate the perspectives offered by both Andrew and Claire, I contend that it is beneficial for children to watch a lot of online videos, as it contributes to children’s personal growth. Online videos can provide children with a wealth of information, including science, history and art. Exposed to a variety of high-quality video programs, children can develop an intense interest in diverse fields. Drawing my own experience, my parents used to allow me to watch history documentaries after finishing my homework in my childhood, which ignited my strong interest in history and even encouraged me to major in Chinese History when I attended college. Without the extensive exposure to online videos in my childhood, I might not discover my genuine passion in such area.

Evaluation Result

1. 子项得分

  • Relevance and Contribution to Discussion: 4.5

  • Clarity and Elaboration of Viewpoint: 4.0

  • Language Use and Grammar: 4.5

2. 预估分数

  • 28

3. 任务完成度

总体来说,这篇文章较好地回答了教授的问题,并提供了一些有力的论据。然而,为了更好地完成任务,可以考虑在文章中加入对Andrew和Claire观点的讨论。此外,尽管你已经提到了自己的经历作为一个例子,但还可以进一步举例说明在线视频如何对其他孩子产生积极影响。

示例1:例如,在讨论Claire的观点时,你可以指出在线视频不仅可以帮助孩子们了解鲸鱼等动物,还可以帮助他们学习新语言、数学技能等。 示例2:你还可以提到一些研究表明,在适当的监督下,观看高质量在线视频对儿童认知发展有积极作用。

4. 文章结构与组织

文章结构清晰,包括引言、正文和结论。每段都集中讨论了一个具体观点,并提供了支持细节。然而,在段落之间加入更明确的过渡语句可以使文章更连贯。

建议1:在讨论Andrew和Claire的观点时,可以使用过渡性词语,如“然而”、“此外”等,以帮助读者更好地理解你的观点。 建议2:在总结段落中,可以使用类似“综上所述”或“因此”等词语来强调文章的结论。

5. 语法批改

While I appreciate the perspectives offered by both Andrew and Claire, I contend that it is beneficial for children to watch a lot of online videos, as it contributes to children’s personal growth. Online videos can provide children with a wealth of information, including science, history and art. Exposed to a variety of high-quality video programs, children can develop an intense interest in diverse fields. Drawing my own experience, my parents used to allow me to watch history documentaries after finishing my homework in my childhood, which ignited my strong interest in history and even encouraged me to major in Chinese History when I attended college. Without the extensive exposure to online videos in my childhood, I might not discover my genuine passion in such area.

Section Title: 6 Article Revision

In light of the viewpoints shared by both Andrew and Claire, I maintain that the consumption of online videos can be advantageous for children's overall development, provided they are exposed to a diverse range of high-quality content. Online videos offer a vast array of educational material, encompassing subjects such as science, history, and art. By engaging with these resources, children have the opportunity to cultivate their interests in various fields. Reflecting on my own upbringing, my parents permitted me to watch historical documentaries after completing my homework. This exposure not only sparked my passion for history but also influenced my decision to major in Chinese History during college. Had I not been granted access to such online content during my formative years, I may never have uncovered this profound interest. (135 words)

While I appreciate the perspectives offered Revised essay: Section Title: 7 Article Revision

In light of the viewpoints shared by both Andrew and Claire, Claire (reason: rephrased to sound more natural), I contend maintain that it is beneficial for children to watch the consumption of online videos can be advantageous for children's overall development (reason: clarified the original statement), provided they are exposed to a lot of online videos, as it contributes to children’s personal growth. diverse range of high-quality content (reason: added a condition for better context). Online videos can provide offer a vast array of educational material, encompassing subjects such as science, history, and art (reason: improved sentence structure). By engaging with these resources, children with a wealth of information, including science, history and art. Exposed to a variety of high-quality video programs, children can develop an intense interest have the opportunity to cultivate their interests in diverse fields. Drawing various fields (reason: rephrased for clarity). Reflecting on my own experience, upbringing, my parents used to allow permitted me to watch history historical documentaries after finishing completing my homework in my childhood, which ignited my strong interest in (reason: changed "Drawing my own experience" to "Reflecting on my own upbringing" for better flow). This exposure not only sparked my passion for history and even encouraged me but also influenced my decision to major in Chinese History when during college (reason: connected ideas more clearly). Had I attended college. Without the extensive exposure to not been granted access to such online videos in my childhood, content during my formative years, I might not discover my genuine passion in such area.may never have uncovered this profound interest (reason: rephrased last sentence for better emphasis and clarity).

8 思维导图


- Consumption of online videos
    - Advantages for children's development
        - Exposure to diverse, high-quality content
            - Educational material
                - Science
                - History
                - Art
            - Cultivate interests in various fields
    - Personal experience
        - Watching historical documentaries
            - Sparked passion for history
            - Influenced college major choice (Chinese History)

9 关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionSimplified Chinese TranslationSample Sentence
consumptionkənˈsʌm(p)ʃ(ə)nnounthe using up of a resource消费The consumption of online videos can be advantageous for children's overall development.
diversedʌɪˈvərsadjectiveshowing a great deal of variety多样的Children should be exposed to a diverse range of high-quality content.
cultivateˈkʌltɪveɪtverbdevelop or improve by education or training | 培养 │ By engaging with these resources, children have the opportunity to cultivate their interests.
upbringing │ ˈʌpbrɪŋɪŋ │ noun │ the treatment and instruction received by a child from its parents throughout its childhood │ 教养 │ Reflecting on my own upbringing, my parents permitted me to watch historical documentaries.
│ passion │ ˈpaʃ(ə)n │ noun │ strong and barely controllable emotion │ 热情 │ This exposure not only sparked my passion for history but also influenced my decision to major in Chinese History.
formativeˈfɔːmətɪvadjectiveserving to form something, especially having a profound influence on a person's development │ 形成性的 │ Had I not been granted access to such online content during my formative years, I may never have uncovered this profound interest.
majorˈmeɪdʒərnouna subject or field of study chosen by a student to represent his or her principal interest and upon which a large share of his or her efforts are concentrated │ 主修 │ This exposure influenced my decision to major in Chinese History during college.
educationalˌedjʊˈkeɪʃ(ə)n(ə)l│ adjectiveproviding education, or relating to education | 教育的 │ Online videos offer a vast array of educational material.
encompassingɪnˈkʌmpəsɪŋverbsurround and have or hold within包含Educational material encompasses subjects such as science, history, and art.

How Academic Discussion Is Scored

The TOEFL Academic Discussion task is evaluated based on the official ETS scoring rubric. AI evaluation analyzes each response across multiple dimensions.

Relevance & Contribution

Does the response address the question and contribute meaningfully to the discussion?

Language Use

Grammar accuracy, vocabulary range, and sentence structure quality.

Development & Support

Are ideas well-developed with specific examples and clear reasoning?

Common Patterns Across Responses

Based on analysis of user submissions for this task, here are common patterns observed in student responses.

Many students provide clear opinions but lack specific supporting examples.

Strong responses directly reference the reading passage and other speakers' viewpoints.

Higher-scoring responses use varied sentence structures and academic vocabulary.

Time management is a key factor — responses that feel rushed tend to score lower on development.

Learning Tips

1

Read the prompt carefully and identify all parts of the question before writing.

2

Reference the reading passage and the other students' opinions in your response.

3

Use specific examples to support your main point — avoid generic statements.

4

Aim for 120-150 words. Longer responses are not always better; clarity and focus matter more.

5

Practice timed responses (10 minutes) to build fluency under exam conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the TOEFL Academic Discussion task?
The TOEFL Academic Discussion task requires you to contribute to an online classroom discussion. You'll read a professor's question and other students' responses, then write your own post expressing and supporting your opinion in about 10 minutes.
How is the Academic Discussion task scored?
The task is scored on a scale of 0-5 based on relevance to the discussion, quality of language use (grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure), and how well you develop and support your ideas with specific examples and reasoning.
What are the user samples on this page?
These are real responses submitted by TOEFL test-takers who practiced this question on LingoLeap. Each sample has been evaluated by our AI scoring engine, which provides a score and detailed feedback on strengths and areas for improvement.
How accurate is the AI evaluation?
LingoLeap's AI evaluation engine is trained on official ETS scoring rubrics and calibrated against human rater scores. While no automated system is perfect, it provides reliable feedback for practice purposes and helps identify specific areas for improvement.
How can I practice this Academic Discussion task?
You can practice by signing up for a free LingoLeap account. Write your own response to this exact question, submit it, and receive instant AI evaluation with detailed feedback on your writing.
How long should my Academic Discussion response be?
Aim for 120-150 words. The task gives you 10 minutes to write your response. Focus on clarity, supporting your opinion with specific examples, and referencing the discussion context rather than writing a longer response.

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